The Fenton Report

Latin America Connection

2007-10-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

By Mohit Joshi The Globalization of technology and other knowledge services has been one of the hallmarks of economic activity in the past decade – with a humble start in remote development, this has now morphed into a $50+ billion dollar business (USD). In the United States (US), it is estimated that 80% of Fortune 100 companies have an active global sourcing program. Additionally, global

State of the US Economy and Globalization

2007-09-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton An interview with Peter S. Cohan on the state of the US Economy and Globalization. Mr. Cohan has written seven books, produced one audio program, been featured in eight compendiums of modern management thinking, writes two online management and investment columns, and contributes to two blogs. Mr. Cohan also edits a monthly investment-oriented newsletter entitled The Cohan Letter

International Property Investment in Central and Eastern Europe

2007-08-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

By Katja Huitikka & Julie Page 2006 saw direct investment into European real estate reach record levels with total transaction volumes of €242 billion – up 39% on 2005. Although the UK, Germany, and France continued to dominate market activity in 2006, accounting for 64% of total volumes, there was significant growth in Central and Eastern Europe (“CEE”) where volumes more than doubled from €5.8

Using Offline Media to Drive Online Sales

2007-07-31T13:01:00.000-05:00

By Janet Holian, Chief Marketing Officer, VistaPrint While it may sound counter intuitive with the relative cost of email vs. offline media, with the increase of email saturation offline media can in fact be a valuable tool to help drive high-ROI (Return on Investment) online sales. Whether you are trying to acquire new customers or retain existing ones, there are several critical components to

China and America's Future

2007-07-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Business Leaders and Top Hedge Fund Managers discuss the latest issues facing the economies of the US and China by Bruce Fenton Recently I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Committee of 100 Annual Conference at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. The Committee of 100 is a group of Chinese-American business and social leaders whose impressive membership list includes: Yahoo co-founder

Adventure Capitalist Jim Rogers on US Isolationism

2007-05-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

China, Dubai, the US and Globalization from the man who may know it best by Bruce Fenton (watch Globalization Video) Like many things to do with global change, my conversation with legendary investor, adventurer and traveler Jim Rogers may be scary to most Americans. This fear is exactly the kind of thing Mr. Rogers sees as potentially harmful to the US. His thoughts make one wonder if the US

Wild Bill and the NYSE

2007-04-23T14:21:00.001-05:00

Originally published September 15, 2003 The flap over the pay of New York Stock Exchange chief Richard Grasso is reminiscent of times past, when the NYSE was run by the “good old boys” of American high finance. They were in control until “Wild Bill” Douglas appeared on the scene as head of the SEC in 1936 and forced the Exchange to make stock trading a more democratic institution. Grasso is

National Savings Rates

2007-04-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton If you are short of something economic to worry about, try the American savings rate. The people of Europe might tell us that our economy is going down like a lead sled because we Americans are such poor savers. And, more than a few of the financial press seem to share that view. The world is so concerned that we Americans save too little, borrow too much, and basically consume

Child Tax Credits, IRAs and 1099s

2007-04-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Originally published in The Fenton Report on March 29, 2004 In 2003, the federal government treated nearly 24 million families to a tax credit check. The U.S. Treasury mailed checks to many people who claimed the Child Tax Credit last year as an advance payment for the credit’s increase (tax law changes in 2003 increased the credit from $600 to $1,000 for qualifying families).

Cost of College

2007-04-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton A college-bound student is likely to pay a huge price for that coveted sheepskin … $12,127 a year to cover tuition, fees, and board and room at a public institution … more than $29,000 per year at the average private college, according to the College Board. The rest of the story is not much better. If college costs continue to inflate at the same rate as last year (6.6 percent),

Who Is George Soros?

2007-03-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Born Soros György Budapest, Hungary on August 12, 1930, George Soros has risen to the top echelons of global superinvestors. George Soros survived the Nazi occupation of Budapest and left communist Hungary in 1947 for England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE). While a student at LSE, George Soros became familiar with the work of the philosopher Karl

Halliburton to Move Headquarters to Dubai

2007-03-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Oil services giant Halliburton Co. will soon shift its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Mideast financial powerhouse of Dubai, chief executive Dave Lesar announced Sunday. "Halliburton is opening its corporate headquarters in Dubai while maintaining a corporate office in Houston," spokeswoman Cathy Mann said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "The

Real Estate Exchanges

2007-02-26T16:25:00.001-05:00

Procrastination in our workaday world is generally not a virtue…unless taxes on real estate transactions are involved. Rising real estate values have created opportunities for real estate investors to improve their positions by doing tax-free exchanges of investment property. Property held for investment or business use and sold at a profit is subject to capital gains transaction on the gain

Retirement Income Plan

2007-02-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Coming up with a retirement plan to replace a weekly paycheck once retirement comes knocking is essential to making sure your money lasts as long as you do. The basics for designing this plan rest on the “three legged stool of retirement”…government pensions, personal savings and investments, and employer supplied retirement benefits. An individual has little control over two of

Property Titles

2007-02-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton For many, part of the “American Dream” is owning real property. Prior to completing the purchase a buyer is typically asked by his real estate agent, and later by the title company handling the sale, how title is to be held. Titling is held as important for a variety of reasons. Understanding the difference between sole proprietorship, joint tenancy, tenants-in-common, and

Pet Trusts

2007-01-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Your family’s estate plan likely covers a broad range of contingencies dealing with the care of our property and most importantly, your dependents. However, it is quite likely that it does not include contingencies for dealing your pets needs. Sad but true, we plan for everything in our lives but often fail to plan for our pets. Some time ago I read about a will that left a

Financial Planning: It Should Be Simple

2007-01-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton A famous general, who later became our President, once told us “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Much the same can be said for financial plans. Bookstores have stacks of self help financial planning books bearing titles such as the “Nine things you need to know now,” or “Eight secrets to a successful … ,” or “Seven Rules for ... ” etc. All miss the real point of

Administration of an Estate

2007-01-16T10:58:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Some may view being named as the executor of a will, a successor trustee, or an estate administrator an honor. Others may see this for what it can be: plenty of work, and more than a little personal liability, with little reward. The basic task of estate administration is to validly dispose of the property of the decedent according to their wishes, or in the absence of expressed

Who is Warren Buffet?

2007-01-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1930, Warren Buffett is a wealthy businessman and considered as the world’s most successful stock market investor. Through intelligently executed investments, Warren Buffett has amassed an enormous fortune. With an estimated net worth of $40 billion as of 2005, Warren Buffett is ranked by Forbes among the richest people in the world, often listed second

India and the Hunt For Oil

2007-01-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton It’s oil, not gold, that developing nations realize they need to power up their economies and grow with the rest of the 21st century world. India is a prime example. Unlike the days of the British Raj, when Indian princes and their British counterparts found fame and fortune as hunters of exotic game and precious gems, today these princes are hunters of oil. While India’s

Multi-Family Estate Planning

2006-12-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton The multiple family household provides different estate planning challenges. When either or both parents have children from prior marriage(s) a fair distribution of property upon the first death often requires detailed thought. If a family business is involved, or if there is a wide disparity in the ages of the children, the situation can be even more complicated. Normally, the

Millionaire Lifestyle

2006-11-27T12:29:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton Does the idea of a millionaire’s lifestyle appeal to you? Ocean cruises around the world, vacations abroad, sailing on a yacht, shopping in Paris…all might be your idea of how a millionaire lives, but that is not reality according to Dr. Thomas Stanley who has made a career out of studying millionaires. Stanley, in his book, The Millionaire Mind, explores the world and minds of

Using Available Resources

2006-11-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton It’s no secret today’s stock market is propelled “up and to the right” by earnings expectations. These expectations, widely broadcast by the financial press, generally come from two sources—the “official consensus estimate” and so-called “whisper numbers.” In the case of the former, the terms official and consensus are somewhat mutually exclusive because, in reality, there is no

Cash Flow Is Basic

2006-11-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

by Bruce Fenton A basic part of family planning begins with cash flow management. In many cases it is this first step that determines the ultimate financial successes of the household. By understanding cash flow, the family can make good decisions that will enable it to avoid unnecessary debt, borrow responsibly, accumulate wealth for the future, and plan for major needs such as education

Employee Stock Ownership

2006-10-16T12:33:00.001-05:00

Any owner of a successful, privately held, small business will tell you that businesses are fun to build, but that the tax system does not provide many benefits to ownership. Short of selling the stock in their company, outright to a third party, they have few ways to derive tax benefits from ownership while operating the company. Further, in this age of stock option incentives at public