Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of March 31, 2015

Article Excerpt

Opportunism is the source of a lot of the conflicts of interest that you run into as an investor. The term “opportunism” carries negative connotations for a lot of people. But ambitious people and organizations, in the private sector and elsewhere, are always looking for growth opportunities. Some are careful about the opportunities they pursue, to avoid outcomes that can cause problems for themselves and their clients. Others are more inclined to rush in to take advantage of new opportunities. The financial industry leans toward rushing right in. After all, brokers can add to their product line at little extra cost. They just add to the workload of their existing employees, who are glad for a chance to get ahead in this high-paid field. When new products or services fail to sell, the industry quits offering them. This opportunism factor helps explain why new stock issues are, on the whole, less profitable for investors than existing stocks. It’s always a good time for…