Mad Money Machine

BUY MY BOOK! A quick update of the Permanent Portfolio performance for 2012. Article by Brion McLanahan entitled “A Limiting Document?“ 16...

I announce the publication date of my upcoming book: The Original Counter-Argument: The Founders’ Case Against the Constitution and Warnings of Despotism, Adapted for the 21st Century. I read the Preface I read the Background chapter. ...

  I’ve been writing a book since last September, and it will be available for purchase on September 17, 2012. It is called “The Original Counter-Argument.” And for the subtitle you’ll need to inhale some air: “The Founders’ Case Again...

This is the home of the Mad Money Machine Lazy Portfolio Analysis. The following table shows the returns of the Lazy Portfolios from the “Investment Professionals.” They are sorted by 5-year returns ending 2011. To see the contents of each portfolio, search for the portfolio name on this page.

We announce the Winner of the Lazy Portfolio Smackdown for 2011 Simba’s spreadsheet shows how lazy portfolios performed against each other. Park City UT has enough snow for me. TOOL: Podcaster app for iPhone GURU: Ron Paul’s risky investing strategy. Here is the

The dividend results are in, and I’ve updated the numbers, graphs, and tables. Not much change in the relative performance of the portfolios, but the year-end percentages did rise. And here is the table:  

Another year bites the dust and Harry Browne once again wins. Here are the Lazy Portfolio Smackdown results for 2011. Note: these numbers are preliminary because mutual fund dividends have not yet been reported. So those lazy portfolios that hold mutual funds that pay dividends in mid to late December will probably end up about [...]

Something different for this episode! Imagine that a group of respected people from various Countries got together recently at some National Summit meeting (let’s say, in Philadelphia) for the explicit purpose of modifying their previous UN treaties and agreements with each other. At the outset of the Summit, it was declared that no one was allowed to talk about the Summit [...]

How do ya like ridin’ the roller coaster?  I prefer the Slow Train Comin’. Looks like the Permanent Portfolios are still victorious. Two months to go!     And for your tabular view:

I gotta admit, I am intrigued by Bitcoin. I love gadgets as much as the next guy. I spent my early years programming computers and designing information systems. I also love the idea of friction-free money. And of a currency that is, possibly, hyper-inflation proof. The innovations in the Bitcoin realm are coming quickly. And since I last looked, they now discourage mining bitcoins on your own. And also since I looked, there are now physical Bitcoins! I just...