Forbes: Bank of England -- Not Just Any Old Central Bank

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It is a curious thing that while the Federal Reserve (Fed) garners much hatred in the U.S., the same is not true of the Bank of England (BoE.) Both are, of course, two of the most important central banks in the world. But maybe the sour view of the Fed comes from American animus toward all central banks.

Whatever the reason the Bank of England holds a special place in the psyche of Britons. That fondness is no doubt enhanced by the majestic building in which it sits at the heart of London's financial district.

Its story is detailed in Till Time's Last Sand; A History of the Bank of England 1694-2013 by David Kynaston, and is set to publish in the U.S. in November. In Britain, it was out in September under the same title. Read more here.

Forbes: The Tumult In U.K.'s Ruling Party Shows What Leadership Is All About

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Forget the corporate claptrap.

When it comes to leadership, there's only one thing that matters. The example of British Prime Minister Theresa May shows this in spades. Read more here.

WSJ: What Is the Household Economic Stress Index?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The PNC U.S. Household Economic Stress Index is something that smart investors might want to watch. As the name suggests, it is a measure of how stressed U.S. consumers are on an aggregate basis.

“It’s a variation on the misery index,” says Stuart G. Hoffman, senior economic adviser at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh. Read more here.

Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash

WSJ: Four Reasons You Might Want to Avoid the Lowest-Cost ETFs

By SIMON CONSTABLE

It has become something of a given that when investors are trying to choose between two fairly similar funds, they should pick the one with the lowest expense ratio. While that may be good advice when it comes to many types of funds, it isn’t always the case with exchange-traded funds and notes.

Here are four cases where the lowest-cost ETF might not be the best choice: 

P.J. Media: Free College Has a Price, as the UK Has Proven

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen up, Bernie Sanders.

Your suggestion of free public college could be disastrous for the very people you want to help.

Just look across the pond to the UK. It didn't work so well there. Read more here.

Forbes: Why Economic Growth Really Matters

By SIMON CONSTABLE

For many people who don't focus on the economy, the concept of economic growth can seem a little abstract.

That's a problem because it really does matter.

Take, for instance, the recently published memoir A Land Girl's Tale by Mona McLeod which details life in rural Scotland during WWII.

It shows in stark detail how far the world has come. Or if you like, it shows how poor we were then relative to our living standards now. Read more here.

U.S. News: How Weakness in the Dollar Affects Wall Street

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The greenback took a swoon this year, and it's affecting your investments. But that's good news for U.S. stocks. 

Since the end of last year, the value of the greenback dropped 20 percent. On Dec. 28, 2016, the trade-weighted dollar index versus the major currencies of the world was 96.9, but it steadily fell to 87.1 recently, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. And that's even with a small rally in the dollar last week. Read more here.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash