stock market

Perhaps you’ve been hearing this very graphic Wall Street trader term bandied about during these tumultuous times. It’s actually been used for decades as a warning to investors that buying into temporary rallies during bear markets can be wealth-threatening.

The other well-worn phrase is “Don’t catch a falling knife”. That refers to watching your favorite stock taking a plunge, and buying more in the often mistaken belief that the fall is temporary.

Actually I think these terms are perfect warning signs right now. After a brief four day rally some Wall Street pundits are predicting the bottom has been reached, and the markets will soon come roaring back. I am an insufferable optimist, and wish I could share their enthusiasm. It’s just that facts get in the way.  read more »

Pundits love to pontificate about which political party in the White House is best for Wall Street. If you ask the average voter, they most likely will say a Republican President is best, because that party is considered more “pro-business” in its ideology.
It is true that republicans are more prone to lower corporate taxes and push for less government regulation. But history dictates the Dow Jones Industrials have posted bigger average returns under Democratic Presidents, according to The Stock Trader’s Almanac.  read more »

Dr. Paul Good, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist says “pathological gambling on Wall Street an epidemic.”

A wall size chart that once hung in the lobby of the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco documented that for decades the standard and predictable business cycle lasted about 7 years from boom to bust to boom. Economy gets cooking. Goods and workers are in short supply. So prices and salaries rise. Inflation rears its ugly head. The Federal Reserve hikes interest rates to cool the economy. And we start all over again.  read more »