2018 First Quarter Market Summary
By Jon Aldrich It has been a long time coming, but for the first time in nine calendar quarters, most of the major stock and bond indexes were down. So far we have only seen modest declines for the year but it does remind us that yes, markets can and do go down from time…
Read MoreBeware, The Ides of March
By Jon Aldrich The Death of Caesar (1798) by Vincenzo Camuccini We are probably all familiar with the famous quote “Beware the Ides of March” from Shakespeare’s tragedy of 1599 Julius Caesar . It was a warning that a soothsayer gives to the Roman Leader, Julius Caesar, to let him know that his life is in peril, and he…
Read MoreThe Equifax Data Breach.
The Equifax Data Breach. OK, Now What Do I Do? By Jon Aldrich (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File) The world is really a dangerous place and just seems to get more so all the time. As I write this on September 11th, and reflect on that awful day that none of us will ever forget, it…
Read MoreHelp! The IRS is Calling to Arrest Me.
By Jon Aldrich Image Courtesy of www.fox13now.com I would venture a guess that I probably get about 6 or 7 robocalls a day on my cell phone from telemarketers or scammers. I have either won a “free” vacation, or they are trying to sell me doors and windows, or I am eligible for a loan…
Read MoreInterest Rates are Up, Are Bonds in Trouble?
Why Bond Investors Shouldn’t Panic by Jon Aldrich Two events occurred in the last quarter of 2016 that many thought may never happen. The first was the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series and the second was, after many years of ultra-low rates, interest rates finally started rising. Since Donald Trump was elected, back in…
Read MoreHave You Checked Your Credit Recently?
By Jon Aldrich Almost daily we hear reports of hackers stealing personal information either from large data breaches at places like Target or Home Depot or via e-mail scams and even with old fashioned phone calls to unsuspecting victims with someone claiming to be from the IRS demanding money or credit card information. More recently,…
Read MoreThe Importance of a Home Inventory
(and adequate insurance coverage) I had just finished up a great round of golf at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale in April, when my phone started tweeting about Tornado Warnings. Since it was 87 and sunny where I was, I had to do a double take, but then realized they were for back home in…
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 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…
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