From the Denver District Attorney’s Office: Shredding important documents is one of the most effective ways of insuring that financial information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. The following is a simple record retention guide that may help to eliminate some of the confusion over how long financial information should be retained (Source: www.bankrate.com): …
Learn MoreAuthor: Gold Medal Waters
In 2010, prominent industry analysts warned of a looming fiscal crisis among state and local governments. Some experts even predicted widespread municipal bond defaults in the US.1 Investor fears intensified in late 2010 when the municipal bond market experienced one of its largest selloffs in decades, which drove down prices and raised yields.2 While factors …
Learn MoreFrom the Denver District Attorney’s Office: Like the daffodils that come up in the spring, so too, do “Travelers” – con artists who roll in to town in shiny new pick-up trucks, and peddle door-to-door. They offer fabulous “home improvement” offers, claiming to have “left over” asphalt or roofing materials, and can do the job …
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As government spending hits record levels around the globe, some politicians, economists, and pundits are warning that rising indebtedness may drag down economies and financial markets. This issue has raised concern among investors who assume that a government’s fiscal policy is closely linked to the country’s economic growth and market returns. The graph below shows …
Learn MoreFrom the Denver District Attorney’s Office: Economic uncertainty influences our behavior, particularly how we spend, save and borrow. As tax season draws to a close, now might be the time to run a check on your credit “health”. Here are some safeguards to consider if you’ve gotten off track with good credit practices, or simply …
Learn MoreThe 2008 global market crisis and the struggling economy have left many investors fatigued. Despite two years of strong equity returns, some investors have been slow to regain market confidence. Many are accepting the talk about a “new normal” in which stocks offer lower returns in the future.1 The concept of a new normal is …
Learn MoreFrom the Denver District Attorney’s Office: The Denver District Attorney’s Office is alerting people that bolder, and more elaborate lottery scams are being perpetrated over the telephone. Last month, an elderly couple in Denver fell victim to just such a scam. The couple was called repeatedly over the course of a week and instructed to …
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Since the financial crisis hit in late 2008, the US monetary base has more than doubled, from about $800 billion in mid-2008 to about $2 trillion in November 2010.1 When the Federal Reserve announced a second round of quantitative easing (QE2), it raised investor concerns that such actions would stoke inflation. The chart below shows …
Learn MoreFrom the Denver District Attorney’s Office: Be careful of what you post on social networking websites. The popularity of sites such as Facebook or Myspace is also becoming the primary data source for fraudsters. Although these sites are resourceful ways of keeping friends and family informed, much of what is posted reveals the kind of …
Learn MoreIn recent years, structured products have gained favor among retail investors in Europe and the US. Investment banks promote these securities as sophisticated tools to help investors manage downside risk, enhance returns, or achieve other investment objectives. Sales have grown briskly since 2006, and despite a decline after the 2008 market crisis, some industry sources …
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