Stocks finished the week firmly in the red, as traders moved out of positions and into the safety of cash before the extended Labor Day weekend. As tensions over the Syria issue mount, I can’t blame the smart money for wanting to step aside before any potential US retaliatory action. And while any serious […]

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War Drums Beat on Markets The latest soundtrack in the financial markets can best be described as the beating of war drums with Syria. Since tensions in that Middle East nation have escalated to the point where U.S. military action now is almost a certainty, the price of assets such as oil, gold, Treasury bonds

“What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.” –Abraham Lincoln There has been a lot of malodorous publicity out there lately. From politicians to pop stars to sports icons, the cultural stench wafting through the air is both heavy and annoying. Yet it’s also likely to be self-correcting, as Abraham Lincoln reminds us

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By Jim Woods I think everyone knows that when it comes to money and sex, you can never have too much. Now, there’s new academic research suggesting that the more sex you have, the more money you make. And no, I’m not making this stuff up. The study is titled “The Effect of Sexual Activity […]

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It was only in recent weeks that Europe pulled out of its longest recession since World War II (1-1/2 years) due largely to the turnaround in the French and German economies. In particular, the German economy drove the euro higher amid increased German investor confidence. And Germany ended its second quarter with a stronger-than-expected growth

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The latest soundtrack in the financial markets can best be described as the beating of war drums with Syria. Since tensions in that Middle East nation have escalated to the point where U.S. military action now is almost a certainty, the price of assets such as oil, gold, Treasury bonds and equities all have been

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***Due to a technical problem with the e-mail distribution of this hotline, we are updating this Successful Investing hotline, which we originally tried to e-mail you on Friday. Note that the official buy prices for new picks SLV and GDX will be based on their opening prices on Tuesday, Aug. 27.*** It was a mixed bag […]

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The Rate Ramp and the Foreign Factor If you harbored any doubt about the biggest story in the markets right now, then one look at the action in the Treasury bond pits (i.e. interest rates) will disabuse you of that uncertainty. Recent data on bond outflows show that investors in the United States have been

“My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.” –Jack Kerouac Passion is what makes life worth living. But controlling your passions is just as important as cultivating them. When it comes to a healthy life, balancing your enthusiasm and your self-discipline are the dual

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With the European Union considering a third bailout of Greece and most of its member nations struggling with sluggish growth and crushing debt, one country has done significantly better than its neighbors. Germany has grown its economy under Chancellor Angela Merkel, while many other European economies have faltered. Known by her supporters as the “Iron

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