As you watch the Super Bowl you may hear the term “shutdown corner.” A shutdown corner is the best defensive back on the team and they’re usually left on their own to cover the other team’s best receiver. Some of the best shutdown corners have been Deion Sanders, Lester Hayes and Charles Woodson. A...
Being wrong is no fun just ask the referees from the recent NFC playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints.
Timing is everything and sometimes the difference between right and wrong is a split-second decision. Of course, no one wants to be wrong, but it’s a part of life.
I...
This year marks my 30th year in the investment business and what a long strange trip it’s been.
My last semester at the University of San Diego I took an investment course with a young, energetic, and entertaining investment professor. His knowledge about investing was second to none. He taught our...
The FICO score ranges from 850 to 300 - exceptional to very poor. Of course, if you tried to get a loan from a bank with a credit score of 300, you’d be laughed out of the lobby. So why is 300 a perfect credit score? Let’s look at some data to answer this question.
First, this is how your credit...
Optimists and visionaries have built our great country. Railroads, autos, airlines, rockets, and computers were created by individuals who focused on changing the world. They didn’t let “experts” tell them their ideas were a waste of time or their inventions wouldn’t work. The Wright Brothers, Henry...
2018 was less than kind to investors as all major asset classes finished in negative territory. Cash was the best performing asset for the first time since 1994 and only the 10th time since 1926.
Diversification is still vital for investors to obtain and maintain wealth. A mix of stocks, bonds and...
Who cares that the current bull market has risen more than 260% when stocks have dropped 7% in the past month? Does it matter that stocks have generated an average annual return of 10% for the past 100 years or markets rise 75% of the time when this year will be negative? Stocks have outpaced bonds...
Global markets have dropped considerably the past three months. The Dow Jones has fallen about 8% as investors react to negative headlines about trade wars, Brexit, interest rates, and several other issues. They have been selling stocks to buy bonds or park money in a cash account. These remedies...
Estate planning is vital for people with significant wealth. A properly structured plan can aid in the successful distribution of your assets to those you love. Transferring assets to your beneficiaries, while avoiding estate taxes, is paramount for most individuals.
Estate planning is primarily a...
Growing up in Southern California I spent a considerable amount of time at the beach – Huntington, Newport, Laguna and Mission - boogie boarding, body surfing, snorkeling, or scuba diving. On occasion I’d get stuck in a riptide.
Riptides are dangerous and can be life threatening. The most important...
At lunch a few weeks ago, a friend of mine said he didn’t want his son to be average. I was struck by his comment because all his kids do well in school and they’re exceptional athletes. I then spent some time pondering the word – average. What is average? According to Merriam-Webster it means a...
The hot topic this week is the yield curve, or more importantly, the inverted yield curve. What the heck is a yield curve? It’s a collection of interest rates, or yields, plotted on a chart. Rates begin with the one-month U.S. Treasury Bill and end at the 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond. The curve plots...