Music Monday: We don’t see family often enough as time passes in “the wink of an eye” – Jackson Browne and The Pretender
Posted By RichC on December 23, 2019
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Interesting report on the TDAmeritrade – Schwab combo
Posted By RichC on December 22, 2019
If you’ve been investing for a few years now, you know mergers and acquisitions in the banking and financial services business is nothing new. We’ve personally experienced a few brokerage firms in our day and still remorse losing the early trading platform of Datek, and to a lessor amount Waterhouse, to TDAmeritrade. Now that Schwab is the acquiring company … one wonders just what technology will be disappearing?
Charles Schwab to Buy TD Ameritrade for $26 Billion
Toronto-Dominion Bank will hold a roughly 13% stake in Schwab after stock-swap deal, and TD Ameritrade’s other shareholders about 18% – November 25, 2019
Barron’s noted that individuals investors and the employees for each of the brokerage firms aren’t the only ones sitting on pins and needles as to what might happen. There are “150 fintech firm through API integrations” (compared to the 80 with Schwab) that are wondering what will happen to the TD Ameritrade Veo Open Access platform?
While there’s no guarantee, it’s logical that the combined company could eventually select one platform over the other, and there’s speculation that, if this happens, Veo would be the one to go, prompting FOMO among a number of tech firms.
“It will be tough for fintech firms, absolutely,” Scott Huff, an advisor and founder of Yourefolio, an estate planning tool, tells the publication.
Schwab declined to respond to speculation, according to Financial Planning. A Schwab spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a Barron’s request for comment.
“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” … but not like this! #video
Posted By RichC on December 21, 2019
I love these motion-sensing Wyze Cams …
Now what if someone happened to be coming to the front door? Yikes … although more than likely it would just be funny.
A positive 2019 for bullish investors, what about 2020?
Posted By RichC on December 20, 2019
As the year and decade wind down, it is the time of year investors and financially prudent planners take note of their savings and retirement portfolios. Barron’s surveyed strategists who continue to expect “more gains ahead for U.S. stocks” with the caveat, “barring a jarring election or a derailment in U.S. – China trade.”
So far this year, the S&P 500 has climbed 26.4%, to 3168.57 at Thursday’s close. Bond yields have slumped, as prices have surged: The 10-year Treasury’s yield dropped to 1.90% from 2.68% at the start of 2019. U.S. assets have generally outperformed their overseas counterparts, thanks to a relatively stronger economy and bond yields that may be slim, but that are at least positive.
The Economy: Slowing but Growing
Our panel sees real U.S. gross domestic product growth slowing to an average of 1.9% in 2020, from its current estimate of 2.3% for this year. That compares with growth rates of 2.9% in 2018 and 2.4% in 2017, and it’s still far from the recession that has been loudly and often predicted to have arrived by now.
The politically motivated impeachment of President Trump
Posted By RichC on December 19, 2019
How does a “relatively open minded” politically moderate to conservative American see the impeachment of President Trump?
I pay relatively close attention to the news … and politics since it is a big part of our news nowadays … AND with three years of quarrelling and intense dislike for President Donald Trump by his political adversaries behind us, it is no surprise that we would end up with charges “only the Democrats in Congress” believe rises 
to the “high crimes and misdemeanors” bar required to impeachment a sitting president. So this is how I see it … and likely the way most Republicans and likely how most open-minded Americans see it.
For many of us who questioned the use of FISA wiretap warrants (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978) being abused by politically connected people in our intelligence departments, something was afoul. This was started from nearly day one of the 2016 election campaign by those connected to the Clinton campaign through the use of a paid for and phony Steele dossier in an attempt to win and then discredit an election. Democrats reason, “collusion with Russia,” yet after years and millions of dollars spent on a Special Counsel investigation, the charges proved to be false. 
So it was no surprise to see the Democrats reload and search for something else.
Unrelenting, fed by an open hatred for President Trump … especially by vocal progressives in front of cameras or in “their” publications … continued to scour the comments President Trump (likely against advice) openly tweets and makes in interviews, phone calls, letters and tweets, for something that rises to the level of impeachable. Eventually … Democrats hung their hat on a congratulatory phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a segment of the call between the two presidents discussing corruption, 
particularly the part that included American politicians (something most Americans are disgusted with as well). It included a desire by our President Trump asking for a “favor” in hopes to look into a connection between those who opposed Trump in 2016, including the son, and the previous Vice-President of the United States, Joe Biden (running for president in 2020). So the stage is set … after the previous attacks failed to result in bring down President Trump … let’s impeach him for “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress.”
I can’t help but seeing the whole thing as disgusting and even filthier than what I already knew politics to be. At this point, I’m in the “Congress, stop wasting time” camp and would prefer the Washington DC crowd would let the American people decide if they want to re-elect President Trump in 2020.
How long should AGM deep cycle storage batteries last?
Posted By RichC on December 18, 2019
Although my boating life isn’t quite this bad (thanks for the photo Fatty Goodlander), it is frustrating to be dealing with what I thought was an already “fixed” problems aboard Encore. Besides not using the boat often enough, the re-fixing of problems a second time is frustrating, time consuming and costly.
Back in 2013 (has it really been that long?) I replaced both the failing batteries and inverter/charging system with upgraded 105 amp hour DieHard batteries (got a deal)and a 2000 watts inverter, charging and monitor set-up. All seemed to be working well for the past several years, but recently noticed that the batteries were not holding a charge. A couple weeks ago while patching the bimini with new wear strips (photos below) and cleaning up the condo for our winter renters, the batteries were completely flat. Hm?
The old (left) wear strips and the new replacement strip with some reinforcement (right)
Merry Christmas 2019 – Wishing you success and courage
Posted By RichC on December 17, 2019
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A peaceful quiet surprise snowfall and quality steel in tools
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2019
December is here … and the snow arrived last night (snow 9 years ago), although it isn’t anything drastic, just peaceful and quiet. Actually the heavy snow surprised me 
considering Sunday afternoon was relatively pleasant and I was in the home theater watching Sunday Night Football (Bill beat the Steelers). When the game was over, I realize I had forgotten to take out the trash. So headed outside to about 4 inches of wet snow! When walking back up the driveway, I realized the house looked pretty nice (although Brenda complained that I didn’t wait for her to finished the window candles and wreathes – it is half done).
On another note, I’ve become increasingly frustrated when working with my cheaper chisels made with junk steel (left) and SO PREFER using the couple 100 year old Swedish chisels that belonged to Brenda’s grandfather (right), He was a furniture maker in Jamestown NY and obviously knew which steel held a sharp edge. If I had a few more, I throw away all my junk tools.
Music Monday: James Taylor singing holiday songs
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2019
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New Windshield … but the Facebook advertising is too timely
Posted By RichC on December 15, 2019
I’ve often questioned just how much data is being collected by Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc … but considering I’m a relatively light user of FB … getting push timely advertising is a bit creepy.
I called my insurance company last week for a windshield repair/replacement for our 2010 BMW X5 35d and handled the entire transaction on the phone … yet somehow, Facebook connected me to an advertisement from Safelite – notice the timestamps.
As for the new windshield … it sure is nice not to have a bunch of tiny chips, a blurred area where a larger chip was once repaired and of course the most recent cold-weather induced crack right in front of my face.
EDIT:
Come to think about my online activity, I did post to my blog on the topic yesterday?
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.