http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog Meeting Your Goals With Intelligent Asset Management Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:59:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The U.S. economy languishes in a quagmire of uncertainty and fear. We all need a jolt from Napoleon Hill’s, Think and Grow Rich. We’ve lost our imagination. We depend on government. We think if we just hang on, things will get better; when they won’t, unless we collectively take action. Actions begin with thoughts, with imagination, [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/12/history-is-repititious-what-happened-then-can-happen-anytime/ This morning a friend and I talked by telephone. The Bible says, “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family,” and he is family. My friend works for a major insurance company overseeing new product development management from the technology side: databases, daily valuation updates, client statement. He’s not a geek, [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/08/energetic-concepts-ideas-and-words-change-economies/ “Well we’re movin on up, To the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin on up, To the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie. Fish don’t fry in the kitchen; Beans don’t burn on the grill. Took a whole lotta tryin’, Just to get up that hill. Now we’re up in the big leagues, Gettin’ our turn at bat. As [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/08/the-hard-knocks-of-high-net-worth-families/ What you don’t measure, you can’t track. This axiom matters when bear markets hobble your investment portfolio. Understanding the cause, measuring the result, and tracking the patterns,  guides and instructs. Most of the news we get heightens anxiety or accelerates our greed. When the news affects personal assets, we shun the obvious in catatonic stupors. Many investors [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/07/the-baltic-dry-index/ The Kaufman Foundation’s passion and mission gives life to entrepreneurial thoughts and innovation. What you’ll learn with some of my thoughts: 1. The age of entrepreneurs is changing. 2. Venture Capital is necessary. 3. Business start-ups spark new economic growth. 4. New firms revive economies in most instances. 5.  Most Congressman just don’t “get it”. 6. Innovators change economies. 7. You may [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/07/entrepreneurs-give-life-to-every-economy/ Edward Yardeni once worked for Prudential Securities (now defunct). Yardeni reminded and instructed stock brokers about many economic patterns. One that sticks with me is his observation of “rolling recessions”. Recessions happen in strong economies; we get more of them in a weak economy. When rolling recessions happen in all economic sectors, we have an economic [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/06/its-not-all-bad-everywhere/ And there’s joy at Fenway as  Boston Puts It To the Yankees. If….you love the Yankees, I understand. Every morning after a Red Sox game, Lisa’s grandmother tells me about the game. I already know what she tells me, but she gets quite excited at age 95. She says, “Big Poppie (David Ortiz) clocked his third home run, [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/06/the-economy-is-on-first-base/ Whoever told us that getting what we want, no matter what the cost, rewards us with profits? What presumptions did we assume during the Industrial Revolution? Did someone say the earth has a voracious appetite for our refuse without choking? Paul Hawkens contradicts our presumptions, assumptions, and earth-born arrogance by recognizing an eternal premise: the earth lives, and [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/investment-profits-do-not-have-to-ruin-the-earth/  Math, engineering, technology, and science are the subjects necessary for economic growth in the future. The Kauffman Foundation. understands the necessity to train “METS” entrepreneurs for future innovation. America has been the innovation leader in the world. School Boards, superintendents, and high school principals must recognize the need to train students in “METS” subjects. Dire statistics include [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/helping-local-school-boards-understand-the-importance-of-mets-education/ Last week’s chart illustrated the current plunge of S&P 500 earnings. Today’s chart illustrates how this plunge in earnings has impacted the current valuation of the stock market as measured by the price to earnings ratio (PE ratio). Generally speaking, when the PE ratio is high, stocks are considered to be expensive. When the PE [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/sp-500-price-earnings-ratio-compliments-of-chart-of-the-day/ Chart of the Day While the stock market is up sharply since early March, the economy as well as corporate earnings continue to suffer. Today’s chart helps provide some perspective as to the magnitude of the current economic decline. Today’s chart illustrates that 12-month, as-reported S&P 500 earnings have declined over 90% over the past 20 [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/sp-500-earnings-inflation-adjusted-compliments-of-chart-of-the-day/ On December 19th, 2008, Robert Brokam of the Motley Fool, asked John Bogle (born 1929), founder of The Vanguard Group, if we are heading for a depression (Bogle grew up during the Depression). “Today, we hear a lot of people invoking the possibility of another Depression. So what is your take on today’s crisis? Are we [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/dont-happybe-worry-about-the-stock-market/ This cat sleeps. The Stock Market and Dead Cats Dead cat stock market bounces are “A temporary recovery from a prolonged decline or bear market, after which the market continues to fall.” (]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/the-stock-market-and-dead-cats-bouncing/ “This is YOUR MONEY working for someone else…Doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat! Propose this in 2009:  …A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY  Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/05/fiscal-responsibility-social-security-proposition-for-2009/ Getting The Facts “Just the facts, ma’am” Sergeant Joe Friday never said, “Just the facts, ma’am.” He said, “All we want are the facts, ma’am…All we know are the facts.” “The story you are about to hear is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” The narrator introduced the story. On April 26, 1951, on a black [...]]]> http://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog/2009/04/just-the-facts/