About meI am the senior equities analyst at Mauldin Economics and a core member of the portfolio management team since 2011. I have worked for Merrill Lynch and the Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
Unemployment is the lowest it’s been in 50 years.
That means most people who want to work can find a job. It also means people are making more money and buying more stuff.
All good. More people working is always positive. But a low unemployment rate is a double-edged sword.
See, the unemployment rate is cyclical. It’s always moving up or down. And at this...
A man pulled a gun on me last week.
I was in the Ipanema neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.
Ipanema is one of the wealthiest areas of Rio. You get iconic views of the Brazilian shore line and white sand beaches.
I was two blocks from Ipanema Beach when a man on a bike pulled in front of me.
At first, I thought he was going to sell me something. Then I saw him...
If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. But when I say you can juice your investment returns with the click of a button, it’s the plain truth.
I’m talking about reinvesting your dividends.
It may seem like a minor thing. But if you’re not doing it, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.
In fact, investors who reinvest their dividends can outright...
Looks like the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates soon.
Sure, the Fed announced it was leaving interest rates put last week. But I think the Fed will take this one step further and cut rates in the near future.
The Fed lowers interest rates when it thinks the economy is weak. This makes it cheaper for businesses to borrow money and employ more people.
And...
Wireless technology has come a long way.
The first generation of wireless known as 1G was rolled out in the 1980s. The only thing a user could do with 1G was make a phone call.
At times, the call quality could rival that of two tin cans connected by a string.
But wireless tech has made huge advances since those early days.
About every 10 years we’ve seen a new...
Many of you probably don’t have a telephone at home.
I’m not talking about a cell phone. I’m talking about a phone plugged into the wall.
The US Health Department reports that only 6.5% of homes are landline only, and most of them are in rural areas.
One company that services these stalwart landline customers is CenturyLink (CTL). It’s not a high-growth...
The US v. China trade war is heating up.
Until recently, the nations appeared to be making progress.
That was until President Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10% to 25%.
The news sent the S&P 500 down 3% in the next two trading days. But not all stocks suffered.
That’s because some stocks actually benefit from tariffs.
I’ll show...
Even the best investors have bad days.
Warren Buffett is no exception. In February, he watched one of his biggest acquisitions quickly sour.
I’m talking about Kraft Heinz, an American food giant that makes everything from ketchup to Oscar Mayer hot dogs to Kool-Aid.
The stock plunged 30% in one day after it announced a 36% dividend cut and never...
