The late ’90s internet gold rush wasn’t just one giant bubble of flashy startups; it was an intertwined cluster of smaller bubbles that fed off each other. The poster children of the dot-com bust were household names like Pets.com and eToys.com — early e-commerce pioneers. Beneath them were telecoms that burned through hundreds of billions to provide internet access. But peel back another layer, and you’ll find a little-known frenzy that fizzled a few years after the dot-com crash — fiber optic companies that promised to build the rails for telecoms. Fiber optic cables weren’t a new invention in the…

Consider the following: you leave your employer and opt to leave your 401(k) as is as you transition into your new role. Then, let’s say your employer updates their business name and transitions to a new investment provider over the course of a few years. As time goes on, let’s say you move to a new home. This was a reality for one man, who then struggled for 10 subsequent years to gain enough information to get the plan transferred only for the new investment provider to say the check had to be sent to an old address. This struggle…

Key News Asian equities were mixed overnight in a quiet session following Friday’s global index rebalance and the expiration of US futures and options. Hong Kong and India, which has picked up recently after its correction, outperformed while the Philippines and Indonesia underperformed. The Wall Street Journal is reporting Trump’s April 2nd tariff announcements will be more targeted, which makes sense to me as it allows for a great headline without cratering the US economy and stock market. Auto giant BYD (1211 HK, 002594 CH) reported Q4 and 2024 financial results after the close in Hong Kong and Mainland China…

This year through March 21, stocks were up 9% in France, 15% in Germany, and 18% in Hong Kong. In the U.S. stocks were down 3%. A little international diversification might be a good idea, especially with U.S. stocks currently on the expensive side. Yet many American investors have 100% of their portfolios in U.S.-based companies. If you want a few international stocks in your portfolio, here are five that I think are worthy of consideration. Hannover Rueck In Germany, I like Hannover Rueck SE (HVRRY) a reinsurance company (an insurer to insurers) based in Hannover. It gets about 18%…

When C-level types lay down five, six, even seven figures to scoop up shares, we listen (especially when we’re looking at high-yield dividend stocks!). After all, there is only one reason why executives buy their own stock. They believe the price is going up. Insider buying is a great cue. But it is important for us to understand what “signal” buys look like. Many executives have automatic buying programs, so like clockwork, we’ll see them snap up a few thousand shares at, say, the start of every quarter. So what we really care about are sudden acquisitions across one or…

Losing a spouse is deeply challenging, especially for those not used to managing finances. We discuss with H. Jude Boudreaux, senior financial planner at The Planning Center based in New Orleans, the initial steps that can help ease the fear and confusion during this difficult time. Larry Light: From your experience, what are the biggest financial challenges that new widows encounter after losing a spouse? H. Jude Boudreaux: The emotional toll of losing a spouse is overwhelming, and that alone makes handling financial tasks incredibly difficult. Many widows have never managed household finances before, and suddenly they’re responsible for everything—from…

Investors are grappling with unprecedented uncertainty due to inflation fears, slowing growth, and global trade tensions. Similar anxiety is spreading through the diamond industry for a different reason: the rise of lab-grown diamonds. This disruptive technology has generated panic for some but opportunities for others. Lab-grown diamonds have quickly gained mainstream acceptance, mainly due to changing perceptions. Chemically identical to mined diamonds, they sell for just 10% of the price. Regardless of one’s opinion on authenticity, lab-grown diamonds are transforming the industry, and anybody considering buying or selling a diamond should pay attention. Evolution In Lab Diamond Pricing Ten years…

The market pullback we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks really hasn’t come as a surprise to me. The economy is sending what you could—at best—call mixed signals right now. And stocks, as they do in uncertain times, are reacting. I expect more volatility ahead, so today we’re going to talk about ways to protect ourselves while maintaining the 8%+ dividend streams we’re drawing from our favorite closed-end funds (CEFs). (Read: We’re not going to cash here.) Instead we’re going to focus on a strategy that’s been around as long as investing itself—diversification—by putting a bit more weight on…

The next interest rate cut will most likely come in June according to fixed income markets. The Federal Open Market Committee has held interest rates steady at meetings in January and March. The pause in interest rate cuts has primarily been due to waiting for further progress on disinflation at a time when the job market appears robust. However, economic uncertainty has risen, clouding the outlook for monetary policy. Two Cuts Expected By Policymakers In 2025 The FOMC sees elevated uncertainty in the economic outlook. Policymaker forecasts imply an average of two cuts in 2025, as updated on March 19.…

Volkswagen’s profit-making prospects are on the mend and there’s a grudging positivity among investors who have lived through a few false dawns over the years. Moody’s Ratings has been doing its more conservative sums since VW announced its results for 2024 earlier in March and it’s a mixed verdict. Moody’s downgraded a long-term issue, affirmed a short-term one and changed the outlook to stable from negative. VW expects its operating profit margin to increase to between 5.5% and 6.5% in 2025 compared with 5.9% in 2024. Sales will rise by up to 5%. In 2024, VW sales revenue rose 0.7%…