Marty Cortland’s Financial Advice

In the January issue of the “print product,” Marty Cortland offered some financial advice in an article titled “A Realist’s View of the Market: Aaarrgh!” The short version: Marty suggested you get out of the market. The article prompted a letter from Daniel Miller, of Dallas, which ran in the March issue:

It is irresponsible to advise people not to have any exposure to the stock market after such a decline. A better idea, even if you buy into some of your predictions, would be to have 85 to 90 percent of your money in high-grade municipal bonds and U.S. Treasury bonds, and 10 to 15 percent in out-of-the-money call options on stocks. If you get a bounce in the market, sell those calls and roll up to a higher strike. Your downside would be totally defined and your upside would be handsome, should your prediction of the end of the world as we know it not come to pass.

Marty asked for some space to rebut Mr. Miller. That space is provided after the jump:

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Leading Off (2/24/09)

1. More discussion about the past discussions Tom Leppert had regarding the possibility that he could possibly convince Austin to discuss changing laws that would possibly lead to the mayor taking over DISD. Now, Leppert won’t discuss the possibility. Discuss.

2. How do you know your daughter is really mad at you for telling her to pick up after herself? When she and her mother hire someone to kill you.

3. If I gave this headline to Seth Meyers — “Some see danger in Texas bill that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses” — he could do about an eight-minute “Really” segment. (Giggle link.)

4. Bonus: another pit bull attack. You know how I feel about these dogs. No need to rile you up by pointing out they should be shot.

Mayor Leppert’s Theoretical Takeover of DISD

If Mayor Tom Leppert were appointed conservator of DISD, what would other cities that feed into DISD say? If I were the mayor of, say, Addison, I’d be peeved.