http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick? The Retired Investor/@theMarket Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:29:45 EDT en-us http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4540 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4540 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:56:00 EDT This week, statements from the president and his treasury secretary indicating a possible thaw in relations with China triggered a bout of FOMO among traders. Markets gained more than 6 percent for the week on a hope and a prayer. Was it justified?   On Monday, investors woke up to... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4539 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4539 Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:07:00 EDT I have been retired for nearly 10 years and was never a trader. It was very much to pour as much into the 401K as possible and keep it in low-cost mutual funds. Warren Buffet's thoughts on that approach worked well for me. I ignored market fluctuations for 40 years and had the good fortune... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4538 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4538 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 13:41:00 EDT On Thursday, investors hoped that Fed Chair Jerome Powell, speaking in Chicago at the Economic Club, would assure markets that he would backstop any downside from President Trump's policies. They were disappointed.   Even worse, he said, "The level of tariff increases... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4537 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4537 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:12:00 EDT You may have weathered the Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic sell-off, some may even remember the Dot.Com boom and bust, but this time around feels different. That's because it is.   In my entire career, I have never seen the stock market move 8.3 percent in 34 minutes... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4536 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4536 Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:08:00 EDT This week, the stock markets had one of their largest single-day rallies since 2012, after President Trump suddenly put some of his tariffs on hold for 90 days. He then gave back half of it the following day. Investors wonder if this was a bear market bounce or if it could mean something... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4535 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4535 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:38:00 EDT Are we on the verge of an American economic and social revival as Donald Trump promises, or on the eve of destruction as his critics claim? That sounds extreme, but in this partisan world we live in binary events are all we care about.    If all unfolds according to the Trump... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4534 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4534 Fri, 04 Apr 2025 14:21:00 EDT Stocks fell to kick off the second quarter following the worst quarterly performance for equities in the past three years. The culprit was Wednesday evening's "Liberation Day" announcement of tariffs far worse than the markets expected.   By now, most readers know that... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4533 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4533 Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:48:00 EDT Transforming a government-heavy economy into one where the private sector leads not only takes time but also requires a period of detoxification, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The idea that pain may need to come before any gains has caught the nation and the stock market by... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4532 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4532 Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:50:00 EDT On April 2, Donald Trump has threatened to levy tariffs on several nations. This is in addition to the tariffs he has already imposed on China, Mexico, Canada, and now global auto producers. The question is whether the "if" in tariffs is still possible.   No, it isn't.... http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4531 http://www.iberkshires.com/blogs/Bill_Schmick?bid=4531 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:06:00 EDT For those of us in the business world, the myriad economic policy initiatives spewing from the White House are both confusing and at times difficult to understand.    Certain policies seem to cancel each other out. Full employment while reducing immigration, drill-baby-drill to...