Weber Speaks
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Radiation
Posted on March 29, 2011
Filed Under Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic Scene(This was originally posted 3/18/11; a software glitch requires that this be re-posted.) The heart-wrenching and volatile situation in Japan has rattled the world’s stock markets. Daily headlines right now seem to exert greater influence on stock prices than the underlying fundamentals. Wild swings have become the norm, at least in the short term. In [...]
READ THIS OR DIE! (The Truth Behind Scary Headlines)
Posted on March 10, 2011
Filed Under Investor Mistakes, Mutual Funds, Personal InvestingNot long ago a client forwarded me a solicitation email which contained dire predictions about the financial world. He was truly concerned, writing, “It is very uncomfortable to read stuff like this.” I wrote back, “Then why do you read crap like that?” First, this client and I have a long and friendly relationship, so [...]
Will Brokers Ever Change?
Posted on February 4, 2011
Filed Under Investor Mistakes, Mutual Funds, Personal InvestingIn my blog post of 12/8/10, “Fiduciary: Answering to a Higher Standard,” I pointed out how Registered Investment Advisors must adhere to tougher rules than stock brokers and some other financial professionals. Recently, my concerns were reinforced. On 1/24/11, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors wrote: “NAIFA’s fundamental concern is that the potential [...]
20/20 Hindsight
Posted on January 18, 2011
Filed Under Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic Scene“You should have seen it coming!” Of all the things clients have said to me over the years, that one phrase stings most. In particular, I remember when it was said by one woman, a long term client. I was attending a financial conference; my staff had called my cell phone with the message that [...]
Accredited Investors
Posted on January 7, 2011
Filed Under Investor Mistakes, Personal Investing, The Economic SceneSome SEC regulations are there to protect us from doing dumb things. That’s a good thing, since the world is full of people who would take advantage of unsophisticated investors. Among the safeguards is a set a rules which allow only “accredited investors” to move into what are rightly perceived as complex investments, including so-called [...]
Dubious Lessons from a Ponzi Victim
Posted on December 17, 2010
Filed Under Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic SceneAlthough Michael Kubin is a financial writer, his op-ed piece in the NY Times of Dec. 11, 2010, “The Ponzi Scheme That Changed My Life,” was not standard dispassionate reporting. He was, you see, a victim of Bernard Madoff’s far-flung crimes. He described the searing pain of his loss, and he concluded with steps he [...]
Fiduciary: Answering to a Higher Standard
Posted on December 8, 2010
Filed Under Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, Revenue Sharing, The Economic SceneAs long-time clients know, I’m not a big fan of stock brokers. But even I was surprised by a sub-head for a Wall Street Journal article that ran on 12/6/10. It read, “Right now, securities firms don’t have to put investors’ interests first. New regulations may change that – and Wall Street isn’t happy.” Not [...]
A Market Technician Gives a Partly Sunny Forecast
Posted on December 1, 2010
Filed Under Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic SceneLast week Kathy Daly, Vice President here at Weber Asset Management, attended a Financial Advisor Symposium in Orlando. The lead-off speaker was Ned Davis, whose institutional research firm Ned Davis Research has a long and respected record of sizing up stock market trends using objective data points. As befits a market technician, his speech was [...]
QE2 Sets Sail
Posted on November 23, 2010
Filed Under Jack Bowers, Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic SceneEvery financial person in America is caught up with the implications of QE2 – the oh-so-cute name attached to the second round of “quantitative easing” by the Federal Reserve Board. At the same time, the average investor remains fairly clueless as to what impact, if any, this move will have on his or her portfolio. [...]
“All-Time Record” Hype
Posted on November 12, 2010
Filed Under 401K, Mutual Funds, Personal Investing, The Economic SceneMost people, if they see a problem with the media, frame it in terms of perceived bias to the left or right. To me, it’s more a matter of smart vs. dumb. In our narrow world of investments, there are a few good financial reporters out there, and then there are the rest of them. [...]
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