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John Maxfield

XMFMaxfield

I write about banks, trying my best to balance the good and the bad.

Recent Articles by John Maxfield

Mar 21, 2015 by John Maxfield

The 2 Biggest Risks to Future Social Security Benefits

An aging population and ultra-low interest rates are straining the Social Security system.

Mar 21, 2015 by John Maxfield

This Chart Shows the Percentage of Income Tax Returns Audited by the IRS

Most people have less than a 1% chance of having their income tax return of experiencing an audit.

Mar 21, 2015 by John Maxfield

The Biggest Red Flag for Credit Card Companies

If you want to find a good credit card company to invest in, the best place to begin your search is by looking at how well they manage credit risk.

Mar 20, 2015 by John Maxfield

Looking for Double-Digit Dividend Growth? Try This Sector

Stocks in the financial sector are projected to increase their dividend payouts by 12.8% this year.

Mar 20, 2015 by John Maxfield

Yet Another Ominous Development for Sears Holding Corp.

Vendors are beginning to restrict payment terms to Sears, possibly presaging a bigger crisis when the holiday shopping season rolls around.

Mar 19, 2015 by John Maxfield

1 Reason Citigroup Is Safer Today Than It Was Before the Financial Crisis

By reducing its reliance on the repo market, Citigroup has bolstered the resiliency of its balance sheet.

Mar 18, 2015 by John Maxfield and Kristine Harjes

What do CCAR results mean for the biggest US banks?

Can Citigroup execs finally get some sleep at night following the CCAR round of stress testing? Join us to find out.

Mar 13, 2015 by John Maxfield

Why Goldman Sachs (and 2 Other Wall Street Banks) Nearly Failed This Year's Stress Test

Higher-than-expected trading losses nearly caused JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley to fail the 2015 stress tests.

Mar 12, 2015 by John Maxfield

Citigroup Raises Dividend for First Time Since the Financial Crisis

After being rejected two out of the last three years, Citigroup was finally given approval to raise its dividend for the first time since the financial crisis.

Mar 12, 2015 by John Maxfield

The 7 Safest Bank Stocks, According to the Federal Reserve

According to the Federal Reserve, these seven banks would continue to earn money despite a "severely adverse" economic downturn akin to the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

Mar 11, 2015 by John Maxfield

29 Banks Approved to Return More Capital to Shareholders

Among the banks getting the thumbs up was Citigroup, which had been rejected in two out of the last three stress tests.

Mar 11, 2015 by John Maxfield

The 2015 Federal Reserve Stress Test in 3 Charts

These three figures reveal the most important details about the 2015 bank stress tests.

Mar 10, 2015 by John Maxfield and Kristine Harjes

Stressing the Importance of the Fed’s Stress Tests

The nation’s biggest banks have undergone the Fed’s stress tests -- join us to learn who did well, who did poorly, and what investors need to know.

Mar 9, 2015 by John Maxfield

Will Citigroup Increase Its Dividend on Wednesday?

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will release the results of the 2015 Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, which dictates whether too-big-to-fail banks like Citigroup can increase the amount of money they return to shareholders.

Mar 9, 2015 by John Maxfield

Why You Should Generally Ignore Value When Buying Bank Stocks

Cheap bank stocks are cheap for a reason. Expensive bank stocks are expensive for a reason. Investors would be wise to keep this in mind.

Mar 8, 2015 by John Maxfield

How to Tell if You Work for an Extraordinary Company

How susceptible a company is to cognitive dissonance goes a long way toward explaining its success.

Mar 8, 2015 by John Maxfield

How Charlie Munger Explains Berkshire Hathaway's Incredible Success

In Berkshire Hathaway's latest letter to shareholders, Vice Chairman Charlie Munger shares his take on why the company has been so phenomenally successful over the past five decades.

Mar 7, 2015 by John Maxfield

8 Things Warren Buffett Wants You to Know

In his latest letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett lays out eight things he would “say to my family today if they asked me about Berkshire’s future.”

Mar 6, 2015 by John Maxfield

The Astonishing Conservatism of Warren Buffett

While Warren Buffett is often cited to prove that the average person can outperform the market, it's doubtful that Buffett himself would fully endorse this interpretation of his success.

Mar 5, 2015 by John Maxfield

Every Major U.S. Bank Passes the Fed’s Stress Test

According to the Federal Reserve, all 31 of the nation's biggest banks would have enough capital to survive a severe economic shock.

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