Articles

Kim: Could Hoosier innovation boost nation’s saving rate?

How can saving possibly compete against the excitement of spending or the chance to win a lottery jackpot? Maybe with a Prize-Linked Savings (PLS) account, a product pioneered in the U.S. by Columbus, Ind.-based Centra Credit Union with its 2007 Super Savings program.

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Kim: Navy SEAL’s training provides life lessons

Admiral William H. McRaven, a Navy SEAL and commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, spoke this May to the graduating class of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, with advice on “if you want to change the world.”

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Kim: Envy can be dangerous to your financial health

If your employer offered to double your salary, would you jump at the chance? In a rational world, you’d take that deal 100 times out of 100. However, you’ll probably be surprised to learn how we make a “no brainer” decision like this depends on whether someone else is involved.

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Kim: What is insider trading? It’s time for clear answer

Illegal insider trading generally refers to buying or selling a stock, in breach of a duty of trust and confidence, while in possession of “material, non-public information” about the stock. This also can apply if the person possessing the information (the “tipper”) passes along the information to a “tippee,” who then trades the stock. Steve […]

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Kim: Graduating from college entitles you to nothing

Despite your newly obtained degree, you don’t know anything. You have no skills. If you are really lucky, you will soon land your first job. You are not entitled to that job. If you get it, you should be grateful for your good fortune and make the most of it.

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Kim: How Amazon bullied its way into retail domination

In a 2013 cover story, Fortune magazine described Amazon as a “brass-knuckled battler for every penny of competitive advantage.” As state treasurers can attest, that portrayal is both well-deserved and important to understanding the rise of Amazon.

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Kim: Investors must play to win to reach long-term goals

Whether an athletic contest or the “game” of investing, many factors determining whether we win or lose are beyond our control. However, we can control how we approach the game and respond as events unfold, which can be just as important.

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Kim: Buffett’s farmland buy illustrates valued lessons

Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders in Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report always contains timeless advice, useful in good times and bad. He told of two non-stock investments he made decades ago. Though relatively small and insignificant to his net worth, they illustrate important concepts.

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Kim: Sports wagers illustrate concepts of investing

Sports betting wouldn’t be what it is today without an innovation by Charles K. McNeil. McNeil’s strong analytical ability enabled him to earn a living as a professional gambler, or “sharp.” His innovation was the “point spread.”

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