Investors Turn From Once-Hot REITs

Investors fled Real Estate Investment Trusts en mase since mid May when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that the Federal Reserve’s accomodative monetary policy might soon come to a close.  Their concerns appear to be  twofold; there’s concern that higher borrowing cost will impair REIT’s ability to continue to pay handsome dividends and also concern  Read more ➝

Paul Ryan: Here’s How We Can End This Stalemate

In an op-ed post in today’s Wall Street Journal (to read CLICK HERE), Representative Paul Ryan, R-Wis, proposed broading the Congressional dialouge beyond a conversation on the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) to include a conversation about changing the tax code and tackling Medicare funding–two topics that, at least in theory, garner broad bi-partisian support.   Read more ➝

IMF’s Pessimism on Global Growth Widens

The International Monetary Fund cut its world growth forecast Tuesday amid deteriorating emerging-market prospects, urging authorities to shore up their economies as the U.S. prepares to exit its easy-money policies and wrestles with a budget impasse that threatens to derail the global recovery.  To view the entire article from the Wall Street Journal CLICK HERE.

Just a simple garage–maybe not!

Today Google celebrated it’s 15 year anniversary at the garage where founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin started the company.  Turns out they were not the only silicon valley companies to start in a garage.  Hewlett Packard started the trend and Apple got it’s start there as well. Maybe its time to move out the  Read more ➝

Mortgage rates fall to 9-week low

This week the Los Angeles Times reported that mortgage rates fell to a 9-week low. This may come as good news to those who have not taken advantage of these historically low rates.  It also bodes well for new and resale housing–both key drivers of the economy.  To read the entire article CLICK HERE.  

Tesla

Over the last few months we have purchased Tesla (symbol TSLA) for a handful of clients.  Given the fact that it is a start up company, competing with some very big players (GM, Ford, BMW, Toyota etc…), based on relatively new technology and run by a CEO who has never been in the car business, it is not  Read more ➝

“I Have A Dream”

As someone who was born in 1961, I was too young to understand Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”.  Since that time however, I have come to understand the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960’s and the positive impact it has had on so many people, not the least of which is our current President of  Read more ➝

Germany Loves Merkel

For those who have studied European history, you know that the region has had its fair share of turmoil and discord over the centuries.  This is why when the formation of the European Union was first being contemplated, the primary goal was not economic in nature but instead political.  Those leaders understood that if the states could  Read more ➝