Earlier this week, I came across a magazine article from the B.C. era—before coronavirus. The article, which appeared in a recent issue of a popular personal finance magazine, described a certain type of bond investment. The write-up was well researched and balanced, including a discussion of the [...]
Bear Market Field Guide, Part VIII
I have a big problem with a small word. But before I get to that, I’ll start with a little bit of history. In his book The Success Equation, Michael Mauboussin tells this story: Back in the 1970s, a Spanish man won the country’s biggest national lottery, called El Gordo—the Big One. Awarded [...]
Bear Market Field Guide, Part VII
When I was in grade school, I distinctly remember a field trip to visit a high-flying local company called Prime Computer. At the time, in the 1980s, Prime was a Fortune 500 company with a popular line of minicomputers and a runaway stock. But today, Prime is long gone and barely remembered. [...]
Bear Market Field Guide, Part VI
On April 14, 1988, Captain Paul Rinn was the commanding officer of the USS Samuel B. Roberts when it struck a mine in the Persian Gulf. The resulting explosion tore a 21-foot hole in the side of the frigate. Almost immediately, the ship began taking on water, and multiple fires broke out. Naval [...]
Bear Market Field Guide, Part V
In his most recent annual report, Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett described an event that occurred at a Berkshire subsidiary last year: Late one night, a fire spilled over from a neighboring business, resulting in significant damage to the Berkshire facility, forcing it to shut down. [...]
