El Niño – Is it Blowing Our Way?
After the record breaking severe winter the Midwest experienced, most people probably are not ready for more wild weather anytime soon. However, there are growing probabilities that an El Niño is forming in the Pacific Ocean. Recent readings of water temperature just below the surface have been picking up a significant increase in water temperature….
Read MoreWhat’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
Cartoon by Schillerstrom (Source) The rock band REM wrote the song, What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?, back in the early 90’s in reference to an incident in 1986. Two men attacked Dan Rather, the CBS news and 60 minutes reporter, and kept repeating that phrase over and over. This tidbit of information has nothing to do…
Read MoreMyRA – Is It Anything To Be Excited About?
If you watched President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 28th, you may have heard him mention a new type of “starter” retirement savings account, to be known as a MyRA ( rhymes with Tyra, Kyra, Lyra and even Elvira). The President said he was going to bypass Congress and institute the MyRA…
Read MoreWhat Exactly is Bitcoin?
By now, you have almost assuredly heard of bitcoin, the digital currency that is rapidly gaining acceptance over the internet, and also more recently with some more traditional stores as well. But, you may have no idea what bitcoin actually is or much about it. Well, let’s change that and talk a little bit about…
Read MoreDebt Ceilings, Sequesters & Shutdowns, Oh My!
Well, the U.S. has avoided a dreaded default on its obligations due to the debt ceiling limitation. But, for how long will the relative calm last? The good news is that the government shutdown is over for now and Social Security checks will continue to go out. Also Panda Cam which was a victim of…
Read MorePeer to Peer (P2P) Lending
Peer to Peer (P2P) Lending A possible alternative to Banks Lara Miller began showcasing her original fashion designs as a student of the Art Institute of Chicago. Six short years, a landslide of favorable press and 17 retail outlets later, the Lara Miller brand needed an influx of cash to keep up with demand and…
Read MoreTAPER, TAPER, TOIL & TROUBLE
Not to be confused with a tapir, which is a large browsing mammal similar in shape to a pig that roams the jungles of South America and Southeast Asia. The word taper or tapering has received a whole lot of attention lately after Ben Bernanke announced at the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting…
Read MoreIs The Great 30 Year Bond Bull Market Over – Part 2
What Effect Will It Have On Bonds and Bond Funds When the first part of this article was written back in the middle of February, everyone was screaming that interest rates were going to continue higher and the bond bull market that has lasted for over 30 years was over. My, what a difference two…
Read MoreThe Sequester: Everything You Could Possibly Need to Know
Two months ago it was the fiscal cliff, now we have the Sequester. If nothing is done by the end of today, we will have officially entered the reality of the Sequester. You can’t help to hear about it on the news, on late night TV, at the coffee shop, it is being talked about…
Read MoreIs the Great 30 Year Bond Bull Market Over?
Is the Great 30 Year Bond Bull Market Over? Recently, interest rates have begun to creep up as the U.S. economy appears to be improving. Corporations are earning record profits, housing is showing some life and consumers appear to be spending more on things ranging from clothes to autos. Since the beginning of December, 2012…
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