James Picerno

• There Will Be Oil?

  By James Picerno  |  May 1, 2008

  Sure, it's easy to be an energy bull now--after seven years of rising prices. But it was a lonely job in the late 1990s, when...

• Back to the Future--Again

  By James Picerno  |  May 1, 2008

  It has been five years since veteran investment consultant and celebrated author Peter Bernstein invoked the word "obsolete" to describe the policy portfolio, which encourages...

• Steady As She Goes

  By James Picerno  |  April 1, 2008

  Recessions are inevitable. It's the timing and depth of economic contractions that keep everyone guessing. Since 1857, the U.S. has endured 32 recessions, according to the...

• Analyzing Affluence

  By James Picerno  |  April 1, 2008

  Get-rich-quick formulas may be a crock, but studying the well-heeled still uncovers common themes for creating wealth, managing it and keeping the heirs out of...

• Buyer Beware

  By James Picerno  |  April 1, 2008

  Investing in 2008 isn't getting easier, and thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, it may not be getting any safer. Investor protections took a hit...

• Forex Is Hot

  By James Picerno  |  March 1, 2008

  Foreign exchange can be a quandary for investment strategy. Currencies generally suffer an expected return of zero in the long run, a shortcoming that raises...

• A Sign of the Times

  By James Picerno  |  March 1, 2008

  Mention the name Vanguard and while several images come to mind in the world of money management and fund companies, alternative investing probably isn't among...

• California Suite

  By James Picerno  |  February 1, 2008

  The announcement last November that two of the largest independent wealth managers have joined forces may look like a modest deal from the vantage of...

• Remembrance of Taxes Past

  By James Picerno  |  February 1, 2008

  This being a presidential election year, taxes are topical all over again. As an added incentive for chattering about fiscal matters generally, there's a vigorously...

• Rethinking Zero

  By James Picerno  |  January 1, 2008

  Alpha is widely viewed as a zero sum game, and so for every investor who beats the market, someone must trail it. If this balancing...