Insights on markets, emergent trends, history, innovation, risk management, global economics, strategy, policy, and other topics that catch our attention. Inspired by ongoing research, conversations and events. Written and edited by Osbon Capital Management and published every Thursday morning.
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Your investment fitness checklist for 2012
Yes, it’s that time of year again. A time for lists – Christmas, New Year’s resolutions, among others. Add one more: your 2012 investment fitness checklist. If you want to wake up on New Years Day knowing that your portfolio is already at work just the way you would like it to be, use this checklist as your guide.
Babson’s brilliant financial course
I was privileged earlier this week to be a guest lecturer in Professor Erik Sirri’s class at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Professor Sirri is unique, to my knowledge, in offering a course called Personal Financial Management for first-year MBAs at top schools. Wow, do I wish that course were offered back in the day…
The Armageddon portfolio
Two clients have recently requested an Armageddon portfolio from Osbon Capital, a portfolio designed to withstand and possibly even profit from horrible events yet to occur. Why would anyone want such a portfolio, and what does it look like?
Giving large
Walk a mile in these shoes Imagine that you run a business where operating revenue is less than half of what you spend. Imagine that the demand for your product is growing as your income is shrinking. Envision that costs are rising, your employee base is overworked and underpaid, and your business model sometimes includes giving away your product or service…
It’s never too late to make smart choices
In recent weeks I’ve described the plan of an impressive 20-year-old investor seeking to amass a comfortable retirement nest egg. Some readers were no doubt mumbling to themselves: great for him, but I don’t have 42 years of investing ahead of me. How about me, right now? Yes, time is a great advantage, but no matter your age, you have…
The road to $5 million
Several weeks ago I described a conversation I had with a college junior who wanted to learn about how to get started in investing for his future. I challenged him to figure out what kind of investment plan he would need to accumulate $5 million for retirement over the next 43 years. Here’s the masterpiece he came up with.
What the Red Sox can teach us about investing
You know the unseemly facts. Our beloved Sox were leading the AL East in late August. When they slipped to second, they had a nine game lead on Tampa Bay for the wildcard playoff slot. Finishing 7-21 over the season’s final month, the wildcard got away too. It still makes you a little sick, doesn’t it? What’s this unhappy tale…
Tortoise 1, Hare 0
When the legendary “bond king” Bill Gross completely abandoned treasury bonds in his Pimco Total Return Fund earlier this year, he was applying decades of bond market experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, he guessed completely wrong on the health of the economy and price of US debt. Which is why his fund is trailing a low-cost, low-profile Vanguard index by an…
The first investment
You know you have done something right as a parent when your child comes to you for advice on how to invest his or her own hard earned money. You smile proudly when asked: What should I buy? or How should I do it? But how should you, the parent, respond? A recent experience with a client and his son…
