JCCIII

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Our politicians want to disregard contract law, the foundation of a capitalist system, in order to get back a few million dollars from AIG people while at the same time spending billions of dollars in earmarks and pork in the recently passed and signed into law funding bill. What hypocrisy! Was this what the founders had in mind when they guaranteed the right to bear arms? I predict the tea party movement will gain momentum.

CEFs Bounce Back

Joe. I always appreciate your comments on closed end funds. Thank you.

Presidential Starts: 1900-2009

Good article. Amazing how one's political persuasion affects what one sees in data. From the table, the top 5 presidents, using return during their entire tenure in office, were: 1-Coolidge (R). 2-Clinton (D). 3-FDR (D). 4-Reagan (R). 5-Eisenhower (R).

How Will Markets React to Stimulus Plan?

Question for the author. You note that the administration claims the stimulus package will create 3.5 million jobs. In interviews on TV, Obama administration representatives have admitted that they will consider any job created, once the non-farm payroll numbers turn positive, as counting toward the 3.5 million number. Obviously, when the economy recovers, jobs will be created, with or without a government stimulus. Is there any objective, non-partisan way to separate out the jobs that would have been created anyway? Thanks.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Stimulus bill: "Around 35% of the package is earmarked for tax cuts." When you back out the welfare portion of the tax cuts - that would be refunds of income tax to people who do not pay income tax - the percentage of tax cuts becomes around 20%-22%.

Dividends: The Secret to Long-Term Returns

I would add that, even despite the 7.23% (assuming I did the math correctly) reduction in SPY's year-over-year dividend, I still do concur with the premise of the article; that dividends are a significant long-term driver of positive investment returns.

Dividends: The Secret to Long-Term Returns

Adding to the comments above concerning companies cutting dividends. I do not currently own any financial stocks, but several of the non-financial dividend stocks I do own have recently cut their dividends substantially. Somewhat less anecdotally, SPY's dividend fell 2007-Q4 to 2008-Q4 from $0.7754 to $0.7193.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

User 224899. Good recommendation, but trial lawyers (and unions) are among the biggest contributors to democrats. It will never happen.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

I watched the Geithner swearing in ceremony yesterday; about 7:30 PM ET. The room was full of presumably Treasury employees. Wonder how many of them were on the clock, even getting overtime perhaps?

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

I totally agree with bobbobwhite on Geithner. Paraphrasing Jay Leno, Geithner is either a tax cheater or he is incompetent in handling his own taxes. There has to be a better person for the job.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

As an income oriented investor, I will take a chance on C when it hits $1.00 per share; that price, with a $0.01 per quarter dividend, produces a 4% yield.

Orwellian Finance: Is 1984 Happening in 2009?

Thank you, James, for the article; and thanks to the commenters. Journalism died in 2008. Both major political parties failed us in 2008. With the loss of confidence in all of our institutions, the stock market revealed the truth. Maybe Obama and the Democrats can turn this mess around (I am hopeful but not overly confident); one thing for sure, the main stream media will be looking for successes and positives they can attribute to them and reporting accordingly, and maybe this will help.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

How Obama and the Democrats in Congress handle the Big 3 could be a turning point in the current financial mess and the future of US capitalism. Will they cave in to the UAW due to the contributions they have accepted? Will they impose real, and fair, structural changes (on all parties; management, labor, investors, suppliers, dealers, etc) that will make the US auto industry competitive in the global economy? For the sake of all, I hope they make the right moves.

Canadian Energy Trusts Look Cheap: Harvest Is Well Positioned

Jackie, I think he meant COSWF.PK or maybe COS-u.TO

Madoff Scandal: Where Was the SEC?

Good comments, all. While most of us (small investors) were not directly hurt by Madoff, everyone is indirected affected. The wealthy who directly lost money because of Madoff will be selling at least some of their assets to get back to their desired allocations of cash, bonds, equity, etc., and everyone's confidence in the market has to have taken a hit.