Dear Reader, “It’s different this time” might be the four of the most dangerous words in investing. Market crashes occur when investors believe that traditional valuation metrics no longer apply. Another way to put it is that grossly overvalued investments eventually come back to earth, often violently. Yet, I am going to go out on […]
Author: Tim Plaehn
How to Beat Inflation No Matter What the Fed Does
Dear Reader, Each quarter, my favorite earnings conference call comes from Starwood Property Trust (STWD) and its CEO, Barry Sternlicht. As the leader of both the publicly traded REIT and the private equity firm he founded, Starwood Capital Group, Sternlicht is excellent about sharing his thoughts on a wide range of financial topics, and recently […]
The Only “Covid Recovery” Stock You’ll Need
Dear Reader, I have seen and heard about a wide range of stocks that investment pundits recommend you buy to profit from the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. With stock prices zooming higher through 2021, it’s hard to determine which “recovery” stocks still have room to run. Here is one that will do very well […]
Why Stock Buybacks Do Nothing for You
Dear Reader, Corporations’ renewed focus on “returning cash to shareholders” is laudable, but misleading. As with all things investment-related, you can only determine whether something is a good deal for investors by understanding the nuances of how companies implement these policies. When business results are good, corporate boards of directors often choose (as they should) […]
How to Invest with Inflation at 30-Year Highs
Dear Reader, Last week, the CPI inflation was released, showing the highest year-over-year inflation in 30 years. After living and investing in a low-inflation economy for a couple of decades, investors now need to pick some inflation-fighting stocks and funds. In the 1980s, the Federal Reserve killed inflation by quickly and massively increasing interest rates. […]
Real Investing Isn’t What You Think It Is
In the middle of last month, I spent two days on the road to pick up a new travel trailer I purchased from an out-of-state dealer. While driving during stock market hours, I use SiriusXM radio to listen to CNBC and Fox Business, keeping up with the day’s financial news. While I enjoy the information, […]
How to Calculate Your Impressive Covered Call Returns
Dear Reader, Talking about investment yields and returns can be confusing, and actually understanding what happens can be even more daunting. However, we are trying to make money on our money, and understanding potential returns – both as percentages and dollars – helps separate good opportunities from those that are less attractive. If you have […]
Have Your Pie and Eat it Too with this High-Yield, Low-Risk Dividend Stock
They say you can’t have it all, and that there’s no free lunch in investing. All true. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have both high monthly yields and be safe. Look, I spend as much of my time as possible on the road… Driving from camping site to camping site, seeing as much of […]
This One Stock Gets You Huge Dividends – and a Built-In Trading Strategy
Recently, Seeking Alpha put out a list of low-valuation ETFs with strong performance year-to-date for 2021 – and I noticed one very familiar name on the list… The short discussion pointed out how investors may benefit from a shift away from high-valuation growth investments, to those with lower valuations that are also out of favor […]
Get 10%+ Yield Today with this “Automated Trading” Stock
Covered calls are one of my favorite strategies. They’re safe… Simple to make (once you get the hang of them)… And can create double-digit yields on stocks that don’t pay any dividends. The thing is, getting started with covered calls can be tricky. Especially if you’re new to options. That’s where today’s ETF comes in. […]