Author Topic: Is there any value to CNBC at all?  (Read 12242 times)

MoneyCat

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Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« on: March 20, 2015, 11:20:33 AM »
I've been looking at CNBC's website for the past few weeks and I can't seem to find any value in it.  Their "experts" are always insiders trying to influence stocks, bonds, and commodities for their own interests, rather than people honestly predicting what is going to happen in the markets.  There will be several articles on the same day which all contradict one another and everyday brings messages of gloom and doom that almost never lead anywhere.  What exactly is the point of CNBC?

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2015, 11:21:51 AM »
I like seeing their futures data before the market opens =D

And for financial "News" vs speculation.

ioseftavi

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2015, 11:42:34 AM »
What exactly is the point of CNBC?

To get eyeballs and sell ad time on their airwaves.

In general: the quicker the media content was produced, the lower value it is likely to add to your life.

A well-done book that is a product of years of research or decades of experience can be tremendously valuable.

A yearly letter or commentary from someone in the financial markets (who publishes infrequently but offers insightful commentary when they do - think Warren Buffett) might be both timely and interesting.

Articles written for magazines or scholarly / trade journals - esp if published less frequently - can sometimes be well done and informative.

Daily newspapers are typically trying to report on what has just recently happened, and deadlines are looming.  Frequently, they do the best they can, but 24 hours notice means that all events (big or small) need to be written about to fill column inches.  Small events often get much more space than they deserve, and large, landmark events (i.e. the birth of the internet) can go unnoticed because they occur without fanfare.

Television content is produced (in most cases) the same day that events are happening.  There has been no thoughtful analysis, no boring data gathering, no quiet reflection on long-term trends.  It's simply looking at what's happening that day and then - in real time - trying to comment on it.

Turn off CNBC.


Kaspian

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2015, 11:54:56 AM »
"Is there any value to CNBC at all?"  <-- If it is on the TV, the TV emanates warmth and it may be cold outside.  (Also applies to monitors.)

fb132

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2015, 11:56:15 AM »
It is not just CNBC, it is all media. In Canada, we have the globe and mail who does the exact samething.

hodedofome

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2015, 01:06:46 PM »
It can be entertaining at times. If you've never seen this jewel, I watched it live with mouth open:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCZRk1lL90Q

It can also catapult your career if you can make it on the show and share your predictions. Just think of how many more subscribers you'll have for your newsletter.

ender

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2015, 01:09:44 PM »
Media's goal is generating views/page clicks, resulting in increased revenues.

Not portraying reality.

Always wise to keep this in mind when for-profit groups (especially media) tell you anything.

skyrefuge

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2015, 02:04:46 PM »
Their "experts" are always insiders trying to influence stocks, bonds, and commodities for their own interests, rather than people honestly predicting what is going to happen in the markets.

Er, even if it *was* filled with people "honestly predicting what is going to happen in the markets", it would still be useless. It's not conflicts-of-interest that make market-prognosticators useless, it's the fact that even the best and most-honest prognosticator is still terrible at guessing the future.

Indexer

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2015, 06:27:33 PM »
The point of TV is entertainment, not information sharing.

There is no such thing as educational information on TV anymore....   The history channel is loaded full of reality TV shows about pawn shops and mechanics.  Fox News is a commentary channel that doesn't actually report news, and always supports the opposite position of the president regardless of whether it actually makes sense or not.  CNN just rehashes twitter feeds.  MSNBC is another commentary channel, but always supports the opposite position of Fox regardless of whether it actually makes sense or not.  The discovery channel....

You get the idea.  You probably shouldn't rely on the TV for ANY information... except school closures when it snows, but I'm sure there is a website for that.

Wupper

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2015, 06:31:33 PM »
I think Becky Quick is hot.

Left

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2015, 06:42:18 PM »
I like it, it's entertaining to watch, better than mtv...

danny9m

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2015, 11:39:15 PM »
I've been watching fast money and I'm wondering what is the point?  Are we supposed to day trade?  The najarians hold positions for days and are options experts. Isn't this a sure way to go broke?  This is in sharp contrast to their most famous guest warren buffet who recommends the sandp 500 index fund. I do find Carl ichan entertaining  that guy is great.


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Livewell

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2015, 11:50:22 AM »
CNBC is entertainment, and seldom anything more.

I watched a lot in the late 90s, a bit in 2008, and then figured out that it was all noise and anything on there was BS.  Then I discovered Vanguard and stopped following it, other than to occasionally laugh at something stupid one of the gold bugs says.   

a1smith

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2015, 01:26:07 PM »
Entertainment. Low bandwidth info. There is a TV in our break room at work which is usually on CNBC, luckily with the sound off (especially when Jim Cramer is on, they actually pay that guy?).  You can look at the tickers to see how the market is doing that day.

tj

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2015, 02:17:50 PM »
Yes, for the overflow coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

CorpRaider

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2015, 01:06:50 PM »
News updates are good.  They often have good guests, but cut them off mid-sentence so they can ask "what's their view on the market?" or some other insipid question.  Like really, you have Warren Buffett or Carl Icahn on and you're trying to get an S&P 500 year end target?  They should focus more on news, add in some corporate/business news, longer form financial/market interviews and more basic personal finance, tax, and savings stories/pieces.  They could bulk up real estate investing discussion and coverage if they wanted to and cut a lot of the "where's the market going in the next 30 minutes" stuff. 
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 01:11:28 PM by CorpRaider »

mrpercentage

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #16 on: August 19, 2015, 05:05:25 PM »
I like Mad Money. I think today's episode was great. Like his stories about Karen.

I like nightly business report.

To stay informed sure it has value. I caution on trading on the news. So to it depends on what you are looking for. I'm aware of many more companies, who their CEOs are, what they do, and how they are doing because of Mad Money. If you are looking for someone to tell you to buy something then call a broker. Me, I love Jims Macro views

My Own Advisor

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2015, 06:29:34 PM »
What exactly is the point of CNBC?

It's for financial and business porn.  It's entertainment.  Nothing more :)

frugalecon

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2015, 06:41:56 PM »
I like to watch some financial news while I am getting ready for work, but I have switched to Bloomberg TV. It generally has a less deranged feel to it.

hodedofome

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2015, 12:49:17 PM »
For an individual investor that hasn't reprogrammed their brain and emotions to sift through all the noise to find a proper signal in there, CNBC is toxic to your financial health. Only a pro could find some sort of benefit from it, and not from taking the stock pics that are thrown out there. Most likely it would be used as a contrarian signal or a way to find new ideas to do your own due diligence on.

mancityfan

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2015, 03:02:50 PM »
no

mrpercentage

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #21 on: August 20, 2015, 07:16:24 PM »
Squeak box isn't bad either Louis Navallier was dead on this morning but he is a little more rosey than I am

prestojx

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2015, 08:07:54 PM »
No

One Noisy Cat

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #23 on: August 20, 2015, 08:41:29 PM »
     Not since Maria Bartiromo left.

innerscorecard

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #24 on: August 21, 2015, 03:43:48 AM »
There is actually negative value. That is because commitments of time and attention have big opportunity costs.

CorpRaider

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #25 on: August 21, 2015, 01:47:37 PM »
Fun to watch when market crashing.  Also, Kelly Evans and Mandy Drury.

CorpRaider

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #26 on: August 21, 2015, 01:50:10 PM »
It can be entertaining at times. If you've never seen this jewel, I watched it live with mouth open:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCZRk1lL90Q

It can also catapult your career if you can make it on the show and share your predictions. Just think of how many more subscribers you'll have for your newsletter.

That was awesome.  I caught it live too.  They often have good guests, but they just don't take advantage and they are in a hurry for no good reason.  If you get Joel Greenblatt or Carl Icahn don't ask him for S&P targets and then rush through so you can get to the same morgan stanley schmuck you've had on five times this month.

BTDretire

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #27 on: August 21, 2015, 04:13:39 PM »
 If your following the market, they report it all day.
You get a feeling for the world economy, what oil is doing,
interest rate fluctuations.
If your in the total stock market, it doesn't make any difference what
all the talking heads say.
During the day, I watch Fox Business Channel
Charles Payne is fun to watch.
Deirdre Bolton has a unique beauty,
and Maria Bartiromo still turns my head as
much as she did 20 years ago.
 ahh, but that's not why I watch ;-)
 In the evening I can only get cnbc, my home cable doesn't
carry Fox Business on my tier.

mrpercentage

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #28 on: August 24, 2015, 03:32:55 PM »
A drop of 1000 points in a single session for any period of time is serious news to me. I don't think that level of volitlity is normal. Then again I like CNBC.

ambimammular

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #29 on: August 24, 2015, 07:45:48 PM »
I used to like the segment of the Suze Orman Show where someone would ask if they had enough stashed to retire. I got to feel pretty smug about my savings rates compared to the folks on her show.

I also loved the "Can I afford it?" Some people are complete disconnected from reality. "Well Suze, I'm 44 with no savings, a mortgage, credit card debt and two car loans, but I work SOOO hard and I really need to stay in denial and take my family to Disneyland!!" Get 'em, Suze!

Then the next folks would want matching his and her Harleys. I'd be shaking my head, and then they'd show their awesome numbers, and they'd have me all put to shame. Way to go, closet mustachians!

I was pretty disappointed there never was a mustachian on her show. Someone with a paid off house, and expenses around $2000 a month, rental income, retirement, and savings. She never did tell anyone young they had enough to retire.

milesdividendmd

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #30 on: August 24, 2015, 10:14:20 PM »
Is there any value to pornography?

The answer is obviously yes in both cases. Both are billion dollar industries.

sol

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #31 on: August 24, 2015, 10:49:15 PM »
The point of TV is entertainment, not information sharing.

The only point of TV is paid advertisements.  Everything else on there is just the bait to get you on that hook.  Everything people think is "content" is really just alluring filler between the ads.

The funny part is that so many people actually PAY to have these paid ads delivered to them.

frugalecon

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #32 on: September 04, 2015, 10:42:20 AM »
The point of TV is entertainment, not information sharing.

The only point of TV is paid advertisements.  Everything else on there is just the bait to get you on that hook.  Everything people think is "content" is really just alluring filler between the ads.

The funny part is that so many people actually PAY to have these paid ads delivered to them.

One of the most heinous ads currently running on the financial p0rn networks is from a company called Interactive Brokers. It's two guys fishing in a trout stream, and one starts giggling about making a killing day-trading on his IB account. The other guy laughs along and shares that he found an advisor on IB that had put him into a couple of "great hedge funds." The ad ends with a fish flopping as it is reeled in, which makes me think that the viewers (suckers?) who fall for the ad are the fish, and the ad is just the lure.

hodedofome

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Re: Is there any value to CNBC at all?
« Reply #33 on: September 04, 2015, 11:23:31 AM »
One of the most heinous ads currently running on the financial p0rn networks is from a company called Interactive Brokers. It's two guys fishing in a trout stream, and one starts giggling about making a killing day-trading on his IB account. The other guy laughs along and shares that he found an advisor on IB that had put him into a couple of "great hedge funds." The ad ends with a fish flopping as it is reeled in, which makes me think that the viewers (suckers?) who fall for the ad are the fish, and the ad is just the lure.

I use IB and I can assure you that as soon as I opened my account, I've become richer every day. Now I just fish and watch the money roll in.