Regardless of what goals we’re trying to achieve with respect to our finances, or in any other aspect of our lives, being able to evaluate what we’re currently doing is essential to identifying the steps we can take to do things better.
Evaluating your investment portfolio allows you to understand how close (or far away) you are from your goals, whether the investments you’ve selected are meeting your expectations, whether the research you did to select those investments was accurate, and whether you should consider adjusting your investment mix going forward.
Here is some investment advice for making that portfolio... Basics
How to Evaluate Your Current Investments
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Regardless of what goals we’re trying to achieve with respect to our finances, or in any other aspect of our lives, being able to evaluate what we’re currently doing is essential to identifying the steps we can take to do things better.
Evaluating your investment portfolio allows you to understand how close (or far away) you are from your goals, whether the investments you’ve selected are meeting your expectations, whether the research you did to select those investments was accurate, and whether you should consider adjusting your investment mix going forward.
Here is some investment advice for making that portfolio... What Is an Investment Club and How Do They Work?
Friday, August 3rd, 2012
It seems like trying to decide how and where to invest your money has never been tougher. There are so many different investment options to choose from, and even if you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to research potential investments, you’ll never have enough time to research more than just a small fraction of the possibilities. In order to make investment decisions by incorporating a broader range of opinions, some investors join investment clubs.
An investment club is simply a small group of people who pool their funds, and their time doing research on potential investments, in order... What is Dividend Investing?
Monday, March 12th, 2012
There are different ways to invest, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds, certificates of deposit and numerous other investment vehicles. Even if you decide to invest in stocks, you’ll still have to choose between different types of stock profiles, including growth stocks and speculative stocks.
One popular type of stock investment strategy is investing in companies that pay regular cash dividend to their shareholders. Some investors believe that assets which generate regular income can be preferable in many respects to relying solely on the capital gains prospects of non-dividend paying stocks. Many dividend paying companies are large blue-chip... How to Choose a Discount Broker?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
If you plan to do any serious investing, you’ll need to go through a broker. Full service brokers offer a variety of financial products, do extensive research for their clients and provide individualized investment advice, but all this service comes at a high price. Discount brokers are a less expensive alternative.
For those who prefer to save money by handling their own investments, a discount broker is the best option. But all discount brokers are not created equal. They offer different services, features and fees.
Here is some information and advice to think about when considering a discount broker.
Tweak Your Portfolio in Case of Inflation
Monday, June 13th, 2011
One of the golden rules of investing is to stay ahead of inflation. Most investments are designed to offer returns that will not be eradicated by the average amount of inflation. But there are times when inflation is anything but average. When it is higher than usual, it can eat up the returns on low-interest investments.
The variability of inflation is one of the biggest reasons why investors are advised to diversify their portfolios. But in times of high inflation, there are other measures you can take for added protection.
Here are some ideas and advice to consider when inflation... 5 Investing Rules of Thumb to Live By
Monday, May 9th, 2011
If you’re reading this, it’s a safe bet that you know the importance of investing a portion of your earnings. Everyone should be putting money away for emergencies and retirement. But while most people realize that, relatively few understand how to do so effectively.
The truth is you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make sense out of investing. You just need to be willing to learn. Some aspects of investing are best learned through experience.
Here are five rules of thumb for those who are just getting started.
What Are ETFs?
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
What Are ETFs?
If you’ve spent any time over the past few years researching investment options you may have heard about ETFs. ETF stands for Exchange Traded Fund. They’ve gained enormous popularity and have become quite trendy.
As with any trend, it’s important to be cautious before jumping in – particularly when your money is potentially at risk. So let’s first look at what an exchange traded fund is. “Exchange Traded” means that it is traded just like a traditional stock. “Fund” means that it is a collection or group of investments, which can include stocks and bonds.
Generally the investments... Measuring the Risk of Investment
Monday, March 14th, 2011
All investments come with some amount of risk. No investment is safe from potentially losses. For years, real estate was considered the only investment that would never go down, but even real estate has taken a hit over the last several years. Investing is risky business.
The key to choosing the right investment is to find the right balance between risk and return for your needs. Sitting down with an investment professional may be one of the best steps you can take to planning your financial future.
Here is some advice and tips for measuring the risk of investment.
Dollar Cost Averaging
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
The technique of using dollar cost averaging for investing means that consumers make regular investments (most often monthly) into an investment portfolio. It works as an alternative to investing large lump sums. This allows the cost of investments to be lower, in theory. A lower investment cost means that a consumer will see more potential profit from the investment.
The dollar cost averaging strategy can be used to begin investing small amounts over a set period of time. It also works to break up lump sums into smaller increments, reducing the amount of fear about a fluctuating market.
There are pros... Establish An Investing Discipline When You Are In College
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Going to college and establishing what you want to pursue in the future is a great time in your life. The academic and social experiences during the college years are often unlike any others. But even though it seems like the last thing on a student's mind, making the right financial and savings decisions while in college now can impact on their adult life in a very positive way.
The investing discipline I'm describing here (although using traditional bank accounts) is what you need to start doing with stocks, mutual funds and other investments once you begin your working career.... 
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