The only constant in life is change. This fact is doubly true when it comes to the fickle world of fashion and retail. Fads will come and go as stores open and close. Consumers are always looking for the next hot item.  It’s a constant struggle for fashion retailers to stay one step ahead of the curve and know what customers want before they even know. Many retailers are constantly looking for the next fad — which are good for business as they’re fast sellers — just to keep customers happy (think mood rings… Read More

The only constant in life is change. This fact is doubly true when it comes to the fickle world of fashion and retail. Fads will come and go as stores open and close. Consumers are always looking for the next hot item.  It’s a constant struggle for fashion retailers to stay one step ahead of the curve and know what customers want before they even know. Many retailers are constantly looking for the next fad — which are good for business as they’re fast sellers — just to keep customers happy (think mood rings or the Silly Bandz).#-ad_banner-# So it’s no wonder that in this Internet era where consumers are much more retail-savvy, traditional retailers are struggling for survival.  And this well-known retailer, which has been operating for more than 100 years, is a great example. I’m talking about JC Penney (NYSE: JCP). This once-leading retailer has been struggling to get out hole for a long time. In the third quarter of 2012, despite many business-transformation measures implemented throughout the year, the company still posted a loss of $123 million, after booking a $186 million profit in… Read More

“Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.”  But for the purpose of this article, I would change these famous Paul Simon words slightly to “Every market cycle throws an investment guru up the press… Read More

Imagine having the opportunity to invest into companies that are “guaranteed” by one of the world’s wealthiest men — Warren Buffett. Most investors would jump at the chance to know they are on the same side as successful investors like him.  Does this seem… Read More

One of the first things a day trader learns is how to locate the right stock.  A time-proven and popular method is to look at the stocks and themes that are hot in the news. The trick, however, is not to trade these hot stocks, but to look for similar companies or complimentary industries. The theory is that other stocks within the same industry or theme will soon follow.#-ad_banner-# While this is a standard… Read More

One of the first things a day trader learns is how to locate the right stock.  A time-proven and popular method is to look at the stocks and themes that are hot in the news. The trick, however, is not to trade these hot stocks, but to look for similar companies or complimentary industries. The theory is that other stocks within the same industry or theme will soon follow.#-ad_banner-# While this is a standard stock-locating procedure for day traders, I like to apply it to the long term. As I’ve recently said in this article, real estate is hot right now. Prices are climbing across the globe and builders, real estate investment trusts and associated businesses are riding the wave higher. [Also read: “Why This Little-Known Company Bought 16,000 Homes.”] So when I was looking for stocks surrounding this hot sector, I realized building products would likely benefit from this boom. And no product is more… Read More

Many successful investors will be in for a shock during upcoming tax seasons. There is nothing worse than having a banner year in the financial markets, then having to give a large portion of it to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes. Frankly, I’m concerned that the pain is going to be worse for winning investors who have failed to prepare themselves for the new era of higher tax rates.#-ad_banner-# Here’s what the new tax laws… Read More

Many successful investors will be in for a shock during upcoming tax seasons. There is nothing worse than having a banner year in the financial markets, then having to give a large portion of it to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes. Frankly, I’m concerned that the pain is going to be worse for winning investors who have failed to prepare themselves for the new era of higher tax rates.#-ad_banner-# Here’s what the new tax laws mean to you If you are in the top tax bracket, meaning you earn more than $400,000 (or $450,000 for married couples), then your marginal tax rate will jump to 39.6% and the rate on long-term capital gains and dividend interest will increase five percentage points to 20% for the 2013 tax year. A new 3.8% tax related to the Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as “… Read More

There is a growing and profitable trend happening in the United States. Many investors are unaware it is even happening. If you read Carla Pasternak’s recent article (found here), then you know exactly what I’m talking about.   While everyone seems to be talking about the rebound in single-family housing, very few are talking about multi-family housing.    And as Carla has pointed out, that’s a mistake.   Carla explains that while the single-family housing recovery has just started, multi-family apartment housing has been in recovery mode for the past several years. In fact, she says the United States could… Read More

There is a growing and profitable trend happening in the United States. Many investors are unaware it is even happening. If you read Carla Pasternak’s recent article (found here), then you know exactly what I’m talking about.   While everyone seems to be talking about the rebound in single-family housing, very few are talking about multi-family housing.    And as Carla has pointed out, that’s a mistake.   Carla explains that while the single-family housing recovery has just started, multi-family apartment housing has been in recovery mode for the past several years. In fact, she says the United States could soon become a “Renter Nation.” I completely agree with Carla. Right now, positioning your portfolio to capture dividends and growth from the real estate recovery makes total sense.  But if you read my articles, then you may know that I always go a step further.#-ad_banner-# My key takeaways Diversification, even within the same asset class, is a key feature of a well-designed portfolio. Within the housing REIT sector, investors would be wise to have positions in single-family home REITs and… Read More

Retirement planners usually advise investors to hold a combination of stock market and fixed income investments in their portfolio. Investments could include mutual funds,… Read More

My bull call for 2013 is well on its way to becoming a reality. The first several weeks of January have been amazingly bullish for the… Read More

It’s usually good news when a company delivers quarterly results that beat analysts’ expectations, especially when they beat on earnings and revenue. That’s exactly what Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) did on Friday, Jan. 11, but the… Read More

When it comes to investing, bigger isn’t always better.#-ad_banner-# In fact, the opposite is sometimes true. Small-cap stocks outperformed large caps by an annual average of just more than 2% from 1926 to 2006, according to the “Stocks,… Read More