The past year has been a nerve-wracking one for many investors. The major stock market indices have been relatively flat, but there have been lots of volatility in the shorter term movements. And it seems like there’s always a threat of some new piece of news sending the stock market sharply downward.
While safe investments like certificates of deposits are paying interest at near record lows, there is still an opportunity to access a respectable rate of return without having to expose investment funds to the risks of the stock market. This opportunity comes in the form of municipal bonds,... Articles Tagged ‘investing advice’
Why Investors Should Consider Muni Bonds Now
The past year has been a nerve-wracking one for many investors. The major stock market indices have been relatively flat, but there have been lots of volatility in the shorter term movements. And it seems like there’s always a threat of some new piece of news sending the stock market sharply downward.
While safe investments like certificates of deposits are paying interest at near record lows, there is still an opportunity to access a respectable rate of return without having to expose investment funds to the risks of the stock market. This opportunity comes in the form of municipal bonds,...
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
The past year has been a nerve-wracking one for many investors. The major stock market indices have been relatively flat, but there have been lots of volatility in the shorter term movements. And it seems like there’s always a threat of some new piece of news sending the stock market sharply downward.
While safe investments like certificates of deposits are paying interest at near record lows, there is still an opportunity to access a respectable rate of return without having to expose investment funds to the risks of the stock market. This opportunity comes in the form of municipal bonds,... How to Choose a Discount Broker?
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.
What costs...
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.
Should You Be Buying TIPS Now?
One of the most basic tenets of investing is that U.S. Treasury bonds are some of the safest investments one can make. They’re backed by the federal government, and they are practically guaranteed not to lose value. But when inflation rises, they can’t always keep up, and that means you could still come out behind in terms of buying power.
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS for short, offer a solution to this dilemma. They are Treasury notes and bonds as well, but the principal and interest are indexed to the inflation rate. In effect, they’re inflation-proof. But that doesn’t...
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
One of the most basic tenets of investing is that U.S. Treasury bonds are some of the safest investments one can make. They’re backed by the federal government, and they are practically guaranteed not to lose value. But when inflation rises, they can’t always keep up, and that means you could still come out behind in terms of buying power.
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS for short, offer a solution to this dilemma. They are Treasury notes and bonds as well, but the principal and interest are indexed to the inflation rate. In effect, they’re inflation-proof. But that doesn’t... Are ETFs Right for You?
The ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a fairly new type of investment product. It holds stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of assets and sometimes tracks an index like the S&P 500. It is similar in structure to a mutual fund, yet is traded on a stock exchange.
ETFs usually include investments that are grouped under some sort of common theme. It could be top performers in a given industry, those listed on various indexes, or up and coming stocks from a certain market sector. These investments often look quite attractive at first glance, but they’re not right for...
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
The ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a fairly new type of investment product. It holds stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of assets and sometimes tracks an index like the S&P 500. It is similar in structure to a mutual fund, yet is traded on a stock exchange.
ETFs usually include investments that are grouped under some sort of common theme. It could be top performers in a given industry, those listed on various indexes, or up and coming stocks from a certain market sector. These investments often look quite attractive at first glance, but they’re not right for... Tweak Your Portfolio in Case of Inflation
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...
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
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.
1. You’re never too young to start saving for retirement. The...
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?
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...
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
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.
Look at the...
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
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...
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... How Changes to the Tax Rate on Stock Dividends May Affect You
There are several potentially major changes to how much tax you will have to pay on stock dividends. Here is some advice that you need to consider about your investment portfolio.
Under current U.S. tax law, dividends paid to holders of U.S. corporate or publicly-traded stock are currently taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains. This rate is generally much lower than the rate that a taxpayer will pay on his or her ordinary income.
Taxpayers in the highest tax bracket, for example, are subject to the highest ordinary income tax rate of 35%, but income from “qualified...
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
There are several potentially major changes to how much tax you will have to pay on stock dividends. Here is some advice that you need to consider about your investment portfolio.
Under current U.S. tax law, dividends paid to holders of U.S. corporate or publicly-traded stock are currently taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains. This rate is generally much lower than the rate that a taxpayer will pay on his or her ordinary income.
Taxpayers in the highest tax bracket, for example, are subject to the highest ordinary income tax rate of 35%, but income from “qualified... 
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