Skarbeck: Skyrocketing student debt looms large over economy
Student loan debt has increased at a 14-percent annual rate since 2005 and now totals more than $1 trillion—more than credit card and auto loan debt.
Investing Column
Articles
Kim: How studying goalkeeping can improve your investing
Soccer in the United States has exploded in popularity among fans and participants. With the Indiana University men’s team winning its eighth national title last December and the Indy Eleven professional team getting ready to compete next April, soccer is only going to get bigger here. Unlike regular-season games, tournament games can’t end in a […]
Skarbeck: IPO of N.Y. skyscraper is a real landmark deal
Investors soon will have the opportunity to own a piece of an American landmark. The Empire State Realty Trust, whose signature property is the Empire State building, will offer shares to the public.
Kim: What investors should learn from Facebook’s IPO fiasco
Facebook’s initial public offering on May 17, 2012, was the most highly anticipated IPO since Google’s in 2004. As we know now, Facebook’s $38-a-share IPO turned out to be a fiasco from the moment NASDAQ catastrophically botched the opening of trading.
Skarbeck: Financial markets brace for era of social media
Two recent episodes have regulators scrutinizing the role social media plays in the investment markets.
Kim: Twitter-fueled mayhem should worry investors
I’m old school when it comes to investing, so it baffles me that some professionals consider a tweet important to the investment decision-making process. But those 140 characters can do real damage when improperly used.
Skarbeck: Research error reignites stimulus vs. debt debate
Economic and political spheres are abuzz with the recent discovery of a mathematical error made by Harvard professors Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff in their seminal analysis of debt-laden economies.
Kim: Does the collapse of gold mark the end of an era?
Gold serves as a “fear index,” measuring investors’ level of fear and anxiety. Investors view gold as a store of wealth offering protection from inflation, credit defaults and economic Armageddon. Gold soared from $300 per ounce in September 2001 to $1,900 per ounce in September 2011. That’s no coincidence. September 2001 was marked by the […]
Skarbeck: Mutual funds’ rate of return paints misleading picture
The calendar can provide the investment industry the sleight of hand needed to grab investors’ attention when advertising investment performance.
Kim: Investors must steer clear of the narcissistic CEO
A number of academic studies have concluded narcissistic CEOs make poor choices that can cause the company and your investment to perish.
Skarbeck: Stockman ‘rant’ draws welcomed responses
A lengthy New York Times opinion piece by David Stockman has set off a firestorm of response from a variety of sources who editorialize about stock markets and politics.
KIM: Discipline in the short term required for long-term gain
Investors fret about the stock market. The market has more than doubled from its low four years ago. Am I too late? There is still so much uncertainty, here and abroad. Are stocks too risky?
SKARBECK: Alternative investments not worth their high costs
When it comes to choosing the products or services offered by the investment industry, the evidence suggests that when investors pay less, they often get more.
KIM: Buffett to worried CEOs: ‘Let us unburden you’
Veteran investing fans like me eagerly await the release of Warren Buffett’s annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.
SKARBECK: Don’t get overly excited about new index records
The frenzy surrounding a new market high tends to raise the blood pressure in investors. It seems to stimulate a feeling that they need to “do something.”
KIM: Mutual fund choices influenced by conflicts
Have you ever wondered how and why the mutual funds your brokerage firm recommends or those that appear on your 401(k) plan’s menu of investment options were chosen?
SKARBECK: SEC enforcement powers important but limited
The SEC’s reputation had taken a hit when an internal investigation found that senior employees were surfing pornographic websites during the financial crisis.
KIM: Protect yourself when buying mutual fund shares
While the concept of a mutual fund is beautiful in its simplicity, actually investing in one can be complicated.
SKARBECK: Weakening currencies spur economic growth or inflation
The value of a currency can be influenced by all sorts of variables—including politics, monetary policy and interest rates.
KIM: Disciplined approach key to ’13 investing success
Investors who heeded FDR’s advice—“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on”—were amply rewarded for staying the course.