Asset Allocation

The Internet of Things is starting to take over all aspects of life. More and more devices and even appliances are connecting to the Internet, not only supposedly making our lives more convenient, but also making them inherently more complicated in some ways. The Internet of Things has already had a major impact on Consumer segments over the last 15 years and now it is beginning to move into Industrials, where a Goldman Sachs team of analysts thinks the economic impact will be greater. Here's what they had to say and how it will impact your way of life.

The Internet of Things is emerging as a third, and potentially the biggest, trend yet in the development of the Internet. Here's why.

The Internet of Things has entered the mainstream but...will move at different speeds, in different industries, over the next few decades as the cost of connectivity continues to drop.

Remember the game Musical Chairs? It seems that investors on Wall Street have been playing this game recently, as more and more we are seeing signs that the current bull market may be reaching its final stages. Each new sign that appears represents just one more chair being taken away from the game. The question investors need to ask is "where will I be when the music stops"?

Acquisitions are a huge part of driving the tech industry forward. They bring in new ideas, fresh talent, proprietary technologies, and much more. We’re only half way through 2014 and we have already seen major players shake up the tech industry through mergers and acquisitions. The Big 4 of the tech world (Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google) all have made very important acquisitions, and some may even change the world. Let's take a look at the details in this extremely informative infographic.

The benefits of being able to detect a bubble, when you are in its midst, rather than after it bursts, is that you may be able to protect yourself from its consequences. [Below are possible] mechanisms to detect bubbles, how well they work and what to do when you think a particular asset is in one.

South America’s countries still rank quite high for investing, thanks to their smaller debt loads, emerging market fundamentals, and relatively high economic freedom and the lifestyle options on the continent are also very attractive. Let’s take a brief look at the situation in all but 4 of the countries there.

Industrial users get it. Investors in PGM ETFs get it. Shouldn't you go get it too? Palladium is an investment option with absolutely tremendous potential. Here's why.

We are of the opinion that the miners and explorers (and their indexes GDX and GDXJ} should be "swapped" for the precious metals - gold, silver, and their proxies (GLD and SLV). This way investors will maintain exposure to precious metals while reducing their exposure to the more volatile miners as some of the share dilution and recent investor exuberance play out - and at least hedge themselves if the price continues to rise.

The charts below make it crystal clear that we are on the verge of a major bull market advance across the PM sector. While these charts are for the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF, what happens to the GDXJ has major implications for the whole sector, for the simple reason that it is not going up without the entire sector going up too.