Hi Guys,
Well, its about that time of the year for our annual auto trek. This year, like a few others, we plan to do some wandering in Utah’s many colorful National Park sites.
On the first part of the journey, we’ll do a little hiking and a lot of picture taking. I never tire of that sport. My personal favorite among many competitors is Bryce Canyon National Park. Its natural beauty and brilliant colors are hard to beat.
On the second part of the journey, we’ll do Las Vegas and it will be hard not to allow Sin City to beat us. Las Vegas is a great money manager teacher; its essential lesson is discipline. Yes we will gamble, but we do know when to fold’em to limit the damage to our wallets.
The real purpose of ending our trip in this desert haven is that we will be attending the annual Las Vegas Money Show. This will mark the fifteenth time in seventeen years that we have exposed ourselves to the pulse-quickening tempo of professional money manager salesmanship pressures. These Money Shows are educational on several levels.
This year’s Show will be held at the Caesars Palace gaming casino. It runs from May 13 through May 16. During those four full days, about 200 well crafted presentations will be made by about 170 professionals. Some of the lectures are designed to be informative; others are just sales platforms. The good news is that with our extended experience, we can a priori distinguish each type and plan our attendance schedule accordingly.
Steve Forbes has been invited to deliver the keynote address. Roger McTeer, ex-boss of the Dallas Fed, is scheduled to steer several macroeconomic sessions.
I always learn when James Stack, the head-man at Investech Research, from Whitefish, Montana takes center stage. His research is almost as probative as that of Ned Davis. The sheer number of market direction parameters that he amasses is staggering. His insights and data sets just might contribute to making a few good entry/exit decisions. By the way, Stack makes his portfolio changes incrementally since he never fully trusts the signals that he cobbles together.
To name a few other kingpin players: John Buckingham, Marilyn Cohen, Mark Skousen, Howard Gold, Louis Navellier, Ron Muhlenkamp, and Jim Lowell will all grace the various Caesar Palace’s forums.
If you also happen to be in attendance in Las Vegas and wish to make contact, you can identify me by noticing the best looking woman in the house. I’ll be the ugly guy attached to her arm.
I anticipate that this last stop is a fitting closure to our demanding auto trek. By some slim chance, if I do manage to absorb just a little of the wisdom proffered, I’ll be sure to pass it on to you guys.
I’ll be talking to you folks once again in late May. Until then, enjoy the marketplace as it twists, groans, and hopefully nudged its way upward.
I suppose it’s politically correct to wish a Happy May Day to the diminishing population who consider themselves closet communists.
Best Regards.
Comments
I am curious how you reconcile your attendance these money shows with more passive investing approach you have been steering towards as your postings indicate. Do you really gain much from the presentations to enhance your returns given your transformation. I kind of liken these shows to that Financial TV/News which you have been critical of people spending time on these recently.
I guess, you get entertainment value from these shows which is fine and I guess we need some of it anyway. There are other non-financial shows in Vegas that think is more enjoyable. I assume you take advantage of the opportunity for some of them as well.
You said -
“I always learn when James Stack, the head-man at Investech Research, from Whitefish, Montana takes center stage. His research is almost as probative as that of Ned Davis. The sheer number of market direction parameters that he amasses is staggering. His insights and data sets just might contribute to making a few good entry/exit decisions. By the way, Stack makes his portfolio changes incrementally since he never fully trusts the signals that he cobbles together.”
So, Mr. Stack appears to have a TON of research and an OUNCE of commitment.
Sounds to me like information overload.
Enjoy your trip.