From the monthly archives:
I found myself in a lot of airports this past week (which also explains the lack of posts) … and I have to say that people have certainly not stopped flying in the midst of this recession. The Philadelphia airport was particularly crowded, even at 6AM. Columbus and West Palm Beach, less so … but [...]
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I have written a lot about Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, including details on the company’s own options positions.
And in Dividend Superstars, I have also been writing a lot about using options to generate additional income.
Now, the two subjects are colliding with a recent development in the Windy City.
The Chicago Board of Options Exchange recently began trading options Berkshire [...]
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I just got done reading this story from U.S. News … it’s an interview with a financial planner. Her advice on how much to save for retirement?
“If you have children in college or in private school you might aim to save 10 percent of your income. But in the time when the kids are out [...]
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In addition to everything I just said in my latest Money and Markets column, I want to point out one more news item that just hit the wires …
U.S. credit card defaults rose to record highs in May. According to Bank of America, the company’s default rate — which measures loans that aren’t expected to [...]
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A few days ago, I noted that 30-year mortgage rates had risen sharply.
Today, we got the first hard-nosed proof that the surge has indeed hurt loan applications. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, total home loan applications shrank to the lowest level since November last week.
Right now, Washinton seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach on the recent [...]
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Seems as though a panel of Federal investigators is now suggesting that we may need a second opinion on those stress tests!
According to a new report from the Congressional Oversight Panel, Washington’s initial assumptions might have been just a wee bit too optimistic.
Gee, really? You mean assumptions like an unemployment rate of 8.9% … when May’s rate [...]
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Just wanted to post a quick note following up on some of the housing comments I’ve made both here and in Dividend Superstars.
Along with all the other reasons I’ve been citing to remain skeptical of a housing recovery, you can add to the list higher mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed rate is now firmly above [...]
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I received an interesting stat the other day …
Based on Wednesday’s close, the S&P 500 was up 39.64% from its low and down the exact same percentage.
Initially, many investors might take that to mean that the market is exactly halfway between its bull and bear extremes. But that’s not the case at all.
Sure, if you’re mathematecially inclined [...]
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