Filed under: iMBA, Inc. | Leave a comment »
Anthem is Now Elevance Health
By Jakob Emerson, beckerspayer.com
***
***
The company formerly known as Anthem commemorated its official rebranding to Elevance Health on June 28th by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and beginning to trade under the new ticker symbol “ELV”. The former Anthem website now reflects the name change, which is a combination of the words elevate and advance to represent the company’s commitment to “elevating the importance of whole health and advancing health beyond healthcare for consumers.”
When it first announced the rebrand in March, the payer said Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan names would not change, though it planned to narrow the number of brands under its umbrella. The company owns BCBS plans in 14 states. On June 15, the company launched two new subsidiaries under the Elevance name: Carelon and Wellpoint.
Carelon, a healthcare services brand, will consolidate the company’s existing portfolio of capabilities and services businesses under a single name. The Wellpoint health plan brand will unify the company’s Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial health plans in select markets.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Breaking News, Experts Invited, Health Economics, Health Insurance | Tagged: Anthem, Anthem is Now Elevance Health, Beckerspayer, Carelon, Elevance Health, Jakob Emerson, WellPoint | Leave a comment »
Venture Capital for Physicians
For Healthcare Entrepreneurs
Getting a new medical practice or healthcare business up and running sometimes means investing large sums of money, and when physician entrepreneurs don’t have the cash to make their visions reality, many turn to venture capitalists.
Here is a look at where these deals are being approved, and which industries are commanding the highest investments. Brought to you by focus.com in collaboration with Column Five
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
- Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Practice Management, Research & Development | Tagged: healthcare entrepreneurs, medical innovation, VC, Venture Capital | 7 Comments »
UPDATE: Crypto IRS, Mid-Year Markets and the Inflation Economy
By Staff Reporters
***
***
Under a law passed by Congress last November, cryptocurrency firms are supposed to begin recording their clients’ detailed transaction data in 2023, with reports sent to the IRS and to investors the following year. From the beginning, industry executives have pushed back, complaining that the legislation was drafted too broadly. Now, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are likely to push off a January date for the firms to begin tracking data such as customers’ capital gains and losses, according to anonymous insiders. The move would mean the tax agency waits longer to get the kind of data it gets for stocks or bonds.
Bitcoin: $20,289.61 |
Markets: After another boring trading session, stocks wait to complete the first half of 2022—which will come at 4pm ET today. And, the carnage from Bed Bath & Beyond is a result of the company reporting a big sales decline from the previous year and showing CEO Mark Tritton the door.
Economy: Fed Chair Jerome Powell and two other central bank chiefs spoke about their inflation-combating efforts at a conference in Portugal. All three acknowledged that recent economic shocks (COVID, the war in Ukraine) have upended how inflation was understood for decades. “I think we now understand better how little we understand on inflation,” Powell said.
10 Year: 3.096%
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: covid, crypro, Crypto IRS, cryptocurrency, economy, inflation, IRS, IRS Crypto, Jerome Powell, markets, midyear, the Markets and the Inflation Economy, Ukraine | Leave a comment »
Value v. Growth Fund Managers
Understanding Investment Styles
By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™
A mutual or hedge fund manager’s investment style is defined by the means or strategies used to accomplish the fund’s stated objective. Most managers have a strategy they believe to be the key to maximizing risk-adjusted investment returns. For example, two equity managers may seek growth of capital or capital appreciation over the long term. The strategies they use to achieve that goal can be vastly different, however, as evidenced by their choice of securities.
Style Characteristics
Astute physician-investors are aware that there are four, main manager style characteristics: value vs. growth, top-down vs. bottom-up—which can be refined further by additional approaches. Certain statistics and information reveal a manager’s style. An investor may prefer one style or one combination over another
Approaches Vary
Style approaches can be used in tactical asset allocation. Research has shown that one style tends to outperform the other during certain periods. If investors believe they can identify when one style will outperform the other, they could overweight the favored approach. More and more fund complexes are now offering funds in each style; especially for large healthcare entities and other institutions.
Value vs. Growth
Manager autonomy and style is an important consideration.
-
Value managers focus on a company’s assets or net worth and attempt to place a value on such assets: if their valuation is greater than the market’s valuation, the security is a candidate for ownership. Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, believed this approach to selecting securities would eventually be recognized by the market, rewarding patient, long-term investors. In today’s service economy, value managers also attempt to value the intangible assets of a company, such as franchise value or human capital. Value managers tend to be contrarians—they buy out-of-favor stocks or stocks not widely followed or recommended by analysts. Value managers also look at the breakup value of a company (what the individual parts could be sold for). They buy cheap stocks: stocks with low P/E ratios or low price-to-book value relative to the market, and stocks of established companies that pay dividends.
-
Growth managers look at corporate earnings and focus on improving or accelerating earnings. They look at the trend of an industry or market sector (for example, environmental technology) to see if there is future sales-growth potential. They may lean toward companies that are dominant in the industry or have a product or service that will dramatically improve their market share. Growth managers typically own stocks with higher P/E ratios than the market average; these stocks may not be out of favor, but they may have been overlooked by market analysts. Growth stocks usually are not high-income-paying stocks.
Assessment
Prior to the recent financial meltdown, growth and momentum investing was the norm. Now it is value investing. What about the future for the physician-investor?
Conclusion
And so, your thoughts and comments on this Medical Executive-Post are appreciated.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
Filed under: Financial Planning, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: growth investing, value investing | 4 Comments »
IMHO @TeamCigna Should Treat their Dentists Better!
***
By Darrell Pruitt DDS
***
***
“How Is The Market Feeling About Cigna?” Spoiler – According to Benzinga insights, the market is not optimistic about Cigna’s future. Neither am I. But then, I’m only their clients’ dentist.
Link: https://www.benzinga.com/short-sellers/22/06/27888029/how-is-the-market-feeling-about-cigna
Tomorrow is my last day as a Cigna Preferred Provider .. Never Again!
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Career Development, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Insurance Matters, Managed Care, Op-Editorials, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: Cigna, Darrell Pruitt, DDS, dentists, TeamCigna Should Treat their Dentists Better! | Leave a comment »
A Few Simple Rules For Money Managers
A Few Simple Rules For Money Managers
[By Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA]
One of the biggest hazards of being a professional money manager is that you are expected to behave in a certain way: You have to come to the office every day, work long hours, slog through countless e-mails, be on top of your portfolio (that is, check performance of your securities minute by minute), watch business TV and consume news continuously, and dress well and conservatively, wearing a rope around the only part of your body that lets air get to your brain. Our colleagues judge us on how early we arrive at work and how late we stay. We do these things because society expects us to, not because they make us better investors or do any good for our clients.
Somehow we let the mindless, Henry Ford–assembly-line, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., widgets-per-hour mentality dictate how we conduct our business thinking. Though car production benefits from rigid rules, uniforms, automation and strict working hours, in investing — the business of thinking — the assembly-line culture is counterproductive. Our clients and employers would be better off if we designed our workdays to let us perform our best.
Investing
Investing is not an idea-per-hour profession; it more likely results in a few ideas per year. A traditional, structured working environment creates pressure to produce an output — an idea, even a forced idea. Warren Buffett once said at a Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting: “We don’t get paid for activity; we get paid for being right. As to how long we’ll wait, we’ll wait indefinitely.”
***
***
How you get ideas is up to you. I am not a professional writer, but as a professional money manager, I learn and think best through writing. I put on my headphones, turn on opera and stare at my computer screen for hours, pecking away at the keyboard — that is how I think. You may do better by walking in the park or sitting with your legs up on the desk, staring at the ceiling.
I do my best thinking in the morning. At 3:00 in the afternoon, my brain shuts off; that is when I read my e-mails. We are all different. My best friend is a brunch person; he needs to consume six cups of coffee in the morning just to get his brain going. To be most productive, he shouldn’t go to work before 11:00 a.m.
And then there’s the business news. Serious business news that lacked sensationalism, and thus ratings, has been replaced by a new genre: business entertainment (of course, investors did not get the memo). These shows do a terrific job of filling our need to have explanations for everything, even random events that require no explanation (like daily stock movements). Most information on the business entertainment channels — Bloomberg Television, CNBC, Fox Business — has as much value for investors as daily weather forecasts have for travelers who don’t intend to go anywhere for a year. Yet many managers have CNBC, Fox or Bloomberg on while they work.
Filters
You may think you’re able to filter the noise. You cannot; it overwhelms you. So don’t fight the noise — block it. Leave the television off while the markets are open, and at the end of the day, check the business channel websites to see if there were interviews or news events that are worth watching.
Don’t check your stock quotes continuously; doing so shrinks your time horizon. As a long-term investor, you analyze a company and value the business over the next decade, but daily stock volatility will negate all that and turn you into a trader. There is nothing wrong with trading, but investors are rarely good traders.
***
***
Numerous studies have found that humans are terrible at multitasking. We have a hard time ignoring irrelevant information and are too sensitive to new information. Focus is the antithesis of multitasking. I find that I’m most productive on an airplane. I put on my headphones and focus on reading or writing. There are no distractions — no e-mails, no Twitter, no Facebook, no instant messages, no phone calls. I get more done in the course of a four-hour flight than in two days at the office. But you don’t need to rack up frequent-flier miles to focus; just go into “off mode” a few hours a day: Kill your Internet, turn off your phone, and do what you need to do.
I bet if most of us really focused, we could cut down our workweek from five days to two. Performance would improve, our personal lives would get better, and those eventual heart attacks would be pushed back a decade or two.
Assessment
Take the rope off your neck and wear comfortable clothes to work (I often opt for jeans and a “Life is good” T-shirt). Pause and ask yourself a question: If I was not bound by the obsolete routines of the dinosaur age of assembly-line manufacturing, how would I structure my work to be the best investor I could be? Print this article, take it to your boss and tell him or her, “This is what I need to do to be the most productive
ABOUT
Vitaliy N. Katsenelson, CFA, is Chief Investment Officer at Investment Management Associates in Denver, Colo. He is the author of Active Value Investing (Wiley 2007) and The Little Book of Sideways Markets (Wiley, 2010). His books have been translated into eight languages. Forbes called him – the new Benjamin Graham.
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
- Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care
[PHYSICIAN FOCUSED FINANCIAL PLANNING AND RISK MANAGEMENT COMPANION TEXTBOOK SET]
***
Filed under: Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: Money Managers, Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA | 1 Comment »
Investment Adviser v. Mutual Fund Manager
“What’s the difference … and why pay fees to both?”
By Rick Kahler MS CFP® http://www.KahlerFinancial.com
Questions – from doctors – like these remind me that the workings of the financial services industry which I tend to take for granted but can be confusing to people outside the field.
The following analogy may help to explain.
Orchestra Analogy
Think of an orchestra. The investment adviser is the equivalent of the director/conductor and the money managers are the instrumentalists. Each one is a specialist who plays a particular type of instrument, and it takes a variety of these specialists to make up the orchestra.
Specialists
The broad specialties are the types of instruments, such as strings, brass, winds, and percussion. These are the equivalent of fund managers who specialize in asset classes like equities, bonds, real estate, commodities, and absolute returns.
Sub-Specialists
Within each specialty are a variety of subspecialists. Winds, for example, include clarinets, oboes, and saxophones—which are further divided into alto, soprano, tenor, and bass. The brass section has French horns, trumpets, and trombones. The divisions and sub-divisions go on and on. Similarly, within the various asset classes are a great many mutual fund managers who specialize in narrower subcategories.
Conductor
The task of the orchestra conductor-director is to pick, not just the best musicians, but the best mix of musicians. A group with only trumpets or every subspecialty of percussion, no matter how skilled, isn’t an orchestra. Before auditioning a single musician, the director’s first task is to clarify the purpose of the ensemble being created. A different mix of instruments will be required for a symphony, a marching band, an intimate chamber group, or a dance band. It all depends on what the audience wants.
The conductor-director needs to weigh the various musicians’ abilities against their cost and their specific specialties against the needs of the orchestra. When the right mix of players has been chosen, the director needs to pick the appropriate music, assemble the group, and rehearse. The director’s talent, experience, and leadership skills all serve to help the right players produce the right sound for their audiences.
***
***
It takes similar coordination and skill to put together the right mix of asset classes and mutual fund managers to produce the best results for various clients, especially since there are some 17,000 mutual funds to choose from.
Fees
Just as both the orchestra director and the musicians are paid based on their skills and their work, both mutual fund managers and investment advisers are paid based on the assets they manage. Mutual fund managers earn 0.05% to 3.0%. Financial advisers earn 0.30% to 3.0%. An informed consumer could pay as low as 0.35% while an uninformed consumer could pay up to 6% a year, which would eat up most of the investment returns.
One essential responsibility for an adviser, then, is to choose mutual fund managers whose fees are low.
However, the cost of the mutual fund manager isn’t the be-all and end-all. One must also weigh performance, just as an orchestra director might pay more to get an outstanding musician who would add significant value to the performances.
Example:
For example, my firm’s overall average fee for mutual fund managers is 0.5%. We could get that as low as 0.1%, which might be impressive at first glance.
However, we would give up 0.25% to 1.00% of net return in some areas, resulting in poorer outcomes for the clients.
***
***
Assessment
Skilled direction of an orchestra is obviously more art than science. Skilled coordination of mutual fund managers is the same. Both require knowledge, integrity, and commitment to the quality of the final product.
Channel Surfing the ME-P
Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.
More:
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
- Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care
Filed under: Investing | Tagged: Financial advisor fees, Investment Adviser, Mutual Fund Manager, rick kahler | 2 Comments »
What Is the OTC-QB Venture Market?
***
***
By Staff Reporters
The OTCQB, also called “The Venture Market,” is the middle tier of the over-the-counter (OTC) market for U.S. stocks. It was created in 2010 and consists mainly of early-stage and developing U.S. and international companies that are not yet able to qualify for the OTCQX but are not as speculative as the lowest-tier Pink Sheets.
The OTCQB replaced the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)-operated OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB) as the main market for trading OTC securities that report to a U.S. regulator. As it has no minimum financial standards, the OTCQB often includes shell companies, penny stocks, and small foreign issuers.
LINK: https://www.otcmarkets.com/files/OTCQB%20Fact%20Sheet%20for%20U.S.%20Companies.pdf
Key Takeaways
- The OTCQB is the mid-tier OTC equity market, which lists primarily early-stage and developing companies in the U.S. and international markets.
- OTCQB companies must meet certain minimum reporting standards, pass a bid test, and undergo annual verification.
- The other OTC tiers are the highest quality OTCQX, and the most speculative Pink Sheets.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254
READ MORE: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/otcqb.asp
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Glossary Terms, Investing | Tagged: OTC-QB Venture Market, OTCQB, venture market, What Is the OTC-QB Venture Market? | Leave a comment »
PODCAST: What Hospital CEOs Should Do?
TOP 4 PRESUMPTIONS!
BY ERIC BRICKER, MD
***
***
YOUR COMMENTS APPRECIATED.
Thank You
***
Filed under: "Doctors Only", Experts Invited, Health Economics, Healthcare Finance, Marketing & Advertising, Practice Management, Quality Initiatives, Videos | Tagged: CEOs, Eric Bricker MD, hospital CEOs, hospital management, hospital quality improvement | Leave a comment »
Education, Degrees, Start-Ups, Entrepreneurs and IPOs?
FOR TOP MANAGERS AND BODs
By Dr. Jeffery Funk
Did you know that far more MBAs and bachelor-degree holders were among top managers and board of directors among startups filing for IPOs between 1990 and 2018 than were other degree holders?
About 55% of them had an MBA for their highest degree vs. 20% for bachelors, 7% for PhD, 3% for MD, 12% for MS, and 3% for JD. The high percentage of MBAs and bachelor-degree holders reflects the move away from #science-based #technologies such as semiconductors, and electronic, communications, and medical equipment that once dominated Silicon Valley (hence the name), and towards Internet commerce, content, and services over last 25 years.
In fact, most PhDs among top managers and board of directors at IPO time studied life sciences and were employed in #biotech #startups, a sector that continues to thrive. Creating successful science-based startups in other sectors continues to be a big challenge, one that may be partially overcome by #AI in near future.
As for which #universities train these people, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley and MIT had the most graduates in many categories, representing almost 20% of PhDs for instance.
***
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
Filed under: Experts Invited | Tagged: college degrees, education, MBA, PhD | Leave a comment »
PODCAST: Healthcare I.T. Interoperability Rankings
By Eric Bricker MD
***
***
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: "Doctors Only", Career Development, Experts Invited, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Information Technology, Videos | Tagged: EHRs, EMRs, Eric Bricker MD, Healthcare IT Interoperability Rankings | Leave a comment »
What is Financial and Accounting DELTA?
By Staff Reporters
***
What is Delta?
FINANCE: Delta is a risk sensitivity measure used in assessing derivatives. It is one of the many measures that are denoted by a Greek letter. The series of risk measures that use such letters are fittingly referred to as the Greeks. They are often also called risk measures, hedge parameters, or risk sensitivities.
ACCOUNTING: Delta is the ratio of the change in price of an option to the change in price of the underlying asset. Also called the hedge ratio; For a call option on a stock, a delta of 0.50 means that for every $1.00 that the stock goes up, the option price rises by $0.50.
STOCK MARKET: Where:
- S – the stock price
- K – the strike price
- r – the risk-free rate
- q – the annual dividend yield
- τ – time until expiration
- σ – the volatility
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Accounting, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Investing | Tagged: Accounting delta, Business delta, Delta, Financial Delta, stock market delta, What is Financial and Accounting DELTA? | Leave a comment »
On Business Entrepreneurial Ownership
No Self-Indulgent Path to Success
repeat
|
http://www.MedicalExecutivePost.com
|
|
Filed under: Experts Invited, Investing, Research & Development | Tagged: business ownership, CEO, Rick Kahler CFP® | Leave a comment »
What is “Prudence” in Finance and Investment Management?
ON “PRUDENCE” IN FINANCE AND INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Courtesy: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

TERMS & DEFINITIONS FOR PHYSICIANS AND ALL INVESTORS:
PRUDENT BUYER: The efficient purchaser of market balance between value and cost.
PRUDENT MAN RULE: An 1830 court case stating that a person in a fiduciary capacity (a trustee, executor, custodian, etc) must conduct him/herself faithfully and exercise sound judgment when investing monies under care. “He is to observe how men of prudence, discretion and intelligence manage their own affairs, not in regard to speculation, but in regard to the permanent distribution of their funds, considering the probable income as well as the probable safety of the capital to be invested.” Allows for mutual funds and variable annuities.
PRUDENT INVESTOR RULE: A fiduciary is required to conduct him/herself faithfully and exercise sound judgment when investing monies and take measured and reasonable investment risks in return for potential future rewards. Allows for mutual funds, stocks, bonds, variable annuities asset allocation & Modern Portfolio Theory.
CITATION: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

UNIFORM PRUDENT INVESTOR ACT: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2011/02/18/the-uniform-prudent-investor-act-versus-fiduciary-accountability/
EDITOR’S NOTE: We interviewed noted authority Ben Aikin AIF® on this topic more than a decade ago. He was ahead of his time regarding fiduciary accountability and we appreciate his insights.
Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP®
[Editor-in-Chief]
INTERVIEW: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2009/03/01/an-interview-with-bennett-aikin-aif/
FIDUCIARY OATH: http://www.thefiduciarystandard.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/fiduciaryoath_individual.pdf

SECOND OPINIONS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/schedule-a-consultation/
INVITE DR. MARCINKO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-bookings/
THANK YOU
***
Filed under: Ethics, Glossary Terms, iMBA, Inc., Investing, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: AIF, Ben Aikin, David E. Marcinko, fiduciary, prudent investor, prudent man | Leave a comment »
UPDATE: Boring US Stock Markets
By Staff Reporters
***
***
- Markets: Stocks were directionless dipping slightly lower without much market-moving news. But, Robinhood shares popped after a Bloomberg report claimed that the crypto exchange FTX is debating whether it might be able to buy the trading app. Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX, already owns 7.6% of Robinhood.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Investing | Tagged: Boring US Stock Markets, markets, stock markets | Leave a comment »
Business Plan for Creatives … and Doctors!
A Detailed Plan for Medical Professionals
By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP
http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
***
***
MBA Business Plan CAPSTONE Outline
PODCAST Transcript: Podcast
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, urls and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
- Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care
[PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTICE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TEXTBOOK – 3rd. Edition]
[Foreword Dr. Hashem MD PhD] *** [Foreword Dr. Silva MD MBA]
***
Filed under: CMP Program, iMBA, Inc., Marketing & Advertising, Practice Management | Tagged: certified medical planner, CMP™ Class, Daivd Marcinko, Medical practice business plan | Leave a comment »
ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY: “Slowly I Turned … Step by Step … Inch by Inch”
By Staff Writers
***
***
Venture capitalists who are in a rut should stop talking about how hard it is to raise a $100 million fund. Instead, raise a $5 million fund.
Rather, they should stop trying to invest $5 million at a time (with an 18-month window before going public). A better strategy is to start doing smaller investments with longer time horizons.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254
Just like chili, low and slow is the way to maximum flavor.
READ: https://tinyurl.com/2ewwvz2c
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Glossary Terms, iMBA, Inc., Op-Editorials, Practice Management, Research & Development | Tagged: ENTREPRENEURIAL MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY: “Slowly I Turned … Step by Step … Inch by Inch", Inch by Inch, management efficiency, Slowly I Turned, Step by Step, venture capitalists | Leave a comment »
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Doctors Challenging Opioid Convictions
***
By Nate Raymond
***
***
(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court just made it harder for prosecutors to win convictions of doctors accused of running “pill mills” and excessively prescribing opioids and other addictive drugs by requiring the government to prove that defendants knew their prescriptions had no legitimate medical purpose.
READ FULL STORY: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u-s-supreme-court-sides-with-doctors-challenging-opioid-convictions/ar-AAYUg31?cvid=c26cb4159770466e984575227031e724
Related: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2012/02/26/medical-uses-of-abused-drugs/
FAKE Rx: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/05/10/fake-prescription-drug-rx-example/
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Ethics, Glossary Terms | Tagged: Nate Raymond, opioid, Opioid Crisis, pill mills, Reuters, Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Doctors Challenging Opioid Convictions | Leave a comment »
REPORT: Digital Health Technology
By Staff Reporters and MCOL
***
***
Digital Health Tech Report – 5 Key Findings
• 48% of hospitals don’t have a strong digital health strategy.
• 90% believe a strong digital health strategy is critical to improving outcomes, increasing productivity, and enhancing clinician satisfaction.
• 55% receive more than 11 vendor calls and emails from digital health solution vendors per week.
• 95% say it’s challenging to narrow down the list of digital health solutions to evaluate.
• 25% are “very confident” that, after selecting a new digital health solution, it’s truly the best one for their unique needs.
Source: Panda Health, April 2022
***
***
***
Filed under: Glossary Terms, Information Technology | Tagged: Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security, digital health strategy, digital health tech, health information technology, HIT, IT, MCOL, Panda Health | Leave a comment »
HEALTH TECH: Technology Giants?
***
Dr. Bertalan Meskó, MD PhD
***
The Medical Futurist
***
- Google in healthcare: The search giant has repeatedly successfully transferred its in-depth knowledge of algorithms in the field of medicine, particularly since it acquired DeepMind.
- Apple in healthcare: Apple will keep on working on expanding the health features of its devices, Apple Watch and iPhones included.
- Microsoft in healthcare: Microsoft’s cloud solutions provide integrated capabilities that make it easier to improve the healthcare experience.
- Amazon in healthcare: Amazon will make further use of its vast knowledge of online shopping trends and behavior and will keep on providing what people need, from medicine to wearables.
- IBM in healthcare: IBM has a lot to offer in federated learning, blockchain, and quantum computing
- Nvidia in healthcare: NVIDIA seems incredibly focused on its approach to healthcare. We can expect NVIDIA to be a leader in the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare
- Facebook in healthcare: The Metaverse developed by Facebook/Meta has incredible potential to revolutionize healthcare.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Experts Invited, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Healthcare Finance, Information Technology | Tagged: Bertalan Meskó, Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security, HEALTH TECH: Technology Giants?, healthcare technology giants, HT, IT, Technology Giants | Leave a comment »
UPDATE: Market Predictions and the Global Economy?
By Staff Reporters
***
***
- Predictions: The stock market could surge 7% this week as quarter-end re-balancing leads to a buying spree in equities, according to JPMorgan. The bank expects re-balancing trades to favor equities after a year-to-date decline of nearly 20%. “Next week’s re-balance is important since equity markets were down significantly over the past month, quarter and six-month time periods.”
- Markets: With the S&P having plunged nearly 18% this year, expect W. Buffett to preach the value of value stocks (aka steady, non-flashy public companies). By one measure, they’re on track to beat growth stocks by the widest margin in more than two decades, according to the WSJ.
- Global economy: Russia defaulted on its foreign-currency sovereign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918 after failing to pay bondholders $100 million worth of interest by the end of a 30-day grace period. The default marks the beginning of a complex legal journey for bondholders, but it’s not expected to have any major consequences for the Russian economy, which has already been battered by Western sanctions.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Investing | Tagged: Buffett, Global Economy, JPMorgan, Market predictions, russian default, S&P, WSJ | Leave a comment »
Financial-Tech [Entrepreneurial Start-Ups] Falling
By Staff Reporters
***
***
DEFINITION: Financial technology (abbreviated fintech or FinTech) is the technology and innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services. Artificial intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud computing, and big Data are regarded as the “ABCD” (four key areas) of FinTech. The Fintech industry is an emerging industry that uses technology to improve activities in finance. The use of smartphones for mobile banking, investing, borrowing services, and cryptocurrency are examples of technologies aiming to make financial services more accessible to the general public.
Financial technology companies consist of both startups and established financial institutions and technology companies trying to replace or enhance the usage of financial services provided by existing financial companies.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254
A subset of fintech companies that focus on the insurance industry are collectively known as insurtech or insuretech
READ: https://tinyurl.com/yrx2kxy4
***
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
Filed under: Accounting, Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Investing | Tagged: Entrepreneurial Start-Ups, fin tech, financial technology, Financial-Tech [Entrepreneurial Start-Ups] Falling | Leave a comment »
Ransomware Simplified?
***
By Darrell K. Pruitt DDS
***
***
“We’re now truly in the era of ransomware as pure extortion without the encryption –
Why screw around with cryptography and keys when just stealing the info is good enough”
–Jessica Lyons Hardcastle
{The Register, June 25, 2022]
READ: https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/25/ransomware_gangs_extortion_feature/
***
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: "Doctors Only", Career Development, Experts Invited, Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: Darrell Pruitt, EHRs, EMRs, RansomWare, Ransomware Simplified | Leave a comment »
UPDATE: Crypto Energy Use and the Markets
By Staff Reporters
***
***
Bitcoin’s energy hunger, which has alarmed environmentalists and consumer advocates concerned about pollution and utility prices, comes from the process of mining new tokens. Bitcoin miners earn new tokens by validating transactions through an inherently energy-inefficient process, using specialized machines to solve complex puzzles. All that computing by all those machines has led to an energy appetite rivaling that of entire nations. Bitcoin’s annualized energy consumption has fallen from about 204 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year on June 11th to around 132 TWh per year on June 23rd. But even though its electricity use has plunged, it’s still very high — roughly equivalent to the amount of electricity Argentina uses in a single year.
Editor’s Note: Incidentally, colleague Mike Burry MD, the Scion Asset Management boss has also compared the crypto boom to the dot-com and housing bubbles, and cautioned that retail buyers of meme stocks and crypto are barreling towards the “mother of all crashes.” – DE Marcinko
Markets: Finally, and according to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 116.98 points, or 3.08%, to end at 3,912.71 points, while the NASDAQ Composite gained 380.21 points, or 3.38%, to 11,612.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 839.93 points, or 2.70%, to 31,505.59.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Glossary Terms, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: bitcoin electricity, bitcoin's energy, crypto, crypto energy, DJIA, Dow Jones Industrial Average, markets, Mike Burry MD, NASDAQ, S&P | Leave a comment »
What is Techno SCAM-BAITING?
BY ANONYMOUS
SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

Scam-Baiting Behind the Scenes
The most basic form of scambaiting sets out to waste a scammer’s time. At a minimum, scambaiters attempt to make scammers answer countless questions or perform pointless and random tasks. By keeping a scammer busy, scambaiters claim they’re preventing the scammer from defrauding a real victim.
Scambaiting may also be conducted with a specific purpose in mind. Sometimes scambaiters attempt to obtain an offender’s bank account information, for instance, which they then report to a financial institution. But there are other, less benevolent motives in the scambaiting community.
Thousands of scambaiters are organised on the 419eater forum, which describes itself as the “largest scambaiting community on earth”, with over 1.7 million forum threads. The forum was first established in 2003 to tackle the growing issue of 419 emails – a scam that promises people huge sums of cash in return for a small upfront fee.
419eater provides a particularly interesting case study because members are incentivised and rewarded for their scambaits through a unique system of icons, regarded as trophies, that they can obtain in their profile’s signature lines.
***

***
Healthcare: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/buying-or-selling/health-medical-products
Medical Insurance: https://www.reddit.com/r/scambait/comments/jsgffx/just_got_a_scam_call_to_sign_me_up_for_bogus/
YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.
***
THANK YOU
***
Filed under: Breaking News, Career Development, CMP Program, Ethics, Glossary Terms, Information Technology, LifeStyle, mental health, Op-Editorials | Tagged: 419eater forum, behind scenes scam-baiting, Certified Medical Planner™, CMP, internet fraud, phone fraud, scam baiting, scambaiting | Leave a comment »
SUPREME COURT: Rules Against HHS Drug Pricing [340-B] Program
By Health Capital Consultants, LLC
***
***
U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against HHS in 340B Case
On June 15, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision regarding the cuts made by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, finding that HHS acted outside its statutory authority in changing reimbursement rates for one group of hospitals without first surveying them on their costs.
The 340B Drug Pricing Program allows hospitals and clinics that treat low-income, medically underserved patients to purchase certain “specified covered outpatient drugs” at discounted prices. (Read more…)
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
***
Filed under: Accounting, Breaking News, Drugs and Pharma, Events-Planner, Health Insurance, Op-Editorials | Tagged: 340-B, Health Capital Consultants LLC, HHS, Rules Against HHS Drug Pricing [340-B] Program, Supreme Court | Leave a comment »
ECONOMICS: What is the “Golden Rule” Savings Rate?
And … the Solow capital motion growth model?
[By staff reporters]
In economics, the Golden Rule savings rate is the rate of savings which maximizes steady state level or growth of consumption, as for example in the Solow growth model.
Although the concept can be found earlier in John von Neumann and Maurice Allais‘s works, the term is generally attributed to Edmund Phelps who wrote in 1961 that the golden rule “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” could be applied inter-generationally inside the model to arrive at some form of “optimum“, or put simply “do unto future generations as we hope previous generations did unto us.”
***
***
The Solow growth model
In the Solow growth model, a steady state savings rate of 100% implies that all income is going to investment capital for future production, implying a steady state consumption level of zero. A savings rate of 0% implies that no new investment capital is being created, so that the capital stock depreciates without replacement. This makes a steady state unsustainable except at zero output, which again implies a consumption level of zero.
Somewhere in between is the “Golden Rule” level of savings, where the savings propensity is such that per-capita consumption is at its maximum possible constant value.
Assessment
Put another way, the golden-rule capital stock relates to the highest level of permanent consumption which can be sustained.
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements.
Book Marcinko: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-bookings/
Subscribe: MEDICAL EXECUTIVE POST for curated news, essays, opinions and analysis from the public health, economics, finance, marketing, IT, business and policy management ecosystem.
DOCTORS:
“Insurance & Risk Management Strategies for Doctors” https://tinyurl.com/ydx9kd93
“Fiduciary Financial Planning for Physicians” https://tinyurl.com/y7f5pnox
“Business of Medical Practice 2.0” https://tinyurl.com/yb3x6wr8
HOSPITALS:
“Financial Management Strategies for Hospitals” https://tinyurl.com/yagu567d
“Operational Strategies for Clinics and Hospitals” https://tinyurl.com/y9avbrq5
***
Filed under: Glossary Terms, Health Economics, Investing | Tagged: Golden Rule Savings Rate?, Solow growth model? | 1 Comment »
What is the 70-20-10 Leadership Model?
Developing Leadership Ability
[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA]
We have written about leadership and management before on this ME-P. It is an important and very popular topic; not only in healthcare but in most all industries today.
According to the Center for Creative Leadership there is a model for learning and development that blends experience, relationships and training.
It is referred to as the 70-20-10 model, where approximately:
- 70% of learning is provided through the use of challenging assignments and on-the-job experiences.
- 20% of learning is developed through relationships, networks, and feedback.
- 10% of the learning is delivered via formal training processes.
So, does your medical office, clinic, hospital or healthcare organization put most of its leadership development resources into training?
Is this akin to the medical teaching adage: “See one – Do one – Teach One“?
Assessment
Sometimes it’s easier to purchase external vendor training rather than develop the internal infrastructure to support business succession planning with stretch and / or rotational assignments, coaching, mentoring, and action learning. The weaker this internal support infrastructure, the more important the formal training will be, but it can’t be a close substitute for the lessons learned on the job and through feedback from peers, bosses and mentors.
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements.
Book Marcinko: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-bookings/
Subscribe: MEDICAL EXECUTIVE POST for curated news, essays, opinions and analysis from the public health, economics, finance, marketing, IT, business and policy management ecosystem.
***
Filed under: Career Development, iMBA, Inc., Practice Management | Tagged: David E. Marcinko, The 70-20-10 Model? | 2 Comments »
Medical School Ethics VERSUS Business School Ethics
Is Business Finally Embracing Medical Values?
[By Render S. Davis MHA CHE]
[By David Edward Marcinko MBA]
In the evolutionary shifts in models for medical care, physicians have been asked to embrace business values of efficiency and cost effectiveness, sometimes at the expense of their professional judgment and personal values.
While some of these changes have been inevitable as our society sought to rein in out-of-control costs, it is not unreasonable for physicians to call on payers, regulators and other business parties to the health care delivery system to raise their ethical bar.
Tit-for-Tat
Harvard University physician-ethicist Linda Emmanuel noted that “health professionals are now accountable to business values (such as efficiency and cost effectiveness), so business persons should be accountable to professional values including kindness and compassion.”
***
[Medicine versus Business]
***
Assessment
Within the framework of ethical principles, John La Puma, M.D., wrote in Managed Care Ethics, that “business’s ethical obligations are integrity and honesty.
Medicine’s are those plus altruism, beneficence, non-maleficence, respect, and fairness.”
About the Author
Render Davis was a Certified Healthcare Executive, now retired from Crawford Long Hospital at Emory University, in Atlanta, GA He served as Assistant Administrator for General Services, Policy Development, and Regulatory Affairs from 1977-95. He is a founding board member of the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia and served on the consortium’s Executive Committee, Advisory Board, Futility Task Force, Strategic Planning Committee, and chaired the Annual Conference Planning Committee, for many years.
More:
- Litigation and Legacy in Education and Medicine
- Ethics in Modern Healthcare
- On Cultural Sensitivity in Medical Education
- Healthcare Leadership VS Management
- Dr. Marcinko Teaching Philosophy
- What is E-Learning?
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
Invite Dr. Marcinko
Filed under: Ethics, Practice Management, Quality Initiatives | Tagged: Business School, david marcinko, John La Puma, Linda Emmanuel, medical school, Render S. Davis | 3 Comments »
UPDATE: Berkshire Hathaway, Sectors and the Surging Markets
***
***
W. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway purchased roughly 9.5 million shares of Occidental over the past week at a cost of nearly $530 million, according to a new regulatory filing late on Wednesday. Buffett’s investing conglomerate now owns roughly 152 million shares of Occidental—a 16.3% stake worth nearly $8.5 billion that makes Berkshire by far and away the largest shareholder in the energy giant.
Sectors: Sectors like utilities, consumer staples, and real estate helped push the market higher yesterday. Today, however, we could see a lot spicier action. Index provider FTSE Russell is re-balancing its stock benchmarks, which will send investors scrambling to trade an estimated $112 billion just before the market closes. Among other tweaks it’s making, Russell will now label Meta, Netflix, and PayPal as “value” stocks.
Markets:
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +2.68% gained 823.32 points, or 2.7%, to close at 31,500.68, its largest daily percentage gain since May 4.
- The S&P 500 SPX jumped 116.01 points, or 3.1%, to finish at 3,911.74, its biggest daily percentage gain since May 18, 2020.
- The NASDAQ Composite COMP, +3.34% surged 375.43 points, or 3.3%, to end at 11,607.62, its largest daily percentage gain since May 13.
For the week, the Dow booked a 5.4% gain, while the S&P 500 climbed 6.5% and the NASDAQ jumped 7.5%, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The Dow and S&P 500 each saw their biggest weekly gain since late May, while the NASDAQ had its best week since March.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: Berkshire Hathaway, DJIA, FTSE, FTSE Russell, markets, NASDAQ, S&P, sectors, value stocks, Warren Buffett | Leave a comment »
What is [Health] Economic Satisficing?
A decision-making strategy
[By staff reporters]
***
***
Satisficing is a business decision-making strategy or cognitive heuristic that entails searching through the available alternatives until an acceptability threshold is met.
The term economic satisficing, a portmanteau of satisfy and suffice, was introduced by Herbert A. Simon in 1956, although the concept was first posited in his 1947 book Administrative Behavior. Simon used satisficing to explain the behavior of decision makers under circumstances in which an optimal solution cannot be determined. He maintained that many natural problems are characterized by computational intractability or a lack of information, both of which preclude the use of mathematical optimization procedures.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254
He observed in his Nobel Prize in Economics speech that “decision makers can satisfice either by finding optimum solutions for a simplified world, or by finding satisfactory solutions for a more realistic world. Neither approach, in general, dominates the other, and both have continued to co-exist in the world of management science”.
******
Assessment
“Satisficing” – a made-up word created by combining satisfactory and sufficient – indicates something good, but not great. Like the Canadian single-payer health system, like Medicare-for-All.
KEN ARROW PhD: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2010/08/17/on-professor-kenneth-arrow-phd/
MORE: https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/09/18/canadas-single-payer-health-system-satisfices-13272
Conclusion: Your thoughts are appreciated.
***
Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Glossary Terms, Health Economics | Tagged: cognitive heuristics, decision-making, Satisficing | 1 Comment »
What is Stock Price STRENGTH
By Staff Reporters

A few big stocks can skew returns for the market. It’s important to also know how many stocks are doing well versus those that are struggling. This shows the number of stocks on the NYSE at 52-week highs compared to those at 52-week lows.
When there are many more highs than lows, that’s a bullish sign and signals Greed.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549
Now; Relative Price Strength (RPS) compares the price trend of a stock to the market.
An RPS > 1 indicates that the stock outperformed the market, an RPS < 1 indicates that the stock underperformed the market, and an RPS = 1 indicates that the stock performed on par with the market.
RPS can be misleading as it uses historical data and does not take into account risk.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Glossary Terms, Investing | Tagged: relative price strength, RPS, stock price breadth | Leave a comment »
Mutual Fund Terms and Definitions for Physicians
A “Need-to-Know” Glossary for all Medical Professionals
http://www.HealthDictionarySeries.org
[ME-P Staff Writers]
ADV: A two-part form filed by investment advisors who register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as required under the Investment Advisers Act. ADV Part II information must be provided to potential investors and made available to current investors.
Alpha: A measure of the amount of a portfolio’s expected return that is not related to the portfolio’s sensitivity to market volatility. A benchmark that uses beta as a measure of risk, a benchmark and a risk free rate of return (usually T-bills) to compare actual performance with expected performance.
For example, a fund with a beta of .80 in a market that rises 10% is expected to rise 8%.
If the risk-free return is 3%, the alpha would be –.6%, calculated as follows: (Fund return – Risk-free return) – (Beta x Excess return) = Alpha (8% – 3%) – [.8 × (10% – 3%)] = (–) .6%
Note: A positive alpha indicates out-performance while a negative alpha means underperformance.
Asset allocation: Strategic asset allocation refers to the long-term targets for allocation of a percentage of a portfolio among different asset classes. In contrast, tactical asset allocation refers to short-term targets.
Average maturity: The average weighted maturity of the bonds in a portfolio providing an indication of interest rate risk.
Benchmark: An index, managed portfolio, or fund used to compare performance characteristics with the targeted portfolio or fund.
Beta: A statistically computed measure of the portfolio’s relationship to changes in market value. If, compared to the S&P 500, a fund has a beta of .80; it is expected to underperform a rising market by 20% and outperform a falling market by 20%.
Bond: Publicly traded debt instruments that are issued by governments and corporations. The issuer agrees to pay a fixed amount of interest over a specified time period and to repay the principal at maturity.
Closed-end mutual fund: An investment company that registers shares in accordance with SEC regulations and is traded in securities markets at prices determined by investments.
Diversification: Buying a number of different investment vehicles to protect against default of a single vehicle, thereby reducing the risk of the portfolio.
Duration: A more technical calculation of interest rate risk exposure that uses the present value of expected cash flows to be returned to the bond holder over the term of the bond.
Fundamental analysis: An analysis of a company’s stock that focuses on the economic environment, the industry the company is in, and the company’s financial situation and operating results.
Mutual fund: A regulated investment company that manages a portfolio of securities for its shareholders.
Net asset value (NAV): The value of fund assets fewer liabilities divided by outstanding shares.
Open-end mutual fund: An investment company that invests money in accordance with specific objectives on behalf of investors. Fund assets expand or contract based on investment performance, new investments and redemptions.
Portfolio manager: The person(s) who is/are responsible for managing the portfolio in accordance with the objectives dictated by an investor or a fund’s prospectus.
Prospectus: A disclosure document filed with the SEC and made available to prospective and current investors. The prospectus covers sales charges, expenses, investment objectives and restrictions, management fees, financial highlights, and other information.
R-squared (R2): Relationship of a fund or portfolio’s performance to a benchmark index.
For example, a fund R-squared of .5 means only 50% of its return is explained by the index. Other factors are responsible for the balance of performance.
SEC yield: A standardized calculation of yield over a 30-day period, sometimes quoted as the “30-day yield.” It takes into account yield-to-maturity rather than current dividends.
Standard deviation: A statistic that looks at a series of returns and expresses the average deviation from the mean return.
Statement of additional information: A disclosure document filed with the SEC that supplements the prospectus. It is made available to investors upon request.
Technical analysis: An analysis that focuses on trends in financial markets generally.
For example, a technical analyst may view an entire industry’s group of stocks to be declining. Although the analyst may be correct about the group of stocks as a whole, there may be exceptions represented by specific, individual companies.
Total return: The combination of investment return from income, such as dividends and interest, and appreciation or depreciation in the value of the investment (Income returns plus capital return.)
Turnover: Under SEC rules, a figure computed that indicates how often securities in the portfolio are bought and sold. For example, if turnover is 100% over a one-year period, the securities (on average) were replaced once.
12b-1 fee: The maximum annual fee payable from fund assets for distribution and sales costs as allowed by the SEC.
MORE: Glossary Terms Ap 3
Filed under: Glossary Terms, Investing | Leave a comment »
MARK CUBAN’s: “Cost Plus Drugs”. com
By Staff Reporters
***
***
Mark Cuban: The billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks just launched an online pharmacy for generic drugs that looks to cut out middlemen and combat pharmaceutical industry price gouging by offering steep discounts.
Set up as CostPlusDrugs.com with 100 generic drugs to treat conditions like diabetes and asthma. Cost Plus will not accept health insurance but claims its prices will still be lower than what people would typically pay at a pharmacy.
“All drugs are priced at cost plus 15%!” Cuban tweeted.
READ: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/01/23/podcast-the-mark-cuban-cost-plus-drug-co-mccpdc/
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Drugs and Pharma, Health Economics, Health Insurance | Tagged: Cost plus Drugs, Cuban, Mark Cuban | Leave a comment »
The Market Technicians
Technical Analysis – Defined
[By Julia O’Neal; MA, CPA with Staff writers]
Technical market analysis focuses on the historical price and volume changes that occur as a stock trades, and it attempts to predict the stock’s future behavior based on prior patterns.
Technical analysis is not concerned with the financials of a company; it assumes that fundamental factors are already reflected in the market behavior of a stock and that the history of that behavior gives a strong clue to the future. The focus on price and volume in technical analysis could also be considered a study of supply and demand.
Technical analysis applies technical market theories to stock market data on stock prices, indexes, and trading. Technicians identify market trends and try to predict future movements.
Theoretically, technical and fundamental analysis exist in opposition to each other, but in reality, most fundamental analysts sneak a look at the charts from time to time and technical analysts pay attention to some fundamentals.
Both schools of thought are based on the possibility of predicting the future using the past. Market psychology, which does not always follow rhyme or reason, can prove both types of analysis wrong.
Technical analysis involves discovering patterns that repeat themselves. Patterns can exist for an individual stock or for an index, and stocks can be compared to their respective indexes.
Stocks (and indexes) are said to trade in a range. When prices go above this range, they often encounter selling pressure. This is called an area of resistance, and stocks are characterized as “overbought.”
Conversely, a decline below a level of support will instigate buying, because the stock seems cheap or “oversold.”
When a breakout occurs above a resistance level – or below a support level – technical analysts predict the stock will stay on the new course.
Methods for taking advantage of anticipated upward trends include buying stop orders or call options at a level slightly above the resistance level. To profit from downward trends, physician investors would enter a sell-stop order, sell short, or purchase put options at a price slightly below the support level.
- Accumulation areas occur when medical buyers are accumulating stock and the support level is moving up.
- Distribution areas occur when physician selling is occurring and the stock is considered weak.
- A sideways movement (the stock continues to be bought and sold at the same price for some time) is called an area of consolidation.
Other technical patterns:
A head and shoulders pattern may be either above (“head and shoulders top”) or below (“head and shoulders bottom”) a constant trend line. This theory assumes that after a top there will be a reverse; after a bottom, there will be a move back to a top.
Rising bottoms and ascending tops/falling bottoms and descending tops. A rising trend in the low prices of a security shows higher and higher support levels. Combined with ascending tops, this would be a bullish indicator. The reverse would be bearish.
Double top and double bottom show resistance and support levels. A double bottom shows the stock could break below support levels and reach new lows; a stock with a double top pattern might be expected to move on to a new high.
Assessment
What kind of physician investor are you; fundamental or technical?
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HealthcareFinancialsthePostForcxos
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
Our Other Print Books and Related Information Sources:
Health Dictionary Series: http://www.springerpub.com/Search/marcinko
Practice Management: http://www.springerpub.com/product/9780826105752
Physician Financial Planning: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/0763745790
Medical Risk Management: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9780763733421
Hospitals: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
Physician Advisors: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
***
Invite Dr. Marcinko
***
Filed under: Investing | Tagged: Investing Basics | 2 Comments »
UPDATE: Inflation, Gasoline & Oil Prices, Online Crypto Trading Firms and Altria
***
***
The rate of inflation rose again in May, remaining at 40-year highs, the Office for National Statistics revealed. The rate of Consumer Prices Index [CPI] inflation rose slightly to 9.1 per cent in May from 9 per cent in April, according to the ONS. The increase matches what analysts had expected. And, supply constraints, exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine account for about half of the surge in US inflation, with demand currently making up a third of the increase, according to new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
US gasoline futures are about 13% below the record high seen earlier this month and pump prices have dropped for more than seven days straight — the biggest run of losses since April — after rising to a fresh peak early last week, as recession concerns grip the market. Oil prices have tumbled toward $100 a barrel as traders fear that sharply higher interest rates would slow down economic growth and lead to demand destruction. The AAA reports that the average price of a gallon of regular gas slipped 6 cents since last week, to $4.955.
U.S. online trading firms specializing in crypto were hit hard after BinanceUS, an arm of the word’s biggest digital currency exchange, eliminated its bitcion spot trading fees. BinanceUS will now allow its users to trade bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, against assets such as the U.S. dollar, tether, and other dollar-backed stablecoins for free, eliminating its prior levy of 0.1% on transaction valued at less than $50,000.00.
Altria’s big tumble—the tobacco company owns a 35% stake in Juul, and a WSJ report suggested the FDA could order Juul to yank its products off the market imminently.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Drugs and Pharma, Investing, LifeStyle | Tagged: Altria, crypto, gas, gasoline, inflation, Juul, oil, online crypto trading firms | Leave a comment »
What is “Sentimental” Stock Market Analysis?
What it is – How it works
[By Staff reporters]
There is no shortage of analysis for anyone interested in investing. A search for the term “stock market analysis” turned up 16 million hits on Google and well over 200,000 hits each on Bing, and Yahoo.
***
***
The majority of stock market analysis can be lumped into three broad groups: fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a close look at SA.
Sentimental Analysis
Sentimental analysis attempts to measure the market in terms of the attitudes of investors. Sentimental analysis starts from the assumption that the majority of investors are wrong. In other words, that the stock market has the potential to disappoint when “masses of investors” believe prices are headed in a particular direction.
Sentiment analysts are often referred to as contrarians who look to invest against the majority view of the market.
For example, if the majority of professional market watchers expect a stock price to trend higher, sentiment analysts may look for prices to disappoint the majority and trend lower.
Which approach is best?
There is no clear answer to that question.
But it’s important to remember three things:
- Past performance does not guarantee future results, actual results will vary, and the best approach may be to create a portfolio based on your time horizon, risk tolerance, and goals.
- Keep in mind that the return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change.
- And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements.
Book Marcinko: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-bookings/
Subscribe: MEDICAL EXECUTIVE POST for curated news, essays, opinions and analysis from the public health, economics, finance, marketing, IT, business and policy management ecosystem.
DOCTORS:
“Insurance & Risk Management Strategies for Doctors” https://tinyurl.com/ydx9kd93
“Fiduciary Financial Planning for Physicians” https://tinyurl.com/y7f5pnox
“Business of Medical Practice 2.0” https://tinyurl.com/yb3x6wr8
***
***
Invite Dr. Marcinko
***
Filed under: Investing | Tagged: Sentimental Stock Market Analysis | Leave a comment »
SURVEY: Primary Care Doctor Trust or NOT?
By Staff Reporters
***
***
75% Trust Their Primary Care Physicians
• Primary care physicians: 75%
• Specialty care physicians: 66%
• Pharmacies: 59%
• Hospitals and clinics: 58%
• Health insurance company: 51%
• Government: 24%
Source: Health Sparq, “2022 Annual Consumer Sentiment Benchmark Report,” January 2022
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Career Development, Glossary Terms, Health Insurance, LifeStyle, Managed Care, Practice Management, Surveys and Voting | Tagged: physican trust, Primary Care Doctor Trust?, Primary Care Doctors, primary care trust, SURVEY: Primary Care Doctor Trust? | Leave a comment »
What is SWIFT Banking?
Belgium’s Society for Worldwide InterBank Financial Telecommunications
A TIMELY FINANCIAL TOPIC
***
By Staff Reporters
***
Belgium’s Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) runs a messaging service that facilitates transactions across 11,000+ financial institutions globally. Think of it as the “Gmail of global banking.”
Entities in every country except North Korea use SWIFT to shuffle trillions of dollars’ worth of funds across borders. And Russia is a SWIFT power user—as a major supplier of energy and other goods, it ranks sixth globally for payment messages sent on SWIFT. So if Russia were cut off from SWIFT, “the nation would essentially be severed from much of the global financial system,” the NYT wrote.
CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549
***
***
SWIFT: https://www.swift.com/
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post
***
***
Filed under: Accounting, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Investing, Taxation | Tagged: Gmail of global banking, North Korea, Russia, Society for Worldwide InterBank Financial Telecommunications, SWIFT banking, Ukraine | Leave a comment »
Behavioral Finance for Doctors?
On the Psychology of Investing [Book Review]
By Peter Benedek, PhD CFA
Founder: www.RetirementAction.com
Some of the pioneers of behavioral finance are Drs. Kahneman, Twersky and Thaler. This short introduction to the subject is based on John Nofsinger’s little book entitled “Psychology of Investing” an excellent quick read for all medical professionals or anyone who is interested in learning more about behavioral finance.
Rational Decisions?
Much of modern finance is built on the assumption that investors “make rational decisions” and “are unbiased in their predictions about the future”, however this is not always the case.
Cognitive errors come from (1) prospect theory (people feel good/bad about gain/loss of $500, but not twice as good/bad about a gain/loss of $1,000; they feel worse about a $500 loss than feel good about a $500 gain); (2) mental accounting (meaning that people tend to create separate buckets which they examine individually), (3) Self-deception (e.g. overconfidence), (4) heuristic simplification (shortcuts) and (4) mood can affect ability to reach a logical conclusion.
John Nofsinger’s Book
The following are some of the major chapter headings in Nofsinger’s book, and represent some of the key behavioral finance concepts.
Overconfidence leads to: (1) excessive trading (which in turn results in lower returns due to costs incurred), (2) underestimation of risk (portfolios of decreasing risk were found for single men, married men, married women, and single women), (3) illusion of knowledge (you can get a lot more data nowadays on the internet) and (4) illusion of control (on-line trading).
Pride and Regret leads to: (1) disposition effect (not only selling winners and holding on to the losers, but selling winners too soon- confirming how smart I was, and losers to late- not admitting a bad call, even though selling losers increases one’s wealth due to the tax benefits), (2) reference points (the point from where one measures gains or losses is not necessarily the purchase price, but may perhaps be the most recent 52 week high and it is most likely changing continuously- clearly such a reference point will affect investor’s judgment by perhaps holding on to “loser” too long when in fact it was a winner.)
Considering the Past in decisions about the future, when future outcomes are independent of the past lead to a whole slew of more bad decisions, such as: (1) house money effect (willing to increase the level of risk taken after recent winnings- i.e. playing with house’s money), (2) risk aversion or snake-bite effect (becoming more risk averse after losing money), (3) trying to break-even (at times people will increase their willing to take higher risk to try to recover their losses- e.g. double or nothing), (4) endowment or status quo effect (often people are only prepared to sell something they own for more than they would be willing to buy it- i.e. for investments people tend to do nothing, just hold on to investments they already have) (5) memory and decision making ( decisions are affected by how long ago did the pain/pleasure occur or what was the sequence of pain and pleasure), (6) cognitive dissonance (people avoid important decisions or ignore negative information because of pain associated with circumstances).
Mental Accounting is the act of bucketizing investments and then reviewing the performance of the individual buckets separately (e.g. investing at low savings rate while paying high credit card interest rates).
Examples of mental accounting are: (1) matching costs to benefits (wanting to pay for vacation before taking it and getting paid for work after it was done, even though from perspective of time value of money the opposite should be preferred0, (2) aversion to debt (don’t like long-term debt for short-term benefit), (3) sunk-cost effect (illogically considering non-recoverable costs when making forward-going decisions). In investing, treating buckets separately and ignoring interaction (correlations) induces people not to sell losers (even though they get tax benefits), prevent them from investing in the stock market because it is too risky in isolation (however much less so when looked at as part of the complete portfolio including other asset classes and labor income and occupied real estate), thus they “do not maximize the return for a given level of risk taken).
In building portfolios, assets included should not be chosen on basis of risk and return only, but also correlation; even otherwise well educated individuals make the mistake of assuming that adding a risky asset to a portfolio will increase the overall risk, when in fact the opposite will occur depending on the correlation of the asset to be added with the portfolio (i.e. people misjudge or disregard interactions between buckets, which are key determinants of risk).
This can lead to: (1) building behavioral portfolios (i.e. safety, income, get rich, etc type sub-portfolios, resulting in goal diversification rather than asset diversification), (2) naïve diversification (when aiming for 50:50 stock:bond allocation implementing this as 50:50 in both tax-deferred (401(k)/RRSP) accounts and taxable accounts, rather than placing the bonds in the tax-deferred and stocks in taxable accounts respectively for tax advantages), (3) naïve diversification in retirement accounts (if five investment options are offered then investing 1/5th in each, thus getting an inappropriate level of diversification or no diversification depending on the available choices; or being too heavily invested in one’s employer’s stock).
Representativeness may lead investors to confusing a good company with a good investment (good company may already be overpriced in the market; extrapolating past returns or momentum investing), and familiarity to over-investment in one’s own employer (perhaps inappropriate as when stock tanks one’s job may also be at risk) or industry or country thus not having a properly diversified portfolio.
Emotions can affect investment decisions: mood/feelings/optimism will affect decision to buy or sell risky or conservative assets, even though the mood resulted from matters unrelated to investment. Social interactions such as friends/coworkers/clubs and the media (e.g. CNBC) can lead to herding effects like over (under) valuation.
Financial Strategies
Nofsinger finishes with a final chapter which includes strategies for:
(i) beating the biases: (1) Understand the biases, (2) define your investment objectives, (3) have quantitative investment criteria, i.e. understand why you are buying a specific investor (or even better invest in a passive fashion), (4) diversify among asset classes and within asset classes (and don’t over invest in your employer’s stock), and (5) control your investment environment (check on stock monthly, trade only monthly and review progress toward goals annually).
(ii) using biases for the good: (1) set new employee defaults for retirement plans to being enrolled, (2) get employees to commit some percent of future raises to automatically go toward retirement (save-more-tomorrow).
Assessment
Buy the book (you can get used copies at through Amazon for under $10). As indicated it is a quick read and occasionally you may even want to re-read it to insure you avoid the biases or use them for the good. Also, the book has long list of references for those inclined to delve into the subject more deeply.
You might even ask “How does all this Behavioral Finance coexist with Efficient Market theory?” and that’s a great question that I’ll leave for another time.
More: SSRN-id2596202
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
https://www.crcpress.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283
***
Filed under: Book Reviews, Experts Invited, Investing, Retirement and Benefits | Tagged: behavioral economics, behavioral finance, Kahneman, Peter Benedek, Psychology of Investing, Thaler, Twersky, www.RetirementAction.com | 5 Comments »
Medical Endowment Fund Manager Selection
Are External Financial Consultants Necessary?
[By Dr. David E. Marcinko MBA CMP]
http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
John English, of the Ford Foundation, once observed that:
[T]he thing that is most interesting to me is that every one of the managers is able to give me a chart that shows me he was in the first quartile or the first decile. I have never had a prospective manager come in and say, ‘We’re in the fourth quartile or bottom decile’.
According to Wayne Firebaugh CPA, CFP® CMP™ most medical endowment funds today, even those with internal investment staff, rely heavily upon consultants and external managers.
In fact, the 2006 Commonfund Benchmarks Healthcare Study revealed that 85% of all surveyed institutions relied upon consultants with an even greater percentage of larger endowments relying upon consultants. The common reasons given by endowments for such reliance are augmenting staff and oddly enough, cost containment. In essence, the endowment staff’s job becomes one of managing the managers.
Manager Selection
Even those endowments that use consultants to assist in selecting outside managers remain involved in the selection and monitoring process. Interestingly, performance should generally not be the overriding criterion for selecting a manager. Selecting a manager could be viewed as a two-step process in which the endowment first establishes its initial allocation and determines what classes will require an external manager. The second part of the process is to select a manager that due diligence has indicated to have two primary characteristics: integrity and a repeatable and sustainable systematic process. These characteristics are interrelated, as a manager who embodies integrity will also strive to follow the established investment selection process.
Of Medical-Managers
In medicine, obtaining the best care often means consulting a specialist. As a manager of managers, the average endowment should seek specialist managers within a given asset class. Just as physicians and healthcare institutions gain additional insight and skill in their area of specialty, investment managers may be able to gain informational or system advantages within a given concentrated area of investments.
Assessment
Since most plan managers are seeking positive alpha by actively managing certain asset classes, many successful endowments will use a greater number of external managers in the concentrated segments than they will in the larger, more efficient markets.
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- DICTIONARIES: http://www.springerpub.com/Search/marcinko
- PHYSICIANS: www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- BLOG: www.MedicalExecutivePost.com
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
Filed under: CMP Program, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Investing, Portfolio Management | Tagged: Commonfund Benchmarks Healthcare Study, Ford Foundation, medical endowment funds, portfolio investing | 6 Comments »
UPDATE: Cathie Wood, IRS Back-Log, US Single Family Rent and the Markets
***
***
- Cathie Wood warned that the Federal Reserve could cause a recession if it keeps hiking interest rates. The US central bank is ignoring three indicators that might show inflation easing, according to the Ark Invest CIO. First, aggressive hikes are unnecessary because inflation is already easing. Second, she pointed to the stagnating prices of gold and lumber, which are often seen as leading inflation indicators. “After soaring from $1,350/ounce pre-COVID to a peak of nearly $2,000 [an ounce] during 2020, the gold price has dropped back to $1,840 [an ounce] during the past two years. “The lumber price has dropped more than 50%.” Finally, Wood said fuel prices have likely peaked as Americans increasingly turn to electric vehicles. Surging oil prices have been one of the main drivers of inflation this year, with Brent crude up 48.3% to over $115 a barrel.
- The IRS says it is climbing out from under the unprecedented stack of tax returns that piled up after the agency had to scale back its operations and close facilities in 2020 following the onset of the pandemic. The agency announced that by the end of this week it will have cleared all original individual tax returns that were filed in 2021 and that didn’t contain any major mistakes. “Due to issues related to the pandemic and staffing limitations, the IRS began 2022 with a larger than usual inventory of paper tax returns and correspondence filed during 2021,” the IRS said in a statement. “The IRS took a number of steps to address this, and the agency is on track to complete processing of originally filed Form 1040 (individual tax returns without errors) received in 2021 this week.”
- Another record for US single-family rents, which jumped 14% year-over-year in April, marking the 13th period of record-breaking annual gains.
- Markets: Stocks bounced yesterday after their worst week in two years, led by energy stocks and Big Tech companies. Cypto even rose. Today, investors will be glued to Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony on Capitol Hill. They want to know whether Powell expects to hike interest rates by another 75 basis points next month.
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Alerts Sign-Up, Investing | Tagged: brent, Cathie Wood, crypto, gas, IRS, IRS backlog, oil, rents, stock markets, US rent | Leave a comment »
HEDGE FUNDS: History in Brief
BY DR. DAVID E. MARCINKO MBA CMP®

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
The investment profession has come a long way since the door-to-door stock salesmen of the 1920s sold a willing public on worthless stock certificates. The stock market crash of 1929 and ensuing Great Depression of the 1930s forever changed the way investment operations are run. A bewildering array of laws and regulations sprung up, all geared to protecting the individual investor from fraud. These laws also set out specific guidelines on what types of investment can be marketed to the general public – and allowed for the creation of a set of investment products specifically not marketed to the general public. These early-mid 20th century lawmakers specifically exempted from the definition of “general public,” for all practical purposes, those investors that meet certain minimum net worth guidelines.
The lawmakers decided that wealth brings the sophistication required to evaluate, either independently or together with wise counsel, investment options that fall outside the mainstream. Not surprisingly, an investment industry catering to such wealthy individuals, such as doctors and healthcare professionals, and qualifying institutions has sprung up.
EARLY DAYS
The original hedge fund was an investment partnership started by A.W. Jones in 1949. A financial writer prior to starting his investment management career, Mr. Jones is widely credited as being the prototypical hedge fund manager. His style of investment in fact gave the hedge fund its name – although Mr. Jones himself called his fund a “hedged fund.” Mr. Jones attempted to “hedge,” or protect, his investment partnership against market swings by selling short overvalued securities while at the same time buying undervalued securities. Leverage was an integral part of the strategy. Other managers followed in Mr. Jones’ footsteps, and the hedge fund industry was born.
In those early days, the hedge fund industry was defined by the types of investment operations undertaken – selling short securities, making liberal use of leverage, engaging in arbitrage and otherwise attempting to limit one’s exposure to market swings. Today, the hedge fund industry is defined more by the structure of the investment fund and the type of manager compensation employed.
The changing definition is largely a sign of the times. In 1949, the United States was in a unique state. With the memory of Great Depression still massively influencing common wisdom on stocks, the post-war euphoria sparked an interest in the securities markets not seen in several decades. Perhaps it is not so surprising that at such a time a particularly reflective financial writer such as A.W. Jones would start an investment operation featuring most prominently the protection against market swings rather than participation in them.
Citation: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549
Apart from a few significant hiccups – 1972-73, 1987 and 2006-07 being most prominent – the U.S. stock markets have been on quite a roll for quite a long time now. So today, hedge funds come in all flavors – many not hedged at all. Instead, the concept of a private investment fund structured as a partnership, with performance incentive compensation for the manager, has come to dominate the mindscape when hedge funds are discussed. Hence, we now have a term in “hedge fund” that is not always accurate in its description of the underlying activity. In fact, several recent events have contributed to an even more distorted general understanding of hedge funds.
During 1998, the high profile Long Term Capital Management crisis and the spectacular currency losses experienced by the George Soros organization both contributed to a drastic reversal of fortune in the court of public opinion for hedge funds. Most hedge fund managers, who spend much of their time attempting to limit risk in one way or another, were appalled at the manner with which the press used the highest profile cases to vilify the industry as dangerous risk-takers. At one point during late 1998, hedge funds were even blamed in the lay press for the currency collapses of several developing nations; whether this was even possible got short thrift in the press.
Needless to say, more than a few managers have decided they did not much appreciate being painted with the same “hedge fund” brush. Alternative investment fund, private investment fund, and several other terms have been promoted but inadequately adopted. As the memory of 1998 and 2007 fades, “hedge fund” may once again become a term embraced by all private investment managers.

ASSESSMENT: Physicians, and all investors, should be aware, however, that several different terms defining the same basic structure might be used. Investors should therefore become familiar with the structure of such funds, independent of the label. The Securities Exchange Commission calls such funds “privately offered investment companies” and the Internal Revenue Service calls them “securities partnerships.”
Your thoughts are appreciated.

ORDER TEXTBOOK: https://www.routledge.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-for-Doctors-and-Advisors-Best/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781482240283
INVITE DR. MARCINKO: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/dr-david-marcinkos-
THANK YOU
***
Filed under: CMP Program, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, iMBA, Inc., Investing, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: A.W. Jones, accredited invesotrs, alternate investments, certified medical planner, CMP, George Soros, hedge funds, SEC | 1 Comment »
What if the Bear Market is OVER?
***
By Michael A. Gayed, CFA
Portfolio Manager of the ATAC Rotation Funds
***
Bob Farrell is a legendary Wall Street trader and market analyst. He’s perhaps best-known for his “10 rules” of investing that he developed based on his 50-year career in the industry. One of the more popular rules says that “when all the experts and forecasts agree, something else is going to happen.”Right now, almost everyone is expecting a recession driven by high inflation, rising interest rates and geopolitical risks. The S&P 500 is still more than 10% off of its highs, while the NASDAQ 100 is down by more than 20%. Many feel as if more downside is ahead, but what if they’re wrong? What if the bottom is already in? What if the worst is over? My take? I have no idea. I believe there’s still a bigger and more traditional classic “risk-off” period coming where stocks decline and Treasuries rally in price (which is what historically happens during periods of heightened equity volatility), but the path to get there is what drives investor sentiment. And like everyone else in this business, I can’t tell the future. All I can do is identify conditions in a rules-based fashion that favor an outcome.The important thing to remember here is that the market isn’t the economy. The financial markets are often leading indicators of where investors feel things are going. The actual data is only showing how conditions are or were. Take the 2020 COVID recession, for example. Once the government announced its multi-trillion dollar stimulus program, stock prices shot higher even though the worst of the economic pain had yet to be experienced.Today, some of the data isn’t even indicating imminent danger. |
![]() |
High yield spreads tend to blow out ahead of a recession. They’re currently not at the levels reached during 2016, 2018 or 2020. Investors often view the 10-year/2-year Treasury yield spread as the “recession indicator”. This number did briefly turn negative earlier this year, but has remained in positive territory ever since. While both of these numbers have teased the idea of higher risk conditions ahead, neither has done so in convincing fashion yet.Also consider that the markets tend to be very sensitive to what the Fed does. If the central bank ever decides that recession risk is too high and it hits the pause button on the rate hiking cycle, it could be off to the races again for equity prices. Risk asset prices have the ability to react favorably to looser monetary conditions. Any pivot in that direction could give a big boost to investor sentiment. If the bear market is over, the ATAC Rotation Fund (ATACX), the ATAC U.S. Rotation ETF (RORO) and the ATAC Credit Rotation ETF (JOJO) could be primed to benefit.We believe all three funds use proven market signals to determine whether they should be positioned either offensively or defensively. Since investors often flock to safety in times of market volatility, the three funds use Treasuries as the “risk-off” or defensive asset class. Admittedly, Treasuries haven’t acted as they historically do relative to equities when in high volatility states. But that doesn’t mean things won’t revert back to historical behavior in the small sample of the here and now.When the signals suggest that conditions are more favorable, the funds can go “risk-on”. In the case of RORO and ATACX, that could include some combination of large-cap stocks, small-caps and emerging markets. JOJO remains in the fixed income markets and targets junk bonds in this scenario.RORO and ATACX also use leverage, which offers higher return potential. Why? Because leveraging equities when risk-on helps to, over time, counter the impact of being in Treasuries when stocks continue to move higher and with hindsight, risk-off positioning there wasn’t warranted. Of course this is a double-edged sword, since in a year like this year, the leveraged risk-on position in stocks earlier in the year led to a sizeable decline for both ATACX and RORO. However, over multiple roll of the die, it is that leverage which gives investors the opportunity to capture above average returns in more traditional markets when combined with occasional risk-off periods where Treasuries perform well.High volatility markets don’t need to be feared. We believe strategies that add and remove market risk based on what the market is telling us give investors the opportunity to earn superior risk-adjusted returns while lowering downside risk. If the markets are ready to begin the next leg higher, the ATAC funds stand ready to benefit while (hopefully) Treasuries get back to doing what they normally would in true risk-off periods . At some point. |
***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED
Thank You
***
***
Filed under: Experts Invited, Investing | Tagged: Bear Market is OVER, bear markets, Bob Farrell, Michael A. Gayed | Leave a comment »
Money Management and Portfolio Performance
Money Management and Portfolio Performance
By Jeffrey S. Coons; PhD, CFA
By Christopher J. Cummings; CFA, CFP™
Evaluating portfolio performance is a vital and often contentious topic in monitoring progress towards a physician’s investment goals.
Introduction
A typical portfolio’s objective may be to preserve the purchasing power of its assets by achieving returns above inflation – or to have total returns adequate to satisfy an annual spending need without eroding original capital, etc. Whatever the absolute goal for the doctor; performance numbers need to be evaluated based on an understanding of the market environment over the period being measured.
One way to put a portfolio’s a time-weighted return in the context of the overall market environment is to compare the performance to relevant alternative investment vehicles. This can be done through comparisons to either market indices, which are board baskets of investable securities, or peer groups, which are collections of returns from managers or funds investing in a similar universe of securities with similar objectives as the portfolio.
By evaluating the performance of alternatives that were available over the period, the physician investor and/or his/her advisor are able to gain insight to the general investment environment over the time period.
The Indices
Market indices are frequently used to gain perspective on the market environment and to evaluate how well the portfolio performed relative to that environment.
Market indices are typically segmented into different asset classes.
Common stock market indices include the following:
· Dow Jones Industrial Average – a price-weighted index of 30 large U.S. corporations.
· Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index – a capitalization-weighted index of 500 large U.S. corporations.
· Value Line Index – an equally-weighted index of 1700 large U.S. corporations.
· Russell 2000 – a capitalization-weighted index of smaller capitalization U.S. companies.
· Wilshire 5000 – a cap weighted index of the 5000 largest U.S. corporations.
· Morgan Stanley Europe Australia, Far East (EAFE) Index – a capitalization-weighted index of the stocks traded in developed economies.
Common bond market indices include the following:
· Lehman Brothers Government Credit Index – an index of investment grade domestic bonds excluding mortgages.
· Lehman Brothers Aggregate Index – the LBGCI plus investment grade mortgages.
· Solomon Brothers Bond Index – similar in construction to the LBAI.
· Merrill Lynch High Yield Index – an index of below investment grade bonds.
· JP Morgan Global Government Bond – an index of domestic and foreign government-issued fixed income securities.
Assessment
The selection of an appropriate market index depends on the goals of the portfolio and the universe of securities from which the portfolio was selected.
Just as a portfolio with a short-time horizon and a primary goal of capital preservation should not be expected to perform in line with the S&P 500, a portfolio with a long-term horizon and a primary goal of capital growth should not be evaluated versus Treasury Bills.
Conclusion
While the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 are often quoted in the newspapers, there are clearly broader market indices available to describe the overall performance of the U.S. stock market.
Likewise, indices like the S&P 500 and Wilshire 5000 are capitalization-weighted, so their returns are generally dominated by the largest 50 of their 500 – 5000 stocks.
Fortunately, capitalization-bias does not typically affect long-term performance comparisons, but there may be periods of time in which large cap stocks out-or under-perform mid-to-small cap stocks, thus creating a bias when cap-weighted indices are used versus what is usually non-cap weighted strategies of managers or mutual funds.
Finally, the fixed income indices tend to have a bias towards intermediate-term securities versus longer-term bonds. Therefore, a physician investor with a long-term time horizon, and therefore potentially a higher allocation to long bonds, should keep this bias in mind when evaluating performance.
How do you evaluate your portfolio?
Do you evaluate it on a risk-adjusted basis?
***
Filed under: Portfolio Management | Tagged: Investing Basics | 1 Comment »