Edward J. Strafaci ~ Academic Blog

Great comment by an online student of mine! https://www.marketwatch.com/…/heres-what-you-should-do-when… Re:Not winning the Mega Millions could be the best thing that ever happens to you Published: Oct 21, 2018  Wow, Professor Strafaci, this article hits a lot of great topics! I live in Las Vegas, NV, and while we do not have the lottery here, many people spend their hard earned money gambling at the various casinos. We have the Mega Bucks jackpot that most people dream of winning to change their life circumstances. Yes, there are some "wealthy" people who are gamblers, but most of the people in the local casinos, are average or low-income people. It makes me sad when we go to the movies, the theater is in a casino, and I see all these people looking like zombies as they play the slot machines and table games. This article also hit on the influence social media plays in people thinking they need more. I try to do a social media fast one to two times per mo...

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‘Bonds are the bubble, not stocks,’ says billionaire investor Cooperman - MarketWatch

Late last week, after Bloomberg News reported that Sears Holdings was preparing to file for bankruptcy protection – a prediction that came true in the wee hours Monday – I decided to visit a Sears store, something I hadn’t done in at least 30 years. There’s still one left in New York City, in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section. As I approached, I was startled by what I saw. I had expected something generic, along the lines of a Walmart or a Best Buy big box. Instead, I found myself facing an enormous art deco structure , built of cement, with the words Sears Roebuck & Co. etched proudly over several massive doors that appeared to be permanently closed. It was highlighted by a square tower that made it look more like a medieval castle than a retail store. It was an impressive sight – and a reminder of what Sears had once been. Then I walked around the back, where the entrance was – and was reminded of what Sears has become. Inside the store, lighting was terrible: Some areas had b...

Bond investors feel pain of global sell-off | Financial Times

Why retirees should feel very worried right now Published: Oct 8, 2018 10:00 a.m. ET You know the old adage that “a rising tide lifts all boats?” What if you don’t own a boat in the first place? That rising tide won’t do much for you, will it? And so it is with this historic bull market, which, if it continues, will enter its 11th year—11 years!—come March. Vast amounts of wealth has been created, lifting many boats; some folks have gotten even bigger boats. But most Americans—perhaps you—haven’t benefited much. 54% of middle-income households (defined as income ranging from $48,000 to $95,000) don’t have enough saved to maintain a decent retirement. That’s the same percentage as in 2010, when the stock run-up was in its early stages, according to a study by the  Center for Retirement Research  at Boston College. See Also What happened? Why have so many Americans been left out? The study blames the usual culprits: high debt, surging and often unforeseen hea...

Published: Oct 7, 2018 8:35 a.m. ET By  Pete Adeney  https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mr-money-mustache-wants-suze-orman-and-everyone-else-to-understand-these-8-things-about-the-fire-movement-2018-10-05 Why you shouldn’t be fearful — and why you should ride a bicycle In case you hadn’t already noticed it in the news, it seems we are hitting a turning point in how the rest of the world perceives this lifestyle that you and I have been enjoying. First, we were ignored. Then, there were a few stories that just focused on the strange lives of Mr. Money Mustache a few other freaky magicians, cataloging our feats of extreme frugality like “spending less than 100% of your money on a ” or “occasionally eating food from one’s own kitchen.” But time went by, and our numbers kept growing. And we weren’t just 30-something white male tech workers anymore, we were women and men of all ages and professions in all different countries, absorbing blogs and podcasts from ...