July 2012

Technology ETFs for Value Investors

July 29, 2012

What’s wrong with tech stocks? With the exception of notable and attention-grabbing companies like Facebook (FB), Zynga (ZNGA) and others in the Social Media ETF space, the technology sector is very reasonably valued. Technology companies currently have the lowest PEG ratio among the 10 sectors in the S&P 500 index, this according to analysts at […]

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How to Avoid Scandalous Stock Moves

July 23, 2012

There are some lessons to be learned for investors from the various scandals breaking seemingly monthly.  Of late, we had LIBOR and various other mortgage and trading scandals and the large financials and just this week, we had the bombshell sanctions against Penn State for their terrible handling and coverup of the most severe allegations.  […]

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DIY vs. Paying a Pro – Finances to Around the House

July 22, 2012

These days, people are looking to save money where they can rather than blindly paying someone in industry to do things for them.  Conversely, time is money, so we obviously can’t outsource everything.  Here are a few different facets of everyday expenses and some thoughts on each: Investing – Whether to pay someone or manage […]

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It’s Not All Bad in the US

July 21, 2012

Depending on the agenda, various pundits, bloggers and political analysts will create a very compelling statement either for or against the strength and prospects of the US economy.  This is true of almost all major categories. See what I mean? Unemployment Various cases can be made for either improving or horrifically bad jobs numbers.  On […]

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New “Death Cross” Tactical ETF Chases Alpha and Beta

July 15, 2012

AdvisorShares just launched a new fund it calls the AdvisorShares Global Alpha & Beta ETF (RRGR). An actively-managed fund, AdvisorShares will run the portfolio with a goal to beat a benchmark comprised of a weighting of stocks and bonds. The fund will compete with a benchmark similar to a 60-40 mix of the S&P 500 […]

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Low Interest Rates Here to Stay – What’s Impacted and What’s Not

July 11, 2012

With the Fed projecting a low interest rate policy at least through 2014, that has done a few things.  Primarily, it has allowed the long end of the yield curve to drop quite a bit, reducing borrowing costs for borrowers, corporations and governments alike.  Conversely, it has wreaked havoc on projected pension returns and the […]

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Can Dividend Dogs Beat the Street?

July 8, 2012

Dividends make up the bulk of stock market returns, but can you find great stocks just by finding great dividends? Some seem to think so – and the historical performance makes a fairly convincing argument. Dogs of the Dow Smashes the S&P 500 In every period in the past 20 years, the Dogs of the […]

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Reasons for Individual Trading Accounts

July 8, 2012

There are many reasons to use an individual trading account like one with City Index, rather than relying on the lousy yields in savings accounts and other income instruments or employer-sponsored plans alone. Let’s take a look at a few: You Want More: For one, if you’ve already maxed out employer contributions and want to invest more, […]

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