AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceutical products worldwide. The company was created in 2013, when Abbott Laboratories split into two companies – Abbvie and Abbott. Abbvie continued raising dividends to shareholders for the five years since becoming a separate publicly traded company. The company is a dividend aristocrat., with a 48 year track record of… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Stocks Surging into Afternoon on Dovish Yellen Commentary, Dollar Weakness, Earnings Optimism, Commodity/Technology Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially HigherSector Performance: Almost Every Sector RisingVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: OutperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 17.3 -6.0% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,237.0 +49.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 136.51 +.39% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 9.3 -1.0% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 52.0 +1.5% ISE Sentiment Index 122.0 +28.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .81 -6.9% NYSE Arms .83 +10.7% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 50.5 -1.5% US Energy High-Yield OAS 429.44 -.35%European Financial Sector CDS Index 59.74 -.4% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 118.0 +3.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 79.65 -.04%Emerging Market CDS Index 157.37 -4.7%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 39.40 -.06% 2-Year Swap Spread 10.25 -.5 basis point TED Spread 15.25 -1.5 basis points3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -2.5 -1.0 basis … [Read More...]
Three Shot In Times Square Including Four-Year-Old Girl
Three Shot In Times Square Including Four-Year-Old Girl New York’s Times Square was temporarily cordoned off on Saturday after at least three people were injured in a shooting, according to NBC News, citing police. The suspect, pictured below, was caught on camera. Earlier today, 3 people were shot in @TimesSquareNYC, including a 4-year-old child. Help your @NYPDDetectives identify the man pictured below — they want to talk him about the incident. Call 800-577-TIPS with info. pic.twitter.com/GrgPUu7nCC — Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) May 9, 2021 The victims, a four-year-old girl, a 23-year-old and a 43-year-old received non-fatal wounds after one of four men involved in an altercation drew a gun around 5 p.m. and opened fire. All of the victims … [Read More...]
MetLife Auto Insurance Review
MetLife is perhaps best known for providing life insurance, but auto insurance is also available, and we found with our proprietary SimpleScore that this insurance carrier has a lot to offer. With a 4 out of 5 in claims satisfaction, and a 5 out of 5 with coverage options, MetLife is more than competitive. However, […] The post MetLife Auto Insurance Review appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
A Basic Financial Planning Checklist
A realization that has only very slowly occurred to me, over 15 years in the world of financial planning, is that the most common financial planning mistake that I see people make is not so much a particular bad decision, but rather completely ignoring certain parts of financial planning. In many cases, that shows up in the form of focusing too much on the investing part of the picture, while having some other critical financial planning need that is going unaddressed. And that’s not terribly surprising. Investing involves thinking about upside — how your assets will grow (and how they could grow, if you make a high-risk bet and get lucky). That can be fun. In contrast, many critical financial planning tasks involve thinking about downside. … [Read More...]
Stocks Falling into Afternoon on Earnings Disappointments, Less Dovish Fed Commentary, Oil Decline, Tech/Energy Sector Weakness
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially LowerSector Performance: Most Sectors DecliningVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In LineEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 17.8 +6.8% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,108.0 -207.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 135.92 -.48% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 9.5 unch. S&P 500 Implied Correlation 51.8 +9.3% ISE Sentiment Index 92.0 -17.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .93 +32.9% NYSE Arms 1.32 +43.5% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 50.48 +.56% US Energy High-Yield OAS 438.02 -.17%European Financial Sector CDS Index 58.46 -.09% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 111.0 unch.Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 80.15 -.62%Emerging Market CDS Index 167.12 +.66%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 39.21 -.1% 2-Year Swap Spread 11.75 unch. TED Spread 17.0 -.25 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -3.0 unch…. [Read More...]
The Ones That Got Away…
I spend a lot of time looking for quality companies available at attractive valuations. Sometimes, I find a great company that fits my fundamental requirements, but the entry price is a little high for my liking. I try to wait until the entry price is met, before putting my hard earned capital to use. I do this, in order to maintain discipline in my investing approach. I believe that if I slip… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
China Has A Grand Carbon Neutrality Target… But Where Is The Plan?
China Has A Grand Carbon Neutrality Target… But Where Is The Plan? Authored by Alicia García-Herrero and Simone Tagliapietra, both Senior Fellows at Bruegel, China’s new long-term targets, to reach peak emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, are yet to be matched with a consistent short-term action plan… As the world’s largest greenhouse-gas emitter, China will make or break the global quest for climate neutrality by the middle of the century – the only way to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C. Consequently, President Xi’s announcement in September 2020 of China’s new objective to peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 was broadly welcomed. But President Xi offered no detail on how China could turn this vision into reality, … [Read More...]
Investing Blog Roundup: Morningstar Podcast Guest
Christine Benz and Jeff Ptak of Morningstar recently hosted me as a guest on their podcast, The Long View. We discussed a range of topics, from Social Security planning, to tax planning, to asset allocation. You can listen at the link below. I hope you enjoy it. Mike Piper: Delaying Social Security Not Always a Good Deal Recommended Reading Save Like a Pessimist, Invest Like an Optimist from Morgan Housel In Praise of Target-Date Funds from Christine Benz Films About Dementia Help Us Understand It from Kim Blanton ACA Premium Subsidy Cliff Is a Slope in 2021 and 2022 from Harry Sit Why You Shouldn’t Pick Individual Stocks from Nick Maggiulli The Craziest Market I’ve Ever Seen from Nick Maggiulli Experian’s Credit Freeze Security is Still a Joke … [Read More...]
6 Ways To Avoid College Loans
We all know the big story: College is great, but it’s expensive. Let’s start with the “great” part. Simply put, a college education means a big bump in income. A report by John Winters at the Fordham Institute concludes that the national mean earnings for a person with a bachelor’s degree is $92,608, compared to […] The post 6 Ways To Avoid College Loans appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
How To Handle Declines In Share Prices
When stocks are volatile or start falling sharply. I start receiving an above average level of inquiries from readers, asking if now is the time to consider buying. These questions are rational and logical. After all, a drop in stock prices definitely creates more opportunities to identify quality companies at a lower valuation. When you buy at lower prices, you lock in higher dividend yields… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Stocks Surging into Afternoon on US Economic Optimism, Dollar Weakness, Oil Gain, Financial/Tech Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Substantially HigherSector Performance: Almost Every Sector RisingVolume: Light Market Leading Stocks: OutperformingEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 17.0 -9.0% Bloomberg Global Risk On/Risk Off Index 3,193.0 +170.0 points Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 134.78 +.57% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 9.9 -1.1% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 50.0 +1.0% ISE Sentiment Index 117.0 -18.0 pointsTotal Put/Call .77 -3.8% NYSE Arms .95 -12.8% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 51.27 -1.28% US Energy High-Yield OAS 452.90 -.94%European Financial Sector CDS Index 59.29 -1.6% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 104.0 +2.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 81.25 +2.25%Emerging Market CDS Index 165.14 -1.11%China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KCCB) 39.23 +.1%. 2-Year Swap Spread 12.0 -.25 basis point TED Spread 16.0 -.75 basis point3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -3.75 +.25 basis … [Read More...]
Escobar: Putin Rewrites The Law Of The Geopolitical Jungle
Escobar: Putin Rewrites The Law Of The Geopolitical Jungle Authored by Pepe Escobar via The Saker blog, Putin’s address to the Russian Federal Assembly – a de facto State of the Nation – was a judo move that left Atlanticist sphere hawks particularly stunned… The “West” was not even mentioned by name. Only indirectly, or via a delightful metaphor, Kipling’s Jungle Book. Foreign policy was addressed only at the end, almost as an afterthought. For the best part of an hour and a half, Putin concentrated on domestic issues, detailing a series of policies that amount to the Russian state helping those in need – low income families, children, single mothers, young professionals, the underprivileged – with, for instance, free health checks all the way to the … [Read More...]
6 Costs of Working and How To Save on Those Expenses
Most of us work in order to make money so that we can afford our basic needs and some of our wants. We do the job we do for that paycheck. However, your job has expenses: Child care. Transportation. Wardrobe. Food. Travel. De-stressing. All of those are expenses that we face simply by working a […] The post 6 Costs of Working and How To Save on Those Expenses appeared first on The Simple Dollar. [Read More...]
Does a 401(k) Rollover Count as a Pension for the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)?
A reader wrote in recently with the following story/question: For the last several years of my wife’s work before retiring, she had worked for a government agency and no SS had been collected. However, she did have a 401(k) which she contributed to. I knew that she fell under the WEP/GPO provisions. Subsequent to my wife retiring but before she applied for SS, we rolled her account into an IRA. Two different representatives from SSA told me that if we had not rolled it over, we would NOT have been subject to the WEP. We were allowed by my wife’s plan to keep our funds there and they actually had some very good investment choices. If I had known that and if it … [Read More...]
Stocks Higher into Afternoon on US Economic Optimism, Stable Long-Term Rates, Less Emerging Market Debt Angst, Homebuilding/Shipping Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: LowerSector Performance: MixedVolume: Below Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In LineEquity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 16.3 -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...]
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