If you attempt to describe the economy in the last couple years and where I believe we’re heading, you could call it the crumbling of the American dream.  Big homes, fun lifestyles and easy money have been the cornerstone of the American dream in recent decades.  Sadly, this is changing dramatically.
An industry that has been pummeled in the midst of this shift is leisure and recreational boating.  There are two companies here that I’d like to briefly look at: Brunswick Corporation (BC) and …

Statistics show that married people tend to become wealthier over the length of a lifespan.  While this makes sense (shared expenses, probably more apt to engage in financial planning), there are some puzzling ramifications of marriage for younger folks that I often hear discussed.  So, yes, married people have more money later in life, but what about right after getting married?
One of our single friends recently made the comment that it seemed like all of his friends when they get married immediately get poorer as a result.
Now, obviously this person …

Altria Group, Inc. (MO) announced recently that they are increasing their quarterly dividend by 8.6% from $.35 a share to $.38 a share or from $1.40 annually to $1.52 annually. Altria continues its practice of increasing their dividend payout every single year as it has done since 1970.
As the economic data deteriorates and more people buy in to the idea that we are actually in an economic depression versus a typical business cycle recession, I believe that the focus will increasingly turn towards dividends, income, and capital preservation versus …

It’s truly astonishing how terrible the financial state of so many people is these days.  Really, it’s incredible and depressing.  While everyone’s situation is different, there are three major reasons that have contributed to this being a major widespread disaster.
Reason #1 – No Discipline
American’s have really moved away from discipline.  Maybe it is a result of a booming standard of living or ease in our lives, but discipline is definitely a thing of the past.
What has replaced it is a sense of flippancy regarding our finances.
Instead of taking our finances …

Why do most people suck at personal finance?  By personal finance, I mean of course, the overall make up of one’s financial situation including their habits, their debt, their savings, their investing, their spending, etc.  So, why do people suck so badly at it?
Is it because they don’t know enough stuff?  Definitely not.  Because the reality is that personal finance knowledge is really basic.  It is common sense type stuff.  Spend less than you earn is not something that only college graduates can grasp.  It’s not about knowledge.
It’s about behavior.
Habits
When …

The housing data is making more believers in the idea of a double-dip and I’m even seeing the dreaded D-word mentioned (depression) around the web and on television.  Housing is a mess and it is clear that the government tax credit did nothing to solve long-term issues.  We’ve stated this plenty of times, but the reality is that housing will not find a bottom until there is an equilibrium between buyers and sellers.  Since we did everything possible for decades to artificially boost the buyers of homes in this country, …

The more I read about the internet marketing community, the more it looks like Multi-Level Marketing (MLM).  Now most internet marketers will take great offense to this, but the point remains.  How many internet marketers are selling something to show others or teach others how to make money at internet marketing?  It is a sort of multi-level marketing where there is no real product being offered but instead is simply extending the concept of selling a product via the internet – where that product is usually something helping you to …

When looking at the balance sheet of a regional or community bank, you will find an unusually large portion of assets held in cash and short-term, liquid investments. Banks are awash with cash like never before. The appetite for lending among financial institutions has vanished over the last year and few loans are made that are not guaranteed by the Federal Government\U.S. Taxpayer through entities such as FHLMC, FNMA, GNMA, FHA and the SBA. Because of this government-mandated, taxpayer-funded guarantee,

I believe that we’re in the early inning of a prolonged economic depression.  Stagnant economic growth for years will cause a secular shift in American behaviors that will result in a turning away from debt-financed consumption and more towards responsible savings.  If these were the only factors that we needed to worry about to determine our investing strategy, it would be easy.  We’d likely just focus on consumer staple stocks and bonds with decent yields.  Unfortunately, perhaps the biggest factor moving forward is the government & Fed.  With zero interest …

Risk is an interesting subject in the world of finance.  When it comes to millions of Americans and their financial objectives, it’s amazing how much risk they’re willing to take (maybe unknowingly).  The reality is that most individuals are willing to take a large amount of risk in order to make up for their shortfalls in their personal finance habits.  What personal finance habits am I referring to?  Well, mostly spending and saving – we spend too much and save too little.  As a result, in order to retire, in …

Why do you read personal finance blogs?  I would assume that you read them to find information, strategies and tips to help you move forward in your financial life.  You are trying to gain an edge in getting to where you want to be down the road – maybe ten years from now. In this post, I’d like to speak directly to this.  We all have in our minds specific places we want to be ten years down the road.  The question becomes how do we get there from where …