Study Shows Canadians Healthier

A Kaiser Permanente researcher,David Feeny,and his American colleagues have concluded that older Canadians experience better health than their American peers.Published in the journal "Population Health Metrics,"the study,based on data from a joint Canadian/U.S. survey from 2002-2003,suggests the longer lifespan of Canadians may be related to two potential factors:access to health care and the prevalence of poverty.While Canadians have universal access to health care,Americans do not;and,the gap between rich and poor is not as wide in Canada as in the U.S.Discriminating between the possible factors would require further study,Mr.Feeny observes.
In any event,Canadians over 40 have,on average,2.7 more years of better health than their southern neighbors.The life expectancy and overall health-related quality of life appears to be greater for Canadians,and factors that account for the difference may include their access to health care over the full lifespan and lower levels of social and economic inequality,especially among the elderly.
The new health insurance reform law in the U.S. is intended to greatly broaden access to care,bringing tens of millions more Americans into the health care system,and improve the quality of care for many of those already within it.
It has long been noted in the media that the U.S. lags behind many other countries in several health care metrics.

Job Alert:Honored Firm Seeks Advisors

Edward Jones is recruiting a number of Financial Advisors for locations on both coasts.The firm will train candidates from a variety of backgrounds.Individuals must be self-managers,sales-oriented and highly driven.A member of the SIPC,Edward Jones is Fortune magazine's #2 "Best Company To Work For."
If interested in this position,go to careers.edwardjones.com/us/index.html

What Kind of Bull

Mark Skousen,PhD,editor of the newsletter "Forecasts&Strategies,"describes himself as a cautious bull.There's a lot of positive news,he says,but the easy money has been made.Moody's just threatened to downgrade Treasury securities,and the tax increase threat could hurt the market into next year.
Dr.Skousen likes the iShares Hong Kong exchange-traded fund.He likes Hong Kong trade because mainland China is increasing its demand for Hong Kong products.He has been shorting the Euro for the U.S. dollar,but he doesn't think the Greek problem will hurt Asia.
Mark Skousen also likes the private equity firm American Capital,Ltd.Hedge fund magnate John Paulson bought 13% of it.Although it is in restructuring,it could double in value.American Capital,which is publicly traded,has 264 employees.It is located in Bethesda,Maryland.
Dr.Skousen is the author of several books,including "Investing In One Lesson."His newsletter is available by subscription only.

A Private Equity View

Scott Sperling of THL Partners says they've always found Goldman Sachs to be of the highest integrity.Goldman is still one of the leading firms that help advise and finance private equity.This fraud charge probably does not have long legs as far as the market itself is concerned.
A year ago,there was enormous uncertainty about the global economy.Today,the economy has stabilized.THL is seeing reasonably good growth throughout most of their portfolio companies.Today they're back to a much more normal level of financing.Today you're looking at deal structures of 35-40% equity.
Historically,THL has done best when the debt level is normalized or below normal.They try to remain highly disciplined,Scott Sperling explained.
THL Partners is not a publicly traded company.

National Walk@Lunch Day

Wednesday,April 28 is National Walk@Lunch Day.The annual event is a program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association,a family of health insurance companies that insures one in three Americans.It is meant to encourage physical activity as an integral part of each work day.Dr.Linton Wray,Medical Director at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield,one of the member companies,says that,in our busy lives,we really need to take time for a little exercise.Employers are encouraged to include this event in their wellness programs.Walking becomes a social event during the day.We try to encourage people to start slowly-if nothing else,to walk up and down a flight of stairs inside,then progress to walking outside.
A brisk walk can
-decrease the risk of a heart attack or type 2 diabetes
-control weight
-improve muscle tone
-reduce your stress level
The BCBSA has an ongoing program,WalkingWorks,which helps you track your progress.Join WalkingWorks for free at www.walkingworks.com

Big Firms:The Hiring Outlook

The Fortune 100 top companies are adding 65,000 jobs.Among them are Sears Holdings,parent of Sears and Kmart stores.They have 21,800 openings across the board,from executive to hourly positions.Lowe's,the home improvement retailer,needs 15,000 workers,many of them seasonal.Privately held New York Life is adding 3640 staff,especially sales and sales management positions.Bank of America seeks 3400 new hires for a broad assortment of assignments.
About 15 million Americans are looking for work,so the big firms won't even make a dent with their hiring.Still,it's better than layoffs and,historically,small firms have employed the bulk of the workforce.Most of the economic recovery is contingent upon small business,not the captains of industry.

Early Edition:Leading Analyst Buys Goldman

Dick Bove,a leading banking analyst at Rochdale Securities,says he would buy Goldman Sachs stock despite the firm's being charged with civil fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission.The charges will have a short term negative impact,Mr.Bove said,but Goldman will still be Goldman.I don't want to defend them;if they have done anything inappropriate,they should be penalized,the analyst stated.
Dick Bove described Friday's plunge in Goldman's share price as a massive overreaction.Goldman's capabilities in trading and good systems suggest no one can take its place.The reputation of people within the division is strong enough that the business is gonna continue to thrive.Still,Mr.Bove observed,the shadow the charges cast is pretty sizable.He asked whether the SEC action is the first of multiple attacks on Wall Street firms.
The most likely outcome of the matter is an out of court settlement,in which Goldman will pay a few billion dollars to the government.It has already repaid the government loans received at the height of the financial crisis.Goldman reportedly has some 65 billion dollars in equity with which to pay the fine.Questions have been raised,however,about the tenure of CEO Lloyd Blankfein.There is also the possibility that the Justice Department will file criminal charges in the case.