There’s lots of talk about how companies are exploiting the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). Truth be told, they’ve barely scratched the surface.  That’s because the technology of connecting billions of sensor-laden consumer products, as well as industrial machines and equipment, to the internet remain in the very early stages of development. But the technology is growing more massive every year. According to McKinsey Global Institute, the IoT will generate up to $11 trillion in economic benefit by 2025. Of course, those numbers include profits to device-makers, efficiencies, new businesses, and savings to consumers from more efficient products. But it’s… Read More

There’s lots of talk about how companies are exploiting the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). Truth be told, they’ve barely scratched the surface.  That’s because the technology of connecting billions of sensor-laden consumer products, as well as industrial machines and equipment, to the internet remain in the very early stages of development. But the technology is growing more massive every year. According to McKinsey Global Institute, the IoT will generate up to $11 trillion in economic benefit by 2025. Of course, those numbers include profits to device-makers, efficiencies, new businesses, and savings to consumers from more efficient products. But it’s still a trend investors ignore at their own financial peril.  #-ad_banner-#Further adding credence to the McKinsey data, another forecast from market research company IHS Markit makes a bolder prediction. IHS Markit claims that more than 75 billion smart devices will be in use by 2025. That’s a 400% increase over the roughly 15 billion devices in use today. Now, to put this number in perspective, chip manufacturers must build microchips at a rate that is six times greater than has ever been produced since microchips were first developed in 1958 by Texas Instruments (Nasdaq: TXN).  And it’s… Read More

Last month, I told you about a new feature I recently introduced to my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing. To put it simply, the goal of the newsletter is simple. It’s right there in the name. But since every investor’s situation is different, everyone has a different opinion of what exactly a “high” yielder is — especially in today’s low-yield market.  —Sponsored Link— Why Do The Banking Elites Want To Keep Gold Suppressed? Find out why a renegade investor, who has made his readers multiple three-digit returns in the last few months, says the banking elite… Read More

Last month, I told you about a new feature I recently introduced to my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing. To put it simply, the goal of the newsletter is simple. It’s right there in the name. But since every investor’s situation is different, everyone has a different opinion of what exactly a “high” yielder is — especially in today’s low-yield market.  —Sponsored Link— Why Do The Banking Elites Want To Keep Gold Suppressed? Find out why a renegade investor, who has made his readers multiple three-digit returns in the last few months, says the banking elite is opening up the most exciting opportunity for you to get really rich in the next 24 months. With his strategies, you could easily and quickly leverage the upcoming bull market in gold and profit $3-$4 for every $1 move in gold. Click here to get all of the details. But there can be no equivocation about the regular screen we introduced to show the 10%-plus yielders out there. Sure, the quality of these names may differ — and they may or may not merit inclusion into the newsletter’s portfolio. But my mission is clear: to… Read More

Earning high, consistent dividends is the aim of every income investor. This goal, however, has become nearly impossible in today’s market, largely thanks to persistently low rates and the hoards of investors trying to squeeze every penny of growth out of shares.  My research has identified seven stocks with varying degrees of risk that are still regularly shelling out sizeable income. Consider the following securities for your income portfolio. 1. Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) Sometimes everything lines up to create an ideal investment. Throwing off an incredible 8.2% yield, OHI is in the perfect choice for income-starved investors. … Read More

Earning high, consistent dividends is the aim of every income investor. This goal, however, has become nearly impossible in today’s market, largely thanks to persistently low rates and the hoards of investors trying to squeeze every penny of growth out of shares.  My research has identified seven stocks with varying degrees of risk that are still regularly shelling out sizeable income. Consider the following securities for your income portfolio. 1. Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) Sometimes everything lines up to create an ideal investment. Throwing off an incredible 8.2% yield, OHI is in the perfect choice for income-starved investors.  Omega Healthcare is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Boasting a $9 billion-plus portfolio of over 975 units, the company has increased its dividend fifteen years in a row. A P/E of just under 18 and five-year EPS growth in excess of 7% sweeten the deal. #-ad_banner-#​OHI’s future is looking bright as well. Nearly 15% of the U.S. population is 65 years of age or older. This number is projected to continue to grow over the next century, providing a never-ending stream of… Read More

As we get deeper into the fourth quarter, one of the biggest stories dominating the financial headlines will be interest rates, and the fact that they appear to be headed higher.  While investors have been talking about this same story for the past few years, there’s a good reason: The fed funds rate is the interest rate banks and major depository institutions charge each other for loans (which banks sometimes need to meet the Federal Reserve’s deposit requirements). —Sponsored Link— Regular Investors Can Finally Invest In Bitcoin While technically-minded investors are making once-in-a-lifetime profits in… Read More

As we get deeper into the fourth quarter, one of the biggest stories dominating the financial headlines will be interest rates, and the fact that they appear to be headed higher.  While investors have been talking about this same story for the past few years, there’s a good reason: The fed funds rate is the interest rate banks and major depository institutions charge each other for loans (which banks sometimes need to meet the Federal Reserve’s deposit requirements). —Sponsored Link— Regular Investors Can Finally Invest In Bitcoin While technically-minded investors are making once-in-a-lifetime profits in Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies… Regular investors are missing out. UNTIL NOW… There’s a new “Canadian Backdoor” you can use to add them to your retirement portfolio in less than three minutes… Read the full report here. This rate is only changed at regular Fed meetings held every six weeks.  The rate is widely followed because it is the benchmark for a number of other rates. Due to its importance, large banks and other financial market participants hedge their exposure to interest rates. #-ad_banner-#For now, the Fed has set the rate at 1% to 1.25%. The… Read More

Even as stocks reach record highs, there’s a growing sense of fear among investors that the market is setting up for a drop. The S&P 500 has surged 20% over the past year, taking stocks to 31 times cyclically-adjusted earnings despite a lackluster economic backdrop and a Federal Reserve that’s withdrawing monetary stimulus. Professional money managers have been slowly moving to cash, with Bank of America’s fund manager survey showing cash positions at highs not seen since 2001.  I’ve had a back-and-forth conversation with a financial advisor friend for the past several months. The nearly nine-year… Read More

Even as stocks reach record highs, there’s a growing sense of fear among investors that the market is setting up for a drop. The S&P 500 has surged 20% over the past year, taking stocks to 31 times cyclically-adjusted earnings despite a lackluster economic backdrop and a Federal Reserve that’s withdrawing monetary stimulus. Professional money managers have been slowly moving to cash, with Bank of America’s fund manager survey showing cash positions at highs not seen since 2001.  I’ve had a back-and-forth conversation with a financial advisor friend for the past several months. The nearly nine-year bull market defies any kind of rational portfolio investing based on fundamentals but is still just as strong as it has been since 2009. The anxiety has gotten so bad that my friend has 40% of managed money in cash, and clients aren’t too happy that they might be missing out. But there may be a way to protect your portfolio and still earn a return on your money. I researched different asset classes for correlations with stocks and performance over the previous two bear markets. What I found were two investments classes with solid cash yields and that may… Read More

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky coined the phrase now co-opted by every money manager in the racket: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Now, the Trump administration’s proposed tax reform plan may just give them the opportunity to prove it. One sector in particular is poised to capitalize on the anticipated 43% reduction in federal taxes. After muddling through the post-financial crisis landscape, U.S. commercial banks are starting to show signs of life. The return to profitability will ultimately lead to renewed merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. This chart from the always… Read More

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky coined the phrase now co-opted by every money manager in the racket: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Now, the Trump administration’s proposed tax reform plan may just give them the opportunity to prove it. One sector in particular is poised to capitalize on the anticipated 43% reduction in federal taxes. After muddling through the post-financial crisis landscape, U.S. commercial banks are starting to show signs of life. The return to profitability will ultimately lead to renewed merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. This chart from the always resourceful Saint Louis Fed paints a clear picture of the market. While the number of U.S. commercial banks has been shrinking over the past 30 years, the level of total assets held by commercial banks has ballooned. Eventually, that money will have to go somewhere. If current trends are any indication, much of it will end up going towards acquisitions.  One of the best ways for investors to position themselves for a bank merger bonanza is the John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: BTO). Launched in 1994, the closed-end fund (CEF), originally named the John Hancock Bank and… Read More