The stock market has been getting all the attention in recent months, but the bond market has been getting a larger share of the investment dollars. The attraction is the higher yields and presumed safety of bonds. But those lures may prove to be a costly illusion when the next financial crisis arrives. The flow […]
Bonds are traditionally viewed as the safest of investments. But that myth may be shattered in the months ahead, whether interest rates rise or fall. So, if you’re looking to hide out from the stock market by buying bonds or bond funds or ETFs, you should have a good idea of the risks involved. A […]
f you’re worried about protecting your stock market profits, where can you hide? Unfortunately, too many people have told me they are “hiding” from the stock market by buying bonds. So let me make one point very clear: You can lose as much money in bonds as you can in stocks.
Oh, the irony. Just as market headlines reveal huge worries about “private credit” and “private equity”, the Labor Department (which is responsible for the security of pensions and retirement accounts) has proposed new guidelines to allow 40l(k) plans to include those very same instruments in the retirement plans of unsophisticated individuals. They say it is […]
If you’re feeling safer — or even a bit superior — because so much of your retirement fund is in bonds (or bond funds) paying a nice yield, you might want to take a closer look. Bond prices are falling sharply — all categories of bonds from corporate to municipal, from high quality to “junk” […]
As a record number of Americans are heading into their retirement years with impressive balances in their 40l(k) plans, the potential disruption of this long bull market has many people trembling. The prospect of actually losing money just as they need to plan retirement living withdrawals is truly frightening for this generation of amateur investors. […]
It’s the most important financial headline of this century: Inflation! A new generation of Americans is about to face the impact of inflation – on their daily lives, their financial decisions, their investment choices, and their retirement lifestyle. While many pundits proclaim that this period of inflation will come to a quick end, history shows […]
Note: This is my syndicated column, written last week, and published across the country on Monday, March 23rd. America, and the world, will get beyond this social and economic crisis eventually. Meanwhile, it’s almost cynical to be talking about the financial markets. But, there are lessons to be learned from the past when it comes […]
The promises are enticing – stock market upside with no risk on the downside. Or market “participation” with downside “protection.” File this under “too good to be true.” But as with all sales pitches, the devil is in the details. Index-Linked annuity sales reached $65.6 billion in 2024, marking a 38% increase from the previous […]
The markets can’t seem to make up their mind about whether the greatest threat is inflation or recession. Commodity prices of everything from oil to copper and lumber have fallen sharply on fears of an economic slowdown in the United States. The 10-year Treasury note, on which mortgage rates are based, has fallen from 3.50% […]
