Businesses, Stock Markets & the Economy

The Stock Market Is Smarter Than All of Us (Ben Carlson, CFA)

“In The Wisdom of the Crowds, James Surowiecki writes: “The idea of the wisdom of crowds is not that a group will always give you the right answer but that on average it will consistently come up with a better answer than any individual could provide.”

The same is true of the stock market.

The stock market isn’t always right but it is amazing how much it’s right more often than it’s wrong.”

Spotting the next bubble (TEBI)

“We keep seeing the B word. Global markets have risen to record highs since the sharp falls we saw last March. Large technology stocks have had a particularly strong run. So, are we in bubble territory? And what, if anything, can investors do about it?”

Trading on a phone increases risk-taking, study finds (TEBI)

Your Finances & other Wealth Management links

Four steps to help get organized for tax season including “Determine if you’ll be itemizing or taking the standard deduction.” (morningstar.com)

Don’t let the ‘indexed annuity’ name fool you: they differ greatly from plain vanilla index funds. (morningstar.com)

Why you should focus on the things that really move the needle. (thomaskopelman.com)

The Environment & ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Investing

Mapped: The Greenest Countries in the World (Visual Capitalist)

(click to view full image)

COVID-19 & Your Health

Excerpts from: Coronavirus links: human behavioral factors (Abnormal Returns)

• The Pfizer ($PFE) vaccine is largely effective after the first dose. (nytimes.com)
• Companies are teaming up to help manufacture already approved vaccines. (wsj.com)
• Mass vaccination sites make sense, but to get everyone vaccinated outreach is going to have to increase. (vox.com)
• The CDC reports that gyms have served as a vector for virus transmission. (nytimes.com)
• What can we learn from people who are unusually resistant to the coronavirus? (bbc.com)
• Tech Tips to Help Score a Covid-19 Vaccine Appointment at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and More (wsj.com)

Your Physical & Mental Well-being

From the 2/25/2021 New York Times “Well” Newsletter:

• Safer cars: “You’ve probably heard that the golfing great, Tiger Woods, was seriously injured in a car crash this week. The Times medical writer Gina Kolata wrote about the types of injuries Mr. Woods sustained and the challenges ahead in his recovery. The accident brought a lot of attention to the Hyundai Genesis SUV that Mr. Woods was driving, a luxury car packed with safety features. If you’re thinking about buying a new car or you want to learn more about the safety profile of the car you’re already driving, go to the website for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization that publishes automobile safety data. You can search for the ratings on any make and model of vehicle or browse their latest top safety picks. As someone who has only ever bought used vehicles, my favorite resource is the IIHS guide to Safe Used Vehicles for Teens.”
• Can gin-soaked raisins keep you healthy?  “That’s the question on people’s minds after reading the story of 105-year-old Lucia DeClerck, a New Jersey resident who recently beat Covid-19. Ms. DeClerck credits her recovery to prayer, avoiding junk food and a daily dose of nine gin-soaked raisins.
  Now, to be clear, the real credit most likely goes to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Ms. DeClerck had just received her second dose of the vaccine the day before her diagnosis. She contracted the virus while partially vaccinated, and the first dose appears to have been enough to help her body generate strong antibodies to fight the virus.”
  – If you want to try drunken raisins, VeryWell Health has a recipe

• Meanwhile, check out the latest news on living well every day from the Well team. “We’ve got Jane Brody with guidance on safe walking during winter weather, Gretchen Reynolds with new insights on exercise and weight gain, Paula Span on what a diagnosis of pre-diabetes really means as well as a new short guide from me on choosing a face mask.” — Tara Parker-Pope