Yardeni Sees Bull Market Intact As Roubini, Mauldin Surrender

My Comments: This morning I had breakfast with an old friend and among his questions of me was what was going on with the stock market. My short answer was that it was expensive, which means there is growing downside potential, but that it was going to keep running up for a while. His response …

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Republicans Need to Stop Scrapping and Change Course

My Comments: Some of you may find it confusing when I say I want a viable Republican Party, one that will field candidates for elected office that have a chance of winning. Partly it’s because I believe in the two party system and partly because I think the Democrats could be as dangerous to the …

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65? 70? 80? What’s the Real Retirement Age These Days?

My Comments: I've recently said that I hope and expect to have at least 3 to 5 more years of productive life left in me. I've tried sitting around trying to be "retired" and I don't like it. I would enjoy it more if perhaps I was living in the south of France, but then …

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Tale of Two Obamacares as Some States Bypass U.S. Site

My Comments: One, would you care to guess which state governors decided to initiate their own exchange programs and which ones did not? No, I didn’t think so. And two, since there appears to be a huge pent up demand for insurance coverage across the country, would you care to guess which insurance companies are …

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Washington Needs to Prove the Political System Still Works

My Comments: Readers of this blog know that from time to time, I express an opinion about politics or economics. I’m still coming to terms with the efforts by folks I consider nuts to shut down the government and risk a default. Having lived in various places around the world, and been exposed to international …

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Annuities Reconsidered

Since I have grey hair, my clients tend to also have grey hair. And among our concerns is how bills will get paid as time marches on. Social Security and Medicare are lifesavers for many people as financial and health threats continue to surface. But there is much more at stake than social programs sponsored …

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NFL, Concussions and Brokers: The Dangers of Denial

My Comments: This article is from someone who writes extensively about the financial world, in which I live every day. It comes from Bob Clark, ThinkAdvisor Editor-at-Large Investment Advisor Magazine. Whenever those in charge, be they politicians or corporate CEO’s, refuse to accept facts that tend to refute the status quo, it usually pays to …

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U.S. and Iranian Realities

My Comments: I think the name Suicide Caucus, given to the far right by some on the near right is on the mark. There seems to be a mental pathology presenting itself with some of these people. Fortunately, the world continues to turn and the world is again watching us carefully. This article, from George …

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A Magic Clock!

My Comments: Well, not really magic, but what you see might be magical. This is not a profound commentary on the state of government, or investments, or of the world, etc. But it might amuse you for a few minutes, which you can perhaps benefit from. You will find clocks that reveal almost everything, including …

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Time to Retire the Idea of Retirement

My Comments: The idea of retirement has been part of my psyche since day one. My parents had friends while I was growing up who were retired and there was discussion about retirement in the household. Over the following years, the idea was mainstream, expected, and normal. Now, not so much. When you think about …

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