Investing

Why Facebook Will Face A Lawsuit Before This Is Over

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Summary:

  • Facebook violated its own terms of service by not protecting customer data from developers.
  • This scandal will drag out through government investigations, regulatory moves, lawsuits, and the exposure of further details about Facebook’s failure to protect user data.
  • The outlook is not entirely negative. FB still has long-term earnings potential, and there may be opportunities to buy it cheaper.

In his questioning of Facebook (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Senator John Kennedy said that “there are some impurities in the Facebook punchbowl.” More bluntly, he continued, “your user agreement sucks.” Kennedy’s questioning deteriorated from there, as he did not get specific enough about the user agreement and showed a lack of understanding about how Facebook and its 3rd party apps work. However, he was absolutely correct in his starting point about Facebook’s user agreement. It sucks. Continue reading at Seeking Alpha…

Market Monday

Market Monday #2: Volatility

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This is the 2nd edition of my new weekly economics digest. You can read the first edition here. Owning businesses is tough, especially when you own stocks and face price volatility. The most successful investors ignore the noise of price voluntary and focus on the core aspects of the business that affect its long term profitability. Even that is not as easy as it sounds. Continue reading “Market Monday #2: Volatility” →

Book Reviews

Book Review: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

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Barking Up the Wrong TreeBarking Up the Wrong Tree draws on scientific studies and historical examples to answer 6 questions about success:

  1. Should we play it safe and do what we’re told if we want to succeed?
  2. Do nice guys finish last?
  3. Do quitters never win and winners never quit?
  4. Is it more important what you know or who you know?
  5. How important is believing in yourself?
  6. “Work, work work” or “work-life balance?”

The answers are not black and white. Eric Barker finds the most logical approach to each problem based on evidence on both sides of each argument. This book looks through all the hype that is out there in the self-improvement media and consolidates it into simple, practical pieces of advice that you can start using the day you read it. It is a very helpful resource for hard-working individuals who want to do everything it takes to be their best selves.