Category Archives: International

By Max Osbon Over time unforeseen risks can and will accumulate in a portfolio. Interest rate risks, market risks, inflation risks, default risks, and the risk of improper diversification are examples of potential pitfalls that must be persistently monitored.

In about four months my son Max and I will proudly take the field at Columbia University’s Wien Stadium for The RBC Decathlon where we’ll give it our all for the benefit of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. We’re excited for … Continue reading →

Last week we discussed how owning international securities adds an extra layer of risk, due to currency exchange rates. This time we look at the actual year-to-date return of major indexes, both before and after currency conversions. The big currency … Continue reading →

Many US investors are just that: they invest mostly in US stocks and bonds.  But many also diversify their investments outside our borders, buying securities domiciled in other countries, and denominated in their respective currencies. What are the risks related to … Continue reading →

You know the feeling. You hear noisy headlines trumpeting the latest Default, Plunge, Scandal, or Imminent Crisis. Your heart rate quickens. You wonder if you’re in danger. You feel, depending on your personality, paralyzed by doubt, or compelled to do something…anything. That … Continue reading →

I often comment on how difficult it is to predict which securities will rise above their peers to deliver higher returns.  Frustrating as it may be, there’s just no systematic way to consistently identify winners and losers in advance.  However … Continue reading →

All eyes, some red with market fatigue, are on the Dow and other benchmarks. After 10 days of staggering declines, I imagine there are still many investors with their fingers poised on the panic button, ready at the next sign … Continue reading →

Last week I talked about faith-based investing as represented by the $9 trillion US Treasury securities market, and the promise to repay backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States government.  This week I would like to … Continue reading →

Modern Western theatre as we know it is said to have originated 2600 years ago in Athens, with Thespis as the first winner of a theatrical contest.  The world could use an orator like him now to explain to the … Continue reading →