Commentary

Lately there has been a lot of talk about a possible recession in the U.S. economy.  Most of the rhetoric is speculation as we approach the 2020 Presidential election. When this is going on, it is important to focus on official sources of economic information. The...

The most common goals for people when planning for retirement are: Paying off college debt for children Paying off the mortgage Having enough assets to create a sustainable income Having time to travel Having time to spend with loved ones Locking in a supplemental...

On June 23, 2016, British citizens voted to leave the European Union (EU). Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which created the EU, gives the EU and the exiting country two years to agree to the terms of the split. It wasn’t until March 29, 2017 that Theresa May, Prime...

On 12/25/2018, the Kansas City Star posted a story titled, “Economy is Strong.  Leadership is Shaky”.  As most of you are aware, 2018 was a year that gave us a very volatile stock market, especially in the 2nd half of the year.  The S&P and the Dow were both up...

As we approach autumn, many farmers are putting up hay. Farmers store hay because they know there might be a harsh winter, or a drought, when there might not be enough grass available for the stock. No one has ever been able to predict when the hard times will come,...

Crypto-currencies began to emerge during the banking crisis of 2008. Over time, Bitcoin has become the most popular crypto-currency. In the early days, Bitcoin owners would contact each other and meet at Starbucks to swap Bitcoin for cash. Since then, there have been...

2018 1st Quarter Commentary ALARMISM SELLS!   Yes, alarmism sells when you are trying to sell newspapers or air time on television and radio. However, it is not always helpful to us as investors. Lately, we are being told that we should be alarmed about the...

2017 4th Quarter Commentary “IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID” Bill Clinton, 1992 During Bill Clinton’s first run for President in 1992, his campaign slogan was, “It’s the Economy, Stupid.” It was a good campaign strategy. In general, if the public is experiencing a...

2017 3rd Quarter Commentary THE GOLD RUSH! In 1849, gold was discovered in California. Back east, the media picked up on it and began to publish stories about people getting rich overnight in the California gold fields. As a consequence, thousands of people sold...

2017 2nd Quarter Commentary - WHAT IN THE WORLD IS “WANNACRY” RANSOMWARE? In 1988, the first computer plague was developed - a small program written as an experiment by computer scientist, Robert Morris, Jr. This plague, or worm, effectively shut down the internet....