January 24, 2023
tax lessons learned from tesla
The past few years for Tesla (Ticker: TSLA) have been anything but mundane. Shares of the equity experienced a meteoric rise from mid-2019 to late 2022, with a trough-to-peak rally of over 3400% in a
Insights
January 5, 2023
where are those “top 10” companies now? – “millennium” focus
“Top” companies can seemingly do no wrong during their ascent. Whether filtered by top US companies by market cap or fastest growing over the last decade, these companies tend to be household names with a
December 13, 2022
where are those “top 10” companies now? – “nineties” focus
“Top” companies can seemingly do no wrong during their ascent. Whether filtered by top US companies by market cap or fastest growing over the last decade, these companies tend to be household names with a
November 22, 2022
tax avoidance gone wrong – the rise and fall of facebook
Facebook’s IPO was one of the hottest ever. The company was growing at an astounding rate as social media went fully mainstream, and everyone wanted in on the action. Facebook went public on May 12,
February 3, 2022
case study: how options investing can go right (and wrong) using arkk as an example
In 2020, the ARKK Innovation ETF (ARKK) caught the imagination of the investing public after generating a 152% return for the year. ARKK seeks to invest in cutting edge, innovative companies – tomorrow’s most promising
January 9, 2019
selling insurance in stormy market conditions
It may come as no big surprise that you wouldn’t have much luck trying to purchase flood insurance for your home on a barrier island in the middle of a catastrophic hurricane. However, let’s say
December 7, 2018
puts provide market insurance
Insurance is purchased for almost every aspect of our lives from health and disability to our homes and cars in order to protect us from a liability or bad event that could be financially inconvenient
November 9, 2018
consider mitigating market uncertainty via option strategies
In early September I wrote about the effects of uncertainty on financial markets and investing. There is a high level of correlation between fear and ambiguity, which the recent market downturn snapped into focus. When
October 5, 2018
looking for a conservative defined outcome alternative for fixed income?
On a recent trip to the Baltimore/Washington D.C. region, I had the opportunity to meet with several financial advisors over lunch to discuss their methods of mitigating risk within their credit portfolios. We discussed the
September 6, 2018
effects of uncertainty on the markets and how defined outcomes can help
John walks into a deli and asks what sandwiches are available. The counter guy responds that there are two choices: A turkey hoagie or pastrami on rye. John replies that he will have the turkey
August 1, 2018
how much protection do longer term buffered products actually provide?
Barron’s wrote a cover article, “The Annual 50 Best Annuities Review”, in their July 22, 2018 edition with a section that highlighted the growing success of Structured Annuities. The article helped answer a question that
July 3, 2018
is it time for a costless collar on the market?
One of the ultimate strategies for a concentrated position is the zero-cost collar. The scenario presents itself when an investor has a large position, typically due to a job at a publicly traded company that
June 4, 2018
structured note innovations vs traditional: competitive or complimentary
“Buffer annuities will continue to grow in popularity: Blackrock research finds that 39 percent of retirement savers would move further away from their cash holdings if their capital was protected. As cash continues to be
March 21, 2018
hedging: stop loss vs option strategies
February was a good test run for the inevitable market downturn. After being on cruise control for approximately two years the fear of inflationary pressures combined with quickly rising rates spooked the market resulting in
July 20, 2017
three years of innovation: the rolling buffered notes
Downside protection in a portfolio is a key need for many clients. Whether simply due to a conservative investor approaching retirement (e.g., 55 – 65+ group) or views that the market may be long in
December 29, 2016
thoughts on volatility and the markets
As we leave 2016 behind and prepare for 2017, I wanted to share some of the themes we have recently been speaking and writing about. Over the last quarter, we penned four articles, appeared in
November 4, 2016
joe halpern interviewed on voice of america: market volatility in the national election
Joe Halpern joined Jill Malandrino, Markets Reporter for the popular Voice of America segment on Nasdaq Facebook Live to discuss market volatility going into the national election and what may be in store come next
November 2, 2016
vix going into the elections
Last week I penned an article in the November issue of Investment Advisor (a ThinkAdvisor publication); the article discusses how the VIX communicates expected volatility over the next 30 days. Although VIX is always an
April 21, 2016
product development: is the backtest trustworthy?
Part one of a series of articles on product development “I have never seen a bad backtest” is an often stated criticism of backtesting that has a high degree of truth to it – many
February 18, 2016
the difference between beta and delta and why we care
Check out our webinar on Beta vs. Delta. Beta is one of the classic measurements within the financial industry. It is one of the first measurements shown on Yahoo Finance, right under the bid-ask and earnings
January 19, 2016
what’s your market floor?
Market upheaval can be gut wrenching. The market can experience 5% and 10% declines with surprising frequency, with a typical bounce back relatively quickly. But once in a while you get a 2008 event where
