mollytjm

Where's the Outrage at the Banks?

Good article.
As long as we have election by private donation, we'll have this same situation over and over again. Successful politicians get most of their campaign $ from fat cats. It's not realistic to think they'd go against the very people who bought them their power.

Greed is an equal opportunity temptation. It took a lot of 'cooperation' to get us into this mess: politicians who made it easy for the banking industry by watering down strict guidelines for loans, bank OFFICERS who stood to gain on their gambling, no matter how it went, the public who thought there was easy $ in buying real estate they couldn't begin to afford, the credit card companies (banks again) offering serious temptations to people they knew couldn't pay it back, drug companies that sweet talk us into insisting our doctors prescribe whatever new and expensive drug is out there...ALL got us here.
But the bottom line is that if your elected officials, who decide policy on these matters, all get most of their $ from these same industries, it's hard to see how it will all change.

Top Brand Names and Stock Returns

This is a good start to value investing, which is what Warren Buffett talks about all the time. It is essential to know the company, however, not just whether you like it a lot. Take Apple, for instance, which i have as stock. I have loved their products, since 1983. But until the company became financially secure, with no debt and with a top rated reputation, i didn't invest. Then i did and i will stay long term because the company is so secure and VERY innovative. This last is important to know. Don't invest because you love one product, if it's a tech company.
It's ok for Martha Stewart to just change the color of the sheets that have her name on them...but for a tech company, they better have brilliant innovative people...lots of them! And they better have $$$ in reserve and no debt, so if an idea tanks, they'll be ok until the brilliant staff comes up with the next idea.

The Dow's Lost Decade

thank you, 'closed'. too many investors (and the general public for sure) have no idea about history or how it really is in the rest of the world. we can't afford to be so ignorant. people want a 'sound bite' not actual information. the public thinks of their 'debt' as what they owe as the monthly payment..not what they owe entirely. with such a high level of comfort about debt, through ignorance of what it really means, we got to this terrible point.
trying to 'fix it' without really understanding it could lead to something far worse. panic and fear allowed us to be duped and make terrible mistakes after 9/11. this present scenerio presents another time of panic and fear. i hope we do better this time.

Pay Little Heed to Economic Reports and Move On

i like this post...some sanity in the middle of madness. however, apple sales of iphones is way above estimates and will continue as pent up demand keeps going...i got two iphones after my verizon contract expired just this weekend. i'm not alone...lots of people out there are still on contracts too costly to quit. ipod sales were bound to be lower when the iphone got cheaper. look for apple to be very competitive...they know what they're doing. i have no advice for day traders but for the 'buy and hold' crowd, apple is a great buy and has a huge moat, cash and no debt.

An Optimist Looks at the Market

i think Buffett said 'when others are fearful, be greedy'. if you buy and hold, then this is the time to buy companies that are financially secure and have a good moat. the optimist sees the market in the long run and with little fear. the pessimist sees it hour by hour and is afraid all the time. some people like this 'thrill' of the gamble.
I'm long Apple and for the long term. This is a tech company that is no longer just one guy (Jobs) but lots of brilliant minds, financial security, no debt, piles of $, and spending more on R&D which assures they'll keep ahead of the pack in innovation. But they also give their customers the best retail experience around. Go into any Apple store and you'll see what that means. This is an experience people just don't have anywhere else..though i hear that Best Buy is trying to emulate them.
the market has gone through a lot and more to come. But in the long run, with good stocks, money is made.

Changes in Market Cap for Biggest U.S. Companies

nuclear power is great, except in geologically unstable areas. as China learned with hydroelectric power, you better build these things away from population centers. they're all safe by themselves. one bad earthquake and one meltdown near a big population will hurt investors, a lot, so they better do what they can to reassure us that they're PRIMARILY safe, then green and efficient. i'd like to see them use some of the Japanese earthquake resistant construction on everything like this, built here, even in places where it seems safe. i think that would be reassuring to investors who are savvy about this stuff.