U.S. News: What You Need to Know About Investing in Currency-Hedged ETFs

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Currencies that just won't stay still are causing havoc for investors who ventured to buy foreign stocks and bonds.

It's not a new problem, but over the past few years there has been a surge in products designed to eliminate that risk – so-called currency-hedged exchange-traded funds. 

But should you consider them as part of your portfolio? Read more here.

TheStreet: Why Stocks Did Better Than You Think Last Year

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Should investors have been disappointed by last year's flat stock market?

Probably not, because indexes don't measure the true changes in your wealth. And there's a bigger lesson for anyone saving for retirement. Read more here.

Forbes Video: Time To Hydrate Your Portfolio With Water Stocks

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Without water we can’t live. That should be clear to anyone. The unfortunate thing is that water resources are becoming increasingly scarce.

There is an upside though. Entrepreneurs are already well aware of the problem and are plowing resources into the field. It means there will be huge spending in the years to come on things like dam building and utilities, says Vinny Catalano, global investment strategist at Blue Marble Research. He explains his thoughts in this video.

Forbes: Do We Need The Fed? Maybe Not, But We Need Free Markets

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Reason Foundation scholar, and economics journalist, John Tamny has written a new book titled Who Needs the Fed? If you believe Tamny and what he’s written, then the answer is clearly, not us.

His book, published earlier this month, is about much more than the Federal Reserve,the central bank of the United States. It’s about sound economic policy. It’s about what works in economics, and what doesn’t work.

Read more here.

Forbes Video: Beat The S&P 500 By 2-To-1

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Making money in the market is often hampered by the reality that taxes need to be paid on the gains. But what if you could let your money grow over a long period of time and only then pay your taxes? There is a way to do that and to beat the market at the same time. It's a trick that can beat the broad market, as measured by the S&P 500, by a factor of two-to-one, says Adam Johnson, founder of Bullseye Brief newsletter in this recent video.

Forbes Video: What Are Negative Interest Rates And Should You Worry About Them?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

In some places outside the U.S., the cost of borrowing money has dipped below zero. It's a strange concept and basically means that money kept in a bank deposit would actually shrink instead of grow.

One question that many people wonder about is whether the negative rate phenomenon will be coming to the United States. It would be decision made by the Federal Reserve and one that would also have dramatic impact on the U.S. economy.

To find out what's going on I spoke with Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at professional services firm RSM who explains what it means and whether America will follow suit. Watch, listen, and learn here.

Forbes Video: Why The Oil Bear Is Banished!

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Prices for crude oil have had a brutal couple of years falling from around $100 in mid 2014 to a low of $26 this past February. They have since rebounded to the $40s. The question is simple: is the bear market over?

It is a question that matters for the credit market, because banks lent heavily to the oil patch. It is also important for stocks in general because the oil companies have seen profits collapse, hurting market earnings ratios.

The health of earnings and the health of banks are vital to a robust stock market. So, if the rout for oil is over then this could be a bottom for stocks in general.

Adam Johnson, founder of Bullseye Brief, explains why he thinks the recent low price for crude could signal that the energy bear market is over. He also gives his thoughts on why oil is a better bet than natural gas. Watch, listen, and learn here.

Forbes Video: How The Government Is Killing Wall St. Innovation

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Since the big banks were bailed out by the U.S. government in 2009 regulators have kept one thing in mind: Never again. If nothing else happens, they don’t want to see a repeat of the subprime meltdown and the need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars stabilizing institutions that are deemed to big to let fail.

That fear of risk by the regulators means that Wall Street is no longer the center of innovation it once was. Or in other words, if you want creativity in your job, anywhere else might be better than Wall Street. That may explain why the brightest and the best are headed out to San Francisco and other technology hubs.

Watch, listen and learn from Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at professional services firm RSM.

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

U.S. News: How the Oil and Credit Markets Became Linked

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Markets aren't like Las Vegas. What happens in one market doesn't stay there for long. The latest poster children for the ripple effect are energy markets and credit markets.

Recently, movements in the volatile oil futures market had a direct and immediate impact on the bond market. Here's what happened, why, and how it affects your investments. Read more here.

Oil Tanker

Photo by Shaah Shahidh on Unsplash

Forbes Video: Investing Mistakes That Could Sink Your Portfolio

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When you invest there are many things that can go wrong, but for the most part the problems are with the investor. Novices who put their money to work for the first time are often their own worst enemy — at least when it comes to growing a portfolio into a sizable nest egg.

One of the most basic is the desire for action. “Do something!” is what your conscience says to you. Unfortunately, unlike with other parts of your life, when it comes to investing following that order can be exactly the wrong thing to do.

Charlie Bilello, director of research at Pension Partners, outlines some of the things that you need to avoid doing when managing your own money. He does so in this video.

Forbes Video: How To Keep Your Pet Safe This Summer

By SIMON CONSTABLE
While you’re having fun in the summer heat, make sure your pet does also, says Joey Teixeira, senior manager, ASPCA Adoption Center, along with his outrageously cute dog, Mervin the Chihuahua. Watch, listen, and learn from both of them in this video.

Forbes Video: U.S. Will Continue To Be A Job-Making Machine, Top Economist

By SIMON CONSTABLE
The job market will continue to improve for months to come, says Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at professional services firm RSM. Watch, listen, and learn in this video.

Forbes Video: Why Investors Should Worry About Trump

By SIMON CONSTABLE
Hillary would be better for the economy and for stocks, says Vinny Catalano, global investment strategist at Blue Marble Research. He explains his thought in this video.

Forbes Video: Is Obamacare On The Ropes?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Now that insurers don’t seem committed to providing health insurance, can Obamacare survive? And should people be obligated to pay even if companies aren’t obligated to provide the insurance? Adam Johnson, founder of Bullseye Brief newsletter explains his thoughts in this video.

Photo by Raghavendra V. Konkathi on Unsplash

U.S. News: How to Keep an Investment Diary

By SIMON CONSTABLE
How do good investors become "ace" investors, and then stay that way? Experience has a lot to do with it. But so does one key habit – seasoned professionals often keep a regular investment diary. 

Over time, such a practice will help you understand your mistakes, and be increasingly aware of how your emotions work against you.

What is an investment diary? "Every day, you write down what happened in the markets and what you did," says Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James. "I have notes on the markets back to the 1960s." Read more here.

Forbes Video: Why Gold Is A Better Investment Than Apple

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Which is better, Apple Inc. or cold hard gold? Both have a place, it would seem. Both investments prompt emotions.

But when it comes down to it, which one is a better bet? Adam Johnson, founder of Bullseye Brief newsletter explains his thinking in this video.

TheStreet: Why 'Sell In May' Is a Dumb Decision -- And an Expensive One, Too

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you believe in inherited wisdom, this is the time of year to dump your stock holdings and take a long vacation: Sell in May, and go away.

Of course, inherited wisdom also held, at varying points in history, that the the earth was flat, the sun revolved around it and draining blood with leeches was an effective way to combat illness.

The reality is usually, at the very least, more complex and nuanced; sometimes, it's altogether different. Read more here.

Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash

Forbes Video: Key Things To Know Before Adopting A Pet

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Bringing a cat or dog into the home is a big decision. Here’s what you need to ask before doing so, says Joey Teixeira, senior manager, ASPCA Adoption Center, along with his adorable dog Mervin the Chihuahua. You won’t believe how cute Mervin is until you see him.

Watch, listen, and learn in this video.

TheStreet: Below Zero: Here's How to Invest Safely With Negative Rates

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If the United States joins the sub-zero club of countries that already have negative interest rates, then how should you invest? 

It might sound daunting because in large part, it's not something that's taught in investing classes at college or grad-school, or in fact, most other places. Read more here.

TheStreet: Below Zero: Why The U.S. Might Join The Negative-Rate Club

By SIMON CONSTABLE

he U.S. is becoming something of a rare breed in the developed world: It still has interest rates above zero.

While both Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and her predecessor, Ben Bernanke, have downplayed the likelihood of negative rates in the U.S., especially in the near future, there's still a chance the world's largest economy might follow in the footsteps of Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and Europe's single-currency area, known as the eurozone. Read more here.

TheStreet: Below Zero: The Case Against Negative Interest Rates

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Negative interest rates are slowly becoming a reality for much of the developed world. 

With them has come a charm offensive, with at least one board member of the European Central Bank seeking to justify such moves. But all the jaw-boning in the world doesn't mean such policy actions always make sense, or that they come without creating other problems. Read more here.

Photo by Fractal Caleidoscope, 

CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

TheStreet: Below Zero: The Case for Negative Interest Rates

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The world of central banking is quickly turning back-to-front, inside-out and upside-down. 

Japan, the eurozone, Sweden, and Switzerland all have interest rates now that are less than zero. It's just not normal, at least in recent history, but the counterintuitive policy has helped the global economy, according to Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund.

Despite the oxymoronic-sounding term, the way negative rates work is fairly simple: Read more here.

U.S. News: The Incredible Shrinking World of Investments

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The investing world is shrinking. Not in the size of the dollars swashing around the markets – that's still huge – but rather the magnitude of the returns that investors can expect. And this has serious implications for how you invest.

"This is a world of low numbers," says Andrew Milligan, head of global strategy at Standard Life Investments in Edinburgh, Scotland. "It is a very important statement to get out there. Investors have to re-estimate what returns they are going to get." Read more here.

WSJ: How Much Cash You Should Keep in an Investment Account

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Most people, even those new to investing, know they need a heavy helping of stock in their investment portfolio to get the highest returns. Far fewer have any idea what portion of that portfolio should be allocated to cash or cash equivalents.

So how much is too much? 

Most advisers agree that everyone should have enough money to cover several months of living expenses set aside for emergencies in an easily accessible account. But when it comes to how much cash, if any, investors should hold beyond that as part of their investment mix, the experts’ views diverge. Read more here.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

WSJ: What Is Permanent Capital?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

You may be hearing the term “permanent capital” more often in relation to private-equity investing. What does it mean, and why is it coming up now?

For private-equity investors, permanent capital is an open-ended investment in a company. That’s different from the way private equity usually works. Read more here.

Barron's: Price of Rice Could Double

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Even your sushi may cost more.

Drought, floods, and historically low global inventories have rice-market experts worried that the price of the grain could come close to doubling if harvests around the world continue to disappoint.

It means futures prices for rough, or unmilled, rice could exceed $20 per 100 pounds, versus recent prices for active-month futures of $11.40 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Speculators wishing to gain from the potential move higher should purchase rough-rice futures contracts.
Read more here.

U.S. News: Corporate Bonds Point to Continued Economic Growth

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The corporate bond market has some good news for us. The economy is set to continue growing.

It's a message that is in stark contrast to the bearish sentiment that emanated from Wall Street during the first few weeks of the year, and it has implications for the type of stocks and other securities which will do well going forward. Read more here.