Simple: Ignore them. I’m not that old but I can remember the days when it required a human to execute a trade on the floor of the NYSE. Obnoxiously-colored jackets, overpowering voices, and rapid fire hand signals were trader’s competitive advantages of the day. Today, even the love child of pianist Oscar Peterson and gunslinger … read more

If you haven’t read all you can about the recommendations from the President’s special deficit-reduction Fiscal Commission, you should. Your kids will thank. I’ll thank you. First off, I must commend the panel of 18–especially the co-chairs, retired Wyoming Republican senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton chief-of-staff Erskine Bowles—for their bold, realistic, actionable, and comprehensive recommendations … read more

I’ve had it with the oversimplification of financial company commercials. Sure, the E*Trade baby is entertaining as hell.  And who wouldn’t like to trust Law & Order’s  Mr. Integrity–Sam Waterston–to lead them down the righteous path to financial security? But, beyond the blatant salesmanship and entertainment value of these commercials, I’m deeply concerned the wrong … read more

I’m a big believer that when someone tells you “It’s different this time” you should subtract their age from 100 to arrive at the probability they’re WRONG. When it comes to investing, experience and a solid knowledge of history is paramount. Markets are cyclical. Fear comes and goes. Exuberance comes and goes. Market crashes WILL … read more

The early 20th century psychologist B.F. Skinner invented a crude, and occasionally cruel, box for measuring the behavior of rats. He discovered and statistically proved that a rat’s behavior was effected by what FOLLOWED a positive or negative reinforcement. Not what preceded the reinforcement. In other words, even rats think about the consequences of their … read more