From the ‘sad news’ file, JC Penny is getting ready to file bankruptcy. That’s too bad. I remember JCP being one of those ‘stalwart’ companies I grew up with. Bradless, Woolworths, Rickles, Kmart, Sears. All of them are now dead, dying, or long gone.

It’s a shame but my nostalgia doesn’t pay the bills for them and they have a lot of debt to pay back. When I think about it, why is that we operate on such an insane debt model? Years ago when I started my business, the SBA guy told me that leveraging some debt to expand was justified. That sounds great but you got to pay it off. When something unexpected happens, such as Covid19, the debt ends up cuttingboth ways.

On a happier note, Target is doing well. For all the Japanese candlestick buffs, the open window from March 2020 was shut yesterday.

Target has nicer stores and appears to be a more hip Walmart. We go shopping there a lot and I usually buy my bread flour there when it’s on sale. Still, consumers are a fickle bunch. One day when something shinier comes along, Target will go the way of JCP. You can count on that.

Learn Stock Trading, Investing, and Risk Management

There are a handful of financial and trading books that have made a HUGE impact on my investments. If you want to trade and learn about money and risk management that I suggest you get the Tharp book. If you want just focus on long term investing, get the Random Walk Down Wall Street book. Hell, get them both. I owe my wealth strategies to these books.

• Investing