After taking a quick hiatus from the bullish trend that ended in September 2018 — and the near 20% plunge in December — the market, as measured by the S&P 500, has resumed its upward course. The index took out its late September 2018 highs this past Friday, April 26. Since then, it has gone on to hit record heights. To be sure, as the market hits new highs, there will always be the crowd of folks shouting that “this” is the top. Of course, nobody knows what the market will do tomorrow, the next day, next week or a… Read More

After taking a quick hiatus from the bullish trend that ended in September 2018 — and the near 20% plunge in December — the market, as measured by the S&P 500, has resumed its upward course. The index took out its late September 2018 highs this past Friday, April 26. Since then, it has gone on to hit record heights. To be sure, as the market hits new highs, there will always be the crowd of folks shouting that “this” is the top. Of course, nobody knows what the market will do tomorrow, the next day, next week or a month from now. But for us, we can lean on some technical indicators that will help tell us if this is a strong market rally or simply a head fake. The main one that we will look at is the Advance-Decline (A-D) Line. I talked about this indicator in this article, where I warned that a bear market could be looming (a month later the S&P 500 bottomed, dropping 19% from its September high). I also touched on it in this article, showing it rebounding, a signal that near-term momentum was strong. The market has ripped off a double-digit return… Read More

Baby-boomers started turning 65 — and retiring en masse — just a few years ago. This generation, born between 1946 and 1964 on the optimism and excitement and relative prosperity of the post-war boom, is getting older indeed. As more and more baby-boomers file for Social Security, the demand for safe, income-generating investments should remain at least steady, but will more likely increase. That’s because, for many retirees, income from investments is meant to complement their Social Security income. This also means that, for current and new retirees alike, their retirement savings will have to last as long as possible… Read More

Baby-boomers started turning 65 — and retiring en masse — just a few years ago. This generation, born between 1946 and 1964 on the optimism and excitement and relative prosperity of the post-war boom, is getting older indeed. As more and more baby-boomers file for Social Security, the demand for safe, income-generating investments should remain at least steady, but will more likely increase. That’s because, for many retirees, income from investments is meant to complement their Social Security income. This also means that, for current and new retirees alike, their retirement savings will have to last as long as possible so they can live comfortably, without having to take a substantial cut in the quality or quantity of goods and services they buy and use. #-ad_banner-#In economic terms, this means retirees strive to maintain the same standard of living — or at least close to it. And to do so, their spending levels have to move higher, in line with inflation. Keeping Up With Inflation Now, there are several statistics dealing with consumer inflation — from the most commonly used one, the CPI (Consumer Price Index) to “core” CPI (this one excludes food and energy, which, while controversial to… Read More

If you’ve been following along with me lately, then you know I’m concerned about the market right now for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the bull market remains intact. For now.  In the meantime, while I’m watching the market, I don’t see any reason to avoid making new trades rights now, especially if they’re the kind of conservative income trades my readers and I make over at Maximum Income. Case in point: I recently recommended a trade in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO).  And today, I’m going to share the details with you… —Recommended Link— Register for Secret Cash Payouts… Read More

If you’ve been following along with me lately, then you know I’m concerned about the market right now for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the bull market remains intact. For now.  In the meantime, while I’m watching the market, I don’t see any reason to avoid making new trades rights now, especially if they’re the kind of conservative income trades my readers and I make over at Maximum Income. Case in point: I recently recommended a trade in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO).  And today, I’m going to share the details with you… —Recommended Link— Register for Secret Cash Payouts by Vodafone, Whole Foods and Microsoft Officially, American corporations pay out $1 billion in dividends a day. But the true payout is much higher, because so many “special” dividends go unreported. And they can be 10 times larger than a regular dividend. It’s time to lift the lid on this secret world. For 12 of the biggest secret dividends you’ll ever see, go here. For starters, you should know that this is a covered call trade. That’s a trade involving options, but don’t let that scare you. In fact, covered calls are one of the most conservative options trading… Read More

It’s quite possibly the most controversial holding in the Daily Paycheck portfolio. But it’s not my job to pass judgment — you’re on your own for that.  My job is to point my subscribers to the best opportunities for income and portfolio growth. And after nine years (and currently paying a robust 5% yield), tobacco giant Altria (NYSE: MO) has done just that. In fact, it’s rewarded us with a gain of roughly 334% during this time. And while we make a habit of reinvesting our dividends as part of our strategy over at my premium newsletter, you can see… Read More

It’s quite possibly the most controversial holding in the Daily Paycheck portfolio. But it’s not my job to pass judgment — you’re on your own for that.  My job is to point my subscribers to the best opportunities for income and portfolio growth. And after nine years (and currently paying a robust 5% yield), tobacco giant Altria (NYSE: MO) has done just that. In fact, it’s rewarded us with a gain of roughly 334% during this time. And while we make a habit of reinvesting our dividends as part of our strategy over at my premium newsletter, you can see how the stock’s total return has absolutely crushed that of the S&P 500… There’s just one problem… Or, a few, in fact. #-ad_banner-#The company just posted soft first-quarter results that fell short of expectations on both the top and bottom lines. Revenues for the period dipped by 6% to $4.4 billion, while earnings dropped by a similar percentage to $0.90 per share. While there were some extenuating inventory issues, they couldn’t disguise the fact that domestic cigarette shipment volume plunged 14% from a year ago. Worse still for the company, Altria’s market share slid below the 50% mark as more… Read More

Back in the early 2000s, I used to write a column called “The Gaming Investor” for Casino Player magazine. As a result, I had a front-row seat to the gradual transformation that’s taken place in the casino business over the years.  The days of cheap drinks and 99-cent shrimp cocktails are sadly gone for the most part. Once considered loss-leaders just to lure in gamblers, property owners have invested heavily to renovate and update their lounges, showrooms and buffets. These ancillary areas of operation now take in more cash than the casinos. As a result, Las Vegas isn’t the Vegas… Read More

Back in the early 2000s, I used to write a column called “The Gaming Investor” for Casino Player magazine. As a result, I had a front-row seat to the gradual transformation that’s taken place in the casino business over the years.  The days of cheap drinks and 99-cent shrimp cocktails are sadly gone for the most part. Once considered loss-leaders just to lure in gamblers, property owners have invested heavily to renovate and update their lounges, showrooms and buffets. These ancillary areas of operation now take in more cash than the casinos. As a result, Las Vegas isn’t the Vegas Frank Sinatra knew — or even the one that I marveled at for the first time in the late 1990s. Alongside high-rollers at the baccarat tables are affluent partygoers at swanky clubs who aren’t shy about forking over $10,000 for a private VIP table. This diversification of the revenue stream means more ways to separate visitors from their dollars — and less reliance on Lady Luck (although we know the house always wins).  And the Las Vegas desert isn’t the only place where players are handing over their chips. From Gulf Coast towns like Biloxi, Mississippi, to the Chicago suburb… Read More

Without a doubt, a bull market is itself a bullish indicator.  There is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy here: investors clamor for gains and feel safer when the market flashes green than when it’s awash in red. But even a more rational explanation to this phenomenon also makes sense: The stock market is a big discounting machine, reflecting bets that tomorrow’s prices will be higher than today’s.  But if this is a gauge at all, then, just as with any other market indicator, it’s not an infallible one. No rally lasts forever, and after a boom — as loud… Read More

Without a doubt, a bull market is itself a bullish indicator.  There is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy here: investors clamor for gains and feel safer when the market flashes green than when it’s awash in red. But even a more rational explanation to this phenomenon also makes sense: The stock market is a big discounting machine, reflecting bets that tomorrow’s prices will be higher than today’s.  But if this is a gauge at all, then, just as with any other market indicator, it’s not an infallible one. No rally lasts forever, and after a boom — as loud as it might be — usually comes a bust.  On Tuesday, April 23, the S&P 500 closed at 2,931.11, higher than the previous all-time closing high of $2,930.75 set back on September 20. It only took seven months for the markets to return to previous highs — one of the speediest turnarounds in market history.  And yet, many investors are not convinced that stocks are the place to be. According to the Conference Board, 37% of Americans believe stock prices will rise over the next year — and 26% believe the prices will fall. The spread of 11 between optimists… Read More