I know what investors will say…’Who is this title insurance guy to be predicting that the stock market is ready to rollover, correct or decline precipitously?’…
Is he a high-priced analysts at a hedge fund or talking head on the business news? You know, the ones who will typically say after a big down day in the market that it was overdue for a correction or that every selloff is a buying opportunity for investors to pickup stocks ‘on sale’. Those similar to economists who are mainly reactive, not proactive.
Is he 2017’s Elaine Garzarelli (called the 1987 stock market crash and from memory little else) trying to make a name for himself?
Or, is he just a guy in another industry who should mind his own business and stick to his knitting?
Well, while I do have a background that includes fixed income analyst, bond trader and equity trader, this prognostication of a market top has nothing to do with the economy, corporate earnings, tax reform, terrorist attacks, geopolitics, domestic politics or stock market valuations.
It also has nothing to do with the fact that the individual investor who missed much of the run-up in stocks is now getting involved (an old adage is that these investors nail tops when they finally buy and bottoms when they capitulate and sell).
This Prognostication Of A Stock Market Top Is All About Television Commercials!
Television commercials? Absolutely, and here’s why! Always having had a television in my office or on a trading floor tuned to business news, I have become painfully familiar with the trends in the commercials that they run.
Specifically, the commercials advertising discount brokerage firms.
Examine these two commercials for discount online brokers, one pre-tech bubble bursting from the 1990’s and one from today.
After, let me know if there are any similarities you can pick out.
Article was written by Hallmark Abstract Service President Michael Haltman, who also serves as Board Chair for the Heroes To Heroes Foundation and Heroes To Heroes Blue.
Michael can be reached at mhaltman@hallmarkabstractllc.com or (646) 741-6101.
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- Who is your underwriter?
- What is the claims experience of your title insurance provider?
- Do you know whether the non-title insurance premium fees you are paying are fair and reasonable?