The stock market has been on an amazing 8.5 year upward trend that is called the second-longest Bull Market run in Wall Street history. Starting after the precipitous drop in 2008 and bottoming out in March of 2009, the current Bull Market run has posted average annual returns of +13% and total growth of almost 200%. The tech-heavy NASDAQ has done even better – up … Continue reading Second Longest Bull Market In History
A few months ago I wrote about cryptocurrencies – like Bitcoin – and shared my son’s experience with it. You’ll perhaps recall he turned $65 into almost $700 in the first five months of the year. That was enough for him to buy an Apple iPad as he headed back to college and bank a few hundred extra. Like many readers who think of cryptocurrency … Continue reading Cryptocurrency Update – Still Growing
Friday was the 30th Anniversary of the Wall Street’s Black Monday Crash on October 19, 1987. I remember sitting in college that afternoon and my friend telling me he heard on the radio that the Dow Jones had dropped over 500 points that day (508, to be exact). I was incredulous that the market could drop that much in one day (-22.5%) and imagined that … Continue reading Black Monday Anniversary
Some homes are well-cared for and maintained, while others are seemingly left to rot. Depending on the owner, it is either the best of times or worst of times for the condition of the house. My brother closed on a house last Friday that is a bona-fide fixer-upper. It is a home that was left mostly empty for the last 10-15 years and requires a … Continue reading A Tale Of Two Homes
At the beginning of the year – when we have our Financial Round-Up Day – I put down my assumptions for what I think the financial markets and economy will return for the year. I try to be conservative in my expectations, but use it to set investing goals and create a spending plan for the year. With autumn now in full bloom, I thought … Continue reading 2017 Market Predictions – Autumn Review
Today would have been the 28th Anniversary of the start of my career at The Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis, back in 1989. I loved working for Pillsbury and became good friends with the Pillsbury Doughboy over the years. Instead of starting the day at 7am with a sprinkled, chocolate donut (a Mr. FireStation favorite) like I did back in 1989, I will be sleeping in … Continue reading Work Anniversary – How Are Our Retirement Savings Holding Up?
I have commented before that Mr. FireStation is a pretty boring investor. My belief has always been that slow & steady wins the race. Our son, however, has delved into the mysterious world of cryptocurrency, which if you are not familiar with it, perhaps sounds like something only Superman would use. Beginning in January, when we were vacationing in Mexico, our 19 year old son … Continue reading Cryptocurrency – Fad or Future?
Many people are concerned about the impact of the Baby Boom generation will have on stock market returns. The fear is that with so many people retiring at once – and cashing out their retirement accounts – Wall Street is sentenced to lower than historical returns over the next 15-20 years. Baby Boomers, currently aged 53-71, according to Pew Research, are half into retirement … Continue reading Baby Boomer Retirements Won’t Hold Down Market Returns
“If the value of the dollar goes crazy, owning gold gives me peace of mind,” says a friend of mine that is a certified ‘gold bug’. He believes that gold – as the ultimate basic currency – is a hedge against a sudden global geopolitical event that undermines the international system of currency. Gold is frequently in the news, featured on late night TV, and … Continue reading Gold – An Investment in Fear?
Yesterday was an exciting day in stock market history as the Dow Jones Industrial Average set another new record, breaking the 20,000 mark for the first time. It certainly has come a long way when you look at this chart that stretches back to the 1970s … I am old enough to remember when it broke 1,000 in November of 1980, as I recall reading … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun- Market Milestone
