Insurers of all stripes have long been favorites for investors. Years of accumulated actuarial data, such as life expectancies and mortality rates, allowed insurers to generate predictable cash flows with little risk. Read More

We can get too much of a good thing, particularly when it comes to dividends. Dividends are one of the big items on our list of what makes a good investment. It’s not simply the checks coming in that does it for us but also the discipline instilled by having to cut them on a regular basis. Read More

Dividends are the cornerstone of the Income Portfolio. But Uncle Sam doesn’t treat them all equally. Read More

Home prices in the 20 US urban markets tracked by the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index fell 14.1 percent in the first quarter of 2008. That’s the worst decline in house prices since S&P began publishing the index; most pundits agree that this is the worst real estate downturn in more than 20 years. Read More

From recent discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico to escalating tensions over oil under Arctic waters, it’s becoming clear that offshore fields represent the final frontier for exploration and production in the age of Peak Oil. Read More

Over the past fifteen years, wine has come to play an increasingly prominent role in our nation's imagination and drinking preferences, a cultural phenomenon highlighted--and perhaps to some degree fermented--by the success of Sideways, an Oscar-nominated film set in California's wine country. Read More

Bonds have steadily gained favor with investors this year; falling interest rates and a reduced risk appetite have made longer-term issues especially attractive. Read More

Uncertainty regarding inflation continues to adversely affect the markets. High energy and food prices in the face of a weakened US dollar have weighed heavily on investors of late. And recent consumer confidence data show no signs of boosted morale, falling again in May to hit their lowest level since October 1992. Read More

US stocks plummeted on speculation that rising inflation would prompt central banks to raise interest rates. These concerns combined with surging oil prices to deliver a reeling blow to investor sentiment. Read More

Cash Cow Western Asset Emerging Markets (NYSE: EFL) has delayed its previously announced plan to seek shareholder approval for a merger with the Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund (NYSE: ESD). Read More