Monday, May 16, 2016

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

Friday, May 13, 2016

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.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

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.

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.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

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.