Drawing on a pool of more than 30 measures spanning financial data, surveys and political insights, the BlackRock Sovereign Risk Index below provides investors with a framework for tracking sovereign credit risk in 50 countries.
Read More »Russia Is Hoarding Gold – Economic Warfare With U.S. Looms As A Result
Currently, Russian gold reserves rank 7th in the world. It’s clear that there is a concerted effort by Russian authorities to build up the country’s gold reserves as part of a national strategy to negate the effects of economic warfare waged by the United States.
Read More »A Mauldin Masterpiece That EVERY Investor & Financial Advisor Should Read: Earnings Expectations Are A Shell Game (+2K Views)
It’s quarterly report time for US stocks and companies continue to beat expectations even as earnings are falling? Their apparent success is explained partly by the fact that earnings reporting is a shell game, partly by the fact that not all businesses and industries are doing equally well, and partly by really bad earnings forecasting by the “experts.” This insightful article reviews just how crazy the whole earnings game is.
Read More »Purchase A Home Without A Mortgage – Here’s How
Although a mortgage is a common way to purchase a home it isn't the only way to purchase a house. If you think outside the box, you can possibly pull off a home purchase without a costly loan. Below are 4 novel ideas.
Read More »Should you keep renting, or should you buy a home? (+2K Views)
Should you keep renting, or should you buy a home? It's an age-old dilemma nearly every American adult wrestles with at some point. No one wants to throw their hard-earned cash away on rent payments they'll never see again when they could be investing in a home that will grow in value and potentially provide a nice return one day. If that line of thinking sounds familiar, Todd Sinai, a real-estate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, would like to stop you right there.
Read More »Housing: Is It A Good Inflation Hedge?
Over long periods the inflation-adjusted price of homes in the U.S. has tended to increase by a little more than 1% per year. That doesn't mean owning a home is a good way to make a 1% real return on your money though. This article explains why.
Read More »World’s 10 Largest Economies Changing Rapidly – Will America Remain #1?
You won’t be able to tell the story of the 21st century without India and China as its main protagonists. Just look at the numbers in the two animated charts provided in this article.
Read More »A Long & Comfortable Retirement Can Be Yours! Here’s How
Retirement can last 30 years or more so here's what you need to do now (or by age 30 at the latest) to maintain your lifestyle once you stop working.
Read More »Major Devaluation Of Yuan Expected In 1-2 Years – Here’s Why
I think the Chinese are devaluing the yuan in slow motion but when they realize that the shadow banking system will tighten credit at the worst possible time - just when the PBOC is actively fighting such tighter credit conditions - they are likely to devalue the yuan by a much larger and less orderly amount.
Read More »Doing Next To Nothing In Your Portfolio Is A Winning Approach – Here’s Why
As of the end of 2015, there were over 15,600 mutual funds, 11,000 hedge funds and 2,100 ETFs...[which] account for almost 50% more...than there are individual stocks and bonds. The paradox of choice makes it extremely difficult for investors to wade through this sea of complexity, but it also increases the temptation to make changes to a portfolio. People have a hard time sitting still in the face of this sheer number of choices, even when there are proven benefits from inaction with your investments. [Let me explain.]
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