Trading Ideas

If you invest heavily in mutual funds, your strategy may be costing you a lot more than you think.
Today, Nicholas Vardy explains how to calculate your costs and utilize ETFs to earn what basically amounts to free money.

“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
– Benjamin Franklin
You’ve probably heard this bit of Ben Franklin’s wisdom before. But if you stop to think about it, you’ll realize that Franklin’s insight is not entirely correct.
That’s not his fault. After all, he coined this proverb before the era of personal income taxes. Because of taxes, today, a penny saved is more than a penny …read more […]

We’re quick to criticize the healthcare system in the U.S.
To be sure, there’s plenty of cause for legitimate frustration with our healthcare system. Premiums and prescription costs are too high, too many unnecessary tests pile on costs, statements are impossible to read or understand… the list is endless.
But a stark reminder last week brought me back to earth in terms of how grateful I am for the healthcare system in the U.S.
I was on vacation in Scotland. I was on a whisky and walking tour of the River Spey region that distillers like Glenfiddich and Macallan call home. Each day, …read more […]

Yesterday, shares of The RealReal (Nasdaq: REAL) sold off sharply after the company reported earnings. The RealReal moved higher at the market open, up around 10%, then headed lower as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 800 points.
The RealReal is a high-end consignment operation that has a huge online presence. The San Francisco-based company reported total revenue for the second quarter jumped 51% from a year earlier to $71 million, which was above the FactSet consensus forecast of $70.1 million. The company’s gross merchandise volume increased 40% to $228.5 million.
The company IPO’d at the end of June …read more […]

In the U.S., cannabis was a patent medicine during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was first described in the United States Pharmacopeia in 1850.
It’s a plant older than humanity. Unfortunately, it got caught up in some bad publicity.
It was demonized in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. By 1942, cannabis was struck from the Pharmacopeia. And penalties for possessing marijuana increased in 1951, 1956 and 1970 with the Controlled Substances Act.
But the end of nearly a century of prohibition is winding down. Cannabis has found a new lease on life today.
I’m pleased to share with you the second …read more […]

The Dow dropped more than 800 points yesterday, but it’s not time to panic.
Today, Alexander Green explains the factors affecting bond and stock yields and how investors should react to this major buying signal.

The Dow swooned over 800 points Wednesday in reaction to the “inverted yield curve.”
That means, of course, that interest rates on short-term bonds are now higher than those on longer-term bonds.
The yield curve has inverted before every recession since 1955.
Does this mean a recession – or a serious bear market – is now on our doorstep, especially given the recent trade tensions with China?
It does not.
For starters, …read more […]

WeWork, the shared workspace provider, filed its initial public offering (IPO) paperwork in December 2018. Eight months later WeWork has released its paperwork to the public, and a WeWork IPO seems imminent. The company had been planning on a September 2019 IPO, but sources say WeWork could go public as early as next week.
According to Bloomberg, a WeWork IPO could potentially raise $3.5 billion. That would make it the second largest U.S. IPO this year, behind Uber (NYSE: UBER). Though negotiations are ongoing and the terms are not finalized, it is highly likely JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs will underwrite …read more […]

In December 2017, I looked at the dividend safety of Apollo Commercial Real Estate (NYSE: ARI).
Back then, SafetyNet Pro and I determined that the 9.8% yield was safe. The stock received an “A” rating because the company generated plenty of net interest income (NII).
A reader requested that I revisit Apollo Commercial Real Estate, his interest likely sparked by my recent recommendation of the stock in the July issue of The Oxford Income Letter.
Apollo Commercial Real Estate is a mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT). It borrows money short term and lends it out longer term at higher rates. The difference …read more […]

Many of us woke up this morning to another round of heavy selling pressure – which is being attributed to inverted yields on the two-year Treasury vs. the 10-year Treasury.
What exactly does that mean, and why is it so alarming?
First off, it means that the two-year yield is now higher than the 10-year yield.
Secondly, it’s the first time since 2007 that this has occurred. Whenever this does happen, it’s considered a reliable indicator of an economic recession.
In fact, according to research from Credit Suisse, this yield curve inversion has preceded every recession over the past 50 years – with a …read more […]

In 2017, Kiplinger ranked Georgia as the 10th most tax friendly state for retirees. As a result, many people began to consider the Peach State as a viable retirement option. Below is a list of the best places to retire in Georgia in 2019.
Why is Georgia One of The Best Places to Retire?
In terms of tax friendliness, Georgia does not tax social security for retirees. And for those 65 and older, the state also provides a deduction of $65,000 per person on all types of retirement income. However, these aren’t the only factors that should play into your decision. It’s …read more […]

I spend a lot of time thinking about money. That shouldn’t come as a shock. After all, I spend most of my time writing about investing in startups, crypto and cannabis stocks. And investing is all about making money.
But even before I joined Early Investing, I spent much of my time thinking about money. That’s because I worked in industries where digital payments were the key to success. And when you rely on digital payments, you worry about how people will pay for services – and how money moves around the payments ecosystem.
And, to put it charitably, the payments ecosystem …read more […]

I write about electric vehicles on a regular basis. I eat my own cooking too.
We have a Tesla Model X as our primary vehicle. But the fastest-growing segment of electric transportation isn’t cars.
It’s electric buses.
Since 2013, the e-bus market has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 100%. Compare that with “just” a 60% CAGR for electric cars.
But if you want a good chance at catching an e-bus, you’ll likely need to visit China.
Eating China’s E-Bus Dust
At the end of 2018, there were 425,000 e-buses in use around the world. And 421,000 of those were in …read more […]

We’re not into all these fake holidays.
National Cut Your Energy Costs Day sounds a bit like a sham…
We’re not sure, but we suspect National Oysters Rockefeller Day may be part of some sort of marketing scheme. Let us guess… Oysters are the new “other white meat.”
And you can bet your last dollar that National Cuddle Up Day will not be celebrated in the Manward household.
Valentine’s Day is hard enough. Oy… what a mess we made.
But we have to give a thumbs-up to the folks who launched National CBD Day last week.
A Day Worth Celebrating
It was a day designed to share …read more […]

Guessing when the next stock market correction, bear market or black swan event will occur has turned into almost as big an event as the Super Bowl.
Everybody is in on the game, and the predictions I’ve seen range anywhere from a 25% to 40% downturn.
Experts as well-respected as Robert Shiller, a Pulitzer Prize winner in economics, have been warning about how dangerous the stock market has become.
Of course, since the 2008 to 2009 debacle, there has been an overabundance of people calling for the next big sell-off. The list has been endless.
And all the predictions don’t amount to a hill …read more […]

Do you want to learn how to make money from home? Are you a stay at home parent? Have you ever considered quitting your job and starting a business? Do you just want to make some extra cash on evenings and weekends? Are you close to or already in retirement?
Whatever your reason may be, these 10 proven methods will help you learn how to make money from home.

10. Teaching
Whether it’s tutoring, yoga, piano, painting or woodworking… teaching out of your home is a foolproof way to generate steady income. By charging anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds …read more […]

The U.S.-China trade war is heating up with recently announced tariffs and retaliations.
Today, Alexander Green explains how the trade war has affected the economy and what the impact could mean for Trump’s reelection.

The trade war between the U.S. and China is heating up.
And while both sides are suffering, American businesspeople, investors and consumers – as well as President Trump – stand to lose a lot.
A quick recap of what’s happened lately…
Unhappy with the lack of progress in trade negotiations, Trump threatened a 10% tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods beginning September 1.
(The previous tariffs primarily hit American farmers …read more […]