Category: Risk
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Tesla Without Musk? What Then?
When we last blogged about Tesla almost a year ago,[1] we advised “If Tesla won’t own the world, consider selling your shares.” Tesla was then trading at $269 per share. And since then, it doesn’t look like Tesla will own the world. Tesla shares closed on Friday at $178 each.…
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Beware This “Abusive” Tax-Planning Trap; What to Do Instead
Recently we have talked to several advisors who have been pitched by promoters offering Deferred Sales Trusts – “DSTs” and Monetized Installment Sales – “MISTs.” Those are two names for basically the same scheme. The scheme (the IRS’ word, see below) is promoted as a tax deferral strategy. California has…
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Can Smoking Be Good for Your Lifetime Budget?
Many anti-smoking advocates make the blanket claim that smoking is bad for your finances.[1] But are those claims justified? This blog entry is purely an exercise in analysis. Please do not read it as advocacy. My purpose here is merely to make clear the lifetime financial implications of a pack-a-day…
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Inflation Protection? Or Trap?
With inflation remaining “stubbornly high”[1] we today take a look at the usefulness, or lack thereof, of TIPS. Please don’t buy TIPS without reading this. TIPS stands for Treasury Inflation-Protected Bonds. The US Treasury describes TIPS thus (we added the “bold” fond for emphasis): Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are marketable…
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Does This Terrify You?
Does it terrify you that this man has the President’s ear in economic matters? Here is a video of President Biden’s Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors trying to explain, well, you use your own judgment. I’m not sure what he’s trying to explain. Does it terrify you that…
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Buffett is Selling Apple. Should You?
In a report released May 4, 2024, Berkshire Hathaway revealed that it has sold about 115 million shares of Apple, for proceeds of about $20 billion. About a year ago, in June 2023, we observed that Apple shareholders had enjoyed a phenomenal run. At that time, about a year ago,…
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Record-High Gold Prices: Does Gold Belong in An Investment Portfolio?
Gold is trading at record highs, with spot prices exceeding $2250 per ounce as I write this. The chart above might lead you to wonder if you should be investing in gold. In this post, we address two related questions: We’ll first give you the answers, offer brief explanations, and…
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Time to Get Out of New York Real Estate?
The New York Supreme Court, in the person of Judge Arthur Engoron, has caused an earthquake in the New York real estate market. Investors don’t like risk, and they particularly don’t like political risk. To a great many observers, the trial which resulted in Engoron’s ruling, a trial which some…
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Why Doesn’t Your Client Act? 4 Factors to Guide Financial Decision-Making
Advisors can spend hours explaining a great solution to their clients, only to have those clients not act on the solution. There’s no magic bullet. But sometimes clients appreciate it when their advisor helps them identify what’s making the decision hard. What makes a decision difficult? Decision analysts have found…
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Advisors Gain Assets Easily and Stand Out from the Competition
Many financial advisors work hard to grow, or to stand out in a crowded marketplace. A select few are discovering how to grow more easily, and stand out from the competition, by implementing a “blue ocean” strategy. Blue Ocean Strategy is the name of one of the most famous articles…