In the past week I’ve read three different takes on the future of interest rates that really made me think about their direction over the very long-term. 1. The first comment was a tweet from venture capitalist Marc Andreessen in reference to a discussion about the current low level of short-term interest rates being set…

Watching the drama unfold over the past couple of weeks in the Greece should make a few things clear to investors. First of all, no one really knows what’s going on in the markets. I remember listening to a very well-respected European hedge fund manager give a talk in 2011 about the potential for a…

“The market is not a very accommodating machine; it won’t provide high returns just because you need them.” – Peter Bernstein

One of my favorite aspects of being involved in the financial markets is that you’re forced to continuous learn to be successful. The process never ends. My learning progression on the markets and finance goes something like this: I started out with theories from finance textbooks in school; then moved onto learning about how the…

GMO’s Jeremy Grantham thinks we’re on track for yet another stock market bubble, but not until mom and pop get in on the action. Here’s what he had to say yesterday while giving the keynote speech for the annual Morningstar conference, courtesy of CNBC:

Forbes wrote a nice profile on financial planner and blogger Michael Kitces last week. In the piece, I thought Kitces made a very important point about how the need for financial planning can vary based on where you’re at in your life-cycle:

There was a story before last year’s Super Bowl about Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and his off-season speaking gigs. In his talks with CEOs, coaches and investors he usually begins with a question for the audience: “Raise your hand if you have a philosophy for your team or organization.” Of course, everyone in the…

My first book comes out tomorrow (June 22). It’s been a fun process to write it and quite a learning experience. Here are a few lessons learned: 1. Writing is a skill that can be improved. No one is ever going to be able to learn how to become the next Bill Shakespeare, but I’ve found…

An aspiring portfolio manager asks: I’m just starting out in the investment business and would like to work my way up. Should I start the CFA program or get my MBA first? When I started in this business, I asked this same exact question to every portfolio manager, analyst or investment consultant I came into…

In an interview earlier this week I was asked a great question about the counter-intuitive nature of investing. The question was basically, “How can investors learn to swallow their pride to earn satisfactory, but above average returns while giving up on the chance to earn extraordinary returns?” This is especially difficult for those who work…