If you’ve been investing in countries such as South Africa and Brazil, the phrase “bear market” comes to mind. Their stock markets are off more than 20% this… Read More

In May, the interest rate on the 10-year Treasury note rose from about 1.6% to more than 2.2%. As rates rise, bond prices fall, and an exchange-traded fund… Read More

While the overwhelming narrative of late in the global markets has been the Federal Reserve’s “taper” talk, not every central bank around the world is following the Ben Bernanke playbook. Last week, there was a meeting of the Bank of England (BOE) that proved that not all minds think alike when it comes to monetary policy and a continued commitment to easy-money stimulus. In his first meeting as governor of the Bank of England, former… Read More

While the overwhelming narrative of late in the global markets has been the Federal Reserve’s “taper” talk, not every central bank around the world is following the Ben Bernanke playbook. Last week, there was a meeting of the Bank of England (BOE) that proved that not all minds think alike when it comes to monetary policy and a continued commitment to easy-money stimulus. In his first meeting as governor of the Bank of England, former Bank of Canada Gov. Mark Carney stirred the pot with a much more detailed statement of the normally terse BOE decision by the Monetary Policy Committee. (To show what I mean by “terse,” the BOE’s June press release was basically two sentences long.)#-ad_banner-# The new Carney-led BOE came with a more detailed statement for July. It essentially signaled that the Bank of England will begin using forward guidance as another tool to keep… Read More

While the overwhelming narrative of late in the global markets has been the Federal Reserve’s “taper” talk, not every central bank around the world is following the Ben Bernanke playbook. Last week, there was a meeting of the Bank of England (BOE) that proved that not all minds think alike when it comes to monetary policy and a continued commitment to easy-money stimulus. In his first meeting as governor of the Bank of England, former… Read More

While the overwhelming narrative of late in the global markets has been the Federal Reserve’s “taper” talk, not every central bank around the world is following the Ben Bernanke playbook. Last week, there was a meeting of the Bank of England (BOE) that proved that not all minds think alike when it comes to monetary policy and a continued commitment to easy-money stimulus. In his first meeting as governor of the Bank of England, former Bank of Canada Gov. Mark Carney stirred the pot with a much more detailed statement of the normally terse BOE decision by the Monetary Policy Committee. (To show what I mean by “terse,” the BOE’s June press release was basically two sentences long.)#-ad_banner-# The new Carney-led BOE came with a more detailed statement for July. It essentially signaled that the Bank of England will begin using forward guidance as another tool to keep… Read More

Many investors are surprised to learn that a large percentage of the stock market gains over the past several decades is due to dividends. While the United States is a hotbed of stocks offering substantial dividend yield, international stocks can provide similar results. Although I would never suggest a portfolio made up of strictly of non-U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exposure to the international market makes good sense for diversification purposes. These under-the-radar ETFs have strong potential for growth as well as produce a respectable dividend yield while allowing for geographic diversification. DB X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund (NYSE: DBEF)… Read More

Many investors are surprised to learn that a large percentage of the stock market gains over the past several decades is due to dividends. While the United States is a hotbed of stocks offering substantial dividend yield, international stocks can provide similar results. Although I would never suggest a portfolio made up of strictly of non-U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exposure to the international market makes good sense for diversification purposes. These under-the-radar ETFs have strong potential for growth as well as produce a respectable dividend yield while allowing for geographic diversification. DB X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund (NYSE: DBEF) Hedged currency ETFs have earned a place in the spotlight this year. While the Federal Reserve has shown its appetite for aggressive easing measures, countries like Australia, New Zealand and a few emerging markets refuse to play along. This difference in strategy results in currency volatility.#-ad_banner-# Without going into unnecessary detail, suffice it to say that this volatility has created a demand for hedged currency ETFs. My favorite is the tiny DB X-trackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity Fund. With an average daily volume of about 12,000 shares, its relatively small size has kept it under the radar of many… Read More

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have revolutionized the way investors approach the financial markets. No longer are multiple accounts required to access the majority of indexes, currencies… Read More

Sometimes, investing can be so boring. Even ETFs, which used to be the Brave New World of investing, have become mainstream. Index ETFs, as well as some… Read More

The New York City area is home to more than 25 million people — and nearly 1 in 10 Americans traverse its highways, byways and transit systems. As any resident of the area will tell you, the region’s transportation infrastructure is getting older by… Read More

Investing can be empowering — and not just because profits can free you from financial worry. Just a few decades ago, an investment strategy was key in the demise of one country’s segregationist political policies. Over time,… Read More

If you read StreetAuthority regularly, then you probably know about the “Dividend Decade.” This is a prediction by StreetAuthority Co-Founder Paul Tracy that dividends will account for all of the market‘s… Read More