Blog

Social Security is Broke(n) and Cannot Be Fixed

Social Security is Broke(n) and Cannot Be Fixed

In my last post, I wrote about how as of this year, the US Social Security system is bleeding cash and policymakers will soon be...
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When Will Social Security Go Bust?

When Will Social Security Go Bust?

Earlier this month, the Social Security Administration released its annual Trustees Reports on the financial condition of the program. This year’s report contained some hugely...
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Free Trade and the Golden Rule of Capitalism

Free Trade and the Golden Rule of Capitalism

People often ask me why the market, or some segment of it, has been acting the way it has been recently. My go-to response is...
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Big Island and Changes in the 2018 Tax Law

Big Island and Changes in the 2018 Tax Law

I love the Big Island of Hawaii and am truly saddened to see the devastation wrought by the recent eruption of the Kilauea volcano. The...
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The Steamroller: Reflections from My First Black Swan

The Steamroller: Reflections from My First Black Swan

Investing is a numbers game. With a well diversified portfolio, you make a lot of little bets and on any given day some of them...
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Testosterone is not an Investment Performance Enhancer

Testosterone is not an Investment Performance Enhancer

Finance, especially investment management, has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, often noted for its swashbuckling machismo, aggressive competitiveness, and otherwise male-high-school-jock-stereotype nature as in popular...
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What is Rational Behavior Given Recent Market Volatility?

What is Rational Behavior Given Recent Market Volatility?

On Monday February 5th 2018, the Dow Jones fell 1174 points on top of a steep rise in volatility from the week before putting the...
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Everything Keeps Getting Better: 2018 Edition

Everything Keeps Getting Better: 2018 Edition

Do you ever get the feeling that the only news they report is bad news? Well if you’ve ever wondered why that is, there is...
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Where’d All the Risk Go?

Where’d All the Risk Go?

America is more divided now than ever, a hostile foreign power is openly threatening us with nuclear weapons, and we don’t even know what next...
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Bitcoin; and other Fun Ways of Setting Your Money on Fire

Bitcoin; and other Fun Ways of Setting Your Money on Fire

Alright, bring on the hate mail! As I promised in my last post, today I give you more than you ever wanted to know on...
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3 Investments to Avoid in an Expensive Market

3 Investments to Avoid in an Expensive Market

You’ve probably heard it, maybe you’re worried about it: stocks are expensive, bonds are expensive, real estate is expensive, it seems like just about everywhere...
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Wildfires: Small Business – Big Hearts

Wildfires: Small Business – Big Hearts

As I woke again this morning to the smoky haze covering San Francisco, I am reminded of my many friends in Napa and Santa Rosa...
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