Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control

While America Aged (5 Stars)

I found each of the three stories in the book to be interesting and instructive. They are tales of people aiming at short-term results, while letting the future suffer. In the case of the NYC Subways, the plan sponsors finally fought back. With GM, they accomodated until they were nearly dead. With San Diego, they compromised until it cost them their bond rating, and many people involved got sent to jail.

If you want to buy this book: While America Aged

Pension Dumping (5 Stars)

This book describes the motives of all of the parties in DB pension issues very well, and why they tend to lead to DB plan terminations.?There are possible solutions recommended at the end, but in my judgment they might save some plans that are marginal, but not those that are sick.?If you are interested in the topic of pensions, buy the book: Pension Dumping

David Merkel is an investment professional, and like every investment professional, he makes mistakes. David encourages you to do your own independent "due diligence" on any idea that he talks about, because he could be wrong. Nothing written here, at RealMoney, Wall Street All-Stars, or anywhere else David may write is an invitation to buy or sell any particular security; at most, David is handing out educated guesses as to what the markets may do. David is fond of saying, "The markets always find a new way to make a fool out of you," and so he encourages caution in investing. Risk control wins the game in the long run, not bold moves. Even the best strategies of the past fail, sometimes spectacularly, when you least expect it. David is not immune to that, so please understand that any past success of his will be probably be followed by failures. Also, though David runs Aleph Investments, LLC, this blog is not a part of that business. This blog exists to educate investors, and give something back. It is not intended as advertisement for Aleph Investments; David is not soliciting business through it. When David, or a client of David's has an interest in a security mentioned, full disclosure will be given, as has been past practice for all that David does on the web. Disclosure is the breakfast of champions. Additionally, David may occasionally write about accounting, actuarial, insurance, and tax topics, but nothing written here, at RealMoney, or anywhere else is meant to be formal "advice" in those areas. Consult a reputable professional in those areas to get personal, tailored advice that meets the specialized needs that David can have no knowledge of.