Wednesday Reading List

ICYMI: The Bitcoin Investing Paradox – The investment case for Bitcoin is that it’ll go up in value as it’s used more as a currency, but why would anyone want to pay $300 million for two pizzas?

See also: What is the point of crypto? – Crypto is a solution in search of a problem — or problems.


Are Bonds a Good Investment Today?

A long history of falling interest rates and modest inflation have left many investors complacent about the risks and opportunities when investing in bonds. To combat that, let’s look at where bond returns are likely to come from as rates rise, and some practical strategies for investors to employ in this environment.

See also: Don’t Bail on Your Bonds


The Three Bears?

Stocks, bonds, and cash are all in a bear market or teetering on the edge of one—a very rare event. Over the past 72 years, there have only two periods with a triple bear—both took place in the 1970s. Here’s why and what to do about it.

For more, check out this excellent Webcast from our investment consultant, Fiducient Advisors.


Warren Buffett Spends Big as Stock Market Sells Off

You usually don’t go wrong following the big guy’s lead. Mr. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK.B -1.56% has used the slump as an opportunity to increase spending on stocks, deploying tens of billions of dollars the past couple of months after ending 2021 with a near-record cash pile. 


ESPN analysis: NBA owners, mum on China relationship, have more than $10 billion invested there

The owners’ myriad ties to the world’s second-largest economy leave their businesses vulnerable if they get on the wrong side of the Chinese government or the public there


The History of Memorial Day

It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.


Book Recommendation

The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball’s Forgotten Era by Claude Johnson

I received an early copy of this book, accurately described as a “groundbreaking, timely history of the largely unknown early days of Black basketball, bringing to life the trailblazing players, teams, and impresarios who made the game”.

From the introduction of the game of basketball to Black communities on a wide scale in 1904 to the racial integration of the NBA in 1950, dozens of African American teams were founded and flourished. This period, known as the Black Fives Era (teams at the time were often called “fives”), was a time of pioneering players and managers. They battled discrimination and marginalization and created culturally rich, socially meaningful events. But despite headline-making rivalries between big-city clubs, the savvy moves of innovative businessmen, and the undeniable talent of star players, this period is almost entirely unknown to basketball fans. 
 
Claude Johnson has made it his mission to change that. An advocate fiercely committed to our history, for more than two decades Johnson has conducted interviews, mined archives, collected artifacts, and helped to preserve this historically important African American experience that otherwise would have been lost. The Black Fives is the result of his work, a landmark narrative history that braids together the stories of these forgotten pioneers and rewrites our understanding of the story of basketball.