WSJ: Some Commodities Leave the Doghouse

By SIMON CONSTABLE

After years of shunning commodities, investors are once again making big bets on the sector by jumping into exchange-traded funds.

The buying is primarily in oil and gold, and not every observer of the market agrees that the money will stay put in these funds for very long. But the binge is still impressive. Read more here.

OZY: Is This The End of Cheap Food?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Enter your local supermarket and it’s hard to miss the mile-long piles of fresh produce. And when those heads of lettuce or cauliflower are in season, the prices can be low enough that feeding yourself doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. But that may not last much longer.

The world population continues to grow, after all, particularly in developing countries, where there’s been an increased appetite for protein. That’s put strain on the world’s grasslands, where livestock is raised for meat and milk production — and it’s worried scientists. A study recently published in the journal Nature Communications indicated that farmers would need to double their overall use of phosphorus in order to keep grasslands healthy enough to feed all that cattle. Such land hasn’t typically been fertilized directly by farmers, who do tend to add the mineral to arable land, but, with little likely relief on the horizon, that may need to change. Read more here.

Photo by Chad Montano on Unsplash

TheStreet: For Big Love, Make Sure Your Credit Scores Match

by SIMON CONSTABLE

Ugh! The dating scene just got worse.

Now you have another annoying item to add to the already enormous list of things you should look for in your potential mate: Their credit scores.

The two key takeaways: 

• Big differences in scores mean big problems for the relationship.
• Ideally, you should both have high credit scores.

Read more here.

U.S. News: How Taking a TV News Fast Makes for Better Investing

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The terrorist attacks in Brussels, Paris and Pakistan are reminders that we live in a dangerous world. While we mourn the loss of the victims, it's important to make sure that emotional responses don't harm our investment decisions. 

That advice is good not just in the face of terrorism, but all the time. Rash investment decisions usually don't pay off. 

Here's one way to avoid a mistake – take a TV news fast. Or, limit what type of television you consume and how much of it. Try the same thing with other media, too. Read more here.

OZY: Can Anyone Bring American Companies Home Again?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Trumpisms, verbal attacks and aggressive stances for taking down ISIS have all been shared on Republican debate stages of late. But one sentiment has largely been missed: that time when GOP candidates tried to knock out their opponents using a serious While there’s little agreement across party lines on personal taxes, there may be some consensus on the business front. 

“Corporate taxes are the one area [where] there could be tax reform,” says Bill Cobb, CEO of tax preparer H&R Block. Cobb should know. He routinely roams government hallways, keeping his finger on the policy-change pulse. And it seems that this election cycle some candidates are pushing to fix a unique U.S. tax wrinkle: the double taxation of offshore corporate profits, even though the companies have already paid local taxes in other countries. Read more here.

Photo by Kevin Lanceplaine on Unsplash

WSJ: Do College Students Pick Majors Based on Potential Earnings?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

“If only I knew then what I know now,” is a common lament among some workers about their (perhaps suboptimal) choices at college.

It relies on the rather dodgy idea that you could somehow have the insights of a 35-year-old when you’re only 19.

But what if you could? That is, what if while you were young, you were exposed to real data that called into question some of your beliefs? A couple of researchers tried it with a group of New York University students who had misinformed views about wages in various fields. Read more here.

Barron's: Wheat and Corn Prices Could Head Higher Soon

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you truly believe in the investing maxim “buy low, sell high,” now is the time to chew on some grain. Unfavorable weather conditions and increased global grain consumption are expected to lift prices for wheat and corn out of a slump that has lasted for years.

Wheat prices have been cut in half in the past four years, to a recent $4.63 a bushel from more than $9 in mid-2012. Corn prices have fared similarly, falling to $3.70 a bushel recently from more than $8 in the summer of 2012.

Growing conditions were so favorable in the past few years for both wheat and corn that production outstripped demand, sending stockpiles higher. But the likelihood of bad weather in the future could dramatically change this dynamic. Read more here.