Yearly Archives: 2008

What to Do?

Our economy and most of the world is in the midst of a severe recession. Values of homes and stock portfolios have fallen sharply, retail sales are in a serious slump and unemployment is rising rapidly. What should you do, … Continue reading

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“Buy Your Straw Hats in Winter.’” – Bernard Baruch

Mr. Baruch profited mightily from the Great Depression. He bought stocks that were cheap and out of favor. To follow his example, you need both cash and courage. We have maintained large cash balances in anticipation of cheaper stocks. Cheaper … Continue reading

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“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” – Ronald Reagan

Apocalypse Now? Probably not. But we will be paying for past excesses in our economy for several years. Tom and I do not believe this new $700 billion bailout plan will be more than a big bandaid to stop the … Continue reading

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“In a bear market, everyone loses, and the winner is the one who loses the least.” – Russian truism

So far, that puts us well among the winners. With the stock market indices averaging a nasty drop of 13% since January 1, you are faring much better. Compare your performance or call us for help. It is more than … Continue reading

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May You Live in Interesting Times – Old Chinese Proverb

Barring big changes tomorrow, the indexes for the first quarter will be down approximately, Dow 8%, S&P 500 10%, and the NASDAQ 15%. Since we may no longer provide our average performance data without running afoul of SEC rules, you … Continue reading

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2007? Not Much To Recommend It

It was no fun in the financial markets where volatility returned to levels not seen in years. Two-hundred-point gains and losses were not unusual. The bursting of the housing bubble, a credit crunch, $100 oil, $850 gold, and a new … Continue reading

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