antiquary

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Doubleguns, contracts have been breakable for centuries, contrary to your statement, and many economists argue that they should be if that's the economically sensible thing to do. Our bankruptcy laws have reflected that for centuries, too. It's neither anyone's business nor their duty to validate or even respect anyone else's unilateral expectations, in or out of business. You pays your money and you takes your chances. The old fishing adage comes to mind-- "that's why it's called fishing, not catching."

Barron's: Best Dividend Plays for 2009

Dividends reduce your risk. If they're being paid from sources like questionable leverage, or the sale of income-producing property by the company, then of course they raise your risk at the same time they reduce it. In the latter case they're not even a dividend, properly, even if legally they would be; they're a return of capital.

The government of course does tax dividends, but not nearly as highly as it does ordinary income, so that money comes easier to you than the same sum you worked for.

On Feb 15 05:06 AM guliamo wrote:

> What's the deal with dividends anyway?
> As a friend of mine says - Dividends are just a clever way for the
> government to tax you before you sell the stocks.