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Too Much of a Good Thing
Lifestyle December 7, 2021/Lifestyle Recent news reports tell us that smartphone sales are slowing. This is terrible news for Apple, but it might be good for the rest of us. Life still happens in the real world, and if we’re not careful, screens will monopolize all our attention. The great value of smartphones is…
Read More >>It’s Not All Doom and Gloom in the Market
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial Over the last few weeks and months, economic anxiety seems to be in fashion. Stock market volatility is up significantly since November. But is short term market volatility really a problem? The long term signals that I care about still look good, and I encourage everybody to take a few deep…
Read More >>Be Smart About Working Hard
Lifestyle December 7, 2021/Lifestyle There are a variety of ways to get ahead in life. While nothing beats getting lucky, most of us have to work for it. We can work hard, or we can work smart. Both paths are viable, but doing both is the surest route to success. There’s no success without putting…
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The Winds are Changing for Big Tech
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial At the start of every new year, I like to reflect on the state of the economy and general business climate. Looking back on 2018, and the last several years, it’s increasingly clear that something big is changing. The darling of American industry is in trouble, and there’s more turmoil on…
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Some States are Friendlier to Business
Investment December 7, 2021/Investment America remains the most productive, innovative, and wealthy country on Earth. We’re home to world leading industries, with global talent and capital. What’s our secret? One simple factor that distinguishes the United States from many of our industrialized peers: America is business-friendly, and making business easy is a key ingredient for…
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University or Hedge Fund?
Investment December 7, 2021/Investment As a parent with one kid in college and two more approaching college-age, the quality of their education is always on my mind. As an investor, I also see that tuition costs have been rising steadily for a long time, and I wonder what that’s doing to our return on investment.…
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The Bottom Line Looks Increasingly Green
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial As an investor, I’m always looking for new ways to enhance the long-term value of Alliance’s properties. In commercial real estate, that generally means making properties more attractive to lease, reducing operating costs, or anything else that enhances resale value. More and more often, energy efficiency and other green initiatives can…
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To Maximize Profits, Think Long Term
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial In the business world, it’s widely accepted that maximizing value for shareholders is the ultimate measure of success. But in recent years, more voices have been calling for emphasis on non-financial concerns like sustainability, inclusivity, social progress, etc. Is this a threat to investor rights? I see this as an issue…
Read More >>Investors Need Transparency
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial Transparency into good deal structures is essential for making smart investments. The alleged crimes of Carlos Ghosn, who led the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, demonstrate the tremendous destructive value that happens when investors underestimate the true exposure they have to complicated / delicate business deal structures. Ghosn stands accused of underreporting his income…
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What People Miss About the Trade Deficit
Development December 7, 2021/Development A lot of people are worried about the US trade deficit recently. The US sends billions of dollars abroad every year to import foreign goods. Intuitively this seems bad. But it also is only looking at half the ledger. Buying and selling goods is not the only way that money…
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Ignore the Noise
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial Interest rates are expected to continue rising through the end of 2018. This is a classic Fed move in a strong economy, but some worry that it’s premature and threatens a fragile recovery. Personally, I think the Fed knows what it’s doing and the US economy is robust. Anybody who is…
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Why It’s Easy to Get Things Totally Wrong
Investment December 7, 2021/Investment In today’s world, we’re bombarded with information from every direction. With more books, articles, studies, and datasets that ever, we should be getting wiser. Unfortunately, things don’t really work that way. Information overload can make it harder to find the truth – what data should we even be paying attention to?…
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Amazon HQ2
Investment December 7, 2021/Investment Amazon is hunting for a new headquarters site and offering a huge boost to their eventual host. Wherever they go, Amazon would immediately become one of the top local employers, adding a gusher of new money to the local economy. All those salaries mean more commerce, higher property values, a diversified…
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Financial Innovation Done Better
Financial December 7, 2021/Financial Tens years past the crisis, asset prices and the economy have recovered, but fear of Wall Street innovation has been more persistent. Yes, we want to avoid repeating the errors of the past. But the whole commercial real estate industry gains from smart financial innovation. Some people blame collateralized debt obligations…
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Turn Off the TV
Lifestyle December 7, 2021/Lifestyle Success comes from actively shaping your own destiny. Even downtime is an opportunity to engage in your life and invest in your future. The demands of work, family, and life can be draining, but that doesn’t mean we need to completely turn off to replenish. There are a lot of great…
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