Lessons from Ireland
Last month I flew to Ireland to help my daughter move back from Trinity College in Dublin. Taking advantage of roads and hotels emptied by the current economic slump, we...
Author: Art Ernst
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Which Are Best, Bonds or Bond Funds?
Despite recent strength in the stock market, last year’s crash has pushed many investors to seek returns in other sectors. The massive flight of capital to the safest of vehicles,...
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Fear Not?
A few weeks ago, the article I had planned for this space did not include a question mark. President Obama was newly installed in a worldwide aura of goodwill and...
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Annuities: the Perfect Investment if Your Goal Is to Die Penniless
A frequently aired commercial for a large insurance company presents an 800-pound gorilla, a common metaphor for a hugely important issue somehow often ignored. The gorilla in the ad is...
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Fools’ Gold: A False Safe Haven
As of this writing, the Standard & Poor’s 500 is down over 45% from its peak 15 months ago; bond prices of esteemed corporate issuers indicate distress; and there is...
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Age-Based Asset Allocation: Avoid the Gimmick
Over time, about 90% of the rate of return on one’s investments will be determined by the allocation among equities, bonds, and cash. Regardless of one’s luck or lack thereof...
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How Bad Service and Abuse of Other Peoples’ Money Deepened the Financial Crisis
This morning as I was driving to a meeting I heard a radio talk show host lament about the general lack of service in most companies these days. More precisely,...
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Why to Keep Investing Amid the Turmoil
Economics is often referred to as “the dismal science”, a term coined by historian Thomas Carlyle in the mid-18th century when the discipline focused on the world’s limited resources and...
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Reverse Mortgages: A Convenient Way to Wipe Out an Estate
It is almost impossible to watch 30 minutes of television without seeing an ad for reverse mortgages. As seniors talk about their “favorite day” of home ownership and actor Robert...