Reading this newsletter is an excellent first step toward becoming informed and capable. Each quarter we will give you a snapshot of changes in the economy. We will provide guidance so that you can do this yourself without relying totally on an outsider financial advisor.

We are not recommending that you do away entirely with trustworthy financial counsel, but since we are talking about your money, we are recommending that you be the one who makes the final decisions.

Being knowledgeable about how you are investing is so important. As investors, we have plenty of reasons to be concerned, especially when we see some of the recent stock market developments that look more like gambling than responsible investing.

I get sickened when I see an Initial Public Offering like Shake Shak – a company that sells over-priced greasy burgers – open at a market valuation of $1.6 billion. What are they thinking? That is more than $40 million per restaurant. I mean, have you ever been in a Shake Shak restaurant? It looks just like any other burger joint, but someone made a lot of money on that IPO. It reminds me of playing poker and upping the ante until someone blinks or calls your bluff.

Okay. Enough of that. Let’s take a look at what we are seeing in the current economy.