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Blogs:
Click on a blog below for the complete article.
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Welcome to Tom McAllister's blog
MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #39-2009
(October 15th, 2009)
CHINA SYNDROME
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
It’s been just four days since I returned from Beijing, and, at 2:30 in the morning, badly jet-lagged, I’m contemplating the
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #38-2009
(October 8th, 2009)
Another Third Rail?
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
“The program is going broke!” “Changes are needed to save benefits for our children and grandchildren!” “They’re
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #37-2009
(September 23rd, 2009)
TOO- LITTLE-TOO-LATE BILL HAS LOTS OF SILVER LININGS
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
When it comes to the Obama Stimulus Bill, I've been fairly outspoken concerning my reservations about its effectiveness,
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #36-2009
(September 17th, 2009)
OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM: WALKING THE FINE LINE TOWARDS A “FIX”
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Reining in a horse gone wild without harming or unseating the rider - that might be a good description of the job facing Congress
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #35-2009
(September 10th, 2009)
EMBRACING CHANGES IN SOCIAL SECURITY
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Baby Boomers and their parents differ fundamentally in financial attitudes, according to several articles I read recently. Most
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #34-2009
(September 3rd, 2009)
HEDGE FUNDS – JUST A LITTLE TOO EDGY FOR COMFORT
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
In investment terminology, to “hedge” means to manage risk. In theory, hedge funds, which were extremely popular prior to last fall’s
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #33-2009
(August 27th, 2009)
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DEFINITION MAKES!
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Financial news from both from Wall Street and Washington, D.C. is more upbeat these days. At the same time, the effects of the
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #32-2009
(August 20th, 2009)
NARROW FRAMING IS BAD FOR PEOPLE AND PORTFOLIOS
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Specialists in the new field of "behavioral finance" caution investors to avoid the behaviors and nonproductive thought processes
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #31-2009
(August 13th, 2009)
THE HIGH COST OF HIGH HORSE INVESTING
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
I remember Grandma warning us to "get off our high horses and get back to reality". She was apparently a pioneer in her thinking. Today
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #30-2009
(August 6th, 2009)
SLIGHTLY DOWN IS THE NEW UP FOR NOW
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
"Not yet great, but better than expected" was the diagnosis in the latest government report on our economy, which sank just 1% in
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #29-2009
(July 30th, 2009)
TWO FOR THREE ON RE-MELTDOWN PREVENTION
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Last fall, in the midst of the systemic meltdown of the U.S. credit system, I called for certain changes in regulation that I thought could interrupt the
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #28-2009
(July 23rd, 2009)
CHANGE I CAN'T BELIEVE IN
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
President Obama has been in office six months. Until now, I have refrained from criticizing him in these blogs, believing every new administration deserves
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #27-2009
(July 16th, 2009)
GETTING THROUGH RETIREMENT WITH GRACE, HEALTH – AND CASH
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
The biggest risk facing retirees is the very risk they most often ignore. The good news: a man in good health at 65 can expect to live
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #26-2009
(July 9th, 2009)
VOLATILITY - THE DEVIATIONS WE LOVE TO HATE
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Anyone who thinks it's easy to turn off our emotions when making decisions about our money had better think again. Even Nobel
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #25-2009
(June 25th, 2009)
FINANCE RULE OVERHAUL: THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
President Obama’s comprehensive plan to reform regulation of the financial markets has been called "sweeping", as indeed it is,
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #24-2009
(June 18th, 2009)
THIEVES AND SCOUNDRELS UPDATE
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
The lead story on 60 Minutes this past Sunday related to Bernie Madoff. Having pleaded guilty to defrauding investors, Madoff
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #23-2009
(June 11th, 2009)
INVESTMENT SELECTION IS NO PERFECT PROCESS!
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Two icons of U.S. business have been deleted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The editors of the index have replaced
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #22-2009
(June 4th, 2009)
SPENDING LIKE A FRUGAL MILLIONAIRE
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
I have always been proud to describe myself as “thrifty,” having learned frugality at the knee of my mother, Vera,
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #21-2009
(May 28th, 2009)
ARE WE "PRINTING" RUNAWAY INFLATION?
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Ever since last September, the Federal Reserve Board's printing presses have been running overtime in a frenzied effort to slow the economy's descent.
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #20-2009
(May 21st, 2009)
YOU CANNOT HEDGE THE WORLD
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Paul Volker, former head of the Federal Reserve Board and current Obama advisor, said it best: “You cannot hedge the world”.
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #19-2009
(May 14th, 2009)
STOCK OPTIONS - IT'S ALL IN THE WAY YOU USE THEM
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Think stock options are a speculator's game, too risky-too hot to handle? Think again. Option strategies exist that can actually take risk
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #18-2009
(May 7th, 2009)
RUN, DON'T WALK, TOWARDS THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
By Tom McAllister, CFP®
Much ink has been squandered on financial market commentary to the effect of "Things are different
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #17-2009
(April 30th, 2009)
CUM GRANO SALIS IS THE WAY TO TAKE NEGATIVE NEWS
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
There are several explanations for the origin of the phrase "take it with a grain of salt". Etymologists trace the expression back to Pompey's discovery,
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #16-2009
(April 23rd, 2009)
A PARTIAL RETURN TO COMMON SENSE
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The Financial Accounting Standards Board, responding to pressure from Capitol Hill lawmakers, finally returned to common sense territory relative
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #15-2009
(April 16th, 2009)
“I” AM NOW PART OF THE PROBLEM
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
I returned last week from a very successful twelve-day cruise on the Tahitian Princess, where I delivered six lectures. Average attendance at each
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #14-2009
(April 9th, 2009)
CAPITALISM - ALIVE AND WELL IN DUBAI
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Earlier this week I spent a delightful three days in Dubai , part of the United Arab Emirates. Enlightened leadership, a high-quality educational system
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #13-2009
(March 26th, 2009)
SPROUTS, STIMULI, AND SAGES
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
On my daily walks here in central Indiana , I'm beginning to notice green sprouts and even a few flowers. Economic gurus seem to be noticing signs of sprouting.
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #12-2009
(March 18th, 2009)
MARK TO THE MARKET IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE UPTICK!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The stock market rallied last week, and, of course, there's no end to the punditry as to the "why" of it all. One reason, I believe, is that a "technical
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #11-2009
(March 12th, 2009)
SITTING OUT BY SITTING IN
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Get me out! Sell everything! I hate stocks!
That's the attitude that triggers selling climaxes on Wall Street. Investors "give up" on stocks and rush
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #10-2009
(March 3rd, 2009)
IN THE DARK BEFORE THE DAWN
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
For the past four years, I have been able to fulfill one of my life goals by becoming a "snowbird", wintering in Southwest
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #9-2009
(February 24th, 2009)
IN THE FACE OF THE STORM, STAY CALM!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The economic recession is upon us in full force. This is not the first time our society has experienced this, nor
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #8-2009
(February 19th, 2009)
ARE WE STIMULATED YET?
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Congress passed the new stimulus bill last week and it's been signed by President Obama.
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #7-2009
(February 12th, 2009)
BOOMER-ANGST
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
For several years I have been an occasional contributor to "BOOMER-ING", an on-line magazine, which I've read with interest for all
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #6-2009
(February 5th, 2009)
ONLY SO MUCH JUICE IN THE ORANGE
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The latest in the Scoundrels and Thieves department (in my January 22 blog I discussed three individuals who managed to swindle
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #5-2009
(January 29th, 2009)
BLOWING BUBBLES WITH THE HERD
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Smart people still "herd", I've concluded, and herding behavior still leads in only one direction - investment bubbles.
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #4-2009
(January 22nd, 2009)
SCOUNDRELS, THIEVES, AND HANGAR TALK
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
As if the Bernard Madoff ”Ponzi scheme" scandal weren't enough, two weeks ago news broke about Marcus Schrenker
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #3-2009
(January 15th, 2009)
BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH CASH FLOW CONTROL
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
An article in the December issue of the Journal of Financial Planning caught my eye. In our daily
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #2-2009
(January 8th, 2009)
THROW OUT THE BATHWATER, NOT THE BABY!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The Madoff scandal, coming hard on the heels of last fall's market collapse, seems almost too much to bear. Bernie Madoff
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #1-2009
(January 1st, 2009)
A YEAR WITHOUT RMD'S - IT'S A GOOD THING
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
This week President Bush signed legislation suspending, at least through 2009, mandatory distributions
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #23-2008
(December 18th, 2008)
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INFLATION COIN
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
With each new infusion of dollars into the U.S. economy by our government, I believe, the likelihood of inflation increases. In
....
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #22-2008
(December 11th, 2008)
SCARY MAY BE THE NEW SAFE!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Pump air into tires or money into the credit system, and what do you get? Inflation! It’s inevitable -the recent influx of
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #21-2008
(December 4th, 2008)
OBAMA BEGINS TO SHOW HIS CARDS
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
We are now seeing the first signs of how President-elect Barack Obama will govern. In the face of the financial credit crisis
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #20-2008
(November 23rd, 2008)
ONE THING’S FOR CERTAIN: THE MARKET HATES UNCERTAINTY
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Uncertainty drives us humans mad! We like knowing where we stand, what is going on, and what is likely to happen. Even if
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #19-2008
(November 20th, 2008)
OVER-STIMULATED AND CAN'T SLEEP?
TAKE TWO BAILOUT PILLS; CALL CONGRESS IN THE MORNING!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
The Congressional cavalry's on the march once more, hatching plans for at least one more stimulus package to “get the
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #18
(November 13th, 2008)
CHICKEN LITTLE'S NOT INVITED
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
In recent weeks it may have felt as if "the sky is falling". Looked at from my perspective, though, things are not nearly
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #17
(November 6th, 2008)
AND THE CURE FOR LOW STOCK PRICES IS….
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Commodity traders like to say “The cure for high prices is……high prices.” This old adage has proven
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #16
(October 30th, 2008)
RE-ARMING REGULATION – DUH!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
When someone makes a big production out of saying something that goes without saying, “Duh!” may be the only
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #15
(October 23rd, 2008)
AH, GOVERNMENT! LOOK BACK IN HUMOR
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. (OK, I wish I'd said that, but
truth be told, it's a quote
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #14
(October 16th, 2008)
PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
No doubt about it now, I’m afraid. It’s here, that dreaded recession on which we wasted so
many TV sound bite
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #13
(October 9th, 2008)
FLIGHT - OR FIGHT?
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Scientific research is pretty clear that, when we are under severe stress,
our brains aren't interested in reality,
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #12
(October 3rd, 2008)
WHA’ HAPPENED?????
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Steve Forbes agrees with me, I was gratified to learn. And, since the CEO of Forbes
Magazine is #1 among the few journalists
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #11
(September 23rd, 2008)
IT'S THE LIQUIDITY, STUPID!
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Chaos? Yes. Economic crisis? No. Is the $700 billion government emergency
proposal really a "bailout"? Not
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MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS
Blog #10
(September 20th, 2008)
RULES GONE WRONG
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
As the Music Man would say, "We've got trouble, trouble, trouble".
Much of the trouble in the U.S. financial
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Blog #9
(September 17th, 2008)
LEVERAGE COMES BACK TO BITE
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
There's an old English saying that comes to my mind given this week's news:
“He who borrows
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Blog #8
(September 12th, 2008)
HORMONES TRUMP SUPPLY-AND-DEMAND
A basic rule in financial planning is the Law of Supply and Demand. We've all be taught the theory:
When demand for something is greater
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Blog #7
(September 5th, 2008)
THE NEW RETIREMENT MODEL: NEVER QUIT!
A recent survey highlighted in the news showed that more than half the "Baby Boomer" generation expect to work on
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Blog #6
(August 29th, 2008)
WHO'S BIDDING NOW?
AUCTION RATE SECURITIES UNDER SCRUTINY
Auction rate securities, a really good idea turned bad, have been making news lately, and quite a number of big-name Wall
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Blog #5
(August 22nd, 2008)
Can You Take That To The Bank?
Is the old saying "The bigger, the better!" a good standard when it comes to banks? With talk of bank failures making the news
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Blog #4
(August 15th, 2008)
WHO'S AFRAID OF RECESSION?
STAGFLATION COULD BE THE WORRY NOW!
August is anniversary month for me. August 1, 1962 I started in the investment business. My own firm, McAllister
....
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Blog #3
(August 8th, 2008)
IS THE FANNIE MAE/ FREDDIE MAC BAILOUT BAD NEWS?
All the news you've been hearing about Fannie and Freddie is not about spouses or siblings. The Federal National Mortgage
....
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Blog #2
(August 1st, 2008)
INFLATION'S ON THE RADAR AGAIN
"Price Index Soars 1.1% In June", the headline informs us, "the highest monthly increase since ....
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Blog #1 (introduction)
WHY A BLOG ON "MAKING CENTS OUT OF THE NEWS"?
By Tom McAllister, CFP™
Every quarter or so, for over thirty years, I've been sharing ideas about the financial markets ....
(click for more)
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