INTERESTING TIMES … As Chinese New Year celebrations wind down, it’s fitting to recall an expression that has been attributed to the Chinese for generations. The expression “May you live in interesting times” has an origin that is, ironically, interesting itself. Regardless of its origin, upon closer examination, the expression seems not to be a
December Recap
January 4, 2017 By
2016 Recap 2016 is set to go down as one of the most eventful years for investors since the global financial crisis. It was a crazy ride, and the surprises came from everywhere. The vote in the UK - the “Brexit” - shocked the world, as did the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, when
November Recap
December 7, 2016 By
President Trump The trading days leading up to the U.S. presidential election did not feel great. For eight straight trading days, the stock market lost value. It was the first time the market had experienced eight consecutive down days since 2008. Fortunately, this year’s eight-day funk amounted to the S&P 500 losing only about 3%
September 2016 Recap
October 6, 2016 By
You know it’s the fall in North Texas when your kid comes home from school with tickets to the State Fair of Texas. The Fair just kicked off its 130th year, and it’s a pretty big deal in these parts with a number of attractions drawing hundreds of thousands of people every year. The State
August 2016 Recap
September 5, 2016 By
If you slipped into a coma on August 1st and just regained consciousness on August 31st, you might have looked around and thought that you really didn’t miss much while you were out cold. The world’s capital markets were sitting right about where they started. The S&P 500 traded in a very narrow range with
July 2016 Recap
August 4, 2016 By
Data or Demand? In case you haven’t noticed it yet, there’s a serious election going on right now. Votes are being cast day after day, and the message seems pretty clear: buying American stocks, bonds, and real estate is how investors are voting with their money. We very well could be looking at the fifth
June 2016 Year-to-Date and Monthly Recap
July 7, 2016 By
Knocked Down but Not Out Markets have been treated like a punching bag over the first half of the year, taking blow after blow from a host of issues. The utter collapse in commodity prices wreaked havoc across world markets that struggled to adjust to the rapid change. The surging U.S. dollar hurt large U.S.
May 2016 Recap
June 6, 2016 By
“Things done well and with a care, exempt themselves from fear.” Henry VIII, Act 1, Scene 2. There are a lot of things to fear in the world today. The news headlines alone can churn your stomach: terrorist attacks by groups like ISIS can occur anywhere, provocative missile testings by aggressive nations like Iran and
April 2016 Recap
May 6, 2016 By
Acrophobia You can tack “-phobia” onto almost anything in order to create a label for a fear. Some of the most common fears include: arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), and acrophobia (fear of heights). The study of phobias is an interesting field, and the most common fears seem to stem from the
February 2017 Recap
Wayne Gretzky, a National Hockey League Hall of Fame inductee, is probably the greatest hockey player of all time. He had a storied career even though he lacked overwhelming size or strength; in fact he was a good 30 pounds lighter than the average player of his time. On the ice, he showed great stamina