Friday, July 29, 2016

Forbes Video: Is Brexit Really So Bad For European Stocks?

By Simon Constable 

The immediate aftermath of Britain’s vote to leave the EU was severe, especially for the British pound which plunged to its lowest level in decades. The news wasn’t all that beneficial for stocks either, at least initially.
But we all know that markets fluctuate over time. They go up and they go down. Over the long term a lot depends on the underlying economics in a country. Better economies tend to have better performing stock markets.
In Britain the jury is still out with some saying that Britain will suffer outside of the EU, while others, like me, see massive opportunities.
Earlier this week I spoke with Edward Dempsey, chief investment officer at Pension Partners, about his thoughts on where things end up. You can hear what he says in this video.

Forbes Video: What Is The Presidential Predictor

By SIMON CONSTABLE

When it comes to forecasting election results, many pundits got egg on their face recently. It only takes a quick look across the pond to the United Kingdom’s recent referendum on E.U. membership to see the problems in accurately predicting which way the vote will go. At least it was for the usual pundits. Read more here.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

U.S. News: The Current Case for an ARM

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you are planning to buy a home, how should you finance it? The question is simple, but the answer may not be what first comes to mind.
"People like to go right to the 30-year, but that's the wrong thing to do," says Richard Rosso, a partner at Clarity Financial in Houston, referring to the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which was the traditional way people could borrow to buy a home up until the early 1980s.
It's hard for some to believe, but the adjustable-rate mortgage as a widely available way to borrow is only a few decades old. Maybe for that reason, the idea that the fixed-rate mortgage as the go-to product seems to have stuck in the American psyche like chewing gum on the sole of a shoe. Read more here.

TheStreet: 3 Must-Watch Economic Indicators for the Summer

By SIMON CONSTABLE
Not all economic indicators or market metrics are created equal. What counts changes with time and place. Here's what matters this summer:

Outside on the Street: What is the Recency Effect?

By SIMON CONSTABLE



What Is the Recency Effect? from Simon Constable on Vimeo.

Outside On the Street: What You Need to Know Before Adopting a Pet

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Joey Texiera and his dog Mervin the Chihuahua join me to discuss.

What You Need to Know Before Adopting a Pet from Simon Constable on Vimeo.

TheStreet: Why Trading Oil Became So Sticky

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Trading oil has always been a tricky business, but a decade ago, things changed to make it downright perilous. 
It wasn't that it became more volatile -- the crude market has always been choppy. Rather, the returns from investing in futures became disconnected with the real market. Here's the detail of what happened and how you can avoid the pitfalls.
The energy market became increasingly oversupplied, which in turn led to an unfavorable flip in how the futures markets for the energy perform. Read more here.