An Optical Illusion Could Teach Us About Value Traps
The classic duck or rabbit illusion seems straightforward. Some people see a duck while others see a rabbit. With a small shift in...
The Light That Burns Brightest
During Thomas Edison’s long effort to perfect the incandescent light bulb, a small accident captured his philosophy of progress. After...
Experience
A Merger and a Need for a New Identity In 1998, Citicorp and The Travelers Group merged, creating a massive financial entity. Citigroup ...
While gold has been a fine position in 2025 for a variety of reasons, we must remember this is no longer a real form of currency. If you believe moving to a fiat system was an error, I can understand. However, gold is an impractical and cumbersome way of doing business as a form of […]
Under current tax law, married couples filing jointly can exclude up to $500,000 in capital gains when selling their primary residence. Most homeowners today likely have significant gains in their homes as housing prices continue to increase. This is an important tool. Here’s How: Both spouses must have used the home as their primary residence […]
A 1031 exchange, also known as a like-kind exchange, is a provision in the IRS code that currently allows real estate investors to defer paying capital gains taxes on an investment property when sold, as long as another similar property is purchased with the profit gained. Details This only applies to investment or business properties, […]
Imagine you wished to acquire coal, yet you only had fur or food to trade. Imagine you wished to acquire a telephone but you only had gold to exchange. This exchange is possible, but it’s extremely inefficient. Standardized currency solves this problem by creating a form of exchange and liquidity that is essential for the […]
First Steps Awake at 5:00. Throw on a robe and slippers. Drink a large amount of water. Eat a healthy breakfast in some form. Change your shoes and pants. Go on a walk and deeply breath. When you return, meditate or pray if you can. Call Your Mother She will always tell you things you […]
I wish to remind you if you lose 50% on a position, to get back to zero you require a 100% return. Index funds are useful and paying extravagant fees is not helpful. However, throughout my career what I have found most important is don’t lose money ever. During booming market cycles it can be […]
A covered call is an options trading strategy where an investor: Owns the underlying stock Sells a call option on that same stock. This strategy is called “covered” because the investor owns the stock and can deliver it if the call option is exercised. How It Works You sell a call option to a counter […]
A naked put is an option trading strategy where an investor sells a put option without holding a short position in the underlying asset if assigned to the option terms. Here’s what that means: A put option gives the buyer the right to sell a stock at a certain price before the option expires. When […]
Why This is Important This is important because figs are delicious. I would also suggest all current clients consider including almonds in your Cheerios if they are available in your area. However, NOT if you have a nut allergy. The Risks of Avoidance Without these additions, Cheerios alone may be a bland breakfast, which if […]
It appears to me there is zero value to inflationary policy. I understand why a business would wish to increase prices as they become more desirable as a result of the success of their product. However, to artificially induce inflation is a terrible idea. Inflation erodes purchasing power: As prices rise, the same amount of […]
