RichC | September 6, 2014
A very telling graph discloses three things (see story in Fortune) : A college graduate will on average make $1 million more than a worker with a high school degree over the course of his lifetime … even though the cost of education has gone higher. Wages across the board, adjusted for inflation to 2013 […]
RichC | August 25, 2014
Uncommon brilliance from a voice “for” the common man … that would be Mike Rowe. His answer to a reader Facebook post from earlier this month is worth reading. Off The Wall Interesting conversation over on the wall. It was started by a guy called Jayson LaVictorie, who has posted a few thousand words about […]
RichC | August 24, 2014
The stock market roars to new highs as the summer comes to an end, but investors continue pouring money into higher risk equities as if they have forgot what can happen. This is in part due to the low yield in fixed income assets and the new indice highs have more than a few economy […]
RichC | August 20, 2014
There were a few articles on VJ day this past weekend marking the anniversary of Victory over Japan and focused on the relief we felt ending World War II. While glancing at the front pages, it made me realize how the dollar has lost value … or if you’re dollar biased, how much goods and […]
RichC | August 15, 2014
Have you been wondering when the notoriously secretive Apple, known for innovative and culture shaping products, will have the next “one more thing?” We all suspect that TV is ripe for Apple-izing and that trendy wearables are ready for the iWatch, but besides those known in-the-works items, what else is up their sleeves? Will the […]
RichC | August 13, 2014
As both an automotive enthusiast and budget minded “frugalist,” I regularly grumble and complain about the cost of owning a car cars. From insurance and registration each year to the ever rising price of a new car and the fuel pumped into it, there seems to be no end to forking over dollars. Recently both […]
RichC | August 5, 2014
Learning from wise parents and grandparents is a generational gift that isn’t given enough credit, especially since we ask: “What’s happening to America?” A: Families are changing. I grew up watching teenagers a decade (or less) older than me heading to Vietnam or getting lost in angry 60’s. They (we) followed those dark years of […]
RichC | August 4, 2014
While reading President Obama’s comments in The Economist, the same class-warfare ire continues to be flamed for those who believe those living in the United States are against each other: Poor vs. wealthy, CEO vs. employee, ambitious vs. entitled, black vs. white, Democrat vs. Republican, etc. Isn’t it possible that those CEOs and corporations being […]
RichC | July 29, 2014
My morning routine includes turning on CNBC for my business news, trading and investing “fix” and the segment on the Facebook vs. Twitter social networking challenge peaked my interest. As expected, the focus was primarily which stock would make an investor the most money. Obviously Facebook has a significant lead both in platform maturity and […]
RichC | July 28, 2014
I regularly eyeball the government’s reported CPI inflation data (although question the applicability for real living in America?), and am concerned for those planning or already retired living on their “conservatively” invested savings. Many that I’ve talked with moved to cash positions after the 2008 recession or moved to much more conservative investments. Others hold […]
RichC | July 27, 2014
The interesting Elio “personal vehicle” has interested me since I first saw the companies marketing some time ago, but recentely decided that I wanted to get my reservation (with the 50% promo) in before it expires. The car, if you call it that, is price much lower than one would expect and looks to offer […]
RichC | July 22, 2014
After my recent visit to North Dakota and the oil fields … AND seeing what has happened in one short year, I talked with my son ways of trying to invest in this oil boom (the “invest in what you know” philosophy). Of course I tried to look at what he sees from a “planners” […]
RichC | July 13, 2014
In analyzing my Sodastream Christmas gift from the kids … after polishing off the original soda flavors … my 5 gallons of Diet Coke concentrate will last about 6 months. My wife Brenda unfortunately did not become a fan (lifetime Diet Pepsi addict) although I adjusted my daily refreshments choice to primarily the paintball carbonator […]
RichC | July 10, 2014
I listened to a debate on CNBC on Wednesday morning featuring Princeton economics professor Alan Krueger discussing the problems of long term unemployment which lead to Joe Kernen suggesting there are financial disincentives to taking entry level jobs … the kind of work the unemployed need to gain experience. Krueger discounted that people weigh the […]
RichC | July 2, 2014
I’ve been doing some reading lately from those concerned about an uptick in inflation. Since many of the writers are the same people who have been warning for years about inflation, it is easy to take their analysis with a yawn and a bit of skepticism. Still, my commonsense indicator has also kicked in […]
RichC | June 18, 2014
Lots of odds and ends in the news this Wednesday afternoon. First the Fed is not talking inflation and will be continuing with the expected $10 billion taper. Second, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezo introduced Amazon’s newest device called the Fire Phone … looks nice, but time will tell. It’s a 4.7” screen device with a […]
RichC | June 18, 2014
Ukraine continues to be under siege, SE Asia and Africa have unstable countries, Afghanistan will most likely go back to Taliban control, Iraq is imploding … but European markets are said to be in “recovery” and U.S. stock indices continue setting new highs and generating overly inflated annual returns for those “fully” invested (since when […]
RichC | June 16, 2014
While keeping tabs on a hedge fund analyst and his comments over at Seeking Alpha, I read a little bit on $WPRT and the recent management change and where they still in relation to their “natural gas vehicle/truck conversion” peers. Having watched my shares lose value this past year, I’ve been wondering why Westport hasn’t […]
RichC | June 12, 2014
It is getting easier and easier to stream a variety of content while driving from my iPhone using BT to my car radio nowadays … even in my older Mercedes 300D (to a newer radio). At one time SiriusXM was the way to get uninterrupted news and content while driving longer distances with limited Slingbox […]
RichC | June 6, 2014
While closing the first full week of June on a rather high note (all time high!), the financial markets and Dow Jones Industrial Average pushed ever closer to 17K — DJIA closed at 16,923.77 up 87.66 (0.52%). I’m probably not the only one wondering how companies can keep performing when consumers have fewer dollars leftover […]
RichC | June 5, 2014
Be warned before you contact a company like Quicken Loans with a mortgage refinance request (rates are pretty low again) because they will be pumping your contact information to bunches of boiler room sales people who will send canned emails and make phone calls all day and evening (even different people from the same company […]
RichC | May 23, 2014
I’m probably not the only one noticing the annual Memorial Day jump in retail gasoline prices kicking off the summer driving season. Yesterday most of the stations locally (north of Cincinnati) bumped prices up to $3.85–plus per gallon for regular grade fuel. Thankfully on the drive home, I fueled up the old Mercedes 300D for […]
RichC | May 20, 2014
While working on the boat this weekend, I also headed down to finally finish up the repairs on the cabinets after replacing a refrigerator last year. It wasn’t an expensive project, but did require a little wood putty, sanding and matching of paint. By the way, Home Depot deserves a plug for how they handled […]
RichC | May 11, 2014
Fox Business anchor Stuart Varney comment, in between his entertaining persiflage with Don Imus, struck a chord with me as he highlighted the failures of the Obama administration’s big government policies — regulations that are killing small business entrepreneurs. Stuart Varney with Don Imus (MP3) – May 2014 As someone who started a someone “traditional” […]
RichC | May 10, 2014
According to AAA, the cost to own a car has actually gone down … although with gas prices up, it may not feel like it. The average cost per mile is now 59.2 cents a mile, down 1.64 cents or down 4.7%. That puts the yearly cost at $8,876 a year in the annual Your […]
RichC | May 6, 2014
Outspoken President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Richard Fisher, talked with Maria Bartiromo on her new Sunday Morning Futures program this weekend and laid out a good case lower tax rates. His point is that money and investment flows to where it is treated the best and in turn jobs and […]
RichC | May 3, 2014
The LearnLiberty.org YouTube channel is one of the better online timewasters learning tools when it comes to educational web surfing. I particularly enjoy the variety of subject matters and guests who contribute to making the short and concise content. In the video below, Professor Deirdre McCluskey points out the radical change innovation made in our […]
RichC | May 2, 2014
Love him or hate him, billionaire “business magnate, politician and philanthropist” Michael Bloomberg clearly understands the effect the Federal Reserve has when it comes to pumping money into the economy. So simple and so true when it comes to who benefits the most from government trying to solve business and wealth inequity problems. He is […]
RichC | April 25, 2014
You’d be hard pressed to find those looking into investment ideas not mentioning companies developing or researching drones, quadrotors and UAVs. Over the next decade I confident that we will see advancements and debate on how and where they should be used. The technology patents will be fought over and money will be made and […]
RichC | April 23, 2014
$AAPL Resumed trading at 4:45PM Looks like investors approved of the 7 for 1 stock split and the idea that Apple is willing to tap the debt market in 2014 for the future. It would be nice to know what products are actually in the works, but so far the 8% afterhours move is a […]
RichC | April 15, 2014
Heritage.org
RichC | April 11, 2014
Those who spend any time watching financial markets and attempt to analyze a mix of investments the future, understand that there are mix signals coming from economist, financial analysts and those hired to manage investments (or pick for TV). I follow both the bullish and the bearish thinkers, yet end up being more conflicted about […]
RichC | March 23, 2014
Wallethub compared how average families from each state when it comes to paying taxes … how does your state look? According to their color coded map, the brighter red your state, the more you pay; conversely, the greener your state, the lower your taxes, and brown puts you somewhere in the middle. If you hate […]
RichC | March 19, 2014
It’s a big day for Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen as she took the stage and continued a third wave of tapering of the Federal Reserve’s bond buying program. Not that any of this was unexpected, but it an indication that the Fed sees the economy improving and is slowly removing the nation’s fiscal training wheels […]
RichC | March 1, 2014
I’m intrigued with marketing and advertising when it comes to what makes people tick. We see something and then decide to buy it. My education is not in marketing per se, but I know that I respond just as the advertising agency intended once in a while. Sometimes it is a newspaper or magazine ad […]
RichC | February 25, 2014
As the financial markets continue to flirt with record levels again, insiders are looking at where cash is being put to use, or not. Fox Business mentioned this morning that analyst expect much of the sideline cash to head towards R & D even as mergers and acquisition deals are garnering most of the headlines […]
RichC | February 24, 2014
In my pursuit of cheaper soft drinks it has become my terminus to save a buck and still make decent tasting cola. I continue to tweak my Sodastream setup and can confirm that my tastebuds have now fully adjusted to self-blended Diet Coke … and that I’m addicted (not so good). Currently the five gallon […]
RichC | February 2, 2014
Most people dislike partisans who are only be looking for ammunition to attack the other side … and I do find myself slanting from that perspective too. So while President Obama delivered his “Blah, blah, blah …” SOTU speech last week, I had to work hard not to approach every word and idea with skepticism, […]
RichC | February 1, 2014
The Wall Street Journal reported that customers are fleeing Time Warner Cable to the tune of 825,000 TV users in 2013. There is an increase in competition and a change in viewing habits as younger subscribers cut the cord choosing to watch over the air digital (free) TV or just Internet TV on-demand. What’s TWC’s […]
RichC | January 24, 2014
Investors and Wall Street traders are growing nervous that 2013 gains were too much, too fast as selling dominated the last two trading days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is having its worst day since April 15th of last year and looks like it will close at the low of the day. (DJIA at 15,935 […]
RichC | January 23, 2014
Would you like to have an “aha moment” in understanding why and how we attempt to manage our economy? Then watch this 30 minute YouTube video by Ray Dalio, founder of the largest hedge fund in the world, Bridgewater Associates. If you prefer reading, visit economicprinciples.org and download the research paper … the light bulb […]
RichC | January 22, 2014
Although I’m pretty conservative when it comes to investing and stocks, I do pay attention to the occasion stock tip when it comes from business people I respect. One fellow I know who attends shareholder meetings and get to know the interworking of companies has taken a substantial position in Hyperdynamics Corporation. I’ve added a […]
RichC | January 19, 2014
The much publicized Obamacare, Target and Neiman Marcus security issues are an in-your-face reminder (receive my email from Target last week) that individuals need to be wary and take precautions with their financial, medical and personal identity information. Having been through the nightmare of ID theft back in the 1990s, before companies or banks were […]
RichC | January 2, 2014
For the past four years the stock market has started the year on a positive note, but today the sellers outweighed the buyers sending the indices down across the board. The S&P500 was down nearly 1% followed by .80% moves down in both the Nasdaq Composite and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. A downgrade of […]
RichC | December 19, 2013
Gold dropped to a six-month low on Thursday selling off as the Federal Reserve’s pulled back in the U.S. monetary stimulus. It closed down 2% to $1,196.31/ounce which is the lowest since June 2013. Give credit or blame the Fed which took its first step in winding down the easy money policies which helped to […]
RichC | December 8, 2013
Have you ever purchase items from overseas that you thought were a great deal? Well, buyer beware since there can be glitches when it comes to jumping online and “importing or exporting” (the key words) to and from the U.S. when it come to customs … besides the inherent risk involved in exchanging money. I […]
RichC | November 22, 2013
In keeping with my previous views, Intel ($INTC) has once again disappointed shareholders with the same share price channel we’ve seen since 2001. I’m still not seeing management concerned in giving shareholders a reason to hold share long term. After disappointing “flat sales” company news, “shares of chip giant and Dow industrials component Intel Corp. […]
RichC | November 21, 2013
Partisanship and opinions aside a moment, I took a serious look at the Affordable Care Act and exchange pricing just to see what it might cost IF one was to retire early and purchase heath care on the exchanges. As a resident of Ohio (or Florida), which both have federally run exchanges, the monthly outlay […]
RichC | November 15, 2013
The U.S. stock market powered forward again today with the expectation that Janet Yellen will continue the easy money policies as head of the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart above) has investors cheering even as recent bumps attempted to derail the anemic jobless recovery. I doubt the party can continue forever, but […]
RichC | November 6, 2013
I had a somewhat frustrating day dealing with insurance policies and realized that we’ve been overpaying for a very long time … unless I’m missing something? It started with a simple phone call to verify that a 15 year term life insurance policy was indeed expired. A call to the Select Quote people confirmed I […]
RichC | November 4, 2013
Frequent guest and St. Louis Federal Reserve President Jim Bullard discussed making “decisions by the numbers” on CNBC’s Squawkbox this morning. He offered an opinion that current low inflation and a sluggish economy is keeping the Fed’s “loose money policy” in place and that conditions are not signaling a need to taper. I’m probably not […]
RichC | October 26, 2013
After writing the Liquidity addict post for Friday and speculating that our “irrational exuberance” for stocks has bold investors buying with reckless abandon (CNBC on Friday said margin buying is near all time highs). Concerned? Hmm, yup. I also received a couple of emails from readers who said they were happy, but also worried about […]
RichC | October 25, 2013
As a student of economics, a business manager and as a hesitant investor, I’m concern about what is going to happen when the Federal Reserve finally pulls the stimulus intravenous therapy? It is likely that Fed Chairman Bernanke is worried about weaning the stimulus too, by the fact he hasn’t started to taper. It is […]
RichC | October 20, 2013
Last week Dave Ramsey attempted to simplify the Affordable Care Act on his financial advice radio program for his listeners. He asked listeners to take off the political blinders – be they those of the supporters of Obamacare or those who want the law overturned. In a “tough love” Dave Ramsey kind of way, he […]
RichC | October 2, 2013
In my pile of books, I’m reading one co-authored by Robert Wiedemer called “Aftershock Investor” and he is anticipating, after he accurately pinpointed the housing bubble, that we are nearing two additional bubbles. First, he highlights the dollar bubble as the Fed’s “quantitative easing” continues … followed by the government debt bubble as at the […]
RichC | September 18, 2013
Walgreens WSJ article … but actually playing with the postie plug-in for WordPress early this morning. EDIT: Failed to get a video posted directly by email from my iPhone to the blog.
RichC | September 13, 2013
Short and sweet. As one would expect from the 140 character social networking company. — MT @Twitter We’ve confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO. But here are a few more tweets collected by the Associated Press. — #FunFact: In the first hour of @Twitter sending that IPO announcement tweet, 7,872 […]
RichC | September 11, 2013
With all the pre-event leaks and lackluster comments from technology journalists, it is difficult for even Apple fans to get wound up about the new “same sized” iPhones. The non-surprise by Apple was reflected in a 2% decline in $AAPL shares on Wall Street and many wonder if the magic is gone? On the plus […]
RichC | August 28, 2013
My recent college graduate came back from his test-taking City-County Planning interview trip to Santa Barbara today and has fallen head over heels in love with California, at least the part that he was seeing. Besides his taking the next step in the interview process, Taylor was able to explore the area a bit by […]
RichC | August 23, 2013
A big announcement day for lovers and haters of the software behemoth Microsoft (MSFT) as CEO Steve Ballmer announced that he intends to step down in the next 12 months. His timeframe will help in making a smooth transition as the board selects a new chief. Ballmer’s management has been flat-footed by all accounts […]