Ann Arbor MI Asset Management Firm
The Stockboy is a quarterly investment advice newsletter written by Brian H. Weisman, CFA®, CPA, CFP®, CMA, and president of Columbia Asset Management. Brian began the Stockboy in 1990 and its readers include Columbia Asset Management clients, well-respected financial advisors across the United States, and those interested in simple and straight forward financial advice. To subscribe to the newsletter and receive the entire print copy, please contact Brian at brian@columbiaasset.com.
Whatcoin?
Bitcoin Chitchat Late last year, around the holidays, as Bitcoin was hitting its peak price, I found myself at social gatherings being asked about the Bitcoin phenomenon. It felt similar to the...
Results Oriented?
This is Financial Planning? Northwestern Mutual Insurance Co. recently aired a commercial where a sweaty and tired dad is mowing his backyard lawn on a hot day while his surly teen daughter yells that...
CEO’s Win the Lottery, But Do Shareholders and Employees?
Tax Cuts for Who and for What? Congress recently passed a record-breaking tax cut, mostly for businesses. Having studied economics, I’m unconvinced that cutting taxes, and thus increasing the deficit...
Good Times Are Rolling, but Character Should Count Too
Activity Below the Surface As the stock market continues its smooth glide-path higher to the surprise of many, there are indications of nervousness underneath. Similar to the late ‘90’s, reactions to...
Don’t Be So Passive!
Unusual Times..for Now Passive (index) investing is the latest investment trend and it comes with some obvious advantages. One, passive investment fees are very low – an important issue to all...
Who Doesn’t Like Boat Names?!
Unusual Times..for Now GDP (gross domestic product) growth is a key factor in the health of the U.S. economy, though it’s not something a lot of people pay close attention to. Even if you don’t know...
25 YEARS!
A Quarter Century and Counting This issue marks 25 years writing the Stockboy. As is often said, time goes fast. I’m not sure how much I’ve changed from an investor perspective over that period, but...
Surprise – For Better and/or Worse
2016: A Year of Surprises Two words summarize the surprising tone of the 2016 markets: Trump and Brexit. If boiled down further: unpredictable. Nevertheless, by year’s end, most investors were...
Barking Up the Wrong Trees (as the leaves fall)
Wells Failure, Inc. Recently it was revealed that Wells Fargo Bank had fired 5300 employees for opening up over a million new accounts for customers that didn’t request them. This is particularly...
Summer Shenanigans
Brexit, Stage Left! The results of the recent Brexit vote stunned many, perhaps as much by how we found out about it as how the vote went. Running up to the election, and even during election day, the...
New Year, Same Old Market Issues
It’s Taken All of 3 Months Last quarter’s Stockboy predicted a few market changes. One, value stocks had a good chance to lead growth stocks in 2016, since growth stocks had such a strong 2015. Two...
2015: A Stealth Down Year; 2016: No Stealth?
2015 in Review 2015 will likely be remembered as a ‘flat’ year in the stock market, according to the results of the S&P 500. In fact, 2015 was almost unprecedented in its lack of volatility and...