Executive Insights

Back in 1858, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln made a famous speech to his Republican colleagues in the Illinois Hall of Representatives. The speech, entitled “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” was considered radical at the time. It was a lecture about “putting an end to slavery agitation,” and while…

As one of the most volatile Octobers in the history of Wall Street moves into the rearview mirror, we’re left with the uneasy task of assessing the damage to our retirement holdings. Whether you’re vested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, or even cash, you likely took some hits last month. October was an…

A bear market is generally considered to be a period in which stock prices fall by 20 percent or more and features a self-sustaining sell-off. It’s often accompanied by widespread pessimism and losses across all of the broad market indexes—like the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq. But that’s not exactly what we’re experiencing…

“A significant slowdown or even recession is coming sooner or later, and it’s probably coming sooner than you think. It always does,” writes Fortune editor-at-large, Geoff Colvin. Surprised by Colvin’s warning? You probably aren’t alone. On the surface, the U.S. economy looks strong. It may soon be the longest economic expansion in history. Yes, the…

When it comes to downturns in the economy, is hindsight only 20/20—or can you protect your assets by adjusting your allocations based upon the economic cycle? Wait—there’s an economic cycle? There is, indeed, and the leading authority on the patterns, fluctuations, and duration of the cycle is the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Analysts…

There was a time when Sears, Roebuck and Company was as ingrained in the American psyche as baseball, pickup trucks, and fireworks. It was where many U.S. consumers went to get a washer and dryer, a new bicycle, work jeans—or, as Billy Joel said in his 1977 song “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “a couple…

What's the difference between the terms mint state and proof? A big one! One term refers to a coin's graded condition and the other most often refers to a coin's method of manufacture. When comparing prices for mint vs. proof coins, you want to make sure you fully understand what you're buying. Each coin is…

Many are saying it: “The Fed will cause the next crash!” But what do they mean, and how plausible is it? The Fed is America’s central bank, and by their own definition, their role is to provide the nation with a “safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.” Established back in 1913…

Nothing comes into existence without a force to create it. Our financial world and its many ups and downs is no exception to this rule. Sure, current U.S. economic expansion is on a roll. "Goldman Sachs says there's a 90 percent chance this expansion will break the prior record set during the 1990s tech boom…

Leonardo da Vinci. Rembrandt. Picasso. Adolph A. Weinman? Early twentieth-century sculptor Adolph A. Weinman may not be a household name in America, but he should be. His creations can be seen across the country, from New York City to Detroit, and his legacy lives on with every Silver Eagle Coin that's minted. Meet the man…

It has been 10 years since the employees of Lehman Brothers stepped out onto Sixth Avenue carrying cardboard boxes and became the enduring symbol of America’s largest bankruptcy. What followed, as they say, is history. Markets collapsed, trillions in wealth evaporated, and big, splashy investment firms fell like dominoes. A decade later, former British Prime…

Are Silver American Eagle Coins pure silver? How much are Silver Eagles? Why buy them? If you have questions about one of the U.S. Mint’s most popular coin programs, U.S. Money Reserve has answers. We're America's Gold Authority®, but we also know a thing or two about silver. Check out our easy to follow Silver…