USAA has a News Link. Here's their most recent investment outlook:
"Oil fetches just half the price as it did this time last year, and the dollar has
packed on some muscle. Both of those trends stand to have positive long-term implications for Americans.
But so far this year, the downside (spending cuts in the oil patch and lower revenue in dollar terms for U.S.
multinationals) has outweighed the upside."
Report:
Investment_Outlook_Mid_Year
News Link:
Market-Commentary

What is interesting is a comparison of the resource (Oil, Natural Gas) and the Energy Service companies (Drillers, shippers, refineries, Midstreams, chemical, etc.).
Low energy prices are like low interest rates for some companies because it lowers their input costs.
Also, frackers are stuck between a fracked rock and a hard place. "Refracking" will be a term we hear being mentioned going forward. It happens when a well is left idle and needs to be reopened. What some "refracked" wells are enjoying is an increase in previous output by as much as an additional 30%.
Storage (contango) will also be a goal for some energy producers.
The Energy sector (VDE, XLE) is one of my bottom fishes:
bottom-fishing-for-funds-and-etfs
Ticker-------Off 52 wk Low---Off 52 wk high
XLE, VDE.....1.42%....................28% - Energy
FCX.............2.87%....................63% - Natural Gas
USO.............11.4%...................55% - US Oil Producers
UNG.............5.06%...................46% - Natural Gas
And here's commodities:
GCC............1.8%......................23% - Commodities
Might be a good time to dca (dollar cost average) into these inflation fighting insurance policies. Especially those that have most of their downside worked into the price and still pay a dividend.
In my opinion, "cheap" dividend paying stocks can act like bonds.
Finally,
"A strong dollar also has a negative impact on the oil price, which rebounded this spring as the dollar went
through a period of temporary weakness. Brazil and Russia, both major oil exporters, would go through
another round of pain if oil heads back down. Manufacturing-focused countries in East Asia, among them
South Korea and Taiwan, would likely benefit from cheaper energy."
Source:
USAA Investment_Outlook_Mid_Year

FYI: (No cheating allowed)
Regards,
Ted
http://graphics.wsj.com/quiz/?slug=ifquiz_070715&standalone=1

FYI: Some U.S. investors say China's efforts to prop up its stock market had the opposite effect, though the sell-off now offers buying opportunities at what they say are panic-driven prices.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/09/us-china-markets-insight-idUSKCN0PJ0F520150709

FYI: All that base building that occurred for the S&P 500 Energy sector over the first half of the year was for naught. As shown below, the sector broke a huge support level today to close at a new 52-week low.
Regards,
Ted
https://www.bespokepremium.com/think-big-blog/energy-sector-breaks-to-new-lows/

Here's Microsoft's Windows Lifecycle (support) page:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle
Windows 7 "mainstream" support has already ended. "Extended support" runs to 1/14/2020. As near as I can figure, that means primarily security patches.
Microsoft's policy is to provide at least 5 years mainstream support and an additional 5 years extended support. The way the policy is worded, it sounds like Microsoft is guaranteeing at least seven years support after the next version is released. So even if you buy the current release a day before the next release comes out, you're guaranteed at least seven years of support.
Not that I'm a Microsoft lover, but that sounds like a reasonable amount of time. A company cannot dedicate resources forever to support a system that's three versions old. And machines are usually replaced in less time than that.

Hi, Catch22. Musta just read through my post further up too quickly. (?) Yes, Windows 10 = unavailable until late July, 2015. I have an icon in my screen-bottom tray now that decided to show itself, un-prompted by me. It will take you to a place where you can RESERVE Windows 10 and upgrade for free. If you wait until after late July, 2016, it must be PAID for. I don't like Microsoft. Buggy, virus and malware magnet. WordPerfect commands all disabled unless you pay extra. But the only OS on my laptop is Windows. So... The slimeballs just decided they were not going to "support" Windows XP, a while back. After Windows 10 comes out, how long will it be before M'soft says: you running Windows 7? Sorry, you're on your own. In other words, PAY us for Windows 10--- since you waited so long to decide to acquire it. .....So, the point is: the upgrade is free, and that FREE offer stands for exactly a year. Will the upgrade be WORTH it, though, given Microsoft's history? Thanks to msf for that reply, too. The response from msf seems to hint that it WILL be worth the upgrade...

FYI: Small-cap growth funds strode ahead in a decidedly choppy June. They're also winners among diversified mutual funds in the first half of 2015, advancing 8%. Turner Small Cap Growth led with a 5% gain last month. It's also a Q2 winner, with an 11% gain.
Regards,
Ted
http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MTk4NDkwODU=
Enlarged Graphic:
http://news.investors.com/photopopup.aspx?path=WEBret0708_1K.jpg&docId=760535&xmpSource=&width=1000&height=691&caption=&id=760526

@rmt & @bee:
In the "growthy" world stock space, you may want to consider the LC/MC THOIX ($100K min Wellstrade retirement, $500 min Fidelity retirement + TF) and the MC/SC DGSCX (no minimum TDA retirement + TF, $500 min Fidelity retirement + TF).
Kevin

Dex said, "That is why I advise people to buy lottery tickets for their retirement - they have a 50/50 chance - either they win or they lose."
First, I'd never try to characterize anything Bob C says - because no one else can say it so well.
But Dex, You can't be serious! 50/50 chance of winning the lottery?

I was taking the piss out of Bob C's comments.
But the younger the person, the less likely they will be able to afford to retire.

@Gandalf
Geez, I sure would like to take a late 60's machine down the on ramp at the nearby interstate and just slam through the gears with a close-ratio 4 speed to run fast for the next 4 or 5 miles.

Me too, I will always miss those muscle car days from the 60s. If I wasn't such a poor retiree, with a downsized house and small garage, I'd probably buy a ZR-1 Camaro or Vette.

Here is one pundits caution laced opinion:
"When Shanghai was peaking at 5,000 in June, I gave you five words of advice: Get. The. Hell. Out. Now.
To which I’ll add five more: And. Stay. The. Hell. Out."
From:
marketwatch.com/story/chinas-stock-market-crash-is-just-beginning-2015-07-08?dist=lcountdown

When Bubbles Burst: China Edition
Posted on July 8, 2015 by David Ott
Acropolis Investment Management

You may be looking at the largely flat emerging markets returns in that chart, feeling nervous about Greece and China and wondering whether you should have emerging markets exposure at all. I completely understand the question and have two answers that I’ll bet you can anticipate.
First, having two assets that you expect to earn positive rates of return over long periods that don’t move in lockstep with each other is a huge benefit to a portfolio – it’s the basis for diversification. If all assets were correlated with each other, you couldn’t lower portfolio risk by having the two assets.
Second, the valuations overseas are much more attractive than they are in the US (and if you put a positive spin on the recent declines, you can say that they are getting more attractive every day).
One of the better (though highly imperfect) measures of valuation is the Shiller PE ratio, which looks at current prices compared to 10 years of earnings to remove some of the volatility in the ‘e’ part of the ratio.
The PE-ratio of the S&P 500 is currently around 26, which historically is very expensive. I wrote in February of 2014 that the market was overvalued on this basis and it’s more true today than it was then (which is why you don’t make big moves based on the Shiller PE ratio).

Whether you look at the Shiller PE or several other valuation metrics, you can see that emerging markets are the cheapest across the board. That doesn’t tell us anything about returns in the short run, but if the future is like the past, it should tell a lot about long-term future returns.
This entry was posted in Daily Insights
http://acrinv.com/when-bubbles-burst-china-edition/
Round and round we go !
Managing Rate Hike Expectations Down… Again
If the US economy is still poised to grow, why are Treasury yields tumbling? Greece is probably the explanation. China’s sagging stock market isn’t helping either. The weakness in equities is unnerving investors in Asia and around the world at a time when global growth appears to be faltering. Markit Economics noted earlier this week in its global PMI report that growth in June weakened to its slowest pace in five months as output in emerging markets contracted.
Is the Fed likely to start raising rates in the current climate? Probably not, although we’ll know more after Sunday, when the new-world-post-ultimatum order for Europe emerges. Meantime, it’s risk-off for a world that’s forced to endure another phase of blowback that can be traced to the Great Recession… six years later, and counting. When the dust clears, it’s not unreasonable to imagine that we’ll be back where we started: modest growth and more than a few caveats. That, of course, will lay the groundwork for a renewal in forecasting that a rate hike is just around the corner.

http://www.capitalspectator.com/managing-rate-hike-expectations-down-again/

@davidrmoran
Thank you. Will check regarding the reversion method you noted for Windows.
I'm just not so willing as in prior years to keep messing around with a system to learn more new tweaks.
I'd much rather use the time for family and investing.
@Gandalf
Chrome may likely become the browser to use here. An aside: Visited a few small car shows in Michigan recently (2 massive shows coming in August). Geez, I sure would like to take a late 60's machine down the on ramp at the nearby interstate and just slam through the gears with a close-ratio 4 speed to run fast for the next 4 or 5 miles.

The Man Who Taught Mutual Funds How to Invest in Startups
It invests in startups...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-08/how-t-rowe-s-ellenbogen-started-the-flood-of-cash-into-startups

Hi Guys,
Please take a timeout from your real investing work to participate in this two question series that was designed to test your probability and statistics instincts.
Assume you are gambling (speculative investing): In the first question you are tossing a fair two-sided coin, and in the second question you are rolling a single fair six-sided die. In each game you are investing one dollar per toss. Multiple tosses are encouraged.
In the fair coin toss game, a 50/50 outcome likelihood, select the payoff option you want:
(a) Win 1 dollar if heads comes up.
(b) Win 2 dollars if heads comes up.
(c) Win 2 dollars if tails comes up.
(d) Win 3 dollars if heads comes up.
In the single fair die toss game, not a 50/50 likelihood but a constant payoff, select your favored option:
(a) Win 2 dollars if a 1 appears.
(b) Win 2 dollars a 1 or 2 appears.
(c) Win 2 dollars if a 1, 2,or 3 appears.
(d) Win 2 dollars if a 1, 2, 3, or 4 appears.
The obvious answer to both these simple questions is the (d) option. That choice, regardless if it is made mathematically or instinctively, depends on a probability based Expected Returns rule. Individual Expected Return is the product of the probability of an event happening times its payoff, either positive or negative. Total Expected Return is the sum of all possible outcomes.
If you are sailing your portfolio ship through heavy seas, you had better have some probability understanding or probability instincts. Otherwise, you are piloting the Titanic into an iceberg field of danger. Disaster is a predictable ending. In that instance, it is a wise policy to hire a professional money manager to help pilot your portfolio ship into a safe port.
Sorry for the sea analogy, guys. Sorry for the probability lesson, but perhaps a few MFO members might benefit from it. Temptation overcame me which is an unacceptable behavior when managing a portfolio.
Best Wishes.

@Crash
Didn't look through the FAQ page; but you noted you're trying to move to Windows 10 now.
Windows 10 is not yet released, correct? Not until after or on July 29, 2015.
Perhaps I don't understand what you are attempting to do with your pc.

FYI:
Regards,
Ted
http://www.chartoftheday.com/20150708.htm?H

FYI: (This is a follow-up article)
As asset management firms seek an edge in the dirt-cheap world of indexed investing, some passively managed strategies are becoming more active
Regards,
Ted
http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20150707/FREE/150709939?template=printart
Investors Place Slant:
http://investorplace.com/2015/07/advance-auto-parts-500-aap-stock/print