Soros Speaks Live From Davos, Slams “Conman, Narcisist” Trump To say that it is virtually impossible to understand what the almost 90-year-old George Soros is saying during his traditionally anticipated speech in Davos, is an understatement, so we will leave it to Bloomberg to summarize the key points from the speech so far, which as one can expect, emphasize Soros’ less than warm feelings vis-a-vis Donald Trump: *SOROS SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A `CON MAN’ *SOROS SAYS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS THE `ULTIMATE NARCISSIST’ After spending the bulk of his 2019 speech slamming China, Soros has reverted to this topic, fusing it with the “other” one: *SOROS SAYS XI JINGPING IS SEEKING TO EXPLOIT TRUMP’S WEAKNESSES *SOROS SAYS U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS `DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND’ Soros … [Read More...]
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Review
If you’re a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, you should consider adding the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card to your credit card collection. Out of the three personal Southwest-branded credit cards, the offers the top rewards, most travel points and most perks. Plus, unlike the other two personal Southwest branded credit cards, there are no foreign transaction fees. If Southwest is your main airline of choice and you want a single credit card to reward your travel, this may be the card for you. You can also pair the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card with credit cards from other airlines to maximize your travel rewards. What we like about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card While the annual fee of $149 may seem high… [Read More...]
My Bet With Warren Buffett – Year Two Results
Two years ago, I made a bet with Warren Buffett. This was a continuation of the bet that Warren Buffett had done with a hedge fund manager over the preceding decade. Per the original bet, Buffett believed that index funds would do better than hedge funds over the next decade. He believed that, because hedge funds are very expensive to their investors. Hedge funds usually charge investors a 2%… To read the whole article, please click on the article title above. [Read More...]
Chinese Auto Sales To Face "Big Downward Pressure" In 2020
Chinese Auto Sales To Face “Big Downward Pressure” In 2020 China’s Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, had some bad news for the Chinese auto industry on Monday. Wei says that the industry still faces “big downward pressure” and he predicted sales of just 25 million units for the year, according to Bloomberg. Recall, sales for 2019 totaled 25.769 million units. Sales of just 25 million units would mark a third straight year of declines for the world’s largest auto market, should Wei’s prediction come to fruition. Source: Marklines 2019 China Auto Data The MIIT also said it would further study and review its NEV vehicle subsidies. Beijing backing away from these subsidies caused NEV sales to taper off toward the end of 2019, sullying what was an otherwise consistent silver lining … [Read More...]
Looking Back on a Year Without Cable
A little over a year ago, our family made the decision to cancel our cable service. I wrote about it shortly after that decision and I thought it might be worth revisiting a year later, just to see how things have changed. About 16 months ago, we canceled our cable package. At the time, we were spending around $110 a month on our cable package. This included a rather large selection of channels in an “expanded” channel package, plus HBO. Over the course of the last year or so that we had our cable package, we realized a few key things. One, we weren’t actually watching the programming on our cable package very much. We watched a bit of live news and recorded a few regular … [Read More...]
Adding Roku (ROKU) To The Stocks I Follow
Good morning, today I will be adding one more stock the list of stocks that I follow. As a reference, this is the list of stocks that I follow news about, read earnings call transcripts of and eventually start trading for my long & short stock picks. In this case, I don’t expect to trade ROKU for a little bit as the company just went public and while it has had a promising start, I (almost!) always prefer watching from the sidelines initially as I get a better feel for the company. Roku is a company that provides a tv stick/digital top boxes that basically provides content to users tv. It competes with the likes of Apple TV (AAPL), Fire TV (Amazon), Chromecast (GOOG) … [Read More...]
Wahrheit Macht Frei… Truth Sets You Free
Wahrheit Macht Frei… Truth Sets You Free Authored by Finian Cunningham via The Strategic Culture Foundation, This week sees the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp by the Soviet Red Army. But the momentous event is being overshadowed by renewed attempts by the Polish authorities – aided by American and German officials – to shift the blame for the Second World War on to the Soviet Union. The grimly deceptive German maxim “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Works Sets You Free”) adorning the iron-gate entrance to Auschwitz through which millions of prisoners passed on their way to death, could be subtitled today with the more honest phrase “Wahrheit Macht Frei” (“Truth Sets You Free”). Because what is going on in the Polish commemoration … [Read More...]
Buy Cheap or Buy Reliable?
I use headphones for multiple hours per day. Whenever I’m listening to audio, I’m usually doing it with some type of over-the-ear headphones or earbuds unless I’m intentionally sharing the audio with others. Yep, this is even true when I’m home alone. My hearing isn’t great so I honestly can’t tell the difference in audio quality above perhaps the bottom 10%, so what I’m really looking for above all else is reliability versus cost, provided it executes the core functions I want from it well, with a small dollop of convenience on the side. That’s the main factor in determining which headphones I buy. Are they built to last for a while? Or are they flimsy? How … [Read More...]
US Navy To Revive Flak Cannons To Combat Drone Attacks
US Navy To Revive Flak Cannons To Combat Drone Attacks The proliferation of unmanned aircraft has frightened the U.S. Navy into developing a powerful airburst round to knock drones out of the sky, reported Military.com. The precision airburst munition, similar to anti-aircraft flak rounds used in World War II, is being designed to combat drones that are targeting warships at sea. The new round is compatible with the Littoral Combat Ship’s (LCS) 30mm deck gun. “We’re looking at another round called the proximity round, which detects the drone as it approaches and then blows up,” Kevin Knowles, who works on Northrop Grumman’s LCS and unmanned surface vessel programs, said Tuesday at the Surface Navy Association conference. “It’s not a radar system, but it’s … [Read More...]
Total Visa® Unsecured Credit Card Review
The offers those with poor credit a chance at redemption. Whether it was accidental delinquency on a store credit card or medical debt, the result is the same — poor credit. In most cases, poor credit means only qualifying for a secured credit card, which requires a refundable deposit to act as the credit line. The Total Visa® Unsecured Credit Card gives cardholders an alternative — manageable monthly payments and a straightforward path to better credit. To make the most of this card, however, it’s essential to understand its limitations. What we like about the Total Visa® Unsecured Credit Card Reports to all three credit bureaus: As cardholders pay their balance off each month, on-time payments get sent to all three credit reporting agencies instead of… [Read More...]
Closing 1 Trade ($PYPL, $IAC)
This morning, I will be closing one of the 4 live trades that I currently have on, the one where I went long Paypal (PYPL) vs. Short IAC Interactive (IAC). I continue to be a strong believer in Paypal and you can expect me to buy the stock in 2018 when I get back to trading:) As I wrote recently on SeekingAlpha, I do think Paypal has a very good opportunity to be one of the dominant payment players online which would be incredibly valuable. They are coming under attack from the likes of Apple, Google, and Facebook but I do like their odds. The 2017 returns stand at 7.71% which is not bad at all. I will be closing the trade on the open today, you can go … [Read More...]
Stocks Higher into Final Hour on Earnings Outlooks, Global Growth Optimism, Short-Covering, Tech/Medical Sector Strength
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: Modestly HigherSector Performance: Most Sectors RisingVolume: Around Average Market Leading Stocks: Performing In Line Equity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 12.6 -2.0% Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 126.47 +.08% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 6.0 -1.3% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 38.5 +1.1% ISE Sentiment Index 126.0 -69Total Put/Call .77 -7.2% NYSE Arms 1.35 +7.1% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 45.06 -.71% America Energy Sector High-Yield CDS Index 574.0 +1.97%European Financial Sector CDS Index 52.55 +.24% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 160.75 -1.25 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 52.15 +.75%Emerging Market CDS Index 185.65 +.71%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 169.48 +.07% 2-Year Swap Spread 7.0 -.5 basis pointTED Spread 25.75 -1.0 basis point 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -4.5 -1.0 basis pointEconomic Gauges… [Read More...]
Glenn Greenwald Responds To ‘Grave And Obvious Attack On Free Press’ Following Charges
Glenn Greenwald Responds To ‘Grave And Obvious Attack On Free Press’ Following Charges Glenn Greenwald responded to charges levied against him Tuesday by prosecutors in Brazil, who have accused the American journalist of cybercrimes for his role in publishing embarrassing text messages that exposed corruption within the Brazilian judicial system. According to the government’s criminal complaint, Greenwald “directly assisted, encouraged and guided” his sources, who gained access to online chats between prosecutors and others involved in “Operation Car Wash,” which The Intercept describes as a ‘yearslong, sprawling anti-corruption investigation that roiled Brazilian politics.” Greenwald has denied the charges, citing a Brazilian Federal Police investigation that concluded he committed no crimes – and in fact highlighted his “careful and distant posture regarding the execution” of the … [Read More...]
Utilizing Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers
When Sarah and I first started our financial turnaround, one tool that helped us quite a bit to stop the financial bleeding in the short term was balance transfer offers from credit cards. These enabled us to turn high interest debt into zero interest debt for a year, and when we paired that with an intense effort to pay off our debts, we were able to clear out all of our credit card debt (well into the tens of thousands) in less than a year. If you have $5,000 in credit card debt, for example, and that debt comes with a 33% APR, you’re adding about $1,700 in interest payments a year. Your typical minimum payment on that much debt mostly just goes to pay the … [Read More...]
Just In Time! Lenders Seek Congressional Approval For No Income Mortgages
Just In Time! Lenders Seek Congressional Approval For No Income Mortgages Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk, Here we go again. The mortgage lending industry seeks to eliminate debt-to-income rules for home buyers. At the peak of every boom comes one final act of repetitive stupidity. This may be it. Please consider CFPB Moves to Eliminate Mortgage Debt-to-Income Rule for Borrowers. In a letter CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger sent to Congress today, the CFPB asked to amend the Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage rule (ATR/QM rule) in order to remove DTI as a qualifying factor in mortgage underwriting. This rule was created in response to the financial crisis of a decade ago as a way to prevent lending money to borrowers who … [Read More...]
Adding 2 Names To The Stocks I Follow ($SEND, $SFIX)
Exciting times these days as a few new companies went public in recent weeks. While these are not the big ones that I’ve been looking forward to (Uber, Airbnb, Lyft and Dropbox among others), it is still very nice to have more trading options and while I never expect to trade recently turned public companies initially, I will be following news, earnings and will certainly comment when there is a good opportunity. Sendgrid (SEND) is a new SaaS company which is nice to see given the lack of options (apart from Salesforce-CRM) as the numbers work out very differently when the costs involved are structured upfront and are paid off over several years. This breakdown of revenues is one great example: SendGrid has over 50,000 paying … [Read More...]
What Are Americans Doing to Destroy Their Homes?
There is a checklist of items that homeowners run through to protect their homes, such as installing security, insuring against natural disasters, fires or flooding, installing smoke detectors and more. However, many overlook the regular maintenance that a home requires, which can introduce major issues down the line. When was the last time you cleaned the gutters? That’s just one of the many questions we asked Americans to learn more about how well homeowners maintain their properties. We found that people are unknowingly destroying their homes by disregarding regular maintenance and, in some cases, actively causing harm through what they put down the drain, ignoring leaks and more. Let’s jump into how home maintenance is being disregarded throughout the U.S. and what you can do to … [Read More...]
Iranian MP Announces $3 Million Bounty For President Trump’s Head
Iranian MP Announces $3 Million Bounty For President Trump’s Head ISNA News reports Tuesday that an Iranian lawmaker offered $3 million for a bounty on President Trump’s head after the assassination earlier this month that killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds military force and one of the most influential people in the country. “On behalf of the people of Kerman province, we will pay a $3 million reward in cash to whoever kills Trump,” lawmaker Ahmad Hamzeh told parliament. There was no mention from Hamzeh if the bounty had official backing from Iran’s clerical leaders. Kerman is the capital of the Kerman Province in Iran – the 10th most populous city. It’s also the region where Soleimani was born. “If we had nuclear … [Read More...]
Actual cash value vs. replacement cost: What’s the difference?
When shopping for insurance, it is common to hear about premiums, deductibles and coverage types. But what about how you’ll be paid after a property loss? Actual cash value and replacement cost are the two most common methods insurance companies use to determine what they will cover in the event of a claim. The coverage options you select on an insurance policy are even more important than the premium and deductible. Which should you choose? Let’s start with defining what actual cash value and replacement cost are. If your insurance quote or policy is based on actual cash value that means if a claim is filed, the insurance company will pay out the actual value of the property. This is the cost of the property brand-new, … [Read More...]
Stocks Lower into Final Hour on China Virus Concerns, Technical Selling, Profit-Taking, Transport/Gaming Sector Weakness
Broad Equity Market Tone:Advance/Decline Line: LowerSector Performance: Most Sectors DecliningVolume: Above Average Market Leading Stocks: Underperforming Equity Investor Angst:Volatility(VIX) 12.76 +5.5% Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 126.40 -.37% Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 6.05 +1.85% S&P 500 Implied Correlation 40.0 +3.8% ISE Sentiment Index 57.0 -42Total Put/Call .83 +25.8% NYSE Arms 1.14 +.88% Credit Investor Angst:North American Investment Grade CDS Index 44.84 +1.94% America Energy Sector High-Yield CDS Index 563.0 +1.35%European Financial Sector CDS Index 52.43 +1.59% Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 162.0 +3.0 basis pointsAsia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 51.69 +2.12%Emerging Market CDS Index 184.30 +3.21%iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 169.37 +.07% 2-Year Swap Spread 7.5 -.75 basis pointTED Spread 26.75 -.25 basis point 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -3.35 -.5 basis pointEconomic… [Read More...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »