Dear John

July 23, 2019, by Sara McPherson

Chief Economist, John Norris, answers the most commonly asked questions. Dear John, As the Presidential campaign has been heating up, it seems income inequality will be a major topic moving forward. We have all heard the old adage “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer,” and heard the arguments for ‘living wages’ and $15/hour minimum wages. However, how much do you think these passionate issues will shape the election in 2020? I don’t...

Episode 48 of Trading Perspectives Podcast

July 22, 2019, by Sara McPherson

Netflix & Consumer Streaming Patterns Last week, Netflix announced its most recent quarterly earnings and needless to say, the markets aren’t happy. Earnings per share was down, user growth was less than expected and the number of US subscribers decreased by over 100,000 users. In this week’s episode of Trading Perspectives, John and Sam talk about how the nature of television is changing yet again. With streaming so easily accessible, how can Netflix stay ahead...

Common Cents & Novak Djokovic on July 19, 2019

July 18, 2019, by John Norris

This past Sunday, I watched every point of the men’s finals at Wimbledon between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, every point. This took some conviction and playing hooky from church, but I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the screen. While I will stop short of saying it was the best tennis match in history, I am not sure if I have personally seen a more gripping one. It was the longest men’s final in the...

Episode 47 of Trading Perspectives Podcast

July 15, 2019, by Sara McPherson

Bitcoin & Other forms of Cryptocurrency This week, John and Sam talk about the recent rise in the price of Bitcoin. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are back in the spotlight since Facebook announced the launch of the Libra, it’s own form of cryptocurrency. Why are cryptocurrencies back on the rise after what happened in 2018? Where is the value in Bitcoin coming from? Currently cryptocurrencies are seen as volatile replacement for precious metals. As cryptocurrencies...

Common Cents & Cryptocurrencies on July 12, 2019

July 12, 2019, by John Norris

Long years ago, when I was four, my sister and I found a quarter outside a grocery/delicatessen named Browdy’s here in town. More appropriately, I saw said quarter on the ground, and my nine-year old sister pushed me out of the way to pick it up. No matter, as she bought a fistful of hard candies and bubble gum for us to share, and a candy bar for herself. At the time, I thought it...

Episode 46 of Trading Perspectives

July 8, 2019, by Sara McPherson

The Gold Standard Last week, President Trump named Judy Shelton, a long-time advocate of the gold standard, as his latest pick for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. The US abandoned the gold standard in 1971 under the Nixon administration and many feel bringing it back would be devastating to the US economy. On the flip side, some believe it would make the US dollar less susceptible to inflation. With the US dollar being...

Common Cents & Fried Chicken on July 5, 2019

July 5, 2019, by John Norris

Not surprisingly, a fair number of people took a vacation day today in order to turn the 4th of July into a 4-day weekend. So, I thought it would be nice to provide lunch for the wealth management associates who didn’t do so. Having done this sort of thing numerous times in the past, I find it best not to take individual orders, and simply order something on which most people can agree. For instance,...

Episode 45 of Trading Perspectives

July 1, 2019, by Sara McPherson

Student Loan Forgiveness Student loan forgiveness could very well become a major part of the democratic platform in 2020. This week, John and Sam explain the scope of the problem behind student loan debt and how it came about. Before we make a decision to eliminate student loan debt, we need to understand where we started and who is at fault for the student loan debt crisis. How are student loans effecting college tuition? If...

Common Cents & Capital Gains Taxes on June 28, 2019

June 28, 2019, by John Norris

Yesterday, a few headlines reported the Administration was/is mulling a somewhat convoluted way of reducing the capital gains tax by indexing said gains to inflation, skirting a dubious Congress in the process. Nefarious stuff, that. The original source of the breaking news was a story on Bloomberg which cited, no kidding, “according to people familiar with the matter.” To seemingly add veracity to the story was the clincher: “A White House spokesman didn’t immediately respond...

Episode 44 of Trading Perspectives

June 24, 2019, by Sara McPherson

The Future of Banking Episode 44 of Trading Perspectives features special guest Scott Reed, Senior Managing Director of Oakworth Capital Bank. As Bernie Sanders and many left leaning politicians are making a push to break up big banks, John and Scott discuss how the role of banks has changed over recent decades. How has technology impacted the way people bank? Will the evolution of technology in the banking industry raise question marks in Washington? If...