Author Archives: David John Marotta

Some of the monthly commentary on the returns of global investments.

Some of the monthly commentary on the returns of the emerging markets.

Monthly commentary on the countries ranked high in economic freedom.

Some of the monthly commentary on the returns of Northern Europe compared with the EAFE Index.

Some of the monthly asset class returns.

Here are some of the monthly returns for countries high in economic freedom.

Some of the monthly commentary on the returns of foreign bonds.

Some of the monthly commentary on the returns of US bonds.

If there isn’t a strong enough outcry, these practices will become institutionalized.

Many people have asked what can be done. Here is a proposal.

David John Marotta and Megan Russell were interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing privacy and proposing an amendment on the right to privacy of correspondence.

Governments and individuals have different interests.

Amazon is currently collecting sales tax for purchases shipped to nine states. It will begin collecting sales tax on purchases for Virginia in September 2013.

Five principles from analyzing the last decade of returns.

“I would rather be an oyster than a county regulator, the most stupid and senseless of animals.”

Some of the Confederate edits to the Constitution would have helped prevent a lot of the federal mischief we’ve experienced.

Your lifespan is decreased by 1.8 months for each year you retire early.

We were surprised by some of the reactions to our recent article on protective tariffs as one of the primary causes of the Civil War.

For every job outsourced to Bangalore…

Many Americans do not fully understand the causes of the Civil War.

Economic growth is so easy….

Several issues can cause retired clients to deviate from their safe spending rates.

In a survey of millionaires’ top money regrets, the one that overwhelmingly prevails should not surprised us.

It’s hard to believe they would both protest a tariff-created monopoly at the Boston Tea Party and then create one at the first congress.

The constitutions of many other countries guarantee and protect the privacy of correspondence. The United States does not.

The faceless government agencies aren’t really faceless at all; they are populated by the very same types of potential criminals and nogoodniks that we would avoid sharing our personal information with on the street.

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“Retirement today is a lot like an iceberg, where 90 percent of what’s really taking place is below the surface.”

“Here are a few of the things we’re worried about – and the ways in which our firm is preparing for them.”

The lack of an adequate CPI adjustments leave seniors 71 days shy of a year’s worth of lovin’ it. Seniors deserve a break today!

Don’t hesitate to take advantage of this tax code oddity.

The U.S. stock market rose in May, while most foreign markets declined. The yield of the 10-year Treasury note rose by 37 basis points, Meanwhile global bond markets were slammed.

Web-based MBA programs have become increasingly popular among working professionals, who are balancing work, school and other life obligations.

“To answer that, it’s good to review key indicators, like the Shiller P/E ratio, and their recent history, experts say”

Without public accountability, people are rightly suspicious that even the legitimate operations of government are corrupt.

“The divergent claims about gold can be puzzling. How can a commodity that predominantly is either stored in a vault or gets formed into jewelry have so many stories spun around it?”

Fearful of monetary or societal failure, many hope that owning gold will bring them peace of mind.

Investing $512 in the S&P 500 at the end of 1979 grew with reinvested dividends for a total return of $19,323.19.

On average gold keeps up with inflation, albeit with wild gyrations.

From $255.95 gold rose to $1,795.00 between 4/2/2001 and 11/8/2011.

From $850 gold dropped to $255.95 between 1/21/1980 and 4/2/2001.

Gold advocates cherry pick gold’s returns from trough to peak.

Stocks have an average annualized appreciation over inflation of 6.86%, whereas gold is just 0.33% over inflation.

Inflation is one of the most important factors in nearly every aspect of financial planning and wealth management.

Bangladesh is “still a desperately poor country, and we shouldn’t minimize what a job with a steady paycheck means to a poor woman.”

Compliance isn’t just a technical burden. It is a threat of legal liability. The bill allows state tax audits by any state against any online vendor.

And yet we wonder why small businesses disregard so many government regulations.

The coercive power of government is more dangerous than the free market. Special interests use it to circumvent both the law and economics.

Even if you think you have good credit, periodically check the facts on your credit report anyway. Your credit report will outline your full credit history. And it can help you verify you have not been the victim of identity theft.

Follow a philosophy so that there is always a smart place to get money