Insights

Google reported earnings and revenues today and missed big on both. According to Dan Niles at AlphaOne Partners, Google has two problems. 1) More search is being done on tablets and phones with smaller screens and less ad space 2) The buy of Motorola earlier this year...

Housing starts for September were reported today as up 15%. That's a welcome number, albeit from a very low base. Why now? Well, it doesn't have nearly as much to do with record low interest rates as other factors. 1) Extremely low housing inventory, especially on new...

It was nice to see some follow-through on yesterday's rally. We are 12 points below a level the market hit twice before and backed away. A break though 1465 by at least a few points, say to 1470 would likely set up a nice move higher, just going by standard technical...

I wrote recently that housing was improving. Today we got a better than expected retail sales number, mainly driven by higher car sales. The main things troubling U.S. investors are a likely decline in earnings this reporting period and the fear over the "fiscal...

I mentioned the other day that I do consulting to businesses on improving their 401(k) plans and reducing business owner and executive fiduciary liability tied to sponsoring a 401(k) Plan. I also work with individual participants to manage their 401(k) accounts. Many...

Many people, including me have been writing that the jobs number reported last week and the surprisingly low new unemployment claims number reported this morning were too good to be true. In the last couple days here and in my October newsletter I partially explained...

I have updated my 401(k) page on the website to give a glimpse into the consulting I do to help companies improve their 401(k) plans. Part of this is letting corporate executives and business owners know that they have a fiduciary responsibility and attendant...

The market is down the last 4 trading days starting with Friday on earnings announcements that have been mediocre. This is earnings season and it was expected to be the first one since 2009 that saw lower profits overall. But, announcements have been a little lower...

There has been an awful lot of skepticism about the recent jobs report, indeed the whole decline in the jobless rate this year, and I have certainly been vocal about that. Did you know that when the BLS does its household survey to see who to list as employed or not,...

Liz Ann Sonders is the chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab and the sharpest economist I know. Once a month she does a market update that always has terrific slides. This month is on the recovery and more specifically on housing. It is really worth watching...