Conglomerates are parent companies that own a number of large subsidiaries. They became popular back in the 1960s with corporations like ITT, LTV and GE, to name a few. In recent years, behemoth American conglomerates have spun off, sold off and pared down.1 However, there are ways to invest in a single “parent company” for…

Inflation was already on the rise before we learned about the omicron variant. Now on top of supply-chain shortages and transportation disruptions, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently observed that a resurgence of COVID-19 cases could reduce the consumer-driven boom we’ve enjoyed for the past few months. Concerns about safety could result in more workers…

Not surprisingly, some of the most notable investors in America founded well-known investment companies. For example, John Templeton, whom in 1999 “Money” magazine called “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century” founded Templeton Funds, best known for its international fund lineup. Thomas Rowe Price Jr., also referred to as “the father of growth…

Across the board, we’re seeing the capitalist principles of supply and demand both drive and curb U.S. economic activity. As more people have emerged from their hermit-like existence throughout the past year and a half, consumer spending is shifting from goods to services. For example, the services industry (e.g., restaurants, travel, hospitality) is on the…

This past August, close to 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs — the most ever in just one month (since the government began collecting data two decades ago).1 But there isn’t just one reason people are quitting their jobs. There are dozens. Some who had to juggle care for children or elderly relatives have chosen caregiving…

The general outlook for equities is positive toward the end of the year and into 2022. Stocks performed relatively well through the autumn earnings season and, as a general rule, the fourth quarter tends to be the best one for stock performance. While the coronavirus, labor shortages, supply chain issues and rising prices have presented…

It is interesting to evaluate how various economic events throughout time affect different demographics. For example, the 2007-2009 Great Recession saw higher losses in male-oriented jobs, such as construction and manufacturing. The pandemic-induced recession of 2020 was quite the opposite, affecting women to such a degree that the event spawned the term “she-cession.”1 There is…

Pew Research Center reported that in 2019, about 38% of adults ages 25 to 34 in the U.S. were not married or living with a partner, up from 29% in 1990.1 While marriage and even long-term relationships are growing less prevalent, the data shows that single people tend to be less financially stable than those…

In capitalism, all management, labor and profits are privately controlled. In a socialist economy, however, businesses are owned and run by the government, and the workers are employees of the government. The U.S. national health care system is run based on capitalist principles. However, the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system is an example of…

You may have noticed higher prices on the things you buy regularly, like groceries and gas. However, many consumers may not realize that economic factors such as backed-up supply chains, extreme weather events, labor shortages/higher wages, and higher demand are not currently reflected in many consumer prices. Why is that? In some cases, merchants and…