Recent headlines have spurred some readers to write in about China—specifically what rising tensions between Beijing and Washington (no thanks to the former’s ham-fisted spy-balloon fiasco) might mean for their portfolios. First up, we always need to bear in mind that stocks—and in particular my favorite way to hold stocks (through a high-yielding closed-end fund, or CEF)—really are a long-term investment. I know that sounds obvious, but it can be easy to forget when alarming headlines—a war or a pandemic, say—flash across our screens. In other words, global chaos is really nothing new for stocks. The difference today is that we’re more connected than ever, so every move made by one of America’s adversaries is emphasized all the more.… Read more