Opportunity: the Upside of Uncertainty

"The problem, of course, is essentially one of human emotion. We are essentially somewhere between Armageddon and  Nirvana"
David Rosenberg, Chief Economist at Gluskin Sheff as cited in Bloomberg Businessweek, June 20, 2010

Things are certainly uncertain! 

I don't know about you, but everyday the "news" seems to provide less clarity about the future and what to expect than the day before.  Whether we're talking health care policy, tax rates, soundness in the world banking system, employment, housing, oil spills, where LeBron James will play basketball (Miami) what we mean by "financial regulatory reform"... well, you get

Keep Reading →

Questions For Eduardo

"Good questions outrank easy answers."
Economist, Paul E. Samuelson

Do you have questions about the future of global investment markets and the world's biggest economies? Who doesn't! What if you could ask one of the brightest thinkers in the investment world today your number one question?  What would you ask?

On October 7, 2010, Foster Group will host our Fall 2010 Foster Group Lecture Series event, "Global Markets: Has Everything Changed?" featuring Eduardo Repetto.  Mr. Repetto is Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) and is, literally, a "rocket scientist" (more on this later).

At past

Keep Reading →

Taxes Due $182.50 or $30,645.40? More Reasons Why a Roth Conversion May Be a Mistake

Have you wondered whether a Roth IRA conversion is something you should consider?  In the past several months, we've had numerous discussions with clients regarding Roth IRA conversions, and whether this makes sense for them. 

We've also written on the merits of conversion, and why it's important to evaluate this closely before proceeding:  http://www.fostergrp.com/assets/fostergroup/RothIRAConversion.pdf .  In one of our recent Wise Wealth Lecture Series events, Kent Kramer provided a fantastic overview of how and why the new rules on conversion came into existence, why a conversion may not be so black and white, and some brief

Keep Reading →

Good Time for Decision Making

Could you be at your peak effectiveness regarding financial decision-making right now?  It’s quite possible you are very near that point, if we accept a couple of ideas about how our brains function.

Since October 2007, most investors have seen the value of their portfolios decline precipitously (global stocks lost 53% between October 1, 2007 and February 29, 2009) and rebound dramatically (those same global stocks have risen 69% from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010 **).  So, while portfolio values are likely still well below those peak 2007 values, they are likely well above their early 2009 lows.

Sitting here with

Keep Reading →

Today's Economy in Historical Perspective

The significant rebound in equities markets over the past year notwithstanding, much of what we hear and read about the national economy these days is dismal.  In fact, you could easily get the impression that these are the worst economic times we’ve ever been through.  From our Fall 2009 Wise Wealth Lecture Series event, our featured speaker Brian Wesbury offers some historical perspective on that notion.  He also addresses what he believes were contributors to the financial panic of late 2008 and early 2009.

To watch Brian’s entire presentation, including the audience Q&A, click here: (Presentation – 43

Keep Reading →