Both commodities and stock markets are considered leading indicators in economic analysis and forecasting. In 2014, the prices of industrial commodities including copper, oil, gas, steel and coal declined sharply. On a currency adjusted basis, the stock markets of Germany, Japan, Brazil, Australia, United Kingdom, Russia and Austria also fell. In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average started the year at 16,576, down 2.8% to 15,935 as of October 16th while the Russell 2000 small cap declined 6.6% and S&P was flat in the same time period. The markets were signaling a possible economic slowdown in the G7 countries.
5 Investing Lessons from my Vacation in Mexico
I am just a few days from heading home after a much needed vacation to the beautiful Riviera Maya. A visit to Cancun and Playa del Carmen can do wonders for your soul. Time to rest and relax with family – sip on frozen drinks and think about investing. So what lessons can be learned from my time at the beach? Here are the top 5 investing lessons from my vacation in Mexico.
Don’t Let Market Bubbles Hurt Your Portfolio
The guitar has always been abused with distortion units and funny sorts of effects, but when you don't do that and just let the genuine sound come through, there's a whole magic there.
– Jeff Beck
Asset Protection 101: Knowing when to sell
January was a rough start of the year for the stock market with the Dow 30 down 5.5%. The headlines described the month as “brutal” and “horrific.” As an individual investor, this can cause worry as one wonders, “Is this the start of the next bear market?”
Is the stock market going to kill you?
When people talk about the keys to good health, they always talk about balancing mind, body and spirit. However I believe they are missing the key ingredient of financial health. Health and wealth are interconnected and if any of the pillars of health are disturbed, it can cause sickness and even death.