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Grad School: Higher Degrees of Debt
Brett Arends
ROI
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Five Risky Plays That Could Make Your Day
WSJ.comCall it the Dirty Harry portfolio. Five big bets for the brave, and only one question. Do you feel lucky? These aren't the investments for Grandma. And they aren't wagers to take with your rent money. These are the risky bets most people are ...
Why a 'Balanced' Portfolio May Not Work; Arends: That 60/40 portfolio of stocks and bonds your adviser is pushing might not work.
SmartMoney.comWhat if everything your investment adviser is telling you is wrong? Look at the mutual fund choices your company is offering in your 401(k) plan. Look at the portfolio of those "target date" funds you're supposed to rely on, with their ...
ROI; Why We're All J.P. Morgan Now; Arends: The entire world of investing, including your 401(k), is now being run just like J.P. Morgan's "synthetic credit portfolio."
SmartMoney.comThe drama unfolding at J.P. Morgan Chase is stunning. Gripping. And oh so predictable. If you think this is just a story about Wall Street greed and folly, and has nothing to do with you, think again. We are all J.P. Morgan now.
ROI; France's Left Turn May Be Right for Stocks; Arends: Investors concerned France's new Socialist president will tank the market should brush up on their history.
SmartMoney.comThe last time the French elected a Socialist president their currency and stock market plunged in a matter of weeks. It turned out to be a bargain.
Stocks Are Cheap? Logic Says Otherwise; Arends: Is it true that stocks are cheap "when compared with bonds"? That's the line on Wall Street.
SmartMoney.comIs it true that stocks are cheap "when compared with bonds"? That's the line on Wall Street. If you haven't heard it from your broker yet, you will. Indeed, in a recent report, some investment strategists from big brokerages, in their ...
ROI; Wall Street Is Full of 'Stock-Picking Robots'; Arends: Thousands of investors were duped into taking stock tips from a robot, the SEC says. Isn't that business as usual?
SmartMoney.comTwin brothers Alexander and Thomas Hunter have been scamming stock market investors since they were just 16 years old, says the Securities and Exchange Commission.
ROI; How I Fixed the Tax Code (In Half a Day); Arends: The current tax code is appalling. Here's one that's simple, efficient and fair.
SmartMoney.comI did it. I reformed the U.S. tax code. It took me about half a day. With time off for lunch. Why Congress hasn't been able to do this in 26 years is another matter.
10 Things I Hate About Tax Day; Arends: Why writing the big check to Uncle Sam is the least of it.
SmartMoney.comHave you got your schedule C in order? Have you hunted down all your receipts? Have you made sure to count the depreciation on your laptop and the percentage of your cable bill attributable to your home office expense? And what about those ...
ROI; How to Change Your Life; Arends: New research suggests the key to breaking a bad habit lies in identifying both its cue -- and its reward.
SmartMoney.comMost of us would like to change something about ourselves or our lives. We eat too much. We smoke. We don't exercise. We're stuck in the wrong job. We spend too much and save too little. We look for love in the wrong places.
ROI; What Does Bernanke Know? Arends: Forget the Labor Department's jobs numbers. For a true picture of the bleak employment picture, look to men in their prime.
SmartMoney.comFed chairman Ben Bernanke surprised the markets yesterday when he hinted that his policy of easy money would continue. "Further significant improvements in the unemployment rate," he said, "will likely require a more rapid ...
The 400% Man's New Big Bet; Arends: The little-known fund manager with eye-popping returns has 50% of his portfolio in one stock. Will it pay off?
SmartMoney.comShould you invest half your money in the same stock? Most financial planners would tell you that's a crazy idea, that you need to be more "diversified." But that's what Allan Mecham at Arlington Value -- aka the 400% Man ...
ROI; Steinway & Sons: A Grand Investment? Arends: Investors who find the piano maker's concert grands too pricey might want to consider its stock.
SmartMoney.comSteinway & Sons has a brand name to die for. It's been more than 150 years since German immigrant Henry Steinway first began making pianos in a loft in New York. Today the company's famous name is almost synonymous around the ...
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Emerging Markets ... It's a Jungle Out There
WSJ.comEmerging markets have started the year with a bang. From São Paulo to Singapore, stock and bond markets are booming and investors are jumping on board.
ROI; Should You Sell Apple? Arends: Analysts and consumers are nuts for Apple, but iMania may not last much longer.
SmartMoney.comExpect the lines to form early on Friday outside Apple stores and electronics retailers, as devotees battle to get their hands on the latest iPad.
Real Estate: When High Rents Are a 'Buy' Signal; Arends: In many markets nowadays, buying a home can be a better investment than renting one.
SmartMoney.comMy wife and I recently sold our condo in Miami Beach to buy another one. The one we sold was a studio -- or "junior one bedroom" -- in a historic art deco building, a short walk from Ocean Drive and the popular News Cafe. It ...
ROI; Do You Need to Buy Big Oil Stocks? Arends: As fuel prices soar (again), it may make sense to invest where you spend.
SmartMoney.comBe honest. When you are standing at the gas pump, refilling your car and watching the numbers spin higher and higher, don't you wish you had some stock in Exxon or BP?
The Dumbest Investment Move; Arends: Why owning your company's stock in your 401(k) can be a big mistake.
SmartMoney.comThere are plenty of stupid investments you can make in this world. Stock in Pets.com and Washington Mutual didn't work out so well. Nor did those Las Vegas condos. Some of the social media and Web 2.0 stocks flying high on Wall Street ...
Main Street's $100 Billion Stock-Market Blunder; Arends: The market may be back to pre-crisis levels, but many regular investors have missed out.
SmartMoney.comBack in the spring of 2009 I was approached by a middle-class investor in a panic. She had dumped all her stocks in the fall of 2008, following the Lehman Brothers collapse. She just couldn't stand watching her life's savings ...
The 400% Man; How a college dropout at a tiny Utah fund beat Wall Street, and why most managers are scared to copy him.
SmartMoney.comOn a fall day in 2010, half a dozen wealthy investors and portfolio managers converged on an office in midtown Manhattan. These were serious Wall Street moneymen; in aggregate, they handled more than a billion dollars. They had access to ...
The Real Reasons the Rich Are Moving Cash to the Caymans; Arends: Mitt Romney has been criticized for having some of his fortune in offshore accounts, but it's not really to save on taxes.
SmartMoney.comOne thing's for sure. Mitt Romney didn't send his money down to the Cayman Islands to work on its tan. The former Massachusetts governor has been criticized by some for having some of his vast fortune in the Caribbean offshore ...
Should You Boycott Valentine's Day? Arends: Don't fall prey to the Romance-Industrial Complex.
SmartMoney.comValentine's Day is the biggest racket in the year. Even bigger than Christmas. Anyone who thinks this is really a free country should look at the regiments of well-drilled couples marching off to buy overpriced meals and overpriced ...
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Getting back to the gold standard; Commentary: Jim Grant says gold, not paper currency, is the future
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Jim Grant’s rise to power may be delayed. The legendary Wall Street writer, publisher of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer, has been mentioned by two of the rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Newt ...
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Ten questions about the European crisis; Commentary: Two years in, the crisis still makes no sense
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — I must be very stupid. I have been watching this European financial crisis for two years now. And it still doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.
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Will 2012 be the year of the contrarian? Commentary: Out-of-favor stocks are beating the analysts’ picks
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — The Mayans have Dec. 21 penciled in for the end of the world, but after the first few weeks of 2012, there’s one question to ask on Wall Street.
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How to save Research in Motion; Commentary: An open letter to Thorsten Heins, new CEO
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — An open letter: Dear Thorsten Heins, Congratulations! You’ve just become the new chief executive of Research In Motion, the BlackBerry maker.
The Real Problem With the Global Bond Markets; Arends: Global bond funds are taking needless risks, but a new set of indexes unveiled today aim to fix the problem.
SmartMoney.comIf you think this ends with Greece and Italy, you're crazy. The Japanese government has gross debts of nearly $15 trillion, says the International Monetary Fund. The United States government, depending on how you calculate it, has ...
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The newspaper that said ‘up yours’ to the Internet; Commentary: You only cheapen your work when you give it away
MarketWatchThis update corrects the number a typographical error in Private Eye’s record number of copies sold. BOSTON (MarketWatch) — You gotta be online.
How to Buy Bonds in King Harald's Norway; Arends: Most investors need more foreign bonds -- but they're so hard to buy.
SmartMoney.comEveryone knows the U.S. government faces a budget crisis. Everyone, it seems, except the bond market. Investors are still willing to lend to Uncle Sam for 2 to 3 percent interest, even for 30 years. Money continues to pour into bond funds.
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The euro-crisis horror show; Commentary: Suspense over Europe’s fate may be worse than reality
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Watching the European crisis takes me back to a moment at my English boarding school a couple of decades ago. About 70 of my fellow students were sitting in the dark in the communal TV room late on Saturday night, ...
Defending Kim Kardashian on Taxes; Arends: It takes a lot to get me to write about Kim Kardashian. Let alone to come to her defense.
SmartMoney.comIt takes a lot to get me to write about Kim Kardashian. Let alone to come to her defense. But this week a pressure group in California, campaigning for higher taxes on the rich, has done just that.
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Why Europe stocks are too cheap to ignore; Commentary: The Old World is on sale
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — How cheap is Europe these days? Very. Especially for a U.S. investor. Not only have the stocks plummeted over there, but the currency has plummeted too.
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How to Make Your 401(k) Plan Work Harder
WSJ.comChances are you have a 401(k) plan at work. And the chances are you're not making nearly enough of it. A new year means a new leaf: This is as good a time as any to start turning that around.
Analysts' Picks No Better Than Throwing Darts; Arends: It's the time of year when the geniuses on Wall Street tell you the best stocks to buy for the year ahead. Don't listen.
SmartMoney.comIt's the time of year when the geniuses on Wall Street tell you the best stocks to buy for the year ahead. So-called "analysts' top picks" are a popular topic on the Street of Shame. For some people it's just a ...
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In 2012, something’s gotta give; Commentary: Stocks, bonds, the euro, China — all under pressure
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Get ready for 2012. Because if the markets around the world are to be believed, this is the year when something’s gotta give.
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The online poker gold rush; Commentary: Gambling is America’s favorite tax
MarketWatchLONDON (MarketWatch) — The news over the holiday weekend is that the Obama administration may be moving towards legalizing online poker. An opinion by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, written in September but only published ...
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Why bankers are Scrooge this Christmas; Commentary: Modern bankers are even stingy with business
MarketWatchLONDON (MarketWatch) — Our local Too Big To Fail bank has a simple Christmas message for us all this year. Bah, humbug! If Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge were alive today, he’d be happily working in the TBTF bank — maybe as the CEO of the ...
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Give the gift of life this Christmas; Commentary: Making a real difference for $40
MarketWatchLONDON (MarketWatch) — Desperately hunting for that last stocking stuffer? Scratching your head for last-minute gift ideas? If you are completely stumped, you could always try this: You could give the gift of life.
Why You Should Buy Japanese Stocks; Arends: Japan might be the best-kept secret in the global markets.
SmartMoney.comBear markets usually end with a whimper, not a bang. No one on Wall Street fired a pistol in the air in 1932, or in 1982, to announce that shares had stopped falling. These were some of the most interesting investing opportunities in the ...
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Will the Europeans have to sell their gold? Commentary: Pressure on gold is bullish in the long term
MarketWatchLONDON (MarketWatch) — If the Italians can’t persuade the bond markets to keep them in business, they have another card up their sleeve. Few people realize it, but Italy holds the world’s fourth biggest stockpile of gold, at 2,452 tonnes. ...
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Investment Funds You Can 'Buy and Forget'
WSJ.comWouldn't it be great if you could just invest your money and forget about it? Investors have suffered another year of stomach-churning turmoil. Stocks boomed, suckering many people in, only to slump again as government finances here and ...
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Money managers fear euro zone breakup; Commentary: Major investors weigh in on debt crisis
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) —Nearly half of all institutional money managers now fear a partial break-up of the euro zone, a new survey revealed. And nearly 75% predict that the U.S. debt will be downgraded still further by ratings agencies.
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Europe’s new fiscal integrity is a hard sell; Commentary: History breeds skepticism on latest deal
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — European Union leaders claimed their latest deal this weekend will usher in a new era of fiscal stability and strength.
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Why Merkel-Sarkozy pact is doomed to fail; Commentary: Greece and Portugal have no reason to accept plan
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — If you want to understand the latest Franco-German proposal to “save” the euro, imagine this. Imagine the governments of China and Japan demanding they be given the legal right to override the U.S. budget’s legislative ...
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How to make ‘zillions’ on Wall Street; Commentary: Anyone can try their hand at the stock-options game
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — When it comes to Wall Street, a lot of people are like Dilbert’s boss. Anything they don’t understand, they figure, must be easy to do.
Revealed: What Christmas Will Really Cost; Arends: Few of us realize how much we're spending. Here's the shocking truth.
SmartMoney.comFistfights in aisles. Gunfights in the parking lot. Ah, yes. It must be Christmas! Jesus would be so proud. Nothing says "Rejoice, a Savior is born!" quite like gas masks and a cloud of mace in the kitchen appliances department.
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10 reasons the crisis isn��t over; Commentary: There may be a lot more bad news to come
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Boom! Stock markets around the world soared yesterday. The Dow jumped more than 300 points. News out of Europe says they’re working on a fix to resolve the crisis there. Reports here say the holiday season may be off to ...
Hidden in Your Value Fund: Bank Stocks; Arends: Financial stocks can make a value mutual fund uncomfortably volatile.
SmartMoney.comAunt Sally has a problem. We all do, really, but especially Aunt Sally. Where is she supposed to put her savings? Interest rates on certificates of deposit are pitiful. Treasury bonds are little better: A five-year Treasury pays 1 percent, ...
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Why everyone is wrong about defense; Commentary: Contractors will do better than you think
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Disgusted with Congress and the so-called “super-committee”? Cynical about politics? Convinced that America is in decline, and that our system of government is childish and corrupt?
Panicking About the Markets? Read This -- Now; While the Dow plummeted nearly 250 points Monday, consider that many high-quality blue chips are on sale, and getting cheaper.
SmartMoney.comYikes! No wonder markets are tanking. The financial crises, here and in Europe, are terrifying. Just ask anyone on Wall Street. He super committee has broken apart in failure. The US budget process is in disarray. Meanwhile, across the pond, ...
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Which countries aren’t bust? Commentary: Supercommittee flop isn’t unique
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Okay. Let’s get this straight. Italy’s bust. Spain, maybe, too. Greece? Well, we know about them. France is wobbly. Portugal? Ireland? Don’t ask.
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How to Save $10,000 by Next Thanksgiving
WSJ.comOK. So you want to save an extra $10,000 by next Thanksgiving. How can you do it? You've heard the usual finger-wagging frugality lessons over and over. And you already do the obvious things, like cutting back on lattes, raising your ...
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How to steal like Wall Street; Commentary: If we all acted like bankers there would be chaos
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — It’s a lucky thing these kids only tried to “occupy” Wall Street. If they’d been really radical they would have done something much more dangerous.
Behind the Stock Market's Great Myth; The stock market's big lie is revealed, writes Brett Arends.
SmartMoney.comMillions of people still put their faith in the stock market. Even after the events of the past dozen years people still hold trillions of dollars in equities and equity mutual funds in their personal accounts and 401(k) plans.
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A nation of suckers; Commentary: Nancy Pelosi, Spencer Bachus and me
MarketWatchSALT LAKE CITY (MarketWatch) — I’m an idiot. After watching the “60 Minutes” expose of insider-dealing by members of Congress, I’m left wondering (not for the first time, I might add): Why on Earth did I choose journalism as a career? Watch ...
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The stock market’s big lie revealed; Commentary: Private-equity companies outperform the market
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Millions of people still put their faith in the stock market. Even after the events of the past dozen years people still hold trillions of dollars in equities and equity mutual funds in their personal accounts and ...
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Seven reasons Italy may fall further; Commentary: Why bargain-hunters should be wary of Milan
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — They say the time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets. In the case of Italy, are we there yet? If you want to go against the herd and buy into Italian equities, good luck. My contrarian instincts want to do the ...
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How do you do business in Greece? You don’t; Sorry tale of a European investment in Crete show why the Greek economy is such a basket case
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch)— If you want to see up close why Greece is circling the drain, talk to Christopher Egleton. He’s a businessman in London who’s spent the last 12 years and $50 million trying to create thousands of jobs in Crete and to ...
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The great $26 billion real estate swindle; Commentary: Pity anyone who took the tax credit to buy a house
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Call it the Great Rock & Roll Real Estate Swindle. Call it a $26 billion Bait & Switch. Call it the Mother of All Boondoggles.
Why You Should Buy Greece; Commentary: Time to buy is when there's blood in the streets.
SmartMoney.comBuy Greece! You heard me. I'm not crazy. Buy Greece! OK, maybe I'm a little crazy. But I'm not totally kidding, either. Buy Greece!
Why MF Global's Collapse Matters; You may be watching the news about MF Global and shrugging. But it's sigfinicant. Here's why.
SmartMoney.comHere's a brain-teaser for you. Which corporate honcho bragged recently about his company's strong resources, positive outlook and outstanding "execution" skills? Who said he was "particularly pleased" at recent ...
Europe Should Let Greece Default; Let them eat Baklava! says Brett Arends.
SmartMoney.comAristotle would be proud. The philosopher of Greek drama divided the works of theater into tragedy and comedy, never the twain to meet. But his fellow countrymen are going one better. They are currently staging a tragedy that is also a ...
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Turmoil leaves closed-end funds on sale; Commentary: Many closed-ends still trade at a big discount
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — The turmoil of the last few months should remind investors, once again, of the importance of buying investments when they are on sale. Those who invested in equities during the slump in September, when everyone was ...
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Can a monkey pick a hedge fund? Commentary: They may match a typical fund of hedge funds
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Hedge funds are scary. They are complicated, confusing and risky. If you’re a rich investor — the member of a wealthy family, say, or someone running a big endowment — you need someone to help you pick the right ones ...
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Watch out for China’s ‘freak’ economy; Commentary: This is the real danger to the global economy
MarketWatchA previous version of this commentary misstated the name of the brokerage reporting on Chinese developers cutting prices. The brokerage is DBS Vickers Securities.
Investors Are Still in the Red; When you count inflation, we're in a real bear market, says Brett Arends.
SmartMoney.comYour cost of living went up about 0.2% in September, says the government. Meanwhile your U.S. stocks went down about 8%. Ouch. Your cost of living went up 0.3% in August. The stock market lost you about 6%. Ouch, again.
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Why Occupy Wall Street will fail; Commentary: Four reasons why the protests won’t change a thing
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — The public has every reason to be angry at what’s going on in this country, and every reason to protest. But will the Occupy Wall Street movement succeed in changing anything? Don’t count on it.
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Why big investors won’t occupy Wall Street; Commentary: Money managers shunning financial stocks
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Your money manager is too terrified to occupy Wall Street — with your money. Forget the pungent whiff of anger (or whatever) from Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. While the sans-culottes occupy the Financial District, ...
Why Bill Gates Is Buying Inflation Funds; Commentary: The Microsoft tycoon is betting on little-known inflation funds. Should you?
SmartMoney.comIf you're retired, or nearly retired, you probably want three things from your investments: Safety of principal, a reasonable rate of interest, and some security against the risks of inflation down the road.
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How Apple can boost the economy; Commentary: The move Tim Cook should make now
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Hey, Tim Cook! After last night’s quarterly earnings, I have four words for you. (And no, they’re not “I want an iPhone.”)
Should You Ditch Your Bonds? For investors who own their homes and collect Social Security, buying bonds might be redundant.
SmartMoney.comDo you own too many bonds? If you are retired, or near retirement, the question probably sounds crazy. After all, aren't you supposed to have most of your money in bonds? Aren't they the "safe" investment for those who ...
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Why the establishment hates Herman Cain; Commentary: 9-9-9 tax plan threatens vested interests
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Two cheers for Herman Cain! The former Godfather pizza boss and Republican presidential candidate came under withering fire from both liberals and from Republican rivals last week for his radical “9-9-9” tax plan.
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'Capitalists of the World Unite!'
WSJ.comYou don't have to be camped out with the protesters to be angry at Wall Street. Contrary to what you may hear, actual capitalists—those providing capital—get a raw deal down on the Street of Shame.
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Is Obama doomed? Commentary: One campaign veteran’s smart bets on the 2012 race
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Can you make a buck betting on the presidential election? To get the inside scoop I got in touch with one of the sharpest political operatives around: Former Republican spin doctor Mark McKinnon, the communications ...
Why More People Should Be Occupying Wall Street; Commentary: Investors in this year's fund IPOs should be protesting.
SmartMoney.comThe question isn't why some people are "occupying Wall Street" in protest right now. It's why so many others aren't.
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Buffett’s tax fight misses the payoff punch; Commentary: End favorable rates for capital gains and dividends
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — How did Warren Buffett pay just 11% of his adjusted gross income in tax last year? We don’t know for certain, but there are two likely reasons: charitable donations and municipal bonds.
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12 lessons for us all from the life of Steve Jobs; Commentary: What Apple co-founder’s achievements tell the rest of us
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Are there any life lessons for the rest of us from the career, and legacy, of Steve Jobs? The death of the Apple (AAPL, US) co-founder has dominated the news from Cupertino, Calif., to Kuala Lumpur. Many are focusing ...
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Steve Jobs: No CEO of his generation came close; Commentary: It wasn’t all tech genius; he was also a hype master
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — I was on the Amtrak Acela last night when the conductor broke in over the loudspeaker to give us the news about Steve Jobs.
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10 Market Myths Debunked; Brett Arends: In this market, the conventional wisdom no longer holds
WSJ.comThis market isn't just pounding your portfolio. It's also smashing some of the biggest myths that investors have lived on for a generation.
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Help! Advice to a young naval officer; Commentary: Investment advice for those just starting out
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — I recently got an email from a young officer in the U.S. Navy. “Mr. Arends, I am reaching out to you for advice as to where to invest my Roth IRA.
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How cheap are stocks now? The market slump is leaving many companies looking like bargains
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Maybe the overall market is still expensive. Maybe it has further to fall. Who knows? Who cares? One thing is for certain: The latest slump has thrown out all sorts of values among big blue-chip names.
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Don’t march against banks — walk away from them; Commentary: Protesters are missing the point
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Bring on the barricades! Protesters are coming to downtown Boston Friday. I’ve just received notice that up to 1,000 people are expected to “march” on Bank of America “to rally against Wall Street greed, predatory ...
Dark Days: 10 Money Moves to Make Now; Brett Arends: What to buy, what to sell, and other strategies to use this tumult to your advantage.
SmartMoney.comThe markets are waking up to the inevitable. In Europe, Greece is bust -- the country's short-term bonds yield more than 100%. Here at home, the economy is slowing, Washington is paralyzed, and the Fed is out of bullets.
Using Timber to Shelter Your Money; Timberland has long been a defensive investment for the wealthy; now ordinary Joes can buy in, too.
SmartMoney.comI grew up next to a forest. I remember, as a child, hiking through the trees with our two golden retrievers in tow and, hilariously, panning for gold in the stream. I started with high hopes. I saw plenty of gold -- all fool's, alas.
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‘Buy Europe’: One investor’s gutsy call; London investment legend says European stocks are a bargain
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Europe is bust. Buy Europe! That, at least, is the call from the smartest investor I know — Crispin Odey, a hedge-fund manager in London.
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The six safest stocks around; Commentary: In this market, you want safe, sound and high-yielding
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Yikes! This is a crash. We’re down more than 20% from the peak earlier this year. People are panicking. Investors are dumping what they can.
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Why the insiders have quit buying stocks; Commentary: The ratio of insider sales to purchases has jumped
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Something ominous is happening on Wall Street, but nobody has noticed. The insiders have vanished. Chief executives. Board members.
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Is Netflix doomed? Remember Krispy Kreme? Commentary: The world has changed for Netflix
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — I suspect we in our household are like a lot of Netflix subscribers. We were on the “Oh, yeah, I forgot I was subscribing to that” plan. With the “Honey, we’ve had this National Geographic documentary DVD for two ...
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Can the Democrats save Obama? Commentary: Forget the jobs bill. What Obama needs is Rick Perry.
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you’re a rich Democrat, maybe it’s time to cut a new campaign check. No, not to Barack Obama.
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'Dr. Feelgood's' Prescription for a Jittery Market
WSJ.comEditor's Note: It's been a stormy few months for investors. And we're not talking about hurricanes. The year started off well enough, but by May, the bull market was showing its age. By Memorial Day, the bulls were in full ...
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Did Trump call the peak in gold? Commentary: The Donald is a contrary indicator
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Uh-oh. Has Donald Trump just called the top in the gold market? The Donald has just accepted gold bullion instead of cash. According to my colleague at the Wall Street Journal, Trump accepted $176,000 in bullion as a ...
Should You Pay Your Mortgage With Stocks? Commentary: Many dividend yields beat the 30-year mortgage rate.
SmartMoney.comShould you take out a new mortgage — or home equity line of credit — and spend the money buying stocks? The question may sound totally crazy. It's certainly not for the unsophisticated. But events in the stock, bond and mortgage markets ...
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The fund that escaped the bank meltdown; Appleseed Fund’s ethics rule saved investors millions
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Early last summer, as the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill moved through Congress, Adam Strauss looked at what was going on and was disgusted.
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Massive default is best way to fix the economy; Commentary: Clearing away the debt is the only way forward
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — You want to fix this economic crisis? You want to put people back to work? You want to light a fire under the economy?
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What no one else will tell you about 9/11; Commentary: The astonishing investment fact everyone has ignored
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — What kind of person rushed out after 9/11 and invested their money in the stock markets of Muslim countries? Turns out: A shrewd one.
Enticed by Gold? Try Mining Stocks Instead; By some measures, miners are unusually cheap right now.
SmartMoney.comPrecious metals are in an asset class all their own. They zig when other markets zag. They often rise when other investments -- stocks, bonds and your home -- fall. They can give your portfolio real diversification. Some smart investors ...
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European debt worries ease — again! Commentary: We’ve seen this suckers’ rally before
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Wow! Great news! The markets are back up because the European crisis is over! What a deal! And so easy! Who knew? The headline said it all. “Stocks bounce back as worries ease about Europe,” said Reuters. They picked ...
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Euro crisis helps gold shine; Commentary: The ‘smart money’ got out, but it keeps rising
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — “The smart money got out of gold last year.” That’s what someone at one of the major Wall Street banks told me. Last year!
How to Invest Like Warren Buffett; You may not be able to amass a $50 billion fortune, but here are things you can do.
SmartMoney.comWarren Buffett is like the old commercial for E.F. Hutton. When he talks, people listen. When he calls for higher taxes on the rich, they may agree or not. But he gets their attention.
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The best stocks for Grandma; Commentary: Many blue-chip stocks now beat Treasury yields
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Sorry, Grandma. You’re getting the shaft from Uncle Sam. If you save your money in certificates of deposit, or short-term bonds, you’ll earn next to nothing. And you’ll lose purchasing power each year as inflation eats ...
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Did bonds just peak? Commentary: Bill Gross’s mea culpa sounds like capitulation
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — They say the time to sell is when the last bear turns bullish. When it comes to U.S. Treasury bonds, did that just happen?
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Brett Arends
Brett Arends writes ROI, or Return on Investment, offering analysis on what the latest news means for you and your money. Arends writes from a value-oriented and generally contrarian perspective. He has been writing about finance, in Europe and in the U.S., since the 1990s. Before that he worked as an analyst at McKinsey & Co., the strategy consultancy.
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How to Pay for a Wedding
With most couples waiting to marry and three quarters of marriage partners living together first, many celebrants are paying at least part of their wedding bill.
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How to Teach Kids about Money
It’s never too early to start talking dollars...and sense.
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How to Manage Your Grocery Bill
Your grocery bill is your biggest weekly household expense, so keeping a lid on it will go far to stretch your dollar.
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The Stealth Wedding: Saying 'I do' in a Public Space
A new wedding trend trades "walking down the aisle" for a walk on the wild side.
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Why a 'Balanced' Portfolio May Not Work
Arends: That 60/40 portfolio of stocks and bonds your adviser is pushing might not work.
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The Corner Office
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General Dynamics Changes Tactics
The defense contractor faces a tough enemy: potential cuts in defense.