Category: Uncategorized

Growing up, I was a fan of Hulk Hogan. I never missed his main-event matches, and my bedroom walls were covered with his posters. His recent passing hit me hard. It feels like a piece of my childhood went with him. I will always remember all his signature moves in the ring, the iconic Leg…

On Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell announced that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) would once again leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged, a move widely expected, though certainly not what President Trump was hoping for. Fed governors Chris Waller and Miki Bowman dissented, both voting for a quarter-point cut. I, for one, was not expecting…

I came across a recent Wall Street Journal front-page story and it caught my eye. Hardship withdrawals from 401(k)s have more than doubled since before the pandemic. In 2024, nearly 5% of participants pulled money early from their retirement accounts, up from about 2% pre-COVID. This is not just an American phenomenon, the same trend…

“Is Transcendental Meditation (TM) a religion”? I have been asked this question many times. Well, certain people may perceive the TM program as religious rather than scientific due to its association with terms like “meditation,” “pure awareness,” and “transcendence,” or because it was introduced from India by a teacher with a monastic background. However, philosophers…

For some people, it makes perfect sense to pack a bag and leave the good ol’ US for anywhere else in the world especially if November’s election did not go their way. For global investors, the instinct is similar. Shift a little at the margins, sprinkle a bit more into Europe or Asia, just in…

I wrapped up a busy couple of days hosting friends, clients and long-time partners in town. Over tea, coffees, meals, and more than a couple of lively market debates, we explored our new strategy products and the evolving trends in global markets. A big part of our discussions focused on how to further strengthen our…

I will be taking a brief break from blogging over the next couple of days as I host some special guests visiting from far and wide. It is always a joy and occasionally a scheduling puzzle to welcome friends and fellow investors from abroad. Many of them I have known for years. Between shared meals,…

There has been some nervous chatter lately. Are foreigners breaking up with US assets? China and Japan have been trimming their Treasury holdings, and some global investors are looking at alternatives to the once-invincible US market. Is this the beginning of a messy financial divorce or just a healthy bit of portfolio rebalancing? Join me…

I just finished reading this report from an experienced voice based in the US and I must say it is an excellent piece of work. Clear, data-driven, and refreshingly candid about both the strengths and limits of trend following. It also does a great job of explaining why their approach is different from the crowd…

One of Warren Buffett’s most enduring principles is to “be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” This past spring was a textbook case of the latter when markets were in panic mode after President Trump’s tariff-themed “Liberation Day,” and fear was everywhere. Investors were practically reaching for their parachutes. Fast…