Weekly Market Recap – 13 DEC 11

Check here for your weekly market recap from J.P. Morgan.

Star Stock Pickers Struggle to Beat Index

Until April of 2011, I was in the camp of those advisors scratching our heads, trying to figure out where the markets were heading. The idea is always to help our clients make money with their investments, since that’s the best way for us to make money. However, last April I started moving my clients …

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Unemployment Rate Falls to Lowest Since March 2009

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than two and a half years, as employers stepped up hiring in response to the slowly improving economy. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent last month, down …

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U.S. Clutching for Straws With Energy Independence

Two key paragraphs from the latest comments from Tom Barnett as they appeared last Monday in the World Politics Review. The United States is on the verge of an industrial renaissance, according to energy experts enthusiastic about technological advances surrounding the “fracking” of shale gas and the processing of “tight oil.” America is sitting on …

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A Healthy Dose of Reality

Paying for healthcare was the primary topic of a recent issue of Financial Planning magazine. When it comes to retirements, we assume that each of us will qualify for Medicare. For those of us already qualified, Medicare is a lifesaver, no pun intended. But... When we are young and feeling good, we take our health …

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Weekly Market Recap – 05DEC11

Check here for your weekly market recap from J.P. Morgan.

Occupy Wall Street and the GOP

Fox Pollster Tells GOP Governors Why 'Occupy' Scares Him Thu, 12/01/2011 - 11:32pm — Joe Conason When the reigning wordsmith of the Republican right says that he is “frightened to death” by Occupy Wall Street, there must be a compelling reason for him to admit his fear. Such was the confession of Frank Luntz, famed …

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Volatility Not Markets’ Fault And It’s Not Going Away

  By Tom Steinert-Threlkeld The volatility seen in stock markets this year has been high. And it will continue. But it may not be that unprecedented, according to Joseph Mecane, chief administrative officer for U.S. markets of NYSE Euronext. Take August, he told professionals gathered at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York for the …

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Fidelity: 401(k) Balances Drop 12% in 3Q

(I don’t know about you but I’m getting really tired of all the woe and gloom that pervades our lives. At first glance, this post is much the same. But if you get to the end and have time, watch the presentation I created by clicking on the last line. For me its a ray …

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Best 7 Business-Advice Books for Entrepreneurs

Business self-help books line the shelves of bookstores, but picking the right one that will actually change an entrepreneur’s working strategy can be tough. In a special report Monday on small business, The Wall Street Journal asked seven entrepreneurs and business academics about which self-help books were truly helpful either in getting a business off …

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