Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Charge Ahead With Mastercard
From thestreet.com
"Fill, Cash, Regular." Those words are becoming more difficult for me to say to the gas station attendant for a fill-up. I would gladly pump my own gas to save a few cents per gallon of liquid gold, but the law requires someone else to do it for me in New Jersey.
After spending the first few years of my post-baseball career working for Mobil Oil as a marketing representative, I learned that the added octane of premium blends is not worth the higher price. So I use "regular" unleaded. My only exception: when premium gas (not mid-grade) is within five or six cents per gallon higher than regular unleaded.
I just hate the fact that I leased a Range Rover Sport that guzzles gas the way my nine year-old swigs Gatorade. I am in the service station at least once a week. At a combined 10 miles per gallon, a 20-gallon tank, a 20-mile commute to Manhattan and a weekend at the beach, I spend entirely too much time at the gas station. So I'd rather "Fill" rather than come back sooner than necessary.
Now, the interesting part: "Cash." Who carries this kind of cash around anymore? I am absolutely bewildered when the attendant asks me for payment. It's like 80 bucks! "Are you kidding?" I never, ever used a credit card for gas. I always paid cash. Not anymore. I now use the old plastic.
We have been used to dropping $20 or $30 in the gas station, but now we are approaching a C-Note for gas- just wild! That makes the decision to use plastic easier.....
Rest Of Article
Monday, June 9, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Buy Brazil Through This ETF 5/21/08
Buy Brazil Through This ETF
from thestreet.com
Viva Brazilia!
I was listening to a great interview with Warren Buffett Tuesday morning where he was speaking to a group of media people from Switzerland. I love listening to this man. He is the greatest investor of our time. I would say of all time when you consider the fact that his accomplishments were made without the benefit of the industrial revolution -- an era when so much of the world's wealth was created.
I find his simplistic approach to everything very enlightening. He says that in order to be considered as a potential candidate for a spot in the Berkshire Hathaway(BRK.A - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) family of businesses, a few things must be evident. The company has to be big enough to "move the Berkshire Hathaway needle." It must be run by management that Warren trusts will manage it the same way "the day after a deal as they would the day before a deal." And also it must be simple enough for Warren to understand.
I found this important on several levels. First, it tells me that when Warren Buffett steps down, I am out of Berkshire Hathaway until whomever takes over proves he or she has inherited the Buffett gift for recognizing the right deal. That's because I am sure you cannot teach that gut feeling.
Next, I realize that investing can be simple, not easy, but simple. We don't necessarily have to dig three or four levels into the books to make money. There are those that do quite well micro-dissecting the balance sheet and they are rewarded for their work. Then there are the rest of us .......
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Fave Defensive ETFs From Fox's Eric Bolling 2/22/08
Fave Defensive ETFs From Fox's Eric Bolling
In an article written by Billy Fisher from thestreet.com Eric's defensive ETF picks are listed.
- iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index (DVY)
- PowerShares Intl Dividend Achievers (PID)
- Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP)
Eric cautions against buying bearish ETF's on the recent best performing list saying "They might be getting you shorter than you want." What Eric is looking for are High Yield dividends & consumer staples. Eric likes the DVY because of it's liquidity and affects of future interest rate cuts. He likes the PID for similar reasons as the DVY and it's international flavor. Lastly he likes the XLP because the consumer staple sector has been unfairly beaten down and for the sectors long term resilience. "People are still going to smoke. They are still going to buy Pepsi and Coke"
