tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87227333030740086752024-03-05T00:24:25.245-06:00How To InvestEverything You Need to Know to Become a Successful InvestorAnthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-83487296081440625942022-02-16T20:10:00.002-06:002022-02-25T14:00:27.996-06:00Disguised Dysfunction<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI0tPa8_AWRwIhGRGM7Mo7qVKcl4hURCU31ZIAnIwsShNejkzgQPNMl6J9k0Zc78JHMxEwIqFncZ1KQNOzqvV0mVgyVKOs4LNlwoQyJTz3lDsS5J9R8dxGkwnqEEpJfc_JuOQrpNgEn5FfKnIpJsN6UqUL6feVilEWlm7k67AKI8ki23qRPKj5Uu4Q=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1200" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI0tPa8_AWRwIhGRGM7Mo7qVKcl4hURCU31ZIAnIwsShNejkzgQPNMl6J9k0Zc78JHMxEwIqFncZ1KQNOzqvV0mVgyVKOs4LNlwoQyJTz3lDsS5J9R8dxGkwnqEEpJfc_JuOQrpNgEn5FfKnIpJsN6UqUL6feVilEWlm7k67AKI8ki23qRPKj5Uu4Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><b> </b></i></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Unmasking Methods Used by Businesses to Conceal Poor Performance</b></i></span></span></p><p><i><b> </b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When managed correctly, a business should operate like a well-oiled machine. Incomes should exceed outflows, supply chains should be consistently scrutinized and improved upon, and boardrooms should exert appropriately applied pressure towards management, ensuring that all systems of performance are routinely optimized for long-term, sustainable growth.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When these functions aren't properly aligned, some proverbial gunk may begin to seep into the lubrication, causing systemic stress, and impeding the machinery from performing at peak efficiency. Accompanied by the demands of meeting Wall Street earnings expectations, such strains can result in some resorting to clever accounting tricks and other maneuvers to conceal their dysfunction, with none but the ardently studious among us being the wiser.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These deceptions can provide a short-term reprieve for those implementing such tactics, but eventually, the machinery will begin to stall. When it does, those investors unfortunate enough to own their shares will have to face a financial reckoning with profound monetary consequences. And the resulting fallout can take years to recover from.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Feeding Facade</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When you notice a company going on an acquisition spree, your investing insticts should immediately alert you that something underneath is possibly going awry. Purchasing other companies is one of the methods used by corporations to conceal growth deficiencies, as the performance of the acquired entity becomes accretive to its earnings, ideally concealing any shortcomings which the acquiring company may, in truth, possess. This house of cards can take years to construct, and its immediate success can forestall, or even contribute to the acquiring companies' reluctance towards making the necessary changes to place it back on the path of long-term sustainability. But like all false facades, illusion will eventually give way to reality, with the reputation of the company involved suffering catastrophic damage once the fraudulent scandal is finally uncovered.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Unbalanced Sheets</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Numbers don't lie, but they can certainly be manipulated in a way to conceal the truth. Cottage industries actually exist which can hide growth deficiencies by expertly burying them within a cacophany of numeric formulas. And only well-trained accountants will discover them, but often after a considerable amount of time has subsequently passed. This tactic is based on the assumption that <i>"it's easier to receive forgiveness than approval"</i> and provides the company involved with the primary resource which the scheme absolutely needs in order to succeed: time. Once the 'accounting irregularities' have been unmasked (often as a result of an internal investigation by the perpetrating company), the parties involved have usually generated enough time to ride out the worst of its dysfunctional growth issues. What generally follows is an announcement stating that it is 'changing its accounting practices', the payment of a few punitive fines, and perhaps some sacrificial lambs offered up to the regulatory gods, for all of their time and troubles.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Successful investing involves not only the purchasing of stocks, but also includes deciphering the inner workings of them. Understanding corporate psychology can provide valuable insights into the fears and motivations of companies, and from that point, it's not difficult to assess the actions which some will take to either avoid or reward those sensations.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Depending on how well each company is managed is the primary determinate as to whether these actions will produce positive or negative consequences. So focusing your attention on the <i>corporation</i>, and not just the <i>stock</i>, should place you on the best path of discovering which one it is most likely to be.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.)</i> <b> </b> <b> </b> </span><br /></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-80279629370955378092022-01-11T23:44:00.002-06:002022-01-13T17:13:45.747-06:00Wheel of Fortune<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ecxKyKYaClL6Sw-KXD0TMD7e-mJ4J5E3ueKNuzUcpYV8smO5CEV3wAIB2C0br48hUMNXHCIc0Ffeg-Dn78wEGq1waVCLeTXBtzMQq-ceVNqC0tkKtX91gCjDnmTxDW_IfSByF1RpNIKBNrvFtCClnyIe4c0pbFGRsSgSjasbhOhXgnoYT96Uy4nx=s2121" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2121" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ecxKyKYaClL6Sw-KXD0TMD7e-mJ4J5E3ueKNuzUcpYV8smO5CEV3wAIB2C0br48hUMNXHCIc0Ffeg-Dn78wEGq1waVCLeTXBtzMQq-ceVNqC0tkKtX91gCjDnmTxDW_IfSByF1RpNIKBNrvFtCClnyIe4c0pbFGRsSgSjasbhOhXgnoYT96Uy4nx=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><b> </b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Identifying Characteristics of Stocks to Own Forever</b></i></span></p><p><i><b> </b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The wheel is perhaps the greatest industrial tool ever invented. Its elegant design was so well conceived that it has practically remained unchanged for thousands of years, and as a testament to its importance, has spanned from humble, wheelbarrow beginnings, to becoming an indispensable component for just about every device involved in land transport afterwards.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">From an investing perspective, the wheel would also qualify as that rarest of all breeds of stocks: those in which to purchase and never sell. Because of its broad utility in so many different areas, a hypothetical investor would have purchased its IPO a millennia ago, and countless generations later, would still be providing growth to the portfolio of their offspring to this very day.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">To understand exactly why this tool has become so incredibly successful, one need only to observe its fundamental characteristics. An elegant design accompanied by multi-use applications certainly contributes, but a closer examination reveals that other attributes play just as important roles in the wheels' success. And more surprising, that such properties are not <i>unique</i> to this particular product, but are standardized components of each and every one of these rarest of all equities.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>An Absence of Alternatives</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One attribute that 'forever stocks' tend to have in spades, is that there are simply no comparable alternatives to their usage. Having established their positioning as the sole resource required to perform necessary tasks, these products absolutely must be utilized if such activities are to be enacted, making their eventual purchasing a forgone conclusion. This very important characteristic causes these products to stand out from amongst the crowd, and certainly will do so from within your portfolio. Upon your discovery of a product whose usage is mandatory towards the implementation of certain essential tasks, add its name to your selection of stocks without a moments' hesitation, and strongly consider holding on to it for the remainder of your life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Upgrade Proof</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Forever stocks also hold the clear distinction of being free of the ability to be improved upon. Due to their simplistic complexity, these products withstand the test of time by simply being timeless, meaning that father, son and grandson (or mother, daughter and granddaughter) will each have the exact same experience when utilizing it, regardless of era or geographic location. This aspect aligns perfectly with the unique quality of the product, and cements its legacy as a proven gender neutral multi-generational resource. Some minute alterations may be added in the name of comfort or personal expression, but the core functioning of the tool will remain universal. And despite its implementation, the product will continue to provide consistent performance for its end user, with little if any indications of its age or year of origin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's hard to imagine what our world would look like without the creation of the wheel. Though its inventor remains unknown, the magnitude of their discovery would certainly place him or her amongst mankind's greatest creators; a heritage to be shared with other luminous visionaries like Archimedes, Heron and Edison.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A popular saying states <i>"The more brilliant the discovery, the more obvious it appears afterwards."</i> and this can certainly be applied to all 'forever stocks'. For the true indication of genius is not in its ability to be eventually perceived by others, but instead lies in the foresight of those with a tendency to do so prior to everyone else recognizing it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.)</i> <b> </b> <b> </b><i><b> </b></i></span><br /></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-47592609854743981092021-11-09T13:55:00.001-06:002021-12-06T16:50:50.638-06:00Creative Criteria<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZaVwwiqAt4wQadwTahdMfuhcz06cNiaDmfSw6pd7JJYak7r7T602zWTU2dSdl6KsEDO4hPAEKEFESXGVFLcz23VrGfrrGxTiXQbYiMokoq12HNE3Xmopd3zEREkgcJRtx9ByuoDV5xo/s2500/creativity.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2500" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZaVwwiqAt4wQadwTahdMfuhcz06cNiaDmfSw6pd7JJYak7r7T602zWTU2dSdl6KsEDO4hPAEKEFESXGVFLcz23VrGfrrGxTiXQbYiMokoq12HNE3Xmopd3zEREkgcJRtx9ByuoDV5xo/s320/creativity.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Discovering Unique Methods of Stock Selection</b></i></span><p></p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are no shortages of ways used by investors to determine stock selection. From the tedious, cerebral methods designed and implemented by professionals, to the haphazard, emotional decisions deployed by novices, the industry has a never ending source of criterion by which to choose from. And the list expands annually as an abundance of new approaches joins the nomenclature, and make their often-hyped evaluative debut.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But despite all these available concoctions, the vast majority of investors (including professionals), fail to annually outperform the S&P 500 Index. This, of course, not only points to the formidable challenge which this grouping obviously represents, but also highlights the need of bringing differing views to the selection process; some which aren't tainted by the biases and perspectives which are generally rendered by those who consistently fail to surpass it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">With this reality being front and center, I'll attempt to offer an explanation as to why novel ideas should be considered when deciding which stocks to purchase within your investment portfolio. As a defensive addendum to this endeavor (in the event that I fail to achieve the stated objective), you can always resign to the fail-safe position of simply reverting back to whatever methods you were employing prior to your reading of this article. Or, to perhaps more wisely, purchasing the venerable, aforementioned S&P 500 Index, instead. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Copycat Syndrome</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regardless of how well conceived an established criterion may be, its primary fault, ironically, is its own success. Once a particular method has proved successful, its utility tends to spread like wildfire, and this mass adoption can diminish the returns of those practicing the processes of its selective criteria. Instead of becoming a victim of this copycat syndrome, why not attempt to devise methods of your own to pursue your goals of selection? By initially purchasing minute shares over specified allotments of time, and recording your failure/success rate, you can establish a solid data set by which to evaluate your theories. And in the event that you happen upon a methodology that proves successful, you won't have to concern yourself with others mimicking your design, or the processes which lead to their profitable conclusions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Alternative Perspectives</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Many common problems can, and often do, benefit from fresh perspectives being provided by those with alternative views. An outsider's opinions can shed light on areas which established eyes may fail to see, and these aspects can 'loosen the soil' so that wider, more fertile ideologies can take root. This is where your inexperience as a stock theorist can come into play. Feel free to explore your creativity to the depths of its limitations, and challenge yourself to try out methods which may take you out of your customary comfort zones. These sparks of innovation may spawn pathways that could ultimately lead to surprising conclusions, and may even provide you with results which are equal to, or may even surpass, many of the methods you are currently using.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We could all, from time to time, use a bit of novelty in our lives to get the old neurons firing in new areas. I recall as a child devising a trick whereby I'd take familiar objects and describe them in as vague a manner as possible, then attempt to imagine what the new item would look like if I had to create one, now that I've stripped away all superfluous references by which to identify it with. Would "a devise required to transport individuals from one place to another" (an automobile) have three wheels instead of four, or none at all? And what means of propulsion would it possess? These thought experiments forced me to constantly think differently about the world around me, and certainly contributed to my successes later in life. When we alter our perspectives, and revisit them with eyes anew, we can foster the creation of diverse, and oftentimes more successful ideas. Including those which can help us to better compete with the S&P 500 Index.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.) </i> <b> </b> <b> </b></span> <br /></p><p> <br /></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-17258690045211714612021-09-25T19:36:00.002-05:002021-12-06T16:49:41.621-06:00Deflation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uNzdLiefLCiEJ1XPYyWLmES4VHN56cqPC7KEeTG_La8O20hxNI3Y7F5X4RprLLI8yF0G0r205-js5c2Drwypd1iOr-tSAI4Gn6Zo83U4mKwGAzJ0CWwgsboQavHrF1GRdd1AwY5cjnM/s612/balloon.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="612" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uNzdLiefLCiEJ1XPYyWLmES4VHN56cqPC7KEeTG_La8O20hxNI3Y7F5X4RprLLI8yF0G0r205-js5c2Drwypd1iOr-tSAI4Gn6Zo83U4mKwGAzJ0CWwgsboQavHrF1GRdd1AwY5cjnM/s320/balloon.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Strategies to Aid Your Portfolio During High Inflationary Environments</span></i></b><p></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are very few things which can send a chill down the spine of the business community, as does the prospect of rising inflation. This scourge forces them to prematurely raise the prices of their goods and services, which, inevitably results in less purchases of their offerings, and contributes overwhelmingly in downturns in consumer sentiment, which tends to hang over the economy like a gigantic dark cloud; omnipresent above our heads, and extending ominously in all directions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">As for investors, the news of its arrival is equally as stark. Decreases in purchases results in lower corporate earnings, which naturally equates to negative movements within their equity positions, and forces them to seek out alternative investing vehicles, which, while in such an environment are much safer, generally lacks the growth potential to offset the nauseating conditions which this debilitating environment unfortunately produces.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But within our equity offerings are a slate of companies which can help to bring a modicum of sunlight to these dreary, overcast days. Purchasing stocks which offer attractive dividends and have aggressive buyback programs, can both be beneficial boons for investors during these times. In addition, they also provide the hope of even higher gains once the inflation issue has run its course, and the sun begins to peek through the darkness, yet again.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Paid to Wait</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Buying stocks which pay attractive dividends is a healthy strategy for investors, in general, but during high inflationary environments, their importance takes on an even greater meaning. By selecting the right companies (and not just any name from among the pack), you can be essentially paid to wait, while the members of the Federal Reserve Board devises tactics to tame the inflation scourge, and place the economy on a more firm and balanced footing. When choosing, it's important to seek out companies with a history of dividend payments through various economic cycles, as the current environment will cause unhealthy corporations to tighten their belts, and lower or eliminate their dividend altogether. The homework may take a while, but it's far better than being enticed by a seemingly high dividend by a wave riding company, only to see it later taken away because it can't generate enough income to meet its financial obligations.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Buyback Payback</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The math regarding our next strategy is pretty straightforward: less shares outstanding results in higher earnings per share, and higher earnings normally equates to increases in stock prices. This is the benefit of owning companies that implement aggressive buyback programs. During increasing inflationary environments, only fiscally strong corporations will either initiate or continue buybacks, which can be viewed as a proxy for solid leadership, and excellent business execution. The cherry on top is, of course, that when the inflationary crises abates, these companies will emerge leaner and meaner than before, and positioned very well to provide your portfolio with even greater returns when ideal economic conditions once again return to the fore.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Living with inflation is a fact of life. And while our administrators at the FRB will use all the means at their disposal to keep it at bay, our various investment vehicles can also play a considerable role in helping to assist in its taming. Through prudent investment research, and savvy product selection, we can create situations which, while won't exactly make its unwanted arrival a pleasant experience, by any means, but can most certainly make the duration of its visitation a bit more easier to cope with.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.) </i> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-89780962652438384122021-08-31T00:07:00.003-05:002021-12-06T16:48:25.472-06:00Class Pass<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMSEU4xvOd8mtuNcieVbkU-GCs2kr771LS_TTjnubr4pr_uhyAgbuCgVj7wjeocl4mMXuLhhCM3LW9S74JSWEFUkOBn6idzFaJW9AZsfkiI5mLNJj05ud8NcYHTLIG90JUiiwAb_vhVM/s474/snobbish.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="474" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMSEU4xvOd8mtuNcieVbkU-GCs2kr771LS_TTjnubr4pr_uhyAgbuCgVj7wjeocl4mMXuLhhCM3LW9S74JSWEFUkOBn6idzFaJW9AZsfkiI5mLNJj05ud8NcYHTLIG90JUiiwAb_vhVM/s320/snobbish.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Advice for Those Attempting to Scale Life's Golden Walls</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having the ability to create wealth can be quite empowering. So much, in fact, that many financial advisors set account minimums for their services, so as to ensure ample compensation for the highly prized expertise for which they provide. The creation of this <i>golden wall</i> can have astounding psychological effects. Consumers have been conditioned to equate prices with levels of quality, so establishing a barrier to entry taps into their tribal desires to become, or remain associated within the membership of a particular social class, one which separates them from the ordinary riffraff who couldn't afford to hire such elevated levels of professionalism. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This conditioning is not lost on the advisors themselves, and in some cases, is even used to their advantage. Being granted entry into the club of the elite can be the prize within itself to some, and the questions of performance relegated to secondary status, lest membership within such circles become immediately revoked.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This can become particularly worrisome for those individuals not normally accustomed to these Wall Street traditions, and having to navigate this minefield without prior understanding of its terrain. Low to middle class individuals who immediately come into large sums of money, may logically seek to hire advisors from the largest firms to handle their financial affairs, only to painfully discover that their fortunes will never afford them the access which is absolutely reserved for the financial elite.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Green Can't Make Your Blood Blue</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Traditional Wall Street firms have a long legacy of providing services to the upper crust of society. These relationships have been established and cultivated over decades, and form the very foundation under which the company's great successes have been built upon. Underscoring this reality would be a tremendous error, and one which is often made by those unaware of its lineage or history. Some advisors within these firms may be more than happy to open accounts with outsiders who meet the monetary requirements which their status demands, but will often stop short of providing them with the perks and benefits which their legacy clients have come to expect, and dutifully receive.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">That New Money Smell</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Birds of a feather flock together, and those without such plumage are immediately recognized. This is never more true than at prestigious Wall Street firms. Advisors and clients within these hallowed halls generally share similar backgrounds and social circles, and these connections foster the friendships and relationships which serve to cement the hierarchical pecking order whenever IPO's and other company offerings are disseminated. An outsider being granted positioning within this system is highly unlikely, regardless of the capital which he or she brings to the firm. One may receive a round lot (100 shares) or so of a prized IPO, but the lion's portion of these shares will generally be reserved for those to whom the firm has established, long-standing relationships.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Demanding prices for one's services is not at issue regarding this post. As a staunch capitalist myself, I would never begrudge an individual of his or her rights to profit off of their expertise, and to willingly set such fees in amounts which one's clients are willing to pay for them. It is, in the end, yet another cautionary tale of class, and how its influence can effect our decision making, and exploit our cravings to seek acceptance from those whom we feel represents an ideal image of who and what we'd like to be. Even if that representation conceals an ugly reality which remains just hidden from view.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.) </i></span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-16547387630553885382021-07-26T16:09:00.005-05:002021-08-23T22:40:43.632-05:00Rewarding Repetitions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieChrnHnKW4SRuCbiv4zAXn7Cb2TYkof2VV_n5qZIOAFYe2PZTGTun-89RGXLrIB9TWcx8_ap5jwEypaTA0WevrTloWUhqCs3WgGWCFaXecKlM8jehGpmgewbkIgCGzaA44uoyYnvwTwc/s1200/pattern.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieChrnHnKW4SRuCbiv4zAXn7Cb2TYkof2VV_n5qZIOAFYe2PZTGTun-89RGXLrIB9TWcx8_ap5jwEypaTA0WevrTloWUhqCs3WgGWCFaXecKlM8jehGpmgewbkIgCGzaA44uoyYnvwTwc/s320/pattern.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Why Pattern Recognition is Perhaps the Greatest Skill to Master for Portfolio Growth</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If there is a single flaw which can be directly attributed to nature, it would be that she is notoriously repetitive. Throughout the grand cosmos which encompasses the magnificence of her creativity and diversification, it appears that the underlying threads within this fabric is woven with an infinite cycle entrenched, and that its redundancies reign supreme on both the macro and microscopic levels of this celestial tapestry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The recognition of this truth is perhaps the primary reason why I was both drawn to, and excelled at, the stock market. For the entirety of my life, I've always possessed this uncanny ability to notice patterns where others saw disarray, and its palpitations provided an ideal environment by which to monetarily exploit the repetitions which unequivocally govern its entire existence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">While the fellow members of my ilk with this blessed curse (not all patterns portend good news) naturally detect these sequences, those without it can also benefit from their recognition, though with a great deal more effort. But since the rewards originating from their discovery significantly outweighs the time spent in learning to notice them, the wise would easily conclude that the venture is certainly worth pursuing.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Effect and Cause</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nature's primary pattern is the law of cause and effect. All actions have consequences, and she has made it a point to inject this mandate into every aspect of each of her physical dimensions. While seemingly appearing elementary at first glance, this recognition actually has profound implications. One maneuver which I adopted early on in portfolio management, was to imagine the scenario in reverse; visualizing the ending result which companies will eventually find themselves in, and working my way backwards to identify all the possible actions which could lead them to particular situations. This technique provided me with a somewhat prescient view of managerial decisions beforehand, and all which was required later was to wait patiently for the initial trigger to materialize.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Ebbs and Flows</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Business, like all other constructs of nature, has a particular cycle to which it is beholden to, and therefore, must uniformly follow. Its rhythmic expansion and receding repetitions occur just as naturally and assuredly as the ebbing and flowing cycles of tidal forces does, which makes it exceedingly prone to exploitation. This flaw, however, is only truly maximized by those with a disciplined temperament, as the recognition of the particular period <i>within</i> the cycle, is best identified when viewing it from afar. This is the chief explanation for why some individuals seem to mysteriously cash out of the market just prior to a crash taking place (not all of it is pure luck), and stresses just how important it is to make the spotlighting of these patterns a significant priority.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Perhaps 'flaw' is too harsh a word to use when describing nature's predilection for repetition. After all, once a particular method is proven successful, it only makes sense to integrate the tactic into other areas in an attempt to replicate its success, a strategy which nature has mastered to perfection.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But regardless of their triumphs, there's no denying that patterns, by sheer definition, follow a particular, defined sequence. And that by studying their histories, one can be provided with a considerable advantage into realizing what their next steps will inevitably be.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com.) </i> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-70031213105918331292021-07-03T15:04:00.002-05:002021-08-05T13:48:54.567-05:00Superman<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdZP3hhQYOnqNo5oGnrz8SlSvfsJa5pKBdDpfspzE0cOfnM_7ASGirU_7KF2_YzEQ8zvoGDD242G4C4tUycDdh8YJ7gmypXhZnl4BWzMzcHyDHrohJ1LZFJyWltL32uIIcdT0DpRzQCg/s600/Superman_Ketchup-Rep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdZP3hhQYOnqNo5oGnrz8SlSvfsJa5pKBdDpfspzE0cOfnM_7ASGirU_7KF2_YzEQ8zvoGDD242G4C4tUycDdh8YJ7gmypXhZnl4BWzMzcHyDHrohJ1LZFJyWltL32uIIcdT0DpRzQCg/s320/Superman_Ketchup-Rep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Intertwining Triad of Vegetarian Diets, Enhanced Physical Activity and Celebrated Mental Acuity Could Usher in a New Phase of Human Evolution, with Investors Along for the Ride</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Somewhere Nietzsche is smiling. His foretelling of a coming <i>"ubermensch"</i> may be closer to realization (though not exactly in the manner in which he envisioned), as mankind appears to be on the cusp of a biological revolution.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Within this new construct, smart devices monitor our physical activities, and provide guidance on how they can be improved upon. Torrential demand for organic foods is altering our farming and eating habits, resulting in less animal byproducts and chemical toxicities entering our bodies. And the term "nerd", which was itself created as a slight for intelligent, socially awkward individuals, is not only being embraced by a new and evolving citizenry, but <i>celebrated</i>, as a large swath of the public now highlight its traits as attractive, sought after characteristics for dating, something previous generations couldn't even imagine doing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the investor, the implications of this transition is obvious, as each of these categories have representations within our investing products. But the truly savvy has moved beyond viewing these groups through individual lenses, and have begun to incorporate them into a new 'super sector' of human evolution, with bio-tech and pharmaceuticals rounding out its participants. The tracking of this cluster has untold potential for growth, as we are only entering the beginning stages of realizing what it could eventually become.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The "App" lete</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There are very few areas of our lives which today's technology has not touched, and physical fitness is no exception. Gone are the days when information regarding the best practices for strength and cardio needed to be siphoned from personal trainers or exercise magazines. Those interested in such data can now simply turn on their smart phones and be provided with targeted regiments for whatever body type he or she would like to possess, with matching nutritional guidelines accumulated by the brightest minds on the subject, delivered through artificial intelligence driven algorithms.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Veggie Strong</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The many benefits of a vegetarian diet has long been known, but the health conscious wave we are currently experiencing seems primed to move it beyond the niche population which has historically practiced its religion. With those who identify as being "vegetarian" or "vegan" steadily on the rise, the manufacturers of our foods are shifting their production to more healthy alternatives, with the results being exponential growth of the category having been experienced in recent years. What's different about this transition, however, and why I believe it's here to stay, is that the traditional definition of what "vegetarian fare" used to be has over-gone a modern makeover of extraordinary proportions. Today, my fellow veggies can enjoy burgers, that actually <i>tastes </i>like burgers, and pizza, which actually <i>taste </i>like pizza, while at the same time receiving the health benefits which are consistent and aligned with an overall plant based diet.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">New Nerds</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The historical view of the 98 pound be-speckled nerd is no more. Sure, many still wear glasses, but far more do so for purposes of fashion or self-expression, rather than a result of diminished eyesight. Today, a nerd is just as likely to be a physical specimen, as a theoretical physicist, and this truth bodes well for mankind, as a whole. Historically speaking, highly intelligent individuals have often experienced very low birth rates, due in large parts to the eccentricities which are inherent to their unique nature. These attributes often make physical interactions with others a bit difficult, which naturally reduces their mating options. But today's nerds have become empowered by television shows which reward their brilliance, and communities both on and offline which celebrate their quirkiness. The results being, that many are just as comfortable in the weight room as the science lab, and members of the opposite sex are keenly beginning to take notice.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I've never been a fan of Superman. As a child reading his books, I often found myself rooting for Lex Luthor; not because of the maniacal characterization for which he was so often portrayed, but because I felt that the extraordinary powers which Superman possessed was too irresistible a challenge for Luthor's brilliant mind to refuse (thus producing his psychosis). I also wondered that Superman's good-hearted disposition required a nemesis like Luthor to keep him engaged, otherwise he'd eventually grow bored with humanity's monotony and blow us all to smithereens.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully, today's versions of supermen are more of an amalgam of Clark Kent and Kal El, with a dash of Nietzsche's <i>ubermensch</i> thrown in for good measure. Assuredly, we may not be able to <i>leap tall</i> <i>buildings in a single bound</i>, but hopefully, we'll leave as positive an imprint on our Daily Planet as the original Man of Steel has.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com) </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-37213577062244121392021-05-21T23:41:00.004-05:002021-05-26T15:17:56.484-05:00The Congealing<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupnnevW4n2fbhfdfyOogbAEWaVLmVUdMlnE1m_-K_JlGnzj_5t_UT_1HLH-T1i5VdIcsVzvc8t2Dyw6ck7bx17DMS3-Hz_AdCGHbkLig6W1U-nS-D8oIgU37iDcX8g9SjxmwzidheEQ0/s1280/congealing.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupnnevW4n2fbhfdfyOogbAEWaVLmVUdMlnE1m_-K_JlGnzj_5t_UT_1HLH-T1i5VdIcsVzvc8t2Dyw6ck7bx17DMS3-Hz_AdCGHbkLig6W1U-nS-D8oIgU37iDcX8g9SjxmwzidheEQ0/s320/congealing.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Identifying the Dynamics which Spur M&A Activity, and How to Profit Off of Them</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The dynamism of capitalism assures that new products or technologies will steadily emerge for entrepreneurs, investors and consumers to benefit from. The sacredness of this covenant is the very essence of the commercial system, and as a result of its rewarding characteristics, ensures continued participation by all three parties involved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Such rewards inevitably produces overabundance, but systematic byproducts has efficiently evolved to develop a means of confronting these matters. Through bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions, the capitalistic process effectively trims its corporate fat, and ensures that only apex companies will survive to reap the monetary benefits which it so bountifully disseminates.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Prior to these winners materializing, however, questions emerge as to whom they will be, and, more importantly, how to effectively identify them. The process will, of course, sort itself out in the end, but in the interim, capital can be grown through speculation. During these embryonic stages, discovery of the victors may actually be less important than another prescient issue: the recognition of the mathematical dynamics which will ultimately spur initiation of this congealing to transpire, in the first place.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Multiplication</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When new products or technologies arise, its accompanying sector begins to swell with a multiplicity of companies vying for their share of its eventual profits. At this onset, each entity will attempt to fashion their very own interpretation of the novelty, in an attempt to differentiate itself from an ever-increasing number of participants (with some being more successful than others). It is this multiplying effect, however, which investors should take note of, as it is the opening prelude to the coming congealing which will eventually take place. Upon noticing the coalescence of companies around a new product or technology, begin to focus your attention on all the names within the grouping, and prepare both yourself and your portfolio for the very important happenings which will ultimately transpire next.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Division, Subtraction and Addition</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Now that all of the actors have been properly identified, your next step should be to analyze each company in an attempt to sort out the best of breed, and least likely to succeed from within the herd. This can simply be accomplished by both a reviewing of their earnings reports, and a thorough combing through of their balance sheets. The former's are likely to become future survivors, and the latter's, to face possible bankruptcies. But the remaining names from this process will have an increased likelihood of becoming the dominant players within the sector; with the strongest either merging with one another, or by acquiring the lower rungs within the hierarchy, to both expand and solidify their controlling positions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Sector consolidation can take years to materialize, but for the patient, this period can prove uncommonly lucrative for their portfolios. As any stockholder can attest, the acquirer-acquiree dynamic is one of the most monetarily advantageous in all of investing; with the stock of the acquiree generally rising in the short-term, while the acquirer's growing steadily over longer periods of time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Early recognition of this process is the key to maximizing its growth, because once these transitions begin, the law of diminishing returns accelerates with each passing day. The overriding thesis of this post is to be cognizant of the tell-tell signs <i>prior</i> to the congealing becoming initialized. Which should practically guarantee continued appreciation of your investments for many prosperous years to come.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com.) </i> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-51931960525773428572021-04-25T17:39:00.003-05:002021-05-07T15:09:06.097-05:00Renewable Renaissance<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rl0_bnSY673j5hCHI72WbCOOf1m8ZMus23cm3K9ls8uFAx7HpxI9M-ewxOSArHWA1aL8iBl_KM4U_nLMbXgY_iiLgBgR_JJpywuZ_u12QOu4GnJV0yolZGx_ctVo3zXtvIuUPTXzSvA/s1200/recycling.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rl0_bnSY673j5hCHI72WbCOOf1m8ZMus23cm3K9ls8uFAx7HpxI9M-ewxOSArHWA1aL8iBl_KM4U_nLMbXgY_iiLgBgR_JJpywuZ_u12QOu4GnJV0yolZGx_ctVo3zXtvIuUPTXzSvA/s320/recycling.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><span style="font-size: large;">New Eco-Friendly Products Could Help Save the Planet and Our Natural Resources, While at the Same Time Growing Your Portfolio</span></i></b><p></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In order to truly combat the effects of climate change, and the resulting implications which it has on the ecology, I have always been of the opinion that it's best to appeal to the more practical side of mankind's nature. This is the portion which has been honed over eons as strictly pure rationality, and is predicated on the immediate gratification which has grown from the benefits which it has long generated.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Confronting the topic from this angle is far more likely to be accepted, as it ultimately addresses the elephant in the room which often tends to be avoided. It being, that our lives are finite, and as a result, our interests myopic, so beginning a conversation about long-term rewards, while sacrificing immediate gains, predictably tends to fall upon deaf ears.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This point of view is finally being shared by the scientific community, as they are swiftly developing products which could immediately replace today's bio-toxic, but useful technologies, with counterparts which provide identical, if not superior benefits. Such tools could finally assist in stemming the tide on climate change (and in the short-term, no less), while at the same time providing the monetary rewards which will be essential towards their adoption becoming widespread.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Perpetual Polymers</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Try, though we may, we just can't seem to break our addiction to plastic. Through countless documentaries and presentations which reveal the horrendous effects which it wreaks on the environment, its practical uses simply outweighs its detractions, and has stubbornly remained a staple despite all these unhealthy realities. But Berkeley researchers seem to have found the answer. A product developed at their labs called PDK (which they are currently licensing), provides all the benefits of plastic, but without any of its ecological drawbacks. This means that their creation eliminates the single use property of plastics, which have been the bane of environmentalists for decades, with another which allows it to be continuously recycled, indefinitely.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Drinking to Success</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Additionally, Princeton researchers have thrown their hat in the arena, by creating a product which also addresses an ever-increasing problem. Viable drinking water is one of the most serious problems of a rapidly changing climate, as famine and drought are likely to increase due to its impending onslaught. Their response to this matter is a gel membrane which remarkably absorbs unhealthy water, then releases drinkable H20 when sunlight is applied. It's no exaggeration to state that the benefits of this discovery could prove monumental in our ecological tug-of-war with climate change. The commercial applications are also awe-inspiring. Imagine traveling anywhere in the world without having to concern yourself with the problem of healthy drinking water. Simply tote the accompanying filter with you, add water from any surrounding source, and allow our hosting star to do the rest.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The seemingly unbalanced marriage of economics and the environment may, in truth appear awkward, but is, nonetheless, borne of necessity. Though separately their interests may diverge, and concern entirely different audiences, it is only through their mutual cohesion that each of their goals are likely to advance, and in the allotment of time needed to stave off pending disaster. The universal threat of climate change demands such a union, and woe to us all if the alliance should falter due to petty tribal differences. It is the all hands on deck approach which we must now deploy to bring us back from the abyss. For anything less and our ship will most certainly go down, with each and every one of us foolishly still aboard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> <i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective <a href="http://www.theplanningperspective.com/" style="color: navy;">www.theplanningperspective.com</a>. Do not reproduce without permission.)</i></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 1px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i></i></span></span></p><p> </p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-69486853367867355962021-02-22T23:16:00.003-06:002021-02-26T22:56:27.032-06:00Dull Lull? Null!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETA4swOfdb7KlK1_pI6sdcT2axu3qC9jmwLvAa7RoRl2JCc6d7ajQu1cWiZzrhZe8hElj-lv9IXhoa3D9c_9yDfVY59CiLhduSpk0BblVxghMz_e7NWLK2a31TjLqby6kocD19KXYDfM/s849/Yawning2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="849" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETA4swOfdb7KlK1_pI6sdcT2axu3qC9jmwLvAa7RoRl2JCc6d7ajQu1cWiZzrhZe8hElj-lv9IXhoa3D9c_9yDfVY59CiLhduSpk0BblVxghMz_e7NWLK2a31TjLqby6kocD19KXYDfM/s320/Yawning2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Using the Markets' Lateral Phases to Sharpen Your Investing Skills</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For new investors, the stock market can be a terrible place for on the job training. Having to swiftly decipher its coded industrial jargon, and being overwhelmed by its rapidly serpentine movements, the skills required to gain a foundational understanding within this environment can exhaust even the most studious of market learners, and absolutely befuddle those with easily distracted attention spans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But fear not, my fresh-faced market newbies, for the fates aren't so cruel as to not be willing to provide a respite during this sensory overloading educational experience. One, in which allows you to develop a complete understanding of the market in real time, but without the heightened degree of concentration normally rendered to attain it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sound too good to be true? Perhaps. But there are actually times when the market moves in a lateral fashion over extended periods. When it does, such moments provide golden opportunities for novices and professionals alike, to expand their knowledge and extend their expertise, while at the same time both strengthening and sharpening their core investing abilities.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">All Quiet On The Western Front</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">During a period of maturing technologies, little or no political stimulus spending, and mediocre consumer sentiment, we can often create an environment which causes the stock market to move in a lateral fashion. These moments are quite rare, as they are not derived from conventional means; since there is sparse influence to trigger its usually impulsive responses to either fear or excitement. When these moments inevitably arrive, the market generally experiences periods of lower volatility, and decreased trading volumes. While the professionals are off competing in their firms' posh golf outings, or meeting with other prospective investors, you can use this confluence of events as an opportunity to better understand its intricacies and nuances. And the best part is, such learning will be achieved in an environment free of the pulse-pounding pandemonium which routinely accompanies this chaotic setting.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Down Time to Upload</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Knowledge is power. And this truth is fully compounded within the confinements of the stock market. Successful investors spend copious amounts of time reading articles, listening to conference calls and researching companies, all with the intent of being supremely prepared when the trading day finally begins. This can often become difficult during normally hectic days, but within these low-intensity lulls, such times can be used to aggressively procure as much data as you can, on as many companies as possible. Since these opportunities only occur rarely in dynamic economies such as ours, maximizing its worth now, will be greatly appreciated down the road. Once the market begins to rotate towards it customary bouts of bedlam, you'll appreciate having had used such moments to expand your bases of knowledge, which should ultimately translate into vastly increased profits for your portfolio.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The value of our time is often determined by how well we use it. With time itself being agnostic towards our allocated usage, the choices we make must therefore reflect our priorities, and take into account the reality that it is only distributed to us in finite amounts. During life's lulls, we can sometimes forget this fact, and believe that our allotment of time will be suspended until these mundane moments have passed. A wiser choice to make would be to use these precious periods as opportunities for self improvement, and to make ourselves worthy of the limited time we have remaining.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.) </i> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-88089194602351784362021-01-12T18:04:00.003-06:002021-06-09T13:52:06.751-05:00The Potpourri Paradox<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwIV8iNRbVAExW2qE17HMyK16SM-n8PvQuI9uPLKSbeT_1ADShfmd9cAEzVs0q2z5FTHLGbP9qUuGJ3mpsxxQEUBpDyJ7Hrt8SlosunQngD4SXcxU_Yb07G9_VvQL_qKmdpUz_8013Zk/s682/popourri.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwIV8iNRbVAExW2qE17HMyK16SM-n8PvQuI9uPLKSbeT_1ADShfmd9cAEzVs0q2z5FTHLGbP9qUuGJ3mpsxxQEUBpDyJ7Hrt8SlosunQngD4SXcxU_Yb07G9_VvQL_qKmdpUz_8013Zk/s320/popourri.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Is the Single Company, Multiple Businesses Model Still Beneficial to Your Retirement Plan?</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Logic would tell us that owning companies with multiple streams of revenue is both rewarding and protective of our capital assets. The rationale behind this thinking states that if one of these sources happens to dry up for a particular reason, the other streams would compensate for the difference and balance out the whole, which is why mutual funds are such popular mainstays within our retirement plans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This belief system has powerful legs to stand upon, with colossal conglomerates like Berkshire Hathaway and Toshiba providing consistently reliable growth for millions of retirees over a successive period of decades. The advent of the Internet has spawned newer names to follow in their lead, and to continue to carry the torch of diversification as a standard growth model for 401 (k)'s of Generations X, Y, and Z.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But just over the horizon lurks a bevy of problems which could potentially put an end to this tried and true method of nearly guaranteed capital appreciation. The questions one needs to answer are, will their momentum impact the model sooner, rather than later? Or, should they continue to reap its benefits, in hopes that they won't, in fact, alter the model, at all?</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Gig Speed</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If our recent experiments with remote working and learning has taught us anything, it is that the cost of doing business today is not nearly as expensive as it has been in the past. With our homes becoming offices, and interactive video conferences via computers replacing physical meetings, the elimination of the overhead normally associated with these essentials may cause many to surmise, that striking out on their own is not nearly as intimidating an issue as it once was. This potential addition to the "gig" economy could wreak havoc on a plethora of companies, and in many different sectors. If seasoned employees decide to instead take the route of becoming business owners themselves, the single company, multiple businesses model could easily teeter on the brink of collapse, and move towards rapidly becoming a remnant of the past.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">The New Trust Busters</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Regulatory bodies from all over the world are also focusing their attention on these conglomerates. Gargantuan companies like Google and Alibaba are firmly in the sights of their host countries' authorities, which makes the prospect of them being either broken up or severely limited in their usual business activities, more than a distinct possibility. These acts are purposely designed to both enact punitive measures to all current practitioners of the model, and to deter future adopters from seeking to follow in their lead. If successful, the rulings could all but put an end to the structure as it currently exists. The result being, that such mandates could usher in a period in which companies must focus their attention towards singular streams of revenue, instead of the potpourri assortment which has made these corporations so incredibly powerful, and profitable.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All good things must come to an end. And although I don't expect this particular paradigm to disappear overnight, the recent challenges to its existence, if nothing else, are at least exposing us to some significant signs of its aging. Will it be able to adapt to new circumstances, and emerge even stronger than ever? Or will it become yet another relic of a bygone age; forever crystallized in our histories as a method of a specific period, which was unable to transition to new realities, and finally abandoned as a victim of pure capital obsolescence?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Only time will tell.</span></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission.) </span></i></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-26306961771972021752020-12-16T20:38:00.001-06:002021-06-09T13:53:34.060-05:00Offering Overload<p> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">IPO Glut Could Portend Bubble Trouble</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIVzCof73EEpksHHMS9x5241n-fygb_vg7cUa77aax3KzQTf3OSaAs5WtuS_8H7xaXIOJK-RIzKZjJeTF6ap2QeabHjEIAcw8Wrt2TaOQmj8ejLhEIiBvgiK4CuCoXkICSd1pK38owRY/s1200/ipo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIVzCof73EEpksHHMS9x5241n-fygb_vg7cUa77aax3KzQTf3OSaAs5WtuS_8H7xaXIOJK-RIzKZjJeTF6ap2QeabHjEIAcw8Wrt2TaOQmj8ejLhEIiBvgiK4CuCoXkICSd1pK38owRY/s320/ipo.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Innovation is the mother's milk of capitalism. There is perhaps no greater manifestation of this truth than the seemingly unlimited amounts of money which is generated by the stock markets' initial public offerings (newly listed companies which begin trading on the exchanges), and the tremendous potential for growth which they represent to the investing public. To become a member of this elite group, each company should exhibit either a propensity to differentiate itself from an already existing set of peers, or become early representations of emerging technological advancements. But the focus on innovation should be at the center of whatever product or service they seek to introduce.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This truth can sometimes become lost during the frenzy surrounding the debuting of these newly issued stocks. In fact, it's neither uncommon nor unheard of for some companies to take advantage of the public's hysteria over their popularity, and to make out like bandits by sidestepping this innovation component altogether.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When such actions occur, we can often find ourselves in the midst of a sectional bubble. And as history has repeatedly shown us, when these fragile frameworks inevitably collapse, they have a tendency to take the entire market down with them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fever Fervor</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sector IPO's follow the same, exact pattern as nearly all growth stories do. They begin with highly innovative companies which establish a benchmark of performance which justifies their often incredible prices, and generally end with not-so innovative "wave riders"; companies who, being fully aware of the excitement generated by their predecessors, time their offerings solely for the purpose of taking advantage of the public's seemingly insatiable appetite for the sectors' offerings. Due to this blinding mania, investors fall into the trap of thinking that all of these new issues are representative of the standards set by the earlier pioneers. The resulting delirium causes many to forego their prudent acts of due diligence, and grab up as many shares as they can, just as soon as they begin trading. This action is textbook definition of an inflationary bubble. Unfortunately, by the time this irrational craze is realized, many investors often awaken to find themselves with a terrible case of buyers' remorse, and regret having had purchased such names at prices many of them will never again reach.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Revolutionary vs Repackaged</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you begin to notice after a while that many of these companies are beginning to look and sound the same, your senses are not failing you. One of the more popular tactics employed by these latecomers, is to package their IPO with similar verbiage and expectations as their forerunners, in an attempt to both align and associate their companies with the successes which their intrepid sector mates rightfully experienced. This should be a surefire sign that the end is at nigh, and that rotating toward safer havens is perhaps, time to commence. When you begin to realize the repetitiveness of this sameness repackaged, follow your instincts and head for the hills. Because there is an increased likelihood that that bubble is very soon to burst. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Mania, in all of its various episodes, has a well-deserved reputation for having the ability to engulf us all. Whether it's the prospect of getting in on the ground floor of an endeavor which is likely to increase our finances considerably, or by being enchanted by a particular cause for which we feel adamant about, its intoxicating allure bars none from potentially being caught in its irresistible orbit, regardless of age, education, or economic status.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Respecting this power is the first step towards developing an immunity to its effects, though it, too, is no guarantee of success. The greatest defense that we can muster, is to be made aware of the alerting signposts while in the midst of its ever-increasing grip. And to hopefully escape its grasp before its powerful fists become clinched.</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission) </span></i></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-63081898615268986272020-11-22T00:20:00.003-06:002021-06-09T13:55:16.135-05:00Catalyst Analysis<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEBphfFH5aQW3GLBNu8IUbk9hX2QUFkcCmBb2ivTYNjuqU69CLOG3iAcDo74CBfmclmTQLr1k7bMN0nqPOERn4WLhEj0xBr9sOTksktKqEm_tqKkk-mGFgkggsy12iEK4VTBUyN7Em14/s2048/market1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEBphfFH5aQW3GLBNu8IUbk9hX2QUFkcCmBb2ivTYNjuqU69CLOG3iAcDo74CBfmclmTQLr1k7bMN0nqPOERn4WLhEj0xBr9sOTksktKqEm_tqKkk-mGFgkggsy12iEK4VTBUyN7Em14/s320/market1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Identifying the Sparks that Contribute to Market Movements</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For all its complexities and supposed mystique, a careful examination of the stock market reveals that it is essentially a measurement of human emotion. Throughout its history, the gut-wrenching ebbs and bountiful flows which has contributed to fortunes being either lost or made, can all be attributed to our direct responses to either fear or excitement, with subsets of these primary sensations thrown in at various intervals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The understanding of this perspective opens up a range of possibilities, including forays into ways of predicting its eventual movements. If human beings are emotional creatures, and the market, a gauge of emotional responses to stimuli, should not our recognition of such stimuli provide us with an advantage as to deciding not only what, but also when to invest?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The key to answering this question lies in the observers' ability to identify the catalysts which prompt these aforementioned emotional responses. When one obtains the ability to do this successfully, he or she will no longer be subject to the nuanced or idiosyncratic methods defined by the tools employed by market speculators, but will be able to abandon these techniques with absolute impunity. Because upon reaching such a point, they will have arrived at the level of complete understanding of what actually directs the markets' movements.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Fear Factors</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The fight or flight action is nature's response to our encounters with fear. When presented with these two options, we decide (based on the data available to us at the time), to either mount a defense, or retreat; both being under the auspices of self preservation. This process is universal, and extends equally to our monetary fears. When an event takes place which is likely to invoke a state of fright, investors respond in predictable ways. Those in the fight camp generally do so by purchasing precious metals, or by analyzing the situation and purchasing those sectors which are likely to benefit from the fear that the occurrence will induce. The flight camp's constituents simply respond by selling their assets. But each of these actions are a direct interpretation of this founding rule.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">"I'm So Excited, and I Just Can't Hide It"</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Our responses to excitement are also predictable. Excitement causes increases in perspiration and heart rate, and floods our system with dopamine; all actions being symptomatic of our anticipation of receiving a reward of some kind. It's no surprise, therefore, that a chart representing the stock market after its receiving of exciting news, looks surprisingly similar to that of an EKG of a human being upon doing the same. This universal response transcends our differentiated worlds, and makes its outcomes equally as transparent. When investors receive positive news regarding stock that he or she owns, this catalyst induces a similar response; as they know that there's a general likelihood that their stock's price will increase, ultimately rewarding their bottom line as a result.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Having emotions is an essential component of being human. And since the stock markets' movements are based on emotional responses, its resulting charts are no more than a physical representation of our actual feelings laid bare.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What's missing in this equation is the median; that all-important component which lies in between fear and excitement. I am, of course, speaking of the disciplined emotional response of aplomb. Because of all the fortunes made by those investors impulsively navigating between fear and excitement, the markets' most successful winners are the individuals who applied this emotion, and simply maintained their positions through it all.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com. Do not reproduce without permission) </i> <b> </b> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-79828121680449120092020-09-28T19:57:00.007-05:002021-07-22T14:07:33.507-05:00Profit Motive<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC8FMb5L3Ik-gKTz8k55LlCEWhY-eKYI54jmo3hRTFoIqCrW8QRuJQOkXVMCKw0JfoXY1grg9HZsaawEokdgz5cYvSjJ1zZTcj1ihft82X0vYKlZiuztn-V4yDfADVztZR5KnEzNvnjQ/s1300/motivation.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC8FMb5L3Ik-gKTz8k55LlCEWhY-eKYI54jmo3hRTFoIqCrW8QRuJQOkXVMCKw0JfoXY1grg9HZsaawEokdgz5cYvSjJ1zZTcj1ihft82X0vYKlZiuztn-V4yDfADVztZR5KnEzNvnjQ/s320/motivation.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Using Life's 'Why's" to Fuel Your Investing "How's"</span></i></b><p></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I would venture to guess that if you were to take a survey of successful individuals, regardless of their time period or vocation, you would discover a reoccurring theme that they all shared a motivating <i>purpose</i> which drove them to their lofty accomplishments. Some may simply have desired to improve upon the unfortunate circumstances under which they were born into, while others may have been driven to exhaust every ounce of their natural-given talent, but all would certainly agree that this "purpose", whatever it resulted in being, was the propellant which ushered them forward, and directed them to achieve the extraordinary feats for which they were so popularly known.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This innate desire is quite powerful. In fact, studies have shown that individuals that identify as having instilled purposes within their lives, actually <i>outlive</i> their more listless counterparts, and by a considerable margin. As our bodies' natural function is to enact the will of the mind, once these directives are no longer received, it, like any other machine, loses its reason for being, and begin to resign to the decaying forces of entropy.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What is your <i>reason</i> for investing? If your response is simply to make money, you should re-evaluate your answer; as money is not a <i>purpose </i>within itself, but rather, a <i>means</i> towards <i>facilitating</i> a desired <i>end</i>. It is this "end" for which we focus our attention today, as it could very well be the difference between having either a successful or under performing portfolio.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Motivating Factors </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While having a motivation for investing is important, some purposes are clearly better than others. We are all familiar with the famous quote from the film "Wall Street" that <i>"Greed is good."</i>, but none but the morally bankrupt among us would subscribe to it as an actual <i>reason</i> for investing. The truth of the matter is that most individuals who have attained a certain degree of financial stability in life, divert their attentions to philanthropic interests, and would readily agree that the usage of their monies for these purposes, greatly outweigh their selfish pursuits of additional excesses. So, greed as a motivating factor fails to deliver, but <i>zeal</i>, however, does not. What are you zealous about? Whatever it is, focus your attention on that item as you go about your investing chores. Amazingly, you'll discover upon doing so, that your processes have become keener, and your selections, more profitable. When we <i>visualize</i> our desires, our conscious mind does everything that it can to help us to attain it, including calling on the resources of our <i>subconscious</i> to assist in the tasks' completion.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Focus Positive</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Another benefit which you will be alerted to upon developing an investing purpose, is how quickly you'll recover from the few mistakes that you <i>do</i> make. With the ending prize forever in your mind's eye, you'll have little time to focus on the stumbles along the way, and to readily begin anew whenever your strategies produce an undesired outcome. This action should not be understated, as many an investor has succumbed to the melancholy produced by their investing failures. But those with an identifying purpose which is yet to be fulfilled, are swift to move on when failures present themselves. Because the positives surrounding their goal, greatly outnumber the negatives produced by their missteps.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Goals are the mountains that populate life's otherwise easily navigable terrain. They dare us to perform the extraordinary, and challenge us to master the arduous, by placing in our path numerous obstacles to overcome, before eventually reaching the zenith of their piercing, skyward peaks.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Not all who ascend these mounds will be successful, with the majority yielding to pressure or fatigue, and silently returning to the safety of the flat-lands below. But for those who muster the fortitude to persevere, exaltation awaits. As upon reaching their summits, they will experience the splendid grandeur which is only awarded to those who knew that the feat could be accomplished. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com) </i> </span></p>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-114569313887006732020-08-01T16:26:00.001-05:002020-09-08T01:50:11.902-05:00Corporate Darwinism<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 1px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">Be it the rules which govern the wondrous celestial objects which cir</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">culate above our heads, or the natural selection processes of the di</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">verse life forms that both live and reproduce closer to home, nature's</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">mandate of rewarding the fittest, and most adaptive, appears to be </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">repeated wherever one seems to look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">These rules are so clearly defined that they permeate all facets of our</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">daily lives, and exist as a universal constant in our ever-increasing un</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">derstanding, and expanding knowledge base, of the very nature of </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">existence, itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">With the weight of this evidence being so overwhelming, it would seem</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">asinine for one to willingly attempt to challenge it. If the rules which reg</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ulate all physical phenomena favors these two characteristics, then</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">certainly those which dictate the outcomes of our minuscule invest</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">ment portfolios must adhere to them, as well, correct?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">My charge for this week is to convert this universal constant into a </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">viable investment strategy, and to use its concrete truths to increase </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">the value of your portfolio. Within this attempt, I would hope that you</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">will resist the temptation to add another description to this list (which</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">it certainly should not be present in), but mistakenly tends to be added</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">whenever this topic comes up for discussion. Yes, nature's rule book of</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">survival prioritizes those who are the fittest and most adaptive...but not</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;">necessarily for being the largest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b>Fiscally Fit</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Machiavelli put it best when he stated <i>"During times of plenty, a Prince</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i>prepares for war." </i>and I often use this metric when evaluating the lead</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ership of publicly traded companies. Great leaders have learned the im</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">portance of building their war chest during times of plenty, so that they</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">can be in dominant positions to take advantage when leaner periods</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">inevitably arrive. Doing so serves two distinctive purposes. First of all,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">it fortifies their companies from being dependent upon banking institu</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">tions when demand for their products or services decreases, and </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">secondly, it provides them with the capital required to purchase succ</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">essful, but ill-prepared rivals (at the pricing of their choosing) during</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">prolonged periods of economic slowdowns. This fiscally fit objective</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">is a good indicator of companies that will not only survive during diff</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">icult financial situations, but will actually thrive within this environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">As such, these names are likely to endure even the harshest if econom</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ic conditions, and should therefore, hold standardized positions within</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">your investment portfolio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b>Winning Adaptation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Another way of identifying companies which will endure during difficult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">situations, is to evaluate how they adapt to their own success. One mis</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">take that larger entities tend to make, is to rest on their laurels when it's</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">assumed that they've cornered the market on their sectors' offerings.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Short-sighted leadership causes such companies to fail to continue to</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">innovate, which makes them ripe targets for aggressive upstarts (whom</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">they consistently ignore) while basking in the luxury of their positional </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">prominence. Interestingly, most of these companies are actually aware</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">of the newcomers, but because of their arrogance, refuse to take them</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">seriously until they've established a solid foothold. But by then, unfortu</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">nately, (or, according to nature, fortunately) inertia propels their new</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">(and now serious) rival to the point where they are either weakened, or</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">eventually replaced. When deciding which companies to add to your</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">portfolio, always pay attention to what dominant candidates are spend</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ing on R&D (Research and Development), as it is a clear indicator of its</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">overall vision. It's also good to note if they are expanding into other </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">types of businesses, in an attempt to diversify their holdings, and incr</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ease shareholder value. As I mentioned earlier, being the largest is</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">distinctively different than being either the fittest or the most adaptive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Which is why nature hold very little regard towards it being placed as</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">one of her primary tenets of survival.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">When the dust settled on our planet, after the cataclysmic series of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">maelstroms which wiped out the dinosaurs, 95% of all previous life had</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">been eradicated, and the prospect of it ever returning seemed nothing</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">more than a diminishing hope amidst the toxic, visible haze which en</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">compassed the once-lush landscape. It appeared, during this ultimate</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">test of survival, that only microbial life would ever occupy the Earth, and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">that complex life forms had had their day, and would never again roam</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">wild and free, as thay did so previously.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Yet, even then, nature's rules of survival proved resilient, as our mamma</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">llian ancestors used their intelligence, and skills of adaptation, to </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">forage an existence which would ultimately culminate in the develop</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">ment of stone-aged tools, the printing press, and today, artificial inte</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">lligence. Indeed, the awesome benefits of being the fittest and most </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">adaptive has accurately withstood the test of tome. And if properly</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">incorporated within your investment strategies, will certainly ensure </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;">that your portfolio will do the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><b>(Anthony</b> Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 20px;"><i>firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com) </i></span><br />
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Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-51013873231928658202020-06-16T04:11:00.001-05:002021-06-09T13:58:42.876-05:00Formal Nonconformity<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Importance of Finding Your Own Voice Amidst the "Group Think Chorus"</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwU6np0yjnSwwH34Bll6PaZlFu3E-yvvG88vXvNzIu54iFDVrpX7hQ8jJzYsxxXGgthL6iLmpbwfe5vypQXJhDEwgq8SoADMd7vu0cA1IbYC1f8XH7q8zlqOMbH92UypvDGnGJG-4cpYE/s1600/alone.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwU6np0yjnSwwH34Bll6PaZlFu3E-yvvG88vXvNzIu54iFDVrpX7hQ8jJzYsxxXGgthL6iLmpbwfe5vypQXJhDEwgq8SoADMd7vu0cA1IbYC1f8XH7q8zlqOMbH92UypvDGnGJG-4cpYE/s320/alone.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;">When I first began my training as a financial advisor, I followed all of the customary routs.<br />
After enduring the customary Wall Street firm's hazing routines, and receiving the licenses<br />
required to become a newly-minted professional, I then took the step of subscribing to all of the obligatory industry papers and magazines, and devoured just about every book that I could find regarding the subject matter.<br />
<br />
My thinking, like that of most twenty-something neophytes, was that the lack of experience could be subverted by a vast accumulation of knowledge, and that my soon-to-be clients would overlook my youthful appearance, if I dazzled them with facts and procedures which belied my chronological deficiencies.<br />
<br />
This strategy seemed successful, as I soon became one of the more productive advisors in the region. But as I began to evaluate the true nature of that success, I arrived at the surprising conclusion that it had very little to do with the methods and means which I read so much about in those celebrated books and papers, but actually centered on my unique <i>interpretations </i> of the market as a whole. It is this realization which aided in my clients' portfolios advancing while others tended to falter, and ultimately provided me with the confidence necessary to develop a philosophy of nonconformity, and to establish a firm of my own with its epistemology as its foundation.<br />
<br />
Now, this is not meant to underscore the importance that knowledge accumulation played (and continues to play) in my life, but instead points to the importance of finding your own voice amidst the nebulous cacophony of the "group think chorus". This is particularly cogent within the investing arena, where the most successful individuals have developed a penchant for nonconformity. Such persons stridently seek to rely on themselves and their singular perspectives for market decisions, when others tend to pursue the opinions of the masses to guide them with theirs.<br />
<br />
<b>The Contrarian Code</b><br />
<br />
Success on Wall Street tends to go to the contrarian. This does not mean that there aren't certain truisms which must be adhered to as modular components of that success, but implies that those who have the courage to go against the grain are often rewarded for their bravery. Doing so is no easy task, as most individuals find difficulty in disassociating with others. But our recalcitrance is predicated on a fundamental element which is evident within all markets: that inflationary bubbles collapse, and that it's always wise to be on the opposite side of the trade when they do. We nonconformists view the opinions of the masses as a primary source of that inflation, and refuse to be caught holding the tulips when their popularity is no longer in vogue.<br />
<br />
Upon awakening from his slumber in the Wachowski brothers' masterpiece "The Matrix", Neo pondered aloud "Why do my eyes hurt?" Morpheus subtly looked over to him and replied "Because you've never used them before." While there are many philosophical and psychological fruits which can be pulled from this tree, the most befitting of this post is the obvious question of whether <i>you </i>are viewing the world through the lens being provided by others, or are experiencing it with your very own?<br />
<br />
This question is not meant as a form of judgment or critique; as I fully understand the cocoon of comfort that conformity envelopes one in, and that the path of nonconformity is not intended for every person. But it does speak to realities in which the opinions of the masses are blindly accepted, despite failing to hold up against the test of rational examination. One such example is when the chorus states to "buy" a certain stock, it's also implicitly suggesting that one should not "sell" that very same security, even though it would be impossible for someone to <i>buy </i>the stock, without another person actually <i>selling</i> it. These forms of contradictory reasonings provide fuel for nonconformists, as we often tend to notice them, and simply fail to understand why others do not.<br />
<br />
<i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com) </i> </span><br />
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Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-5343724726913451742020-04-28T18:18:00.000-05:002020-04-29T14:46:59.564-05:00Fool’s Gold<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Methods
for Avoiding “Money Trap” Stocks</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b> </b></i></span></span>
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<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By
Anthony Rhodes</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap0Wir4br-sJ8yNVD8-q6KUx6j3A-CJIeTNmyPyy9wIQZU35EEl8FMcKmnBC2aHPr9n46SjuBp6bWkSeh3xC_TIXnB-qHGTXag17rEvXauXwKnjwdBF-XNDauEl8vxcTrKBLYtBqWe-g/s1600/091912_gold_bars_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="931" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap0Wir4br-sJ8yNVD8-q6KUx6j3A-CJIeTNmyPyy9wIQZU35EEl8FMcKmnBC2aHPr9n46SjuBp6bWkSeh3xC_TIXnB-qHGTXag17rEvXauXwKnjwdBF-XNDauEl8vxcTrKBLYtBqWe-g/s320/091912_gold_bars_640.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
are fewer items more enticing for an investor than the prospect of
purchasing an underperforming stock just prior to it </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">dramatically
moving towards the upside. Discovery of these “hidden gems” are
the stuff of legend, and can instantly catapult an average or dreary
portfolio to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">astronomical</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
heights, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">while
placing</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a vainglorious </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">feather
in the cap of the investor that discovered it, in </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
process</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
search for these </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">incognito</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">treasures</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
can encompass the full spectrum of the market, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ranging
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">from
small cap to large, growth stocks to income, and all sectors in
between. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Truthfully</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
it is th</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">elusiveness</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
that makes their discovery s</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">uch
a</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
difficult </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">goal</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">to
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">attain</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">contributes
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">overwhelmingly
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">to</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
their </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">eventual
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">finding
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">being
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">uch
a point of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">boisterous
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">jubilation</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">H</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">owever,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">during</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
this pursuit, we can </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sometimes
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">be
deceived into believing that certain stocks, which look and </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">act</span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
like these gems, are identical </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">to</span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
them, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">when</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in fact, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">they
are </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nothing
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">more</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
than </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">their
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">exact</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
opposites.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">These
“money t</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">rap</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">”
stocks will be our topic for this week, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">as
I explain how to differentiate </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">genuine</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
from the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">counterfeit</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and protect your portfolio from </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">consequences
created by </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">their
deceptive </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">appearances</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At
our finale, you will hopefully learn the same valuable lesson which
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">dumbfounded
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
nugget prospectors of the Old West, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
eventually </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">reduced</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
their </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">livelihood</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">financially</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
ruinous </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">outcomes,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">sometimes,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">even
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">suicidal</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
ends</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
am, of course, speaking of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
age old lesson </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">that
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">all
that </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">glitters
is not gold.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>The Alluring Shimmer of the Blue Chip</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Of
all the stocks likely to temp</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">t</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
an investor into taking a gamble on a future upswing, none are more
compelling than blue chips. These large, household names </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">have
a long history of reliable growth, and can prove simply irresistible
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">to</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">some</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
as they view their underperformance as a temporary ordeal, and
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">undoubtedly
certain</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
to take a positive turn for the better. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It
is this logic which makes </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">their
situation paradoxical; how can such a large company trade at such a
competitive discount to the overall market? The answer lies in </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">this
simple </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">idiom</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">:
while the stock market </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>exists</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
in the present, its prices are </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">generally</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>reflective</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
of the future. When blue chip stocks trade at a discount, analysts
have deemed that the company’s future earnings are </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">likely
to</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">be
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">sub-par</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
and that </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">its
current price is </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">more
indicative</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
of the earnings which it is likely to produce. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">T</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">he
overriding lesson being presented here</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">is
simply to</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
always beware of the underperforming blue chip that entices you with
future promises of gold</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">en
returns</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The Little Nugget That Could</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The opposite of this spectrum includes taking a bet on the small, under covered penny stock, whose focus is a relatively obscure section of a certain field. We’ve all heard grandiose stories about the once unknown company which catapulted to prominence, and these tales stoke the flames that we, too, can produce similar results, if we simply find the ideal candidate, at the correct time. Oddly missing in these stories, of course, are the untold number of investors who lost millions of dollars chasing the other penny stocks, over the same period of time, which fizzled into oblivion, and left them licking their proverbial wounds in the aftermath. There’s a good reason why penny stocks are categorized as such, and finding that one winner amongst a sea of failures is tantamount to winning the lottery. I understand that the risk/reward ratio lies in favor of the investor, but those monies could be much better spent on other candidates with cleaner balance sheets, and much clearer paths to success. <br /><br />Both within the stock market and beyond it, whenever we go in pursuit of life’s treasures, we also run the risk of finding ourselves deceived by imitations of the authentic. Our desire to seek the rewards which provide our lives with joy and meaning, exposes us to falsities which can thwart our powers of observation, and trick us into believing that they are, indeed, the prize which we have sought all along. <br /><br />These hollow illusions will succeed in their task, only if we refuse to look beneath the veneer of the spurious images on which they project. For when we do, their fragile disguises are finally exposed to the light of day, and we can then confidently marshal on in pursuit of the genuine article. <br /><br /><i>(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com ) </i></span></span></span></div>
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-82636250626216198512020-04-28T17:55:00.001-05:002020-04-28T17:55:12.385-05:00The Oddity Doctrine
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Defensive
Strategies for Life’s Rare Occurrences</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By
Anthony Rhodes</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lVTpOceMwzDW6d1iHl6YfGQALnnQOU6f0wcfHB2NXt0U9LAJj1rLMeQ9r7ZFLnasrnCem88t9dQ0bMGTBC2XbkPznOy20Xiq5ZlWytktj6SQWs1JfQhSB_BN-2oWZSFsJTX7dXxzgwo/s1600/rare+events.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lVTpOceMwzDW6d1iHl6YfGQALnnQOU6f0wcfHB2NXt0U9LAJj1rLMeQ9r7ZFLnasrnCem88t9dQ0bMGTBC2XbkPznOy20Xiq5ZlWytktj6SQWs1JfQhSB_BN-2oWZSFsJTX7dXxzgwo/s320/rare+events.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s
a good reason why many contracts have <i>Force Ma</i><i>j</i><i>eur</i><i>e</i>
clauses written within them. This safeguard is in place to limit the
liability of one party from another, in the unlikely event that an
odd or unforeseen act occurs, which may hinder or limit the
performance of the product or service being purchased.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">These
indispensable additions rarely, if ever, come into play, but
nonetheless are notable mainstays within such legal documents. So
much, in fact, that no competent businessperson will ever disseminate
an agreement without one, and if they hire an attorney who constructs
a contract with its absence, he or she will be justifiably shown the
door, with the fastest and most immediate of haste.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
seriousness is warranted because although rare, <i>if</i> these
disasters take place during the duration specified within the
contract, the financial fallout to the proprietor could be
catastrophic; resulting in their entire enterprise being at risk. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">Investors
should also approach these possibilities with such caution, and seek
to employ defensive strategies to protect their portfolios from the
downside caused by these so-called “acts of God”.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Gold Standard</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">Every
investor should have a portion of their portfolio invested in gold as
insurance against life’s rare events. When unforeseen acts occur,
our basic instinct is to flee to safety, and there are very few
safer havens out there than that offered by this precious metal. Gold
generally trades in an inverse relationship with the market, which
makes it an ideal choice during odd occurrences. As the equity
portion of your portfolio heads downward, your defensive strategies
should promptly kick into gear, and gold should lead the way as a
primary counterbalance to help offset the losses experienced during
these uncommon events.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>They're Called Staples for a Reason</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even
during life’s oddities, particular items can, and will, be
purchased. One can’t imagine being forced to remain in their
residences for prolonged periods of time without certain products on
hand to help make their necessary exile as comfortable as possible.
This is where consumer staples comes into play, and highlights
exactly why they should be a compulsory part of your defensive
strategy. Coupled with other creature comforts like cell phones and
wifi access, your portfolio should experience sharp upticks in these
sectors during such times. The result being, that these securities
are likely to provide a much-needed ray of hope amidst an otherwise
bleak accounting of your remaining investing prospects. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oddities
are categorized as such because of the infrequency by which they
transpire. While their appearances are noticeably rare in number, the
fact that they ultimately <i>will</i> occur is not in question, with
their materialization being simply a matter of time. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;">Furthering
this line of logic concludes, that if an event is assured to take
place, it’s equally prudent to ensure that we adequately <i>prepare</i>
for its arrival. Whether our eventual rendezvous with these rarities
occurs today, tomorrow, or even decades in the future, protecting
ourselves from the disastrous ramifications which they are likely to
produce, must not escape the scope of our investment strategies.
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: NanumMyeongjo;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Manjari;">(Anthony
Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The
Planning Perspective <a href="http://www.theplanningperspective.com/">www.theplanningperspective.com</a>
)</span></i></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Manjari;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-38065261852693749202020-01-29T16:04:00.001-06:002021-06-25T18:16:30.399-05:00Scavenger Hunt<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><i>Finding
Opportunity</i> <i>Within</i><i> Companies in Crisis</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By
Anthony Rhodes</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvLzUI6jPOHIMSERQBrXfMy4WvuQOAnK4-Tlv87OZr0O-wDL_jH-ll4rVSEo6QaS6P_22mgME3IrYRhEaejqhTkqk00lDWn7OJNZB-tHVhvUMc0riuM5c_VTfAQbW5tXwx9SGQO1W3Os/s1600/vulture.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvLzUI6jPOHIMSERQBrXfMy4WvuQOAnK4-Tlv87OZr0O-wDL_jH-ll4rVSEo6QaS6P_22mgME3IrYRhEaejqhTkqk00lDWn7OJNZB-tHVhvUMc0riuM5c_VTfAQbW5tXwx9SGQO1W3Os/s320/vulture.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">One of
the last things an investor wants to hear about is negative news
regarding a company that he or she owns. Such information is usually
proceeded by a downturn in the company’s stock value, a loss in the
investor’s capital, and, depending on the of the brevity of the
information, a decision on whether to keep or remove the stock from
the investor’s portfolio. This form of creative destruction is part
and parcel to the investment process, and represents an omnipresent
risk which all investors must be willing to assume. But some
individuals (being consciously cognizant of the nature of human
beings) are able to distinguish bad news from <i>terrible</i> news,
and use these moments of distress to realize opportunities that
others remain simply unaware of.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span><span>Like the
condor circling the carcass of a dying zebra, these investing
scavengers patrol the market on constant alert for companies in
crisis. Their aptitude for recognizing whether an entity can
withstand the negative press, provides them with an insight with the
potential for hefty payouts, while fully taking advantage of the herd
mentality, which is such a predictive component of investors, in
general. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This
methodology will be our focus for this week, as I explain why such an
aggressive tactic should be considered as an additional strategy
within your investing toolbox. While often being the recipient of
negative news themselves, you’ll learn that scavengers play a far
more important role in the investment cycle than are commonly given
credit for. And after being made aware of the <i>rewards</i> inherent
within this role, you just might be willing to proudly proclaim
yourself a soon-to-be scavenger, as well.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span><span><b>The Propensity to Panic</b> </span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Investors
tend to be a paranoid lot. Many view negative news about a stock that
he or she owns as a reason to part ways with the company, as they
generally have large sums of money invested, and would like to keep
their losses within such holdings to a bare minimum. This is why you
often see sharp selloffs whenever negative news is reported, and is
the primary reason why scavenger investors thrive within this
environment. These individuals convert this propensity to panic into
opportunities to bottom feed, and to purchase those distressed names
after their selloff, under the belief that they will quickly rebound
once cooler heads eventually prevail. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>A Surface Wound, or A Killing Blow?</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Without a
doubt, the nature of the news being reported plays a pivotal role in
determining whether you should scavenge or not. Professional
scavengers often have a thorough understanding of most companies’
financials, and are thus able to swiftly diagnose whether the news
will have either a short or long-term effect on its growth prospects.
For this reason, it pays to do your homework, and to initially
ascertain a complete understanding of a small group of companies. As
time progresses, more names should be added to your watch list, and
depending on the depth of your accrued knowledge (and after fine
tuning your strategy through back testing), you should be
well-equipped and prepared to scavenge like a vulture!</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">What goes
up must inevitably come down, though the opposite of this saying
doesn’t always ring true. Scavenge investing is by nature a risky
endeavor, which is why it is seldom employed by traditional money
managers, and is normally relegated to the very fringes of the
investing community. But despite their reckless reputation,
scavengers actually play an important role in facilitating the demand
for liquidity within the capital markets. Whether feast or famine,
this strategy has the potential to undoubtedly produce large payouts
in very short amounts of time, which always makes the search for
corporate carrion more than worth while.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span><span><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">(Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com )</span></i> </span></span></div>
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p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-85909647918659984132019-10-02T14:37:00.000-05:002019-10-07T14:14:22.990-05:00Eden Anew<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>How
to Capitalize on the Burgeoning Multi-Faceted Technological
Revolution</b></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><b>By Anthony Rhodes</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>
</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPpJ5iJOfNT8_9ECp7v2G3aIz4HVujtVeDZka5ZwhectxYdfbC2vHQqE2a_oWVw1H1wNjN2nL2y5H5g0YALmiAnC0d69TlG3HM-c83S4oc_S9pegYTNytMMhlojqei0rp7OuYYI_1YoI/s1600/Eden.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPpJ5iJOfNT8_9ECp7v2G3aIz4HVujtVeDZka5ZwhectxYdfbC2vHQqE2a_oWVw1H1wNjN2nL2y5H5g0YALmiAnC0d69TlG3HM-c83S4oc_S9pegYTNytMMhlojqei0rp7OuYYI_1YoI/s320/Eden.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">Machine
learning algorithms can review thousands of photographs to inform
physicians whether a patients’ tumor is benign or malignant (bye,
bye, biopsy) with over 90% accuracy. CRISPR allows researchers to
actually enter and edit genes; potentially eliminating maladies which
have been deleterious agents to human beings for centuries. And
Majoranas quasi-particles appear to finally solve the problem of
superposition; removing the primary obstacle to the onset of quantum
computers, which promises to solve problems within minutes that would
take current consoles years to arrive at. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">Such
remarkable advancements are a culmination of our continued commitment
to Enlightenment ideas, and represents the vanguard of our long-term
transition from a species once governed by dogma and superstition, to
one whose foundations must now survive the disciplined scrutiny of
scientific rigor. Throughout the course of this transformation, a
peculiar twist of irony has emerged, which seems to reconcile the
long-lost Eden of our religious past, with the technological
aspirations of our current reality.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">The
proposed panacea that these technologies seem destined to create
provides an unprecedented opportunity to achieve through science,
that which was lost through religious disobedience. While certainly
not as fertile as the original, this man-made version of Paradise
appears nonetheless to have bountiful fruits of its own...though
admittedly not nourished by the benevolent hand of an all-knowing,
all-powerful God, but instead by the torrential waters of monetary
liquidity, delivered of course by Adam Smith’s comparably
insignificant invisible hand of commerce.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Tree of Life</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">Just
about every day, I read about incredible scientific discoveries which
are taking place within the worlds’ prominent academic
institutions. I commonly take notes about those which I perceive to
hold the most promising investment opportunities, but by weeks’
end, the list is so long, that the time it would take to thoroughly
research them all would occupy the lions’ share of nearly all of my
waking hours. Fortunately, the investing gods has bestowed upon us
Biotech ETF’s (Exchange Trading Funds) which encompasses the
complete names of the previously stated sector. Throughout the course
of my reading, I’ve noticed that some of the more promising
research is funded by grants from biotech companies. So, by
purchasing the ETF, I immediately gain access to its upside when and
if any of these discoveries ever make it to market.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Seed of Many Fruit</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>
</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">Commercial
technologies don’t have to wade through the asperity of time
associated with discoveries made via academic institutions, and as
such, should be approached through a more singular lens when deciding
how to capitalize off of them. While technology mutual funds offer an
opportunity to profit from the sector as a whole, groundbreaking
discoveries generally tend to migrate towards individual companies,
and should therefore occupy your attention when deciding how best to
profit from them. Some of the largest tech companies have scores of
their brightest employees working diligently on what’s called
“moonshots”. These are far-reaching ideas that, if ever they
materialize, would become incredibly remunerative for both the brand
and its shareholders. With the rewards for comprehensive analysis of
Big Data, methods to extend Moore’s Law, and techniques to
establish stable quantum logic gates literally in the billions of
dollars (and in their best interest to solve), you can rest assured
that these companies have ‘moonshot’ solutions in the works to
meet them. As a result, by owning the names of the most profitable
and innovative among them, you increase the odds that you’ll be
able to benefit once these breakthroughs are eventually unveiled.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">I can’t
conclude our topic of Eden without ultimately addressing the two
terms which are most closely associated with it: temptation and the
forbidden fruit. Doctrine states that these items hold primary
responsibility for mankind’s banishment from this wondrous place,
and in our emerging replica of Paradise, they both stand primed to
repeat the same feats of subversion, if we are not careful. Our
version of temptation includes the belief that these newfound tools
will imbue us with a longevity akin to immortality; removing the need
seek out lasting relationships, as they will no longer be required
within lives lived in perpetual youth. Such a reality conjures
thoughts of limitless pursuits of hedonistic indiscretions, which are
only subsided when our conquests attain the level of boredom, and not
due to those passions resigning to the limits of old age, as nature
intended them to do. But perhaps even more troubling is our version
of the forbidden fruit; that mesmerizing and alluring delicacy which
hypnotically draws us in, despite our intelligence and better
judgment warning us to either resist or to abscond. Hubris is our
forbidden fruit. A hubris which assures us of the godlike powers of
these technologies, and that our glorification of them should
supersede that given to the God of Edens’ past. Because in the
process of doing so, we will not only betray all the hard-earned
lessons learned during our arduous path to Enlightenment, but will
also reduce ourselves to a species destined to continuously exchange
one form of deity worship for another.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>(Anthony
Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The
Planning Perspective <a href="http://www.theplanningperspective.com/">www.theplanningperspective.com</a>
) </i></span></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style></div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style></b> </span></span></div>
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style></div>
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<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>
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<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style></b><i><b> </b></i></span></span></div>
<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }p.western { font-family: "Manjari"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.cjk { font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }p.ctl { font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-51123080047714912002019-07-31T14:47:00.001-05:002019-08-16T14:43:24.830-05:00Monitor Monitoring and Monetization<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Preventing
Prying Eyes from Profiting off of Your Stock Picks</b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>
</b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By
Anthony Rhodes</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqcEWI6L6_RyiQi8BeZr0jk-8XPoRSR1aoTmwKBnZcAh-lXM4oTBsvZvTb0LWkOosr-5zWfAchURo1k_5s5KIB1MRXU-Z7GqLLMBdcP_SPtTYw0tA-JMbSW0s3jY4x0qTtL1NyArQaLM/s1600/cyber1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="980" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqcEWI6L6_RyiQi8BeZr0jk-8XPoRSR1aoTmwKBnZcAh-lXM4oTBsvZvTb0LWkOosr-5zWfAchURo1k_5s5KIB1MRXU-Z7GqLLMBdcP_SPtTYw0tA-JMbSW0s3jY4x0qTtL1NyArQaLM/s320/cyber1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One
of my favorite films is a movie called “Pi”. It’s the
fictitious account of a young man, who through his hard work and
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">intellect</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
developed a method of successfully predicting the movements of the
stock market, and chronicles the unfortunate consequences which
resulted from his discovery. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Throughout
the course of the movie, the protagonist</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">doggedly
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">pursued
by</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">groups
of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">surreptitious
individuals, including </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">religious
zealots</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">unsavory</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
business people</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
who are all</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
seeking to both monetize off of and exploit </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">his</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
natural ability to solve complicated puzzles. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">While
the oft used cliche of the odd or misunderstood genius doesn’t
appeal to my liking, the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">film</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">cleverly atones for this shortcoming by being</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">replete
with many multi-layered themes. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ts
central motif, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">however,</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">all-</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">encompassing</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">corrupting
nature of greed, which is represented by the inordinate and seemingly
unlimited lengths that nefarious individuals will go to, in order to
illegally profit or benefit from the talents of others. </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As
is often the case, art imitates life, and this theme of greed easily
transitions to our lives today. W</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">e
all believe that our social security numbers or dates of birth are
the prizes most coveted by cyber-</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">criminals</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
b</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ut
if you are </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">exceptional</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
at developing investment strategies </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
selecting stocks for your portfolio, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
truly </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">enterprising
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">devi</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ant</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
would like nothing more than to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">be
able to </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">profit
off of your expertise. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">How
would they accomplish this, you might ask? By</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
simply </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">peer</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ing</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
onto your </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">computer
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">monitor,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
steal</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ing</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
your </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">investment
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">trades
as they are being executed through </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">your
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">online
brokerage accounts</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Come On and Take a Free Ride</b> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">T</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">technical</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">term
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">for
this form of theft is called </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“freeriding”,
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
it</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
involves using technology or other means to track and ultimately
steal someones’ stock picks, as they are being placed through their
online </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">brokerage
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">platforms</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Within
today’s </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">normalcy
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">of
constantly being connected, our “Internet of </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">T</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">hings”
makes </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;">this form
of larceny easy to implement, as we are consistently moving from
device to device, and supplying our passwords and personal data
between them. Obviously, you should scan your computers for malware,
and make sure that your wifi connections are ironclad. But it’s
equally important to change your brokerage passwords at regular
intervals. If a cyber thief gains access to your online password, he
or she can simply log onto your account, and wait patiently until
your trades are posted, and then transition to their brokerage
account and repeat those very same trades for their own personal
gain. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><b>Securing Your Securities</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">If
you are trading in an account </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">today
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">without
using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you are </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">in
essence,</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">inviting
malcontents into your investing world</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.
These handy tools are inexpensive to use (many are less than $5.00 a
month), and can protect your purchases from increasingly prying eyes,
as you go about the business of investing online. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It’s
also very important to make sure </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">that
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">the
“sharing” tab on your computer is turned off during your
execution of trades. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
addendum should not be viewed as an afterthought, because some of the
more popular operating systems have this feature </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">turned
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">on
by default. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">If
you refuse to enact this provision</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">you
are essentially </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">allow</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">ing</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
others’ </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">to
not only </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">purview
e</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">verything
that is occurring on your screen, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">but
to gain access to all of your unprotected </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">investing</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
files, as well</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.
</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">F</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">or
every </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">individual
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">who
is </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">responsible
for creating</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">something valuable,
there will always be others who would seek to profit off of them. And
the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">more
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>profound</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">such
a </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">creation</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">turns
out to be</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>larger</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
those interested parties are likely to become. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
crude reality is an unfortunate </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">byproduct</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
of the culture of capitalism; which, left to its own devices, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">would
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">evenly</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
reward </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">both
inventor and thief alike, with no bias </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">or
favor being given </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">to
which</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">ever</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
party </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">actually</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
caus</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">ed</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
the desired </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">creation</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
to come into existence.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">For
this reason, we must remain </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">vigilant,
and protect our intellectual property in the best ways in which we
can. Because just as </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">our</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
character in “Pi” discovered, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">whenever
the prospect of monetization is involved, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">nothing
is be</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">yond
the pale f</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">or</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
th</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">ose
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">truly
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">inflicted
with the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">avaricious
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">disease
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">that
is</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
greed. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>(Anthony
Rhodes is the owner and President of wealth management firm The
Planning Perspective <a href="http://www.theplanningperspective.com/">www.theplanningperspective.com</a>
)</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style></b></i></span></span></div>
<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-decoration: underline; }</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-86604099021134370062019-06-07T14:56:00.002-05:002022-03-25T22:42:03.124-05:00Anxiety Notoriety<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><i>Tips for Avoiding the Dreaded "3 Day Itch"</i></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">By Anthony Rhodes </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"> </span></b>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXZZU1fNE0LjvpPzI0V3iGmAgcHpFN_2dZr5NBvn3tIxy3QK-eVKvyj0baLerDFcSce5exGJphfEDT2PSNENPjDf_LJPLLUnQROEGMLa0eAbgYXV9ypENjySLCv78pzq1WyJh79cYRNM/s1600/downloanxad.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXZZU1fNE0LjvpPzI0V3iGmAgcHpFN_2dZr5NBvn3tIxy3QK-eVKvyj0baLerDFcSce5exGJphfEDT2PSNENPjDf_LJPLLUnQROEGMLa0eAbgYXV9ypENjySLCv78pzq1WyJh79cYRNM/s320/downloanxad.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>If you
pay close attention to the rhythms of life, certain truisms will
begin to reveal themselves to you. I’ve noticed, for example, that
Allen Watts’ assertion that just about all human beings fall within
the categories of being either farmers or hunters (both personality
types accomplish the same ends, but uses different methods to achieve
them) to be both succinct and reliable, that a careful observation of
the show “Jeopardy!” reveals that the difference between the
brilliant and the intelligent is actually <i>wider </i>than that
which separates the average from the intelligent, and perhaps most
useful of all, that matters of importance are best decided after
periods of diligent contemplation, in stark contrast to immediate or
impromptu reactions. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>These anecdotes, and others like them, has
served me well throughout the years, as I’ve sought to gain a
greater understanding of life’s repetitive patterns. But of the
three mentioned, one would easily conclude the final observation to
be most recognizable by others, and therefore, most commonly put into
use. Yet, amazingly, certain conditions can magically cause this
assumption to dissipate into thin air.</span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span> </span></span></span></span>
</div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>One such
condition occurs when we’ve taken the time to develop investment
strategies for our portfolio, but shortly thereafter, with little, if
any movement taking place amongst our investments, tweak them, for no
plausible or evidence-based reasons why. Maybe we monitor our
investments too frequently, or our expectations are a bit high, but
whatever the rationale, this “three day itch”, as I call it, has
been known to wreak havoc over many investment portfolios, and for
some, unfortunately, to the point of no return (pun intended). </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>Nothing is Something</b></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b> </b></span></span><span><span><b>
</b></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>Creating
a successful portfolio strategy is not an easy undertaking, so, I
fully understand why some investors might find themselves anxious
after developing one. When designed and deployed, newly minted
investors may like to rapidly experience the fruits of their labor,
and might unwisely expect such results to arrive sooner, rather than
later. This belief is the basis for the “itch”, and primarily
drives such investors to feel as if they must do...something, after a
couple of days of immobility from their investments. If you find
yourself in this position, simply remember that investing is a
<i>process</i>, with time being your greatest ally, and that by not
doing anything at all, you may actually be doing what’s best for
your portfolio. </span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>Strategy By Proxy</b></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "manjari";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That being said, if you find yourself feeling anxious days after designing your investment strategy, it may also be a sign that your plan may be inadequate, and that deep down, you already know it. Those who have weighed the pros and cons of their strategy before its implementation, are more positive regarding its deployment, and this confidence causes them to less likely feel “itchy”upon the initial stages of its usage. I created How To Invest to guide new investors into becoming more comfortable and competent regarding their investment decisions. But, admittedly, some aspects of this process is best handled by professionals, and this area certainly qualifies as one of them. If you can’t get over this inclination to examine and re-examine your portfolio strategy, it may be best to seek advice from a professional. Our experiences in dealing with these issues should provide you with a certain degree of confidence, which you may not be able to achieve on your own. <br /><br />There are very few historical examples in which reactionary impulses triumphed over contemplative reasoning. And within these rarities, a general consensus would conclude that luck played a more important role in the eventual outcome, than did the haphazard decision, itself. The reasons for these anomalies is simply because history has correctly deemed that exercises of thought best prepares us for life in a universe filled with complexity. As this lesson translates to our investments: the most successful strategies are those which have undoubtedly arrived through careful and considerate rumination, while their opposites have routinely been reliant on chance and fortuity to achieve the same results. <br /><br />(<i>Anthony Rhodes is the President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com</i>. Do not reproduce without permission. ) </span></span><br /> </span></span>
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</style>Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-8583603028994055882018-09-18T17:41:00.001-05:002020-08-20T14:04:41.669-05:00Halloween Tricks for a Better Treat(ment) of Your Portfolio<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Preventing
Ghosts of Past Failures from Haunting Your Investment Decisions<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By Anthony
Rhodes</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRoZGZn1UikRTCZZeYvPqOg-7or3eA8qIRCxeNsvgtDi0DY9cCkjqQXN4XWjoqwKoGPWJfhfp8t5QztVRpW8jB6dMBtio8DQUznTgaXhyFswYauLBNEUJcWdkFoMK7O35CHVXwOSkwNc/s1600/halloween-eabedc815b128b248dad96deb61ef75d14cda3ad-s900-c85.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRoZGZn1UikRTCZZeYvPqOg-7or3eA8qIRCxeNsvgtDi0DY9cCkjqQXN4XWjoqwKoGPWJfhfp8t5QztVRpW8jB6dMBtio8DQUznTgaXhyFswYauLBNEUJcWdkFoMK7O35CHVXwOSkwNc/s320/halloween-eabedc815b128b248dad96deb61ef75d14cda3ad-s900-c85.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just
about every investor has a story to tell about a stock that he or she may have
owned, but perhaps should have purchased at an earlier date. Or conversely, a
narrative about a stock that he or she may have sold, but should have done so prior
to the time in which they actually did. Such admissions are common additions to
our investing lore, and are often recited over dinner or drinks, when the depths
of our failures are shared amongst one another, as parts of our traditional
bonding rituals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But
sometimes, the residue of these failures can last far beyond the date of their original
occurrence. It’s not uncommon for some investors to recall these experiences when
deciding whether to buy or sell a stock in the present, but others,
unfortunately take this matter one step further, and allow these incidents to
hold sway over their investing decisions. So, with Halloween being right around
the corner, I’ll use this weeks’ version of <i>How
To Invest</i> to discuss methods for preventing you from being haunted by these
ghosts of the past. Also, in keeping with the spirit of the season, I’ll hand
out a few familiar treats which should help you to better manage your portfolio…minus
the usual after effects of sugar induced highs, of course, or the customary
lump of coal, for those of you who failed to dress appropriately for the
occasion.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>The Payday Bar</b></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our
stock market failures can be quite painful, and could easily cause some
investors to develop a gun-shy mentality towards their future purchases. When
our investments unexpectedly move in a direction in which we hadn’t planned,
the ramifications can produce specters to haunt us, and bar us from receiving
the potential payday which might be right around the corner. The best way to
exorcise this ghost is to simply accept the market for what it is: an </span><i style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">opportunity</i><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to improve your financial
situation. As with all opportunities, some may produce results, and others may
not, but all the defensive strategies in the world won’t remove your paralysis
until you come to grips with this reality, and be willing to accept the bad
right along with the good.</span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Hershey's Kisses (Goodbye)</b></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When
we’ve owned a stock for a certain amount of time, it often becomes difficult to
part ways with it. With all the time and energy being placed towards our
pre-purchasing analysis of the company, selling it before it produces a profit somehow
seems wasteful, and could be interpreted by many investors as an admission of
failure. This apparition also tends to be mental in nature, and therefore, requires
a mental adjustment in order to be exorcised. By incorporating a mandate to
never, <i>ever </i>hold a stock beyond a
previously established price, you not only remove the specters’ powers from troubling
you in the present, but also rob this phantom of its ability to haunt you in
the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Halloween
is purported to be the one day out of the year in which the spirits of the past
are able to rise up and move amongst the living. Out of respect for the dead,
we attire our children in garbs of goblins, ghosts & ghouls, and fatten
their bellies with any number of tasty delights when answering the call of
“Trick or Treat?” at our front doors. But for many investors, the hauntings of
the past can linger far beyond this single, event-filled date. So, hopefully, this
posting will considerably shorten their ghostly visitations, and allow them to solely
answer their call during the one day out of the year in which they are actually
welcomed. </span><span face="" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 21.3333px;">Happy Halloween!</span></div>
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<i><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">(Anthony Rhodes is the
President and owner of wealth management firm The Planning Perspective </span></i><span face="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.theplanningperspective.com/"><i><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.theplanningperspective.com</span></i></a></span><i><span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"> )</span></i></div>
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<span face="" style="font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-52445668086807382722018-04-22T15:00:00.001-05:002019-07-22T16:25:43.842-05:00The Snail, The Snake...and The Bull<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Adjusting
Expectations can Prove Beneficial for Your Investments<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">By Anthony Rhodes</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiHQPDSuafz9cvUzEvzBgEmgZwNnQgWA0-C681MFFoddDxeyHOpxWo1a8N-_NO9UtV_nTuCoYpSOWNQIYNUWcSxMgVbqSfnXJgScNfocQLqnGYwP6-kK9-uvaG1W0nruOSZC-A6RH4Ho/s1600/Scales1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1008" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiHQPDSuafz9cvUzEvzBgEmgZwNnQgWA0-C681MFFoddDxeyHOpxWo1a8N-_NO9UtV_nTuCoYpSOWNQIYNUWcSxMgVbqSfnXJgScNfocQLqnGYwP6-kK9-uvaG1W0nruOSZC-A6RH4Ho/s320/Scales1.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
learning to appreciate Brahms. I say this not because I don’t believe he was a
talented composer, but that when listening to his music, I’ve been expecting
the immediate and sustained gratification which I normally receive from my
favorite composers, like Mozart, Beethoven or Bach. Upon the absence of receiving
such fulfillment, his works had been generally relegated to the nether regions
of my audio library. I had clustered his catalogue amongst other forgettable
artists whom I deemed as not being worthy of continuous play, and only selected
his compositions during the enaction of menial household chores, when my
attention was more directed towards what I was doing, as opposed to what I was
listening to. But recently, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve been
unfairly comparing him to giants, whose powers were simply beyond his
abilities. His repertoire didn’t include the sheer Devine beauty of a Mozart,
or the awe-inspiring creativity of a Beethoven or a Bach, but once I decided to
remove these comparisons <i>to</i> him, I’ve
noticed that there are aspects of his art which I’ve begun to appreciate, and
others, which I’ve actually come to enjoy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lessons
as important as this are also germane to our investment expectations. While we’d
all like to purchase our stocks at $15 and sell them all later at $50, the
truth of the matter is that not all stocks are likely to produce such levels of
growth, and upon discovery of this truth, learning to adjust our strategy and to
expect more modest returns from some of them, may be a wiser tactic to employ. For
this week, we’ll address this matter with greater concentration, as I communicate
the importance of applying this understanding to your portfolio. Equally as
important, is to attempt to prevent you from making the mistake of assuming
that during a bull market, we should expand our expectations for <i>all</i> stocks which are held amongst our investing
assets, when in fact, for certain segments of our portfolio, such conditions
may actually call for us to lower them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>At a Snail's Pace</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are stocks within the market, which somehow seems impervious to excitement.
These laid back, easy-going companies appear to care less about the raucous goings
on of the broader market, and despite all attempts to expand their trading
range, tend to snub their noses at every level of investor, as they slowly
meander through the same trading pattern, over and over, year after year. Such
companies may not provide you with the exhilaration which you may experience
with others during a bull market, but by lowering your expectations and appreciating
them for what they are, can provide you with some surprising benefits. First of
all, their predictable movement patterns creates trading opportunities for
those willing to accept small but consistent gains, and the relatively dependable
steadiness of such patterns, can provide both a hedge against volatility, and
security during down markets. Though not as interesting or stimulating as their
flashier brethren might be, these boring, humdrum stocks can provide an added
dimension to your capital assets. And for those who can remain disciplined
enough to disregard their laid back nature, they may also prove to be an
underrated, though valuable member of your stock portfolio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>As Swift as a Snake</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During
bull markets in which nearly all sectors are recording historic highs, it’s
easy to become caught up in the excitement of the moment, and hold on to certain
stocks for periods far longer than we probably should. The day to day
announcements of repeated all time highs can create a sense of inevitable
continuance, and cause us to abandon our protective strategies, under the
belief that their utility is simply unnecessary. A sobering way of viewing
these situations is to remember that the market tends to go down in a much
swifter fashion, than it tends to move up. This truth is realized too late for
some investors, when a downturn suddenly occurs, and the gains which they thought
they had (and perhaps should have recorded), have all but been eliminated. During
these periods, a lowering of expectations for certain stocks in your portfolio,
may prove to be beneficial, despite the astronomical rise that the market may
be currently experiencing. When non-growth stocks positively break from their usual
patterns, it’s important to learn to appreciate your good fortune, and to quickly
record those gains before the market decides to reclaim them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">With
the stock market encompassing the names of the most profitable companies on
earth, it somehow seems sacrilegious to center any form of discussion about it,
on lowering expectations. This is, after all, the same device which infused the exploits of greedy
Wall Street characters into our popular consciousness, though it has also been the
source of philanthropy for scores of altruistic millionaires, all benefiting from its functioning
purpose as a vehicle of wealth creation. This duality of usage reverberates
throughout the market, and transfers perfectly to the individual stocks which
are held within it. Some may achieve celestial highs and significantly alter their
owner’s financial arc, while others are consigned to produce only moderate levels of growth, but remain unapologetically resigned to being appreciated for what they
are.</span><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Anthony
Rhodes is a Registered Investment Advisor and owner of wealth management firm
The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8722733303074008675.post-8697633857600158922018-02-15T16:26:00.000-06:002018-05-29T16:24:11.425-05:00Forced Feeding<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ways
to Profit from Takeover Targeting<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By Anthony
Rhodes</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">One
would imagine that competitors of Disruptors (those companies whose indomitable success disrupts industries) would give just about anything to be able to go back in time and
purchase these would be behemoths, before becoming the proverbial thorns in
their sides. An IBM, for example, would not hesitate to snatch up a then
relatively unknown Microsoft, before Bill Gates became the titan of the
software world, and Barnes & Noble would absolutely revel in the
opportunity to acquire a once obscure bookseller called Amazon, prior to Jeff
Bezos reducing them to a mere husk of their former self. But without the means
of doing so, such companies must instead evaluate the lessons learned from
missing out on these grand opportunities. Although no two Disruptors are identical,
there are similar attributes which they all tend to share, and the ability to
detect these qualities can provide their competitors with a measure of
redemption; principally by purchasing tomorrow’s Disruptors today, in the hopes
of making amends for the errors of yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
pursuit of redemption can also prove lucrative for investors, but not in the
manner in which you might think. Instead of blindly attempting to locate the
next batch of Disruptors (which can prove to be a fool’s errand), why not look
at the issue from an entirely different perspective, and allow those with a
vested interest in identifying them, do the job <i>for</i> you. During this week’s installment of How To Invest, we’ll
focus on ways of doing just that. With the motivation of redemption being our
catalyst, we’ll attempt to play the role of lamprey to corporate America’s Great
White sharks, and not just align ourselves closely with those companies with
the most to <i>lose</i> by the introduction
of these Disruptors, but to also benefit from their redemptive need to feed on
such companies, before these would be leviathans approach their maturity, and
become Great White’s themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Big Fish, Small Pond</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
the throngs of companies which exist within our stock market universe, the ones
most likely to be susceptible to Disruptors, are those whose primary business
model revolves around a niche product or service (why attempt to reinvent the
wheel, when you can simply make a better tire?). Due to intense competition within
a finite market, these rivals must employ a laser like focus to maintain market
share, and are far more likely to recognize ground-breaking entries into their
field of business. By monitoring these industries, you may not only be able to
benefit from possible mergers from the existing players, but to also recognize
the newer entries (IPO’s) who may have developed innovative techniques to
dominate the space. These small fish are more likely to be gobbled up by the
major players within the group, and you, as the investor can also benefit, as
the takeover of the company is announced, and, as is often the case, the stock
of the would be Disruptor skyrockets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As
I mentioned earlier, the companies most likely to suffer from this redemptive
need to feed, are those whose industries have already been disrupted by the Disruptor.
Although this behemoth may occupy the dominant position in the space,
anti-trust regulations prohibit them from gaining a complete monopoly within
the industry, which opens the door for its competitors to either merge with one
another or to consume other businesses, in order to remain relatively
competitive. This aggressive need creates opportunities for investors, as these
companies are highly motivated not to repeat the failures of the past. When
evaluating their places </span>among<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> the hierarchy, it won’t take long for such
companies to realize that they need to feed in order to survive, which
positions you very well to anticipate which companies will provide them with
the advantage required to remain a functioning concern. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All
too often, when the topic of Disruptors arises, it’s generally presented from
the perspective of the Disruptor, which serves no monetary purpose for those
who failed to own the stock before to its meteoric rise. We collectively
applaud their ingenuity or ability to transform entire industries, but speak
little about those competitors who were left in their wake, which may provide
more potential upside for those investing in the here and now. Maybe our desire
to shower praise on the victor propels this direction, and allows us to simply ignore
all who failed to obstruct their seemingly inevitable success. Or perhaps we
find little interest in second or third place candidates, whose story is not
nearly as engaging as that being told about the </span>front-runner<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. But before you begin
to dismiss these contenders, let’s not forget that in America, second or third
tier companies can be worth multiple billions of dollars. And that while some
are off espousing greatness upon the corporations who have already realized
their historic growth, the wise are laying in wait and preparing for others who
have yet to achieve theirs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "century gothic" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Anthony
Rhodes is a Registered Investment Advisor and owner of wealth management firm
The Planning Perspective www.theplanningperspective.com)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Anthony Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12686637987799189511noreply@blogger.com0