Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: LowerSector Performance: MixedVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In LineEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 16.3 -1.8% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,287.0 +52.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 134.70 +.11% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 10.0 -.10% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 49.5 +6.3% ISE Sentiment Index 113.0 -31.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .78 +2.6% NYSE Arms .77 -45.4% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 50.05 -.35% US Energy High-Yield OAS 450.87 -.72%European Financial Sector CDS Index 57.51 -.6% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 101.0 -1.0 basis pointAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 82.10 -6.8%Emerging Market CDS Index 161.32 -2.4%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 189.12 +.03% 2-Year Swap Spread 11.75 +.25 basis point TED Spread 18.0 +.5 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -3.25 unch…. [Read More...]

Procter & Gamble (PG) Increased Dividends by 10%
The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) provides branded consumer packaged goods to consumers in North and Latin America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Greater China, India, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates in five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The company increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to 86.98… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Watch: Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Performs Impressive First Flight Demo
Watch: Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Performs Impressive First Flight Demo For the first time, the Sikorsky S-97 Raider flew multiple flight demonstrations this week for service leaders and soldiers at the company’s test center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Defense giant Lockheed Martin, who owns Sikorsky, released a press release on Thursday detailing the demonstrations on Tuesday and Thursday. “The events offered a glimpse at Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company’s bid for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, part of the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) effort to revolutionize its aircraft fleet,” the press release said. The Sikorsky S-97 Raider is based on its X2 coaxial-rotor technology, making it a fast and agile aircraft, well suited for the modern battlefield. The new … [Read More...]
Investing Blog Roundup: Tracking Roth IRA Basis — Save Your Form 5498!
Recently I’ve received emails from a few different readers on the topic of tracking basis in a Roth IRA. That is, with a Roth IRA, you can remove contributions tax-free and penalty-free at any time, but how do you know (and how can you prove to the IRS) how much you have contributed over the years? The easiest answer is to keep the Form 5498 that the brokerage firm sends you every year. It reports all the contributions and conversions for the year in question. Should I Keep My Form 5498? from Mike Piper Recommended Reading Which Bonds Provide the Biggest Diversification Benefits? from Christine Benz The Best Inflation-Fighting Investments for Retirees from Christine Benz Money Troubles as an Early Warning Sign of Dementia from … [Read More...]
100 Free, Fun Things To Do This Weekend
One key element of my family’s financial turnaround was the idea of a “money-free weekend.” Once every other weekend or so, my family would intentionally spend the time between getting off of work on Friday and returning to work on Monday not spending any money at all (outside of things like paying bills or buying […] The post 100 Free, Fun Things To Do This Weekend appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
Visualizing The Plunging Purchasing Power Of The US Dollar
Visualizing The Plunging Purchasing Power Of The US Dollar The purchasing power of a currency is the amount of goods and services that can be bought with one unit of the currency. For example, one U.S. dollar could buy 10 bottles of beer in 1933. Today, as Visual Capitalist’s Govind Bhutanda notes, it’s the cost of a small McDonald’s coffee. In other words, the purchasing power of the dollar – its value in terms of what it can buy – has decreased over time as price levels have risen. Tracking the Purchasing Power of the Dollar In 1913, the Federal Reserve Act granted Federal Reserve banks the ability to manage the money supply in order to ensure economic stability. Back then, a dollar could buy 30 Hershey’s chocolate bars. As more dollars … [Read More...]
Stocks Rising into Final Hour on US Economic Optimism, Sector Rotation, Technical Buying, Consumer Discretionary/Healthcare Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: LowerSector Performance: MixedVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In LineEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 16.8 -.7% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,200.0 +49.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 134.90 +.25% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 10.5 -.38% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 49.1 +.7% ISE Sentiment Index 87.0 -31.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .71 unch. NYSE Arms 1.45 -19.4% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 51.14 -.09% US Energy High-Yield OAS 453.78 -.67%European Financial Sector CDS Index 57.88 -.02% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 103.0 +3.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 70.92 +2.9%Emerging Market CDS Index 178.41 +.84%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 189.27 +.02% 2-Year Swap Spread 13.0 -.5 basis point TED Spread 18.0 -1.0 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -2.5 -.75 basis … [Read More...]
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger on Leverage
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger need no introduction. If you do, please check the Wikipedia entries for each fellow. I am a big fan of both gentleman, and have been going through old annual reports, speeches and meeting transcripts and interviews to learn more from them about business, investing and life. They are amazing at summarizing complex financial topics into a few paragraphs that could… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
10 Money Books for Children and Teens
Reading is one of the most valuable skills children learn. Not only does reading enable us to navigate the modern world, it provides an endless source of learning and entertainment. I am incredibly thankful that all of my children are avid readers who love nothing more than to have a fresh new book in their […] The post 10 Money Books for Children and Teens appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
Predicting Tax Legislation is Harder Than Timing the Market
Timing the stock market is hard. It’s so hard, in fact, that there’s a reasonably broad consensus that it’s unwise to even try. And that’s in spite of the fact that, when attempting to time the stock market, you’re really only trying to predict one thing: what will the market do next? And there are only three possible outcomes: go up, stay flat, or go down. Trying to predict specific changes to our tax law in any way that is useful for tax planning is far, far harder than trying to time the stock market. Take one example: will distributions from Roth IRAs be made taxable in the future? And how should a person adjust their tax planning based on that possibility? … [Read More...]
Stocks Surging into Afternoon on US Economic Optimism, Lower Long-Term Rates, Oil Gain, Tech/Commodity Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially HigherSector Performance: Almost Sector RisingVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: OutperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 18.1 -6.5% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,039.0 +128.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 134.70 +.27% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 10.85 -1.3% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 50.4 -2.9% ISE Sentiment Index 101.0 -4.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .66 -10.8% NYSE Arms 1.65 +1.23% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 51.70 -4.8%US Energy High-Yield OAS 474.97 -.29%European Financial Sector CDS Index 57.92 -3.2% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 96.0 unch.Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 63.64 -.61%Emerging Market CDS Index 179.42 -3.39%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 188.87 +.02% 2-Year Swap Spread 13.25 -.25 basis point TED Spread 18.25 -.5 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -2.25 +1.25 basis pointsMBS 5/10 Treasury… [Read More...]
Happy Coca-Cola Dividend Day Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just received a dividend check for $168 million dollar from Coca-Cola. Berkshire Hathaway owns 400 million shares of Coca-Cola (KO), which are projected to generate $672 million in annual dividend income. This comes out to roughly $1.841 million in dividend income per day, $76,712 dollars in dividend income per hour, $1278 dollars in dividend income… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Biden Administration And Iran: Secret Deals And Appeasement Back On The Table?
Biden Administration And Iran: Secret Deals And Appeasement Back On The Table? Authored by Majid Rafizadeh via The Gatestone Institute, The Biden administration is ratcheting up its appeasement policies towards the Iranian regime in an apparent effort to revive the 2015 nuclear deal — which by the way, Iran never signed. US President Joe Biden made his intention to return to the nuclear deal public before he took office; after, he appointed as Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman — a key negotiator in the talks which led to the nuclear deal in 2015 during the Obama administration. Biden actually publicized Sherman’s professed accomplishment: “She has successfully rallied the world to strengthen democracy and confront some of the biggest national security challenges of our time, including leading the U.S. negotiating … [Read More...]
Investing Blog Roundup: “Cookie Cutter Retirement Plan” Presentation
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I recently gave a presentation for the Detroit and Minnesota Bogleheads groups about the “Cookie-Cutter Retirement Plan” concept. Here is the link to the Zoom recording. The organizer accidentally forgot to start recording until a few minutes into the presentation. (She had a lot going on, as she was also in charge of admitting people into the meeting from the waiting room, as well as administering a poll regarding the makeup of the audience.) But none of the important information was cut off. Essentially all you miss is me explaining that I hope you can use the material either as: A sort of rough-draft plan for your own retirement planning — with adjustments then made as … [Read More...]
Get Maximum Value out of a ‘Thrift Shop Day’
Shopping at a thrift store for something you’re specifically looking for is a great frugal strategy. It’s a way to save quite a bit of money on things like clothing, small kitchen appliances, dishes, furniture, hobby items, and other odds and ends. One of the best ways to turn frugality into even more of a […] The post Get Maximum Value out of a ‘Thrift Shop Day’ appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
Escobar: US/NATO Versus Russia-China In A Hybrid War To The Finish
Escobar: US/NATO Versus Russia-China In A Hybrid War To The Finish Authored by Pepe Escobar via The Asia Times, The unipolar moment is six feet under, the hegemon will try to break Eurasian integration and there’s no grownup in the room to counsel restraint… Let’s start with comic relief: the “leader of the free world” has pledged to prevent China from becoming the “leading” nation on the planet. And to fulfill such an exceptional mission, his “expectation” is to run again for president in 2024. Not as a hologram. And fielding the same running mate. Now that the “free world” has breathed a sigh of relief, let’s return to serious matters – as in the contours of the Shocked and Awed 21st Century Geopolitics. What happened … [Read More...]
Stocks Reversing Higher into Final Hour on More Dovish Fed Commentary, Stable Long-Term Rates, Short-Covering, Consumer Discretionary/Financial Sector…
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: About EvenSector Performance: MixedVolume: Around Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In LineEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 21.4 +1.0% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 2,476.0 -26.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 132.81 +.04% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 11.2 -1.2% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 51.7 -3.5% ISE Sentiment Index 92.0 -12.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .89 +3.5% NYSE Arms .59 -58.7% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 58.21 +.29% US Energy High-Yield OAS 495.70 +.22%European Financial Sector CDS Index 62.22 +.42% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 97.0 +2.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 64.3 -1.9%Emerging Market CDS Index 181.05 +.84%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 188.65 +.01% 2-Year Swap Spread 12.0 +.25 basis point TED Spread 18.5 +.75 basis point3-Month EUR/USD … [Read More...]
Dividend Aristocrats for Further Research
The dividend aristocrats list shows companies in the S&P 500 index that have managed to increase dividends for at least 25 consecutive years in a row. This is an exclusive list, because not every company gets to meet the quality criteria to be included in the S&P 500 index in the first place. It’s also an exclusive list because only a certain type of companies that manage… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Marginal Tax Rate: Not (Necessarily) The Same As Your Tax Bracket
News note: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that was passed last week covers a lot of ground. If you’re interested in a summary, I’d recommend this one from Alistair Nevius or this more thorough write-up from Jeffrey Levine. A reader writes in, asking: “I wonder if you can write about the ‘marginal tax rate is not necessarily the same thing as your tax bracket’ concept for people who are still working. My spouse and I got caught in this situation for the first time in the tax year 2020 because we will be subjected to the ‘Investment income tax’. We will be addressing this by changing part of our Roth 403b contribution to regular 403b contribution for 2021 and beyond (i.e. … [Read More...]
Five Simple Ways To Cut Expenses in College Without Cutting the Fun
It’s not a secret that the cost of college is incredibly high. U.S. News and World Report slices up the cost of college in several ways, pointing out that in-state tuition and fees alone average more than $11,000 per year for a four-year public university. Much of that is financed through student loans. On top […] The post Five Simple Ways To Cut Expenses in College Without Cutting the Fun appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
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