Category: INO.com Contributors

3 ETFs Investors In Their 30s Should Buy

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


The best time to start investing, no matter you age is always now. But depending on your age, there are better investment options than others. I recently wrote a piece discussing a few of my favorite Exchange Traded Funds geared for all investors. Now I am working through different age groups and pointing out some of my favorite ETFs that are more focused on each age group based on where investors are in their life cycle and their interests.

A month ago I published a piece geared toward 20-year-olds, and today we are going to focus on ETF options that fit better for those in their 30's. By the time you turn 30, a few things have or will soon likely happen in your life. You will have begun progressing in your career, you are making more money than when you were in your early 20's, you may be a home owner or planning to become one, you either have started a family or again have plans to do so, and lastly maintaining your health. With those three things in mind, I have found a few ETFs that play into those life changes. Continue reading "3 ETFs Investors In Their 30s Should Buy" →

Myths About Oil And The Dollar

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


Oil prices and the dollar have been highly negatively correlated during the oil price collapse. From June 2014 through September 2016, the correlation has been -95%.

In financial articles, it's a commonplace to read that oil prices fell because the dollar strengthened, or oil prices rose because the dollar weakened. This is largely a confusion of correlation with causality.

It is true that there is a linkage. A stronger dollar does render oil prices higher in foreign currencies, thereby adversely affecting demand, a negative factor for oil prices. Continue reading "Myths About Oil And The Dollar" →

Will There Be A November Surprise?

Posted on by George Yacik

George Yacik - INO.com Contributor - Fed & Interest Rates


In its most recent Beige Book, covering late August through early October, released last week, the Federal Reserve noted that although economic “outlooks are positive, contacts in several sectors cite the upcoming presidential election as a source of near-term uncertainty, delaying some business decisions.”

The same could be said for the Fed itself. How much uncertainty has it created and business decisions has it delayed by its endless dawdling and indecisiveness on whether or not to raise interest rates? No matter who wins the vote, the election will end – maybe not on November 8, if it can be shown that someone did, in fact, rig the voting – but eventually, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will become president. But we have no such certitude that the Fed won’t continue to tease the markets about when it will start normalizing monetary policy. Continue reading "Will There Be A November Surprise?" →

Japanese Yen Set for a Winter Sell?

Posted on by Lior Alkalay

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


The Japanese Yen is finally ready for another bearish wave, the kind that could drive the Dollar-Yen trade to retest the 2015 highs. At least, that is what the USD/JPY technical analysis suggests. According to the MACD Index, the selling momentum has weakened, and the pair is just resting above the 100 pivot, a key pivot for the pair. But the question is, are fundamentals ripe for another Yen selloff and a USD/JPY rally?

Weekly MarketClub Chart of USD/JPY

Yen is a Bond Play

As I often reiterate, the Japanese Yen is essentially a bond play. Over the past decade, Japan has been stuck in a long deflationary cycle of falling prices and less than 1% average growth in five years. Moreover, Japanese consumers, as well as Japanese corporations, have had an overwhelming desire to hoard mountains of cash which only exacerbates the stagnation of the Japanese economy. The combination of constant cash hoarding and deflation has created a very robust market for Japanese Government Bonds. The Japanese government has tried to balance the phenomenon by accumulating a jaw-dropping debt of 229% of GDP or roughly $9.5 Trillion, and by trying to spur growth. Instead of balance, however, it has made the Japanese Government Bond market so overwhelmingly large (compared to other sectors), that it essentially dominates the dynamics of the Yen. When demand for Japanese Government Bond rises so does demand for the Yen, and vice versa. Continue reading "Japanese Yen Set for a Winter Sell?" →

How Does NOBL Compare To Others In This Category; SDY, VIG And WDIV?

Posted on by Matt Thalman

Matt Thalman - INO.com Contributor - ETFs


Today I would like to answer a question posed by you, a reader. A few weeks ago I mentioned one of my favorite ETF's the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (PACF:NOBL) and a reader named jab commented on the article and asked a question. Jab said,

"Thanks for the info on NOBL. Wasn't familiar with the term/category "dividend aristocrats." How does NOBL compare to others in this category like SDY, VIG, and WDIV?"

So, I would like to take some time and answer this question and give a little more detail on the different metrics I look for when trying to find the best ETF's to invest in when comparing similar category ETFs.

The four different ETF's we will be comparing today are the ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF, the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (PACF:SDY), the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund (PACF:VIG), and the SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF (PACF:WDIV). So, let's get to it. Continue reading "How Does NOBL Compare To Others In This Category; SDY, VIG And WDIV?" →