The main character in Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s 1965 book, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, is an eccentric philanthropist. He thinks it’s unfair that babies don’t all start with an equal playing field. “I think it’s a heartless government that will let one baby be… Read More

It started out as an experiment. It wound up being one of the greatest investment discoveries we’ve ever found. #-ad_banner-#A little more than three years ago, StreetAuthority co-founder Paul Tracy approached me with an idea. He wanted me to build a portfolio of dividend stocks that would pay out more than 30 dividend checks a month — one for every day of the year. In order to show he was serious, he gave me… Read More

It started out as an experiment. It wound up being one of the greatest investment discoveries we’ve ever found. #-ad_banner-#A little more than three years ago, StreetAuthority co-founder Paul Tracy approached me with an idea. He wanted me to build a portfolio of dividend stocks that would pay out more than 30 dividend checks a month — one for every day of the year. In order to show he was serious, he gave me $200,000 and a dedicated brokerage account to get started. I must admit, I was a little skeptical at first. The idea seemed too good to be true. But three and a half years, more than 1,260 dividends and over $47,920 worth of income later, the results have been far better than anyone could have imagined. Since I started my portfolio back in December 2009, my initial $200,000 investment has grown to $280,631, giving me a total return of 40.3%. Even better, the payments I received from my portfolio in 2012 averaged about $1,357 per… Read More

Many years ago, I lived near the Culinary Institute of America, the alma mater of many of the world’s most celebrated chefs. After years of classes, the students’ final proving ground was cooking for the institute’s public restaurants. In the 1970s and 1980s, the institute’s premier restaurant was the Escoffier Room. It was expensive. And if you wanted to dine there, you had to plan ahead. In many cases, reservations had to be made a year in advance. Every night, students were expected to deliver culinary perfection. And for the unlucky student assigned… Read More

Many years ago, I lived near the Culinary Institute of America, the alma mater of many of the world’s most celebrated chefs. After years of classes, the students’ final proving ground was cooking for the institute’s public restaurants. In the 1970s and 1980s, the institute’s premier restaurant was the Escoffier Room. It was expensive. And if you wanted to dine there, you had to plan ahead. In many cases, reservations had to be made a year in advance. Every night, students were expected to deliver culinary perfection. And for the unlucky student assigned to the souffle station, the pressure was immense. In chef Anthony Bourdain’s book “Kitchen Confidential,” he tells how students prayed every night, hoping to avoid the assignment to make the puffy egg-based dish, which had a tendency to collapse if conditions weren’t perfect. To add insult to injury, the domineering head chef would berate any student responsible for a fallen souffle, loud enough for all to hear. The Federal Reserve is now standing in front of the economic equivalent of a souffle station. The Fed is likely to maintain historically low short-term interest rates… Read More

On June 7, I watched the Internet video feed from Las Vegas as Mike “The Mouth” Matusow pocketed $266,503 by winning the 13th event in the 2013 World Series of Poker. Matusow has won nearly $9 million playing tournament poker, and I’ve studied nearly every hand he has ever played. I even sat next to his mother the night he won $1 million in the Championship Event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. During his recent tournament, Matusow seldom had the lead. But he played a disciplined game. He folded many hands while his opponents wasted chips, chasing after… Read More

On June 7, I watched the Internet video feed from Las Vegas as Mike “The Mouth” Matusow pocketed $266,503 by winning the 13th event in the 2013 World Series of Poker. Matusow has won nearly $9 million playing tournament poker, and I’ve studied nearly every hand he has ever played. I even sat next to his mother the night he won $1 million in the Championship Event of the 2005 World Series of Poker. During his recent tournament, Matusow seldom had the lead. But he played a disciplined game. He folded many hands while his opponents wasted chips, chasing after hands they didn’t have the odds to win. Matusow’s patience and premium hand selection over the course of the three-day event were rewarded with the first-prize gold bracelet. I’ve played poker for more than a decade. I’ve had the opportunity to study — and go up against — some of the best professionals in the world. I’ve seen players amass big leads in a tournament, only to turn right around and give every chip back. In my experience, both as a poker player and an investor, the decision to not play a mediocre hand can be the most profitable decision… Read More

If you’re a regular reader of StreetAuthority, you know I love getting — and reinvesting — dividend paychecks. Simply put, my goal is to earn a paycheck every day of the month by owning a basket of solid… Read More

Over the last three years, I have quietly created a proprietary system comprised of three different types of dividend-paying stocks that I believe will outperform any other dividend strategy on the planet. The Dividend Trifecta is a three part approach to dividends that multiplies the effectiveness of every dollar you invest. The plan is specifically engineered for people who want to retire sooner. Or, for those who would like to get a steady stream of extra… Read More

Over the last three years, I have quietly created a proprietary system comprised of three different types of dividend-paying stocks that I believe will outperform any other dividend strategy on the planet. The Dividend Trifecta is a three part approach to dividends that multiplies the effectiveness of every dollar you invest. The plan is specifically engineered for people who want to retire sooner. Or, for those who would like to get a steady stream of extra income now. And, I can tell you after managing a $5 million trust fund for a non-profit, I’ve been pitched every investing “system” available.  Many so-called systems are complicated and should only be used by professional investors willing to sit in front of their computer screens for hours on end each day. But, I believe The Dividend Trifecta works for the vast majority of people willing to put it into action. This investing technique requires no risky options trading… no… Read More