November 2012

Divi-dead-end

It was with great consternation that I managed this morning’s Barron’s cover story on the “Top 25 Dividend Funds” this morning. Quite the SEO-friendly title, this sort of story is exactly the kind that hits the cover right when everyone’s already in. Indeed, we learn in paragraph two that “Assets in equity-income funds have more…

by the way…

by the way… Why have hedge funds underperformed this year?  (BigPicture) What can we learn from Apple’s discussions of its own risk factors?  (BusinessInsider) Fear Apple, here’s why I’m leaving you.  (BusinessInsider) How many hours worked does it take to buy a…  (Avondale) Meet the most indebted man in the world.  (TheAtlantic) Bend over, because…

Unemployment by Age (Through October 2012)

My friend at Floating Path is pretty quick with the updated employment situation charts each month. Here’s an update of my favorite, unemployment by age, through October 2012 along with stats. The unemployment rate: 16 to 17: Decreased to 25.1% compared to 25.3% a month ago. 18 to 19: Decreased to 22.7% compared to 22.8%…

Chart o’ the Day: The Costliest US Hurricanes

The most recent estimates for the cost of Hurricane Sandy are at $50 billion. I’ll take the over on that, purely on informed instinct having seen the damage myself up-close at friends houses and at major destruction points throughout LI and NYC. Plus, whatever something costs around the country, add 50%. Pizza is $3 a…

Solid October Jobs Report

First, the numbers: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 171,000 in October. Employment growth has averaged 157,000 per month thus far in 2012, about the same as the average monthly gain of 153,000 in 2011. In October, employment rose in professional and business services, health care, and retail trade. The change in total nonfarm payroll…

Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Four Years Ago?

Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Four Years Ago? That’s the question I’m asking myself today, on the Four Year Blogiversary of The Reformed Broker! Yes, today marks four years since that fall afternoon in 2008 when, just for the hell of it, I went to WordPress and registered for an account. I…