U.S. News: Why Fine Art Can Beautify Your Portfolio

By SIMON CONSTABLE

For the vast majority of Americans, investments fall into broadly three categories: stocks, bonds and real estate, with the latter usually being the family home. Perhaps some people will own some commodities.

Basically, that's it. But it doesn't have to be.

For those willing to put in some effort to educated, the fine art market provides opportunities to add some return, while reducing overall risk in a portfolio. Still, it isn't without potential problems. Read more here.

Forbes Video: ECRI: U.S. Headed For 'Stagflation Light'

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you are old enough to remember the 1970s, then you’ll know that lava lamps and disco were only two of the horrors of the era. On the economics front, the U.S. was hit with stagnation and inflation at the same time. It came to be known as stagflation.

Unfortunately, a mild version of the same is set to arrive in the U.S. economy shortly. It’s what the Economic Cycle Research Institute calls stagflation-light. Watch, listen, and learn in this video.

Chris Li chrisli, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Forbes Video: Why Silver May Head to $25

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Despite the steady increase in silver prices over the past month, there could be even more of a rally to come. Veteran commodity markets observer Jeff Christian, the founder of New York specialty consulting firm CPM Group, explains why the white metal could trade as high as $25 an ounce in this interview: Watch, listen, and learn here.

Forbes Video: What The Fed Can Learn From Carl Sagan

By SIMON CONSTABLE

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” said Carl Sagan, astronomer extraordinaire.

That philosophy should apply to anything. If you say you can read minds or levitate, then at least back it up with substantial evidence that you can do so.

The same should be true for the policies of the Federal Reserve, which has implemented some extraordinary monetary policy over the last few years. The question is, where is the evidence that it works?

Unfortunately, the Fed’s policy making experts haven’t got the goods to back up their claims, says Economic Cycle Research Institute’s cofounder Lakshman Acuthan. He explained to me what he meant in the latest installment of “Outside On Wall Street:” Watch, listen, and learn in this video.

Godot13 / Smithsonian Institute, 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Forbes Video: Is the Metals Market Meltdown Over?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It’s been a long hard grind down for the metals markets over the past five years. It’s particularly bad when seen relative to the S&P 500.

It was only part way through the sell off that most people realized that things were dramatically changing for the commodities markets as China started to transition to a different sort of economy. Now, as commodities prices have rebounded a little, the question becomes, is the worst over?

The good news is probably yes, according to CPM Group managing partner Jeff Christian who explains why. He also warns not to expect a spectacular rally in the short term. Watch, listen, and learn in this video.

Forbes Video: How Smart People Mess Up Commodities

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Why is it that so many seasoned investors mess up when they decide to enter the commodities market? Otherwise smart people seem to lose all reason and are frequently left with a handful of nothing.

I sat done recently with veteran commodity markets investor Jeff Christian to discuss this matter. His experience goes back decades to the 1970s commodities boom and then he survived the two-decade bear market which lasted from 1980 through the turn of the millennium.

Watch, listen and learn in the following video…

U.S. News: Silver Prices May Be Ready to Shine

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Is it time to add a little silver to the mix in your portfolio? Investors doing so will need to be cautious and patient at the same time.

The market has certainly bounced considerably recently following a brutal years-long bear market where the value of the metal fell dramatically.

The slide in prices started in early 2011, when the price fell from $48.70 a troy ounce to $13.71 by late last year, according to data from the London Bullion Market Association. Prices have subsequently rebounded to more than $16 an ounce as investors piled in.

"We are seeing very strong investment demand and that makes me think silver prices can move higher," says Jeff Christian, managing partner at consulting firm CPM Group in New York, and a multi-decade veteran of the commodity markets.

Read more here.