But those are mostly wants. When it comes to needs, it’s a different story. Housing, even after the 2008-09 crack-up, is expensive. Rentals have gone straight up as home ownership has fallen. The costs of education have skyrocketed and show no signs of slowing. Medical and health-insurance costs are among the fastest-rising of all consumer expenses.
The Middle-Class Squeeze Isn’t Made Up – (Bloomberg)
Of the $533 billion of net flows into all mutual funds and exchange-traded funds last year, 54%, or $289 billion, went to funds managed by Vanguard, according to research firm Morningstar Inc. The fund company’s own tally for the year was even higher, at $322.8 billion.
Vanguard Reaches $4 Trillion for First Time – (Wall Street Journal)
he 401(K) was’t created until 1981. Millions of Americans are buying stocks every two weeks in their 401(k) and these buyers are mostly price-agnostic, driving up the demand for stocks.
Should Stocks Be Worth More Now Than They Used To Be? – (The Irrelevant Investor)
This is an Oil bet in disguise. Most of the commodity indices are heavily skewed towards the energy complex and Crude oil in particular, with the rest of the exposure mostly in metals.
Rickety Rationale For Commodity Investing – (RCM Alternatives)
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced yesterday that the wealth management division of Morgan Stanley agreed to pay an $8 million fine and admit to wrongdoing related to inverse exchange-traded funds it recommended to its advisory clients.
Morgan Stanley to Pay $8M Penalty And a Refresher Course on Inverse ETFs – (Barrons)
Global stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities have parted ways in recent months, after largely rising in lockstep for most of the post-financial-crisis period.
Falling Correlations Spell Opportunity for Investors – (Wall Street Journal)
New lending to the so-called old economy in December and January jumped by 1.1 trillion yuan ($160 billion) from a year earlier, equivalent to more than one and a half years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s mooted infrastructure package, it said.
Goldman Sees Metal Rally in Sight on Rerun of ’08 China Stimulus – (Bloomberg)
Which is why we are honored our community has chosen RCM Alternatives as the Best Introducing Broker from CTA Intelligence for the fourth year in a row.
RCM Alternatives Wins Best Introducing Broker Fourth Year in a Row – (RCM Alternatives)
Funds are bullish on commodities for only the second time since 2012, amid a “positive outlook” for prices this year – including in ags, in which cocoa is seen as being particularly undervalued.
Funds turn bullish on commodities, as brokers foresee ag price gains – (Agri Money)
The two major food industry retail and manufacturer associations today announced voluntary guidelines to help make date labeling on food products less confusing and eliminate a key cause of consumer food waste in the U.S.
Food Manufacturers Embrace Improved Food Date Labels – (Natural Resource Defense Council)
The drug, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration before it implemented current standards, is the only one in the top 20 for Medicare that isn’t considered life-saving.
We dug into the drug company Martin Shkreli sold out to the feds, and man is it ugly – (Business Insider)
It’s been a long week. Take a moment — or even a minute! — to watch something beautiful.
WATCH: The ‘Firefall’ Offers A Grand Glimpse Of A Glow In Flow – (NPR)
