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Short Takes: Benjamin Graham, Bankruptcy, and more

I managed only one post in the past two weeks, a book review:

The Best Investment Writing

Here are some short takes and some weekend reading:

Jason Zweig explains how many of Benjamin Graham’s brilliant insights are still very relevant today. This includes one case where birds do better than people in a probability-based test.

Doug Hoyes explains why bankruptcy is a business decision and is not morally wrong.

Canadian Couch Potato interviews Rob Carrick in a wide-ranging interview. One topic they cover is whether we should blame DIY investors for paying trailing commissions on the mutual funds they buy from discount brokers who offer no advice. The two sides of this debate aren’t really disagreeing with each other. Why can’t the DIY investors be wrong for not learning enough, and the discount brokers be wrong for charging for a service they don’t provide? Of course, blame is pointless. I think we’re getting the right outcome with the rule that discount brokers must stop selling funds with embedded trailing commissions. I’d only take issue with someone whose blame of DIY investors for lacking knowledge goes so far that they’re not in favour of this new rule.

 Boomer and Echo explain the fine print in the big banks’ seemingly generous offers for switching bank accounts.

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