This is an early (and incomplete) edition of the linkfest. We will catch up this weekend.

Quote of the day

Gerard Minack, “Amateurs normally stand no chance against professionals…Investing is different. None of this would matter if achieving index returns was extremely difficult. But an industry’s been built on indexed funds that seem capable of replicating index returns at relatively low cost.”  (Money Game)

Markets

If you think 2013=1999, then you are smoking PCP.  (The Reformed Broker)

Why it’s a great time to be an investor.  (Conor Sen)

Strategy

You can’t borrow in Japanese Yen even if you wanted to.  (Money Game)

The sorry state of retirement savings.  (WashingtonPost)

Companies

The global art market is hot, hot, hot.  (FT)

Yahoo! ($YHOO) reportedly covets Tumblr.  (GigaOM)

Finance

A big cohort of tech IPOs are on deck.  (WSJ)

The spigots are opening for solar panel funding.  (GigaOM)

Now investors can’t get enough of Jeffrey Gundlach’s opinions.  (HedgeWorld)

ETFs

What’s idea behind the Pimco Foreign Currency Strategy ETF ($FORX)?  (IndexUniverse)

Comparing the big low vol ETFs.  (Morningstar)

Why is there no truly global bond ETF?  (IndexUniverse)

Mixed media

Retirement will kill you.  (BBC)

Why does everyone want everything to taste like birthday cake?  (USA Today via Pat’s Papers)

Five lessons in contentment from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.  (Zen Habits via @behaviorgap)

Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. You can follow us on StockTwits and Twitter.