SKARBECK: Changes on horizon for mutual fund fees
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing significant changes to the structure of the annual marketing or distribution fee on mutual funds known as a 12(b)-1 fee.
Ken Skarbeck
Articles
SKARBECK: Biglari’s pay plan is raising eyebrows
Unfortunately, if BH thought it was breaking ground in the field of executive compensation with this plan, it has fallen short.
SKARBECK: Short sellers maligned, but play a useful role
True professional short sellers are typically intelligent, above-board investors who often alert the markets and investors to overvalued securities and, in some cases, to fraud.
SKARBECK: Expect more battles over public pensions
This year, 15 states have enacted legislation to reduce future public pension obligations.
SKARBECK: Cheerleaders and analysts share optimistic outlooks
A recent report from the consulting and research firm McKinsey & Co. detailed the propensity for investment firm analysts to repeatedly issue excessively optimistic earnings forecasts.
SKARBECK: Investors may miss mark by switching to bonds
It seems more likely that bond investors today are making the same mistake stock investors made back at the peak of the stock-market bubble.
SKARBECK: U.S. will someday have to deal with debt
After years of easy borrowing that helped boost economic growth, governments around the globe are dealing with evil twinsâ??high levels of debt and shrinking revenue to repay.
SKARBECK: Financial overhaul law leaves much uncertainty
The public, to no surprise, is skeptical that the new regulations will succeed. A Bloomberg poll shows nearly four out of five Americans have little confidence the measures will prevent a crisis.
SKARBECK: Short-term sizzle can’t beat consistency
To achieve outsized returns, whether in mutual funds or individual stocks, investors must avoid the hype and reliance on past outperformance.
SKARBECK: Even investment stars have losing periods
Most investors have heard the cautionary statement “past
performance is not indicative of future results.” This oft-repeated caveat reveals its truth time and again in the investment
industry.
SKARBECK: Municipal bond defaults might be next crisis
for decades, politicians have regularly boosted public pension benefits to score election gains, while neglecting the long-term costs to municipal budgets. Now the bills are coming due.
SKARBECK: Why do Fannie, Freddie deserve a free pass?
One crisis that continues to simmer under the public radar is the endless taxpayer support needed to prop up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
SKARBECK: Exchanges’ proposed fix for glitch is ludicrous
Is investing becoming a technology-rigged game for computerized gamblers who rent stocks for seconds or minutes and whose objective is to repeatedly skim small profits?
SKARBECK: Diversifying not sure fix for Lilly Endowment woes
Lilly Endowment has been a substantial Lilly stockholder for 73 years, so to focus on the past decade is a mistake.
SKARBECK: Finding one last lesson in Grace’s amazing tale
Grace held her investment through many ups and downs in the stock market. But most important to her was that Abbott as a
business continued to thrive, despite the swings in its stock price.
SKARBECK: How Grace stayed patient under pressure to sell
When we left, we were trying to imagine a few of the many obstacles Grace might have encountered as her initial investment grew into $7 million over 74 years.
SKARBECK: Amazing patience paid off for Grace
Back in 1935, she invested $180 in Abbott Laboratories stock and never sold it. This one decision became the entire investment
career of Grace Groner.
SKARBECK: Financial reform should start with derivatives
At the very least, regulators need to get control of derivative trading—transactions need to be more transparent and carried
out on an exchange.
SKARBECK: Economic Greek tragedy could play out globally
Fears that Greece may default on its government debt have kept global markets on edge.
SKARBECK: Biglari’s ambitious, but he’s no Buffett
While Sardar Biglari’s effort to duplicate Warren Buffett is clear, some of the Steak n Shake chief’s moves have been superficial.