Trading

Disruption continues in the world of discount brokerages with the announcement today that powerhouse Charles Schwab is buying competitor TD Ameritrade for $26 billion. The blockbuster merger of the two largest discount brokers is being watched by retail traders who are enjoying a wave of zero-commission trades triggered by Schwab in October. Eliminating basic account trade commissions disrupted the industry as it forced others to follow, including TD Ameritrade.

FAANG was the acronym created from the powerhouse stocks that lead the way for many years as they grew to huge significance in the market. It was a catchy term that helped seat them in our brains and, with a fierce term like that, probably helped them grow on aura alone. One thing we reliably … Read more

Let’s talk about the yield curve. What is it? Yield curve is a visual representation of the “spread” or difference between government bonds of different maturities. For example, if the 10yr bond has a rate of 2% and the 2yr bond has a rate of 1% that would mean the 10y/2y spread is 1%, or … Read more

It’s Fed day again! The time when markets come to a standstill as they hold their breath, waiting anxiously for nuanced words in the report, and of course, what the interest rate will be. I have covered this event before in a Simpler Blog named “Don’t Fight the Fed” so I won’t repeat all that … Read more

The markets have been tough the last few weeks. It’s like being in a nightclub where they keep switching up the playlist. As soon as you get used to country music, the DJ drops the bass and everyone has to adapt to a new rhythm. And once that settles in, bam, they roll out the … Read more

In recent weeks, we’ve been a slave to the tweets. Namely, two weeks ago for the FOMC meeting that had little reaction and then a 50 point move appeared after, you guessed it: Trump tweeting. And so a wave of confusion persists. Personally, I’m reminding myself that if cash is my position, then I’m naturally … Read more

“Fail fast” was a phrase taught to me during a business coaching presentation while I was in my financial advising career in my mid 20’s. It is a phrase that has stuck with me ever since because of its power and seemingly contradictory meaning. Nobody likes to fail at something, right? Yet here was a … Read more

Wednesday’s session wasn’t for the faint of heart. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 800 points from the previous day’s close, and as financial media was quick to point out, the largest loss in 2019. While that is a noteworthy statistic the index is no stranger to significant declines. In December, prices fell more than … Read more

The U.S. Dollar has been very much in focus over the past couple of months. Traders believe that the Fed’s easing policies may have a negative effect on the Dollar moving forward. It won’t, and here is why. All currencies are traded as relative value, meaning that in order for the Dollar to fall another … Read more