Bob's Journal
Found 589 Articles.
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Bob’s Journal for 4/28/22
Analyzing Housing Market and Rising Interest Rates U.S. home prices hit a record in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median price for an existing home rose by 15% in March to $375,300. But sales of homes were lower than 12 months earlier, and there are strong headwinds for the housing market. […]
Bob’s Journal for 4/21/22
Interest Rates on Safe Investments Soar Market interest rates are rising. That’s bad for bonds but good for safety-first investments. While the headlines focus on big losses in bonds, they rarely point out that the yields available to conservative investors are higher than they’ve been in years. Stan the Annuity Man Haithcock points out that […]
Bob’s Journal for 4/14/22
‘Great Resignation’ Reversing Course The latest data indicate many of those who retired early in 2020 and 2021 are returning to the workforce. About 2.6 million Americans retired earlier than expected from February 2020 through October 2021, according to estimates from a Federal Reserve economist. Economists assumed many left the work force because they had […]
Bob’s Journal for 4/7/22
Major Changes in Market Trends in the First Quarter Most investment markets made sharp turns in the first quarter of 2022. The new trends began late in 2021, but there were many analysts who believed the changes were temporary. Instead of reversing, the new trends accelerated in early 2022. The sustained rise in inflation led […]
Bob’s Journal for 3/31/22
The Correction-or-Bear-Market Debate After stock market indexes decline more than 5%, investors often ask the same two questions. What’s the difference between a correction and a bear market? Are we headed for a bear market or a correction? There’s no official or formal definition of either a correction or a bear market. Most market observers […]
Bob’s Journal for 3/24/22
Market Recovery vs. Dead Cat Bounce The S&P 500 rose 6.15% in the week ending last Friday, March 18. Did that surge indicate the end of the market decline since last November’s peak? Or was it the proverbial dead cat bounce? For some perspective, I looked at the last two extended bear markets, one from […]
Bob’s Journal for 3/17/22
The Surge in Energy Stocks It is hard to believe the numbers on the 2022 rally in energy stocks. Not long ago, you almost had to pay investors to hold energy stocks. All commodities, including energy commodities, were in long-term bear markets. In addition, governments globally were ramping up their campaigns to encourage businesses and […]
Bob’s Journal for 3/10/22
Most People Want the Guaranteed Paycheck in Retirement We’re in the first generation of retirees who rely primarily on 401(k)s and other savings instead of pensions for retirement income. But the change wasn’t the idea of employees, and it looks like workers prefer the old system. The change was instituted by employers and government policies, […]
