Blog

Let's start with this: the 1,000 point drop in the Dow Jones over the last few days has been No Fun. Why do we put up with this? Why stay invested if it's no fun? For an answer, I look to some clients who don't seem to be too put out by all the ruckus. Here's a composite sketch: he or she is retir...

Late last Friday, Standard & Poors did what had been rumored to be coming: it downgraded US Treasury debt from AAA to AA+ for the first time in history. There's no mystery to the Friday night action; the intent was clearly to let the shock of the change be absorbed by markets before they reopened Mo...

I often post about why I think it's not the end of the world. And yet again today, I think it's not. But with a day like yesterday, people are asking if maybe we can see it from here. Stocks were down sharply yesterday, and I would be surprised if they weren't off to a weak start this morning. Psych...

One of the all-time classic news headlines was printed in the New York Daily News in 1975 when NY City was facing a serious budget crisis (note that at lower right it says "Stocks Skid, Dow Down 12" - I wish). Now we have financial markets home and abroad skidding on the news that Congress and the P...

There is plenty of financial news this morning: All eyes have been on Washington where it looks like a default will be averted, as I suggested it would. US financial markets opened sharply higher, but have fallen back. Why? Congress and the President have only delayed our nation's financial recko...

When you stop by either of our offices you'll see our employees dressed for business and keeping busy. After business hours we all manage to keep busy, too, but we dress a little differently, especially on Tuesday nights. That's when you'll find our BSC Softball Team at the Cobb's Hill baseball diam...

I saw an article in the Democrat & Chronicle yesterday that is nearly an annual event: record demand for power at our local electric utilities. This is not uncommon around the country, and for a number of reasons: Some cite global warming and a corresponding demand for air conditioning in the...

For those of you who are either uber-geeks or have no life at all, you can now get social with your big brother, the IRS. The IRS recently launched a smartphone application called IRS2Go. This app allows you to get your refund status and tax updates directly to your iPhone, iTouch or Android phone...

We are hearing a lot lately from clients who are concerned about the possible ill effects on the markets of a looming federal default. While I hate to see clients having an anxious time or losing sleep, a heightened level of contact tells me things: What we hear from clients generally echoes w...

What do they have in common? Nothing. It's what sets them apart that is worth noting. Zillow, a real estate site known for aggregating price and tax information on houses for sale, went public yesterday in yet another Tech Bubble 2.0 offering. Although the shares initially tripled (yes, tripled), t...