Jim Pearce

According to political pollsters, last month’s presidential debate has increased the odds of a republican victory this November. Not just for the next occupant of the White House, but for many down ballot candidates as well.

Last weekend, I attended a biannual family reunion that began more than thirty years ago. As is usually the case, my cousins and I discussed how we are managing our personal finances as we matriculate into retirement.

It is sometimes said that the stock market is the only place in the world where people want more of it when prices go up and less of it when prices go down. And during the past three weeks, stock prices have been going down.

Here’s an easy question: Which country has the biggest stock market based on the total value of all the equities traded on its exchanges? The answer, of course, is the United States. At the start of this year, its exchanges accounted for roughly 60% of the global equity markets.

With the Fed on the verge of cutting its policy rate in September, Wall Street is on the lookout for high-dividend stocks. Bond yields are coming down, which means less income for bond buyers. That’s a big reason why cigarette and smokeless tobacco marketer Altria Group (NYSE: MO) is up 28% so far this year.

I like to revisit articles I wrote in the past to see how accurate (or not) my expectations for the future proved to be. Especially those written prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

A lot of people have been asking me lately if it is too late to get into the stock market. I can’t blame them. The S&P 500 Index is at an all-time high, as are most of the other major stock market indexes.

Editor’s Note: My wife’s sister from Ohio is visiting us this week. She brings a Midwesterner’s sensibility to our laid-back beach vibe here on the Carolina coast.

Editor’s Note: Early in my career, I worked for a manager who told me that he preferred to hire people that drove fast cars. To his way of thinking, the type of cars people choose to drive reflects their personalities.

Editor’s Note: I’ve been known to frequent convenience stores, usually to pick up a cold soda after exercising. While standing in line to check out, I’m almost always behind someone buying a so-called “energy drink” that contains loads of caffeine and other stimulants.