Gold is up nearly 20% this year--will the trend continue? What is the most tax efficient and private way to own gold? Does itreally belong in your IRA? Precious metals expert Nick Grovichjoins Steve and Sinclair to dig into the tough questions your goldbroker hopes you never ask. Then Steve has an interestingWall Street Journal report on how airlines may be charging youmore for multi-city flights this summer, i.e., the multi-citypackage on major airlines suddenly costs twice as much as bookingindividual flights. Here's why travel agents say that paying extracould end up saving your vacation.
Are you planning to travel or retire overseas? Before packing your bags, it’s important to know just how portable your health insurance is—including your Medicare insurance. Newer forms of short term medical insurance are available that can give you medical evacuation benefits to fill gaps when you are out of the country. Some cover a heart attack, but not the flu or food poisoning. In the Q & A segment, Steve answers some key questions on annuities--which types cost the least, pay the most, and offer more security.
It's the "Case of the Missing Oil"-- The Wall Street Journal reports that last year, there were 800,000 barrels of oil PER DAY unaccounted for by the International Energy Agency. Where is it? What happened? If its true, the oversupply that has pushed oil prices down may be less than the market thinks, meaning oil is underpriced. Oil is up 16% on the year. Will this accounting flaw spell a further rebound in oil? Steve AND Sinclair have the report.. Then, in the Q & A segment, estate planning attorney Richard Dwornik is here to reveal some case histories that may shock you! Then Steve has a report on progress being made in drugs to treat melanoma from Merck and Bristol Myers. It could save some lives and lead to block buster drugs for these companies.
The Wall Street Journal reports on the fast proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and that we are only ten short years away from seeing bots all over the place in grocery store parking lots, and maybe even walking dogs. Driverless cars are already here and industry experts say that bots may soon have IQ's in excess of 200 and even 500. But what about ethics? Should your car swerve to save the life of the child who just chased his ball into the street-- at the risk of killing the elderly couple driving the other way? Intriguing study. Then, CFP Murray Titterington is here to lend his insights into selecting dividend stocks, followed by Steve reporting on surprising new trends in the airline flying habits of Americans.
Once upon a time, the Calgary Canada real estate market was roaring. Today, the housing market in the oil capital of Calgary has been hit so hard it makes the challenges faced by U.S. oil towns look relatively mild. Currency woes for the Canadian Looney make it worse for Canadians, but American second home buyers are scooping up bargains near Banff. Steve and Sinclair review a Wall Street Journal report. Then, experienced commercial real estate attorney Christopher McNichol is here for the Mastering Money Q & A, followed by Steve reviewing breaking research that caffeine, applied to the scalp, may be an effective treatment for...baldness!! (You can't make up stuff like this)
Target Date mutual funds are now riskier than ever according to a growing number of analysts. There are two ways to lose: the market falling, and interest rates rising. Although target-date funds are designed to automatically lower your exposure to the market as time goes on, the place you land is in bond funds. With interest rates near 200-year lows, is that a wise move? Not if you are looking to keep your money safe and create retirement income. In fact, Warren Buffett says bonds today "should come with a warning label"! In the Q & A, its dividends, dividends, dividends. Mr. Chuck Carnevale, renowned dividend expert and editor of FastGraphs.com offers his insights on dividend stock selection, followed by Steve reporting on what's happening at Chipotle. Will their coupon efforts work to get customers back?
Amazon's free shipping has taken the retail world by storm. As people get more and more comfortable with online purchases, they are buying bigger, heavier, and more awkward items. Did you know they are only required to drop-off on the sidewalk? A new business is springing up for unique deliveries as Fed Ex and UPS are beginning to balk. Steve and Sinclair review a Wall Street Journal report. Then Gary Kaltbaum talks about earnings season and his recent travels to Asia.
Are you considering a REIT or becoming a landlord? Make sure you are very picky. This is the top of the market. The Wall Street Journal reports that some Class A commercial office buildings are sliding into foreclosure in markets hit by low oil prices and tight lending. Houston is getting hit particularly hard and the Behringer Harvard REIT is taking it on the chin. This is a growing risk for a number REITs and REIT investors--we review what's happening. Then Steve reviews a 27-year study in asset allocation performed by Mass Mutual, comparing bonds with annuities over the time period. The results may surprise you!
The "app-ification of shopping" has hit big time, putting more pressure on old fashioned shopping malls. The retailers that are succeeding are training customers to think of their smartphones like all-day "impulse aisles." New apps are able to capture data available on handsets and push consumers to buy whenever they have a spare moment. Steve AND Sinclair review a timely Wall Street Journal on this fast-paced trend. Then CFP and Certified Investment Management Analyst Murray Titterington with IQ Wealth Management delves into his dividend investing methods. In segment 4, a special--Siri from the iPhone makes an "appearance." Steve reports on the person behind the voice of Siri on apple iPhones.
Can the strong dollar be recessionary? Yes, when the dollar is so strong that chicken and hog farmers buy corn to feed their chicken and pigs from Brazil rather than Iowa. An oversupply of corn has developed stateside as foreign corn has gotten cheap to buy. The Wall Street Journal reports that many big livestock farmers are buying corn from South America because the dollar buys so much overseas--triggering a recessionary trend for Iowa farmers. Steve then continues his mini-course on annuities and later reviews what re-insurance is, and why Warren Buffett loves it so much!