MV update for students 8.10

[Arch]

Thanks for the refresh, and as always, I appreciate your amazing insight.

[casey]

Thanks, mac. I always appreciate your insight too now if only I could understand it! I seriously do try to make sense of what you're saying but I'll be truthful, I have a hard time doing so. Can I just give you money, you invest it, and give me a really strong ROI?

Big mistake by our community not electing a SB with ANY financial sense. I think the time is ripe now though and voters may be rethinking things. At least I hope so. To think we have people like SR, AT, CP, and DD running a major corporation like 204? God help us.

[macrockett]

Thanks Arch and Casey. As for our school district, it takes a village to keep them in line and fortunately the two of you, Doc and many others contribute to doing that. It would be impossible for any one person to stay on top of it all.

Hopefully everyone will have the energy into the Board elections to remind the community of the short comings that never seem to end. When I get time, I will ask the question why the 06/07 bonds haven't been refinanced as they are in excess of $110 million and at rates above 4.5%. There may be a legitimate answer restricting refinancing for a certain period, however once we are allowed, if we proceed, we will have to refund some of that premium we received in the initial sales.

On the personal investing, I wish it was simple to explain. The current environment is one of the reasons you see so many prominent long time hedge fund managers retiring. It's a lot harder to return principal, let alone achieve "alpha" (outperforming others). I have heard it over and over in the last 6 months. Don't expect the return on investment of the good years.

Just this morning on Fox Chicago Sheila Weinberg, of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, discussed the size of Illinois' unfunded liabilities, conservatively in excess of $100 billion. At minute 1:32 of the attached video link, once again, she comments about the generous investment return assumptions, exceeding 8%, as unrealistic...

www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/wildcard_8/foxchicagosunday/fox-chicago-sunday-sheila-weinberg-20100827

www.truthinaccounting.org/

[doctorwho]

Aug 29, 2010 15:18:40 GMT -6 macrockett said:

Thanks Arch and Casey. As for our school district, it takes a village to keep them in line and fortunately the two of you, Doc and many others contribute to doing that. It would be impossible for any one person to stay on top of it all.

Hopefully everyone will have the energy into the Board elections to remind the community of the short comings that never seem to end. When I get time, I will ask the question why the 06/07 bonds haven't been refinanced as they are in excess of $110 million and at rates above 4.5%. There may be a legitimate answer restricting refinancing for a certain period, however once we are allowed, if we proceed, we will have to refund some of that premium we received in the initial sales.

On the personal investing, I wish it was simple to explain. The current environment is one of the reasons you see so many prominent long time hedge fund managers retiring. It's a lot harder to return principal, let alone achieve "alpha" (outperforming others). I have heard it over and over in the last 6 months. Don't expect the return on investment of the good years.

Just this morning on Fox Chicago Sheila Weinberg, of the Institute for Truth in Accounting, discussed the size of Illinois' unfunded liabilities, conservatively in excess of $100 billion. At minute 1:32 of the attached video link, once again, she comments about the generous investment return assumptions, exceeding 8%, as unrealistic...

www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/wildcard_8/foxchicagosunday/fox-chicago-sunday-sheila-weinberg-20100827

www.truthinaccounting.org/

I like you have been somewhat pre-occupied and absent some- as I pre-emptively am seeking a career change..( always fun @ my age - LOL ! ) -and getting quite an education. Lots of contacts though and I really am looking outside my comfort zone into some different things..need about 10 more years of employment ( hey maybe I can get one of those government pensions that earn 8% /yr ) --

I WILL absolutely have the energy for whatever it takes pre election time though..I just hope we get some decent candidates to support as well...
Arch - casey and others have been minding the 'store' really well.