POTPOURRI

"Most variable annuities are very bad investments." Forbes Feb 19 2001 p.110 "Fees are high"

Brokers - some thoughts, Do you need them?

John Bogle's speech on risk and controlling risk - April 2000 - a summary

Irrational Exuberance by Robert Shiller - a terrific book written just as the bubble was bursting

Bear Market Investing - Connolly Report October 1998 - Fear Greed and the End of the Rainbow

IPOs - don't buy them...some thoughts

Annuities - 19 arguments against annuities - Connolly Report February 1990 p.210

Share repurchases are generally of less benefit than is thought. In fact, they largely represent a transfer of wealth from shareholders (you) to management. In 1996, repurchases were estimated to be $125 billion and stock issuance by the same companies, much of it options to management, totaled $105 billion.

Asset allocation on retirement - Feb 2000 Report front page
'Barron's December 27, 1999 issue has a very thought provoking column on allocating assets upon retirement by a retired hedge fund manager. A prolonged period of inferior stock market performance will wreak havoc with the retirement plans of many Baby Boomers who are counting on annual double-digit capital gains to fund retirement. Many Boomers will have to switch to bonds, perhaps before 2006. With initially higher yields and a growing income, however, we don't have to depend upon capital gains: we don't have to worry about this coming period of flat returns when indexes regress to the mean. More information on this article, click here.


Don't worry about lower stock prices. This column was written in December 1999 (page 446) because the prices of the stocks we follow were very low at the time. It was the peak of the bubble. Investors had abandoned dividend-paying stocks. In February 2000, I did my time to buy issue...was it ever time too buy. Over the next five years, as holders of mutual funds feared to open their statements, most of our stocks doubled in value.

John Neff on Investing - pearls from an excellent new book

Some ideas on Selling - some from TCR Feb 2000...just as bubble was bursting

How to evaluate an investment proposal - from a presentation made at the Royal York hotel - Nov 20, 1999

Hamlet's Retirement - To seek income growth, or remain with fixed, that is the question...W.S.

Dow 36,000 - value stocks by adding yield and dividend growth - other than that, they were mostly wrong

Ratings - check a company's debt rating at http://www.dbrs.com

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"I am also totally against stock options. I you hire an executive you should give two or three years' salary in stock options, which can't be sold until they are two or three years out of the company." Stephen Jarislowsky, FP Francis Interview 2005