Jim Fink

Jim Fink is senior online editor for Investing Daily. He writes the “Stocks to Watch” daily column that provides readers with timely insight into current events and their potential impact on publicly listed companies.

Hopelessly overeducated, Jim holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, a law degree from Columbia University, and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. For good measure, he has been a member of the Illinois and D.C. bars and is a CFA charterholder. 

Prior to joining KCI, and when not incurring student loans hiding out in academe, Jim practiced telecommunications regulatory law for nine years until he realized that he made more money trading stock options than writing briefs. After attending business school, Jim switched gears to the investment realm full-time, working for a university endowment, a private wealth management firm, an insurance and financial planning company, and as a Senior Analyst for an online investment newsletter service that encourages the wearing of funny hats. 

A possible but unlikely descendant of legendary brawler and boatman Mike Fink, Jim defies his heritage, believing that investing success requires patience and analysis, not swashbuckling bravado. Besides his passion for analyzing and writing about stocks, Jim likes to hike in the desert Southwest, vacation in Las Vegas, play tennis, and feed his baby son pureed carrots.

Content Posted by Jim Fink

Advisor Roundtable: Stocks to Short

KCI's investment experts look into their crystal balls and tell you what stocks to short for the rest of this year.

The Best Stocks are Dividend Stocks

Think dividends are boring? Think again.

Silk Road Investor: Invest in the Asian Growth Engines of the 21st Century

Emerging market stocks (especially in Asia) promise the best investment returns. Yiannis Mostrous' Silk Road Investor can help you participate profitably in this exciting, high-growth asset class.

Enough Already! It's Time to Ditch Your Broker and Become a Self-Directed Investor

Brokers have avoided acting as fiduciaries for 70 years and they escaped yet again in the just-passed financial reform legislation. Jim thinks individual investors can do better. Wave goodbye to your broker.

Best Vacation Stocks

Jim goes on vacation but feels compelled to write about a few vacation stocks before he leaves.

Advisor Roundtable: The Passage of Financial Reform Legislation

KCI's investment experts offer their opinion on whether the recently enacted financial reform legislation is good or bad for the U.S. economy, the stock market, and the companies they cover.

Yahoo's Survival Depends upon Microsoft and Bing

Yahoo's second-quarter earnings report was a disaster. But Yahoo! has one last chance to turn things around. Say hello to Microsoft and its search engine technology known as Bing.

SEC-Goldman Sachs Settlement Proves Warren Buffett Wrong

The SEC-Goldman Sachs settlement is a travesty of justice as Goldman escapes with just a slap on the wrist. But at least Goldman admitted that it made mistakes and misled investors. Will Warren Buffett admit the same?

BP Oil Spill: The Effect of the Drilling Moratorium on Deepwater Oil Drillers

BP has capped the Macondo well. Good news? Yes. But it's far too early to give investors the all-clear signal regarding deepwater oil drillers. Why oil service and equipment companies may be better investments right now.

Military CEOs Outperform: Norman Schwarzkopf's Autobiography Explains Why

Academic studies conclude that companies headed by CEOs with military experience outperform other companies. After reading H. Norman Schwarzkopf's moving autobiography about leadership, it's easy to understand why.

U.S. Senate: Pass an Alternative Energy Bill with Carbon Caps Now

America's national security and environmental health demand an energy bill that ends our addiction to foreign oil. Jim is worried that the U.S. Senate is not up to the task. The future profitability of alternative energy investments also hangs in the balance.

Advanced Stock Option Strategies

Jim concludes his series on stock options with four more strategies to enhance your portfolio's returns. Did you know that options allow you to profit from a stock that goes nowhere or from a stock that is going to explode but you have no clue in what direction?

Happy Bastille Day! Best French Stocks to Celebrate With

Viva La France! Jim offers up nine French stocks that trade in the U.S. Some are better than others.

Leveraged ETN of Master Limited Partnerships: Taxes Galore and Risky

UBS has introduced the first ETN that offers 2X leverage to the MLP index. Jim doesn't like it. Purchasing individual MLPs carefully selected by the MLP Profits investment service is a smarter move.

Book Review: The Life and Leadership of Coca-Cola's Roberto Goizueta

The Coca-Cola Company is one of the greatest growth stocks of all time. Roberto Goizueta, who was Coke's CEO from 1980-1997, was a large part of that success.

Comparing Sector ETFs and ETNs

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a perfect tool for asset allocation. But be careful; ETFs are often labeled similarly but are actually very different when you drill down and see what they own and how much they cost.

Put-Call Parity and Stock-Option Synthetics

Options and stocks are more similar than you think. In fact, options are the building blocks of stock. By combining options and stocks, you can create a virtually unlimited number of different risk exposures. With this knowledge, the world is your oyster.

Not All Earnings are Created Equal: Follow the Cash

Academic research has concluded that the stocks of companies that report earnings based substantially on non-cash accruals underperform the stocks of companies that report earnings based mostly on cash. Investors who spend the time to analyze financial statements will be well rewarded.

Letter to an Investor as a Young Man

Jim writes a letter to his son on what investing mistakes to avoid. Will his son listen? Probably not.

Gun Owners and Gun Manufacturers: Happy Independence Day!

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled -- for the first time ever -- that U.S. citizens everywhere have a constitutional right to own handguns. Great news for gun manufacturers but terrible news for public safety and the democratic process.

Understanding Stock Option Valuation and the "Greeks"

How options are valued and how their value changes as the price of the underlying stock changes are important concepts to understand.

Sun Tzu Stocks

Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese general who won many battles and wrote about his military strategy in The Art of War. It turns out that investors who read his book will also learn how to pick market-beating stocks.

The G-20 Summit: How to Guarantee a Double-Dip Recession in One Easy Lesson

The G-20 Summit of world economic leaders just concluded in Toronto, Canada. The result was a commitment to cut spending world-wide just when the global economy is beginning to roll over. Get ready for a replay of 1937.

Energy Strategist: Get Rich from the World's Most Important Commodities

The world cannot live without energy and supply is running low. Strong demand and limited supply spell enormous profits for energy investors. Elliott Gue's Energy Strategist investment service is the best place to find wealth-generating energy stock ideas.

Advisor Roundtable: Investing in Megatrends

KCI's investment experts look into their crystal balls for the next big investment trend.

Top 5 Stock Sizzlers

What do Apple, Google, Biglari Holdings, and Fannie Mae have in common? They all made headlines in the financial world this week.

Turkcell: Turkey's Best Mobile Phone Company

Turkey's government may be a mess, but mobile phone operator Turkcell is ready to shine if given the chance.

Best Stock Screening Tools on the Web

If you're looking for some free Internet stock screeners, you've come to the right place.

Canadian Income Trusts: The Highest-Yielding Investments in the World

Canadian income trusts are set to lose their tax-advantaged status starting on January 1, 2011. But the tax bite will be modest and many trusts have announced that they will not be cutting their dividends. Roger Conrad's Canadian Edge investment service is the best way to learn about these profitable high-yield investments from the Great White North.

Advisor Roundtable: Your Favorite Commodity

KCI's investment experts wax poetic about the commodities they feel are best positioned to significantly rise in value over the next few years.

Turkey: Great Economic Potential But Severe Political Risks

A battle for Turkey's soul is happening right now. The country faces a crossroads of monumental importance: will it continue on the path of secular democratic modernism or will it revert to just another Middle East theocracy?

Spread 'Em!: Lower Your Risk and Increase Your Profits With Options Spreads

Buying call options instead of stock is a powerful way to leverage your returns. But options spreads can magnify your returns even more.

How to Profit From the Economic Slowdown Dead Ahead

According to the Economic Cycle Research Institute's Weekly Leading Index (WLI), the U.S. economy is set to slow markedly in the months ahead. Investors should prepare their portfolios accordingly.

Global ETF Profits: The Easy and Safe Way to Own a Diversified Global Portfolio

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve diversification and exposure to all of the important asset classes. Global ETF Profits is a great way to take full advantage of what ETFs have to offer.

BP Oil Spill and Black Swans: A "Cheap" Stock With Unknown Risk is Not Really Cheap

The BP oil spill gets Jim thinking about black swans and the importance of avoiding investments with unquantifiable risks.

Book Review: Personal History

Washington Post owner Katharine Graham may have passed away in 2001, but her 1998 autobiography, full of courage and humility, lives on as an inspiration to all would-be business leaders.

Martek Biosciences' Awesome Algae: It's Not Just Baby Formula Anymore

Omega-3 fatty acid DHA is a miracle nutritional supplement and Martek Biosciences is a biotech pioneer that produces the stuff from algae. But imminent patent expirations are a big concern.

7 Top Features of Good Stock Brokers

Looking for a good stock broker? Which broker is "good" depends upon what type of investor or trader you are. Jim discusses his seven favorite brokerage features and provides names of those brokers that fit the bill.

MLP Profits: Get Huge Dividend Yields and Pay No Taxes

Energy-based master limited partnerships (MLPs) provide the perfect combination of high cash yields and minimal taxes. MLP Profits, the market-beating investment service managed by dividend and energy experts Roger Conrad and Elliott Gue, is a great way to get started in this exciting asset class.

Warren Buffett is a Huge Disappointment

Warren Buffett's testimony yesterday before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission was shockingly bad. The investment legend's reputation as a "good guy" has been mortally wounded.

Book Review: The New New Thing

Michael Lewis' book, The New New Thing, may be 10 years old, but its insights into the mindset of an innovator are timeless. Companies with such innovative managers are the targets of the Portfolio 2020 investment service.

Gold Mining Stocks vs. Gold Bullion: Which is the Better Investment?

People often think that gold bullion and gold mining stocks are the same type of investment. They're not.

Portfolio 2020: Investing Today in The Future's Biggest Winners

Technological innovation is the key ingredient to earnings growth and stock price appreciation. The "dream team" of investment experts behind KCI's Portfolio 2020 investment service is focused on finding those few innovative companies set to be the biggest stock market winners of the next decade.

5 Stock Themes for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for our fallen war heroes. Read on to find some stocks that best reflect the holiday.

Gold Bullion: The Ultimate Hedge To Insure Your Portfolio

Gold isn't really an investment, but it is much more than a rank speculation. Learn about the important role it can play in your investment portfolio and when it makes sense to go hog wild over the shiny metal.

My Evening With Options Trader and Entrepreneur Tom Sosnoff

Jim has a reunion with an old friend from Chicago. Message to Whitney Tilson: Don't mess with Tom Sosnoff!

Asset Allocation Part 4: Model Portfolios and Post-Retirement Planning

Jim concludes his four-part series on asset allocation with four guidelines to live by, some model portfolios, a discussion of the unique risks faced by retirees, and the role that insurance products can play in helping ensure a happy and prosperous retirement.

Stocks on the Run: Big Profits from Short-Term Momentum Investing

Diversified investment portfolios are the way to go for long-term performance. But it never hurts to spice things up with some short-term trading profits. Yiannis and Elliott's new trading service, Stocks on the Run, is a lot of fun.

Advisor Roundtable: The Las Vegas Money Show

KCI's panel discussion at the Money Show is always popular with investors. Now that the Las Vegas edition is over, our investment experts reflect on their experience in Sin City. Not surprisingly, talking with clients and potential clients about investments is a favorite part of their trip.

General Motors and President Obama: The $48 Billion Lie

President Obama is back to his lying ways. He recently said that General Motors has paid back its government loan in full. Nothing could be further from the truth.

13F Filings: Superstar Investors' Buys and Sells

Mid-May means 13F filing season, which allows us to peek into the investing minds of the world's greatest investors. Jim looks at the buys and sells of five of his favorite investors. Financials and gold are in, while healthcare stocks are definitely out.

Asset Allocation Part 3: Your Stock and Bond Portfolio Mix

Part 3 of Jim's series on asset allocation discusses the benefits of a 60% stock and 40% bond portfolio and why investing 100% in stocks is too risky. Rebalancing your asset allocation annually can really boost your returns in overvalued markets like this one.

Advisor Roundtable: What Was the Significance of the Crash of May 6th?

KCI's investment experts talk about the mini-crash of May 6th and, for the most part, aren't worried.

Asset Allocation Part 2: Constructing an Efficient Portfolio

Part 2 of Jim's series on asset allocation explains Sharpe Ratios, the importance of finding asset classes with low correlations, and using portfolio optimization software to construct an efficient investment portfolio.

Double, Triple, or Even Quadruple the Return of Your Portfolio with Call Options

Using long-term call options as a substitute for stock ownership can really juice up your returns. But be aware of the added risks.

How To Prevent Another "Flash Crash": Regulate Hyper Frequency Trading

The intra-day stock market crash of May 6th was easily preventable and should never be allowed to happen again. It's time that we take control back from the machines.

Personal Finance: A Core, All-In-One Investment Service

If you are looking for only one newsletter to give you everything you need to be a successful investor -- portfolio diversification, industry sector analysis, and market-beating returns -- look no further than Personal Finance.

Advisor Roundtable: Your Favorite Vacation Destination

There's more to an investment advisor than his investment process and work ethic. They're people, too. Join KCI's investment experts on a trip around the world as they describe where they like to go to get away from it all.

Asset Allocation Part 1: What It Is and Why You Need It

Part 1 of Jim's series on asset allocation explains the concept and the rationale behind it. It's mostly common sense, which explains why asset allocation has been talked about since ancient times.

Top 3 Stock Sizzlers

What do BP, Berkshire Hathaway, and Hewlett-Packard have in common? They all made headlines in the financial world this week.

Baidu Defeats Google in China: Internet Censorship is Alive and Well

Baidu's first-quarter earnings report was out of this world. You can thank China's Internet censorship for that.

Roger Conrad's Utility Forecaster: An Oasis of Safety and Growth

Utility stocks make ideal long-term investments for the conservative investor.

Advisor Roundtable: When to Sell

Few things last forever, including investment holdings. KCI's investment experts share with us what goes through their minds when considering whether to sell.

How to Buy Stocks at a Discount and Never Pay Retail Again: Use Stock Options

Why pay full price when you can buy stocks on sale using stock options? Well, there is one reason, but it's not a dealbreaker.

Video Games and the U.S. Supreme Court: Violence is the True Obscenity, Not Sex

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether California may prohibit the sale of violent video games to children under the age of 18. Free speech violation or sensible protection of children? Regardless of the answer, game maker Take-Two Interactive appears attractive to Carl Icahn.

John Yoo, Enhanced Interrogation, and the Torture Debate

John Yoo, author of the Bush Administration "torture memo," was treated rudely at a recent University of Virginia speaking event. No doubt about it, the issue of torture and "torture-light" interrogation techniques brings out the worst in people. But it's a topic that needs to be openly discussed as our fight against terrorism continues.

How to Pick Industry Sectors Based on the Business Cycle

Successful investing requires both a bottom-up and top-down approach. Learning how industry sectors perform during different stages of the business cycle can help. But it's not as easy as it may seem.

Advisor Roundtable: Your First Investment

KCI's investment experts share some intimate details about their investment firsts and what lessons they learned.

TD Ameritrade (NasdaqGS: AMTD): A Hedge Against Rising Interest Rates

The days of lighting candles in celebration of Internet stock trading are long gone, but TD Ameritrade is setting itself up for substantial long-term growth once interest rates start to rise.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs): Will Investors Live Long and Prosper?

Are you a thrill seeker who likes to jump into things without looking first? SPAC investing fits the bill, but I don't recommend it.

The Growth vs. Value Debate -- Depends on the Holding Period

Value stocks are often touted as better long-term performers than growth stocks. But looking behind the headlines reveals a more complicated statistical story. For buy-and-hold investors, growth stocks living in the fast lane may actually be the smarter choice.

Gotcha! The SEC Sues Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs stock dropped 13% on Friday on news that the SEC had charged the investment bank with fraud. Learn why Jim thinks the government's case may prevail. While heads may roll, the greatest casualty may be Goldman's reputation.

Advisor Roundtable: Who is Your Investment Mentor?

Behind every great investor is a mentor. KCI's investment gurus dig deep to tell us what persons have been their Yoda.

How to Create Dividends Out of Thin Air Through the Use of Stock Options

Learn about the wonderful world of stock options and how they can convert a non-dividend paying stock into an income machine. But there's a catch. Isn't there always?

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission: Greed Caused Fannie and Freddie to Fail

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission held hearings last week in Washington D.C. on the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A sad story of greed, leverage, and Congressional complicity. Investment bankers look good in comparison. And why are the stocks of Fannie and Freddie still trading?

How To Profit From the War in Afghanistan: Military Contractors

President Obama's troop "surge" in Afghanistan guarantees that military contractors will party up a storm in the short-run.  KCI's own Gregg Early, defense industry expert, helps Jim understand which military contractors are likely to benefit most.

Advisor Roundtable: What's Your Favorite World Stock Market?

KCI's top investment advisors let you peek inside their heads concerning where in the world they think the best investment opportunities can be found for 2010.

Is The War in Afghanistan a Lost Cause?

Brace yourself for the possibility that the U.S. loses in Afghanistan. Containment of the terrorist threat may be the best we can hope for.

Massey Energy: A Dirty Coal Company

Massey Energy's safety record in its coal mines has been abysmal. While the West Virginia mine explosion this past Monday is a human tragedy of the highest order, it is only the latest of many accidents caused by CEO Don Blankenship's maniacal pursuit of profit at all costs.

Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Shareholder Letter: A Tutorial in Investing Par Excellence

Ah, isn't Omaha Nebraska lovely in the springtime? Warren Buffett is at it again, providing pearls of investment wisdom in Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report. Discover why Berkshire’s shareholders are such fanatical fans of the Sage of Omaha and which stocks Buffett is buying and selling now.

2, 4, 6, 8 Who Do We Appreciate? Probably Not Denny's

Denny's breakfast business is in decline but its stock price is up big this year. What gives? Proxy fight!

Advisor Roundtable: Learning from Your Mistakes Leads to Investment Success

KCI's top investment advisors share war stories on investment mistakes and what they learned to become better investors.

Apple iPhone Ditching AT&T Exclusivity: A Sign of Desperation

Press reports say that Apple is going to end its iPhone exclusivity arrangement with AT&T by the end of the year. Jim views this as a desperate move by Apple to counteract Google's Android smartphones. Read on to discover why the ditch-ee (AT&T) looks like a better buy than the ditch-er (Apple).

Lennar: A Ray of Hope For Housing

The housing market for existing homes looks terrible right now with foreclosures as far as the eye can see. But Lennar's recent first-quarter earnings report reveals incipient strength in new home construction.

Double-Dip Recession in Housing? How to Profit From Foreclosures

The stock market is roaring ahead, but the housing market remains in the dumps and looks ready to worsen from here. Believe it or not, there are some stocks that actually profit from the housing mess.

Mortgage Modification Madness: Bank of America Forgives Deadbeat Debt!

Bank of America has agreed to voluntarily forgive some home mortgage debt owed by its delinquent borrowers. Fair? No. Smart? Jim thinks so.

InvestingDaily.com Advisor Roundtable: How to Pick Great Stocks

Welcome to our first advisor roundtable!  KCI's top investment advisors tell us what criteria they look for in a potential investment.

It's Time to Regulate the Investment Banking Psychopaths

Investment bankers were at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis and exhibit personality traits similar to psychopaths. Jim may be a free-market advocate, but even he thinks these greedy guys need to be regulated.

Healthcare Reform: The $700 Billion Lie

The healthcare reform legislation is now the law of the land. But it was sold to the public under false pretenses and could be repealed soon. Learn why the legislation isn't real reform and is likely to cost much more than promised.

InvestingDaily.com Interview: Ben Shepherd, Editor of Global ETF Profits

Jim talks exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with KCI's very own mutual fund expert Ben Shepherd. An exciting new global investment service is here.

Want to Make Money in the Markets? -- Invest Like a Woman

Academic studies show that women on average make better investors than men. Learn all about girl power!

Nike Just Did It: All-Time High

Nike stock just hit an all-time high price on a fabulous third-quarter earnings report. Will the good times continue?

Buy Small-Cap Stocks Before They Grow Up

The best performing stocks all started out as small-capitalization stocks. Small-cap stocks in general have outperformed the market over time.  But there are a lot of pitfalls along the way. Read on to discover how to avoid the pitfalls and make big money in small caps.

And the Best Booze Company Is . . .

It's St. Patrick's Day and Jim jumps at the opportunity to discuss booze companies and play a silly guessing game at your favorite KCI stock analysts' expense.

So, You Want To Be a Trader? -- You Need A Plan AND the Discipline to Follow It

Although short-term trading appears to work for a select few, most of us should steer clear and focus on long-term investing. Nevertheless, learning about the components of a good trading system provides insights into formulating a good investment plan.

Water is the New Sexy

The world is running out of drinkable water and investors in water utilities will be amply rewarded for providing the solution.

Canadian Banks: Can They Continue to Outperform Their U.S. Counterparts?

Canadian banks emerged from the global financial crisis relatively unscathed, resulting in significant outperformance over U.S. banks. Some smart investors think U.S. banks may finally be ready to have their day in the sun.

Hang Up on Cellcom Israel

The Israeli economy is strong and its mobile-phone market is poised for future growth. But leading player Cellcom Israel may be headed for harder times.

So, You Want to Be a Value Investor? - Think Businesslike

Value stocks have significantly outperformed the general stock market over time. Find out what it takes to be among the few and the proud who successfully practice value investing.

Is AIG A Sinking Ship?

Has Jim lost his mind? He thinks a stock trading for $25 should be trading for zero!  Withhold judgment until you have read this strange-but-true story of American International Group (AIG) and its incredibly shrinking shareholder equity.  A battle royale and flip-flop concerning stock vs. cash compensation for AIG executives only adds to the exciting mix!

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