OZY: Greece and PR -- Relax or Freak Out?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Up, down and all around — global stock markets have been giving investors quite the ride this week. But is the financial world on the brink of another crash? Most people could be forgiven for thinking so given news about Greece missing a roughly $1.7 billion loan payment to the International Monetary Fund and Puerto Rico’s governor warning that the territory simply can’t repay $72 billion of debt. The feeling of impending collapse was only exacerbated when stocks in Europe and the U.S. tumbled on Monday, before bouncing back later in the week. Read more here.

Photo by Hendrikje Glauner on Unsplash

The Street: Retail Investors Fleeing U.S. Stocks Is a Buy Signal

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) Small investors are unloading U.S. stocks, which means you should do the opposite and buy. That's because retail investors are so bad at timing they are good, at least as a contrary indicator.

Over the last year investors have gone on a mutual fund selling spree, dumping more than $100 billion of domestic stock mutual funds.
Read more here.

New York Stock Exchange

Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

via Wikimedia Commons

TheStreet: 4 Reasons Carl Icahn's Junk-Debt Warning Shouldn't Terrify You

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's warning about the risks of junk-rated debt might scare you, but that doesn't mean you should write off the entire category.

He sounded the alarm about high-yield -- or non-investment grade -- securities last week, saying the market is "extremely overheated." It's not the first time that observation has been made. Read more here.

Forbes: Ten Ways To Start Your Way Financial Independence This July 4

By SIMON CONSTABLE

As you grab a hotdog or two this July 4 it’s worth remembering that true freedom requires financial independence. Only a few of us are born with enough resources to make that happen, but there are steps you can take to get closer to it.

Read more here.

TheStreet: What Puerto Rico's Debt Crisis Means for Muni Investors

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- While the financial world focused on the Greek debt drama, a problem with even bigger potential consequences has been brewing in the Caribbean.

Puerto Rico can't pay its $72 billion of debts, the governor of the island warned Sunday, just two days before a budget deal needs to be approved by the territory's legislature. It could affect U.S. investors such as mutual fund holders and hedge funds, in a much larger manner than events in Greece.  Read more here.

Photo by Ana Toledo on Unsplash

Forbes: How I'm Saving The Cost Of An Apple Watch Or Fitbit Device

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The wearable revolution will be happening without me, at least for now. Or put another way, I will not be getting an Apple Watch or a Fitbit device anytime soon. For the time being, I will rely on feline assistance.

Read more here.

TheStreet: Millennials Leading Charge Into Foreign Stocks and You Should Follow

By SIMON CONSTABLE

NEW YORK (TheStreet) Americans are increasingly investing in foreign stocks, and millennials are leading the way.

The generation born from 1980 to 2000, whose estimated population of 92 million makes it the biggest in U.S. history, consistently invested more in international stocks than any other age group from 2005 to 2011, according to a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The gains occurred despite rising appetites overall for foreign investments. Read more here.

Karina Albers, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons