Articles

Considerations abroad should figure more into investment strategies, Bob Landaas writes in the latest bimonthly magazine of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For the third year in a row, the professional association has invited Bob to share his economic outlook with its 8,000 members. In the January/February issue of On Balance, Bob makes…

News of stock exchange mergers in Europe and between London and Toronto are further reminders of the global nature of finance. But as we reported in a Money Talk podcast in May 2010, the international influence on Wall Street is longstanding. By Joel Dresang Wall Street – sometimes just called “the street” – actually is…

A windfall is a sudden – usually surprising – gain from circumstances largely beyond one’s control.

By Bob Landaas On Nov. 3, the Federal Open Market Committee announced a $600 billion quantitative easing, which is now known as QE2. There was an unusual amount of dissent at the Federal Reserve about this, led by the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that the…

By Art Rothschild and Joel Dresang Given continued volatility in global stock markets, it is nice to know that bond investors have been able to benefit from ongoing interest payments and the relative stability that the bonds in their portfolio have provided this year.  When 2010 started, all eyes were on the stock market.  Given…

By Joel Dresang At 75 years old, the Social Security Act is drawing the speculation and foreboding that often accompany advanced age. President Barack Obama, marking the August birthday of the program, hailed Social Security as “a cornerstone in the foundation of America’s middle class.” He also contended that Republican leaders plan to “privatize” the…