Pundits are pondering whether the U.S. and China will come to terms on trade and if Theresa May will eke out a Brexit that avoids market chaos. These are interesting questions. But the real question for investors is: Have you positioned your portfolio for both profit and protection – no matter what’s going on in the news?

Your Portfolio Strategy Shouldn’t Depend On The News

Janus Henderson Investors asks, “Would you lend to this man?” – with the man in question being Uncle Sam. That is a very important question, but one that is too easy to dismiss, as formulated. Ask instead, “Who will bail out this man?” and perhaps we’ll arouse greater interest. The reason is that Uncle Sam and his fraternity of ne’er-do-wells across the world will get the last laugh, or at least the last tax.

Who Will Bail Out This Man?

Scott Witt is a fee-only insurance advisor who provides fiduciary advice to clients on products such as annuities and is paid on an hourly fee basis rather than through commissions. In this interview, Scott explains income annuities' potential benefits, provides a decision tree for making the selection and offers a glimpse into his own client engagements.

Actuary Scott Witt On Why, (Why Not) And How To Buy An Annuity

In a market that has killed every category, emerging markets have stood out for their losses. Without minimizing the high risks of this sector, is there a baby that has been thrown out with the bathwater? Brazil might be that baby. In 12 days, the country gets a new rebirth of sorts as Yair Bolsonaro assumes office with plans to push his country into an era of liberal economic reform. Brazilian stocks are cheap and an attractive ETF offers a wide representation of the country's leading companies.

The ETF From Ipanema

Still scrambling to get your children, nephews or nieces something that will make a meaningful impact? Credit card, mortgage and auto loans have straight-lined over the past 15 years, while student loans have skyrocketed nearly 500%. That’s signals a “with it” gift for indebted grads. For not yet college-age kids, you can offer them a skill that will give them a genuine leg up.

Investors’ Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Guide

What the American revolutionary Thomas Paine wrote about a military and political crisis applies as well to a financial one. Specifically, he wrote that panics are “short” and “advantageous.” If you’ve properly prepared, you can emerge from this interval stronger than you entered it, as Colonial America emerged from its battle with Britain.

These Are The Times That Try Investors’ Souls

With one cheap fund, you can own a globally diversified portfolio of low-volatility equities. Now that the market is going on sale, two such funds I have admired but not owned are becoming affordable again.

My Top Pick For 2019

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has pinned his firm’s darkened outlook primarily on China. That one of Apple's biggest customers is in bad shape makes it clear that the U.S. has been carrying out its trade war with a sickly opponent. Knocking out that opponent removes one of the pillars of the global economy, and makes recession likelier.

Apple, China And A Teetering Global Economy

It’s still the beginning of a new year, and your senses will be besieged by stories such as “The Best Stock-Fund Managers of 2018.” So it’s worth recalling not just that past performance does not predict future returns – as the disclaimer usually goes - but that, statistically speaking, past positive performance is likely to presage poor future performance.

A Popular Way To Lose Money

U.C. Berkeley behavioral economist Shachar Kariv identifies two fundamental sources of investor pain – lack of knowledge about the market and lack of self-knowledge. Successful investing requires effort to resolve these uncertainties.

Behavioral Economist Shachar Kariv: Investors Must Know Themselves

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