Stop, Drop, and Roll Posted on October 15, 2018 By Matt There are many milestones on the path to adulthood: turning 18, graduating from school, landing that first job, having a baby. There are also less tangible markers of adulthood such as a shift in our perception of threats. Saturday morning cartoons implied that quicksand would be a real and ever-present… Read more
Investing I Blame SportsCenter Posted on October 11, 2018October 10, 2018 By Matt The market was down 3% yesterday although you’re more likely to see this as DOW PLUMMETS OVER 800 POINTS. I don’t know why it’s down, but neither does anyone else. No one knows what it will do from here, either. However, I do know how things will play out on… Read more
Your Bad Taste in Music Isn’t Helping You Invest Posted on September 20, 2018September 19, 2018 By Matt Spotify’s algorithm recently uncovered a gem (to me, anyway) from my youth, adding Gilby Clarke’s “Cure Me Or Kill Me” to one of my playlists. I admit that this is not a great song, but seeing as how our musical tastes are developed in our teenage years, this track scratches… Read more
Can’t Trust’em Posted on September 18, 2018 By Matt It pays to be skeptical of financial product pitches. Investments that are sold rather than bought are often inferior and loaded with fees. Marketing (even for good funds) is filled with cherry-picked data, but that’s the job of the marketing folks – make the product look good. However, sometimes a… Read more
Rising Rate Pitch Posted on July 24, 2018 By Matt Rising interest rates have been a market bogeyman for almost a decade. During that time we’ve gotten pitched all sorts of products that claimed to protect against this. They never seemed to do well, mostly because rates never went up! A couple of years ago that changed. The Federal Reserve… Read more
Investing The Thing to Keep in Mind About Knife Fights Posted on June 23, 2018June 22, 2018 By Matt Years ago, I had the opportunity to attend some self-defense workshops put on by military and law enforcement. One class that changed my outlook on life was a knife course. We were going to learn how law enforcement treats knives and how to work with a knife ourselves. “The thing… Read more
Spot the Pattern and Let Me Lie to You Posted on June 13, 2018 By Matt This is actually a post about two different lies. The first is the lie your brain tells you because it can’t help itself. The second is a lie investors need to keep an eye out for when presented with market data. Spot the Pattern We all know about the market… Read more
Investing Pros Versus Casuals Posted on May 10, 2018 By Matt One of my favorite events at the NFL Combine is when NFL Network’s Rich Eisen runs the 40 yard dash. He uses the Run Rich Run event to raise money for St. Jude’s. It also helps give perspective to just how talented the athletes at the combine are. Viewed on the… Read more
How Yale Beat the Market Posted on April 13, 2018 By Matt The Yale Endowment released their 2017 report, taking a victory lap over their 20-year returns. In their hubris, the endowment’s management team let slip the secret to beating the markets. “[A]ctive management can be a powerful tool for institutions that commit the resources to achieve superior, risk-adjusted investment results.” If… Read more
Investing Has the Dow Left You Dazed and Confused? Posted on February 5, 2018 By Matt Let’s set aside the fact that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is a flawed measure of the overall stock market. The media, your parents, and their parents have all accepted the Dow as the standard. Besides, over time the Dow does move in line with the overall market. So instead… Read more