Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
The stock market’s volatility over the past few years has frightened many investors, and some have left the market for good. If you’re worried about the market but not yet ready to abandon it, perhaps it’s time to consider exchange-traded funds, or ETFs.
ETFs look like mutual funds but behave like stocks. And they are tailored to the small investor in that they offer low cost and quick diversification. You can buy as little as one share, unlike mutual funds which often require an initial investment of $3,000 or more.
ETFs mirror an index and don’t require a manager, so fees are usually quite small. (more…)
Tags: exchange traded funds, INVESTING, STOCK MARKET
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Friday, May 20th, 2011
So you are ready to invest. You’ve done the research, understand the risks and the upside and, perhaps, have even picked out a fund or stock.
But you still don’t have quite the cash flow necessary to dive in. Lack of disposable income is one of the biggest barriers to investing. Most of us have plenty of money we could invest—if only we would do the proper personal inventory and find it.
Here are a few tips on how to find that “missing” money you can use to invest.
But first, a couple of caveats. (more…)
Tags: frugality, household spending, INVESTING, PERSONAL FINANCE, savings
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Friday, May 20th, 2011
As a WEALTH magazine newsletter reader, you are naturally interested in making money.
But have you asked yourself exactly why you are pursuing wealth?
Or just how you are making money? Or what purposes do you have in mind for that money once you get it?
I raise these questions because money, at its core, is not sufficient in and of itself for happiness. To be sure, money helps. There are so many things you can do if you have money—and so many things you can’t do without it. (more…)
Tags: goals, INVESTING, values
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Monday, May 2nd, 2011
Stock-index futures were higher ahead of Monday’s (5/2) market opening, and commodity prices dipped in the wake of the confirmed death of terror leader Osama bin Laden in a U.S. military special-operations raid. Stocks were modestly higher just after the opening bell as analysts predicted a “feel-good rally” would permeate market sentiment for at least the short term.
Just after the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange, however, all major stock indices were modestly lower as was crude oil, while precious metals were down sharply for the day.
But what about the longer term? (more…)
Tags: commodities, gold, INVESTING, oil, silver, STOCK MARKET, terrorism
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Monday, April 25th, 2011
Silver reached a stunning 30-year high Monday (April 25), continuing a nine-day winning streak and outpacing gold’s record-setting surge as worries continue over U.S. debt, the value of the dollar and Mideast instability. The shiny gray metal closed Monday above $47 — a price not seen since the Hunt brothers, a pair of wily oil tycoons, tried to corner the silver market back in 1980.
Like gold, silver is seen as a safe haven for investors. The dollar’s weakness and the specter of inflation have driven up the prices of both precious metals. (more…)
Tags: gold, INVESTING, silver
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Friday, April 22nd, 2011
As you probably know, a share of stock means a share in the company’s revenue, earnings, cash flow and equity. For the individual investor, a share of ownership entitles you to a share of all dividends. Even if the company’s stock does not currently have a dividend yield, there always remains the possibility that at some point in the future there could be.
Buying stock essentially means you’re acquiring a piece of the company. Before deciding how much to spend on its stock, you’ll want to know how much money that company makes.
The most common way of evaluating the worth of a stock is to look at the company’s profits against the stock price (more…)
Tags: branding, INVESTING, P/E ratio, stocks, value
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Friday, April 8th, 2011
Most anyone who holds bonds can tell you: As the stock market improves, life gets tougher for bond holders. An improving economy generally leads to higher interest rates, and that means lower bond prices.
If you look at the economy now, corporate earnings are strong and even unemployment is improving. So, many analysts suggest that investors should consider increasing the proportion of stocks to bonds in their portfolios.
Consider that many American companies and corporations have accumulated lots of cash, which makes their bond holders feel secure. With the economy looking up, however, (more…)
Tags: bonds, INVESTING, municipal bonds, portfolio, STOCK MARKET
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Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
The idea of investing in Japan right now may seem counterintuitive. But Bloomberg News suggests that the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear reactor crisis have created opportunities to do good as well as invest well.
The article, by Bloomberg’s John Doorfman, suggests that for those willing to wait as long as five years to make a profit, investing now in Japan makes sense. He points out that many major Japanese stocks — Toyota, Honda and Sony among them — are relative bargains for investors based on corporate sales figures. (more…)
Tags: contrarian, INVESTING, Japan, stocks, value investing
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Saturday, March 19th, 2011
During the halcyon years preceding the Great Recession, many investors were lulled into believing that if they only contributed regularly to a retirement account, they reasonably could expect a materially comfortable life in their golden years.
Much has changed. IRA and 401(k) savings were sliced in half during the stock-market free fall of 2008 and early 2009. Despite a rebound, the market’s recovery has come in fits with frequent setbacks.
Equity investments, like the age-indexed mutual funds that became widely popular early in the last decade, have lost their luster. (more…)
Tags: 401(k), bonds, exchange traded funds, financial planning, goals, INVESTING, retirement planning, savings, stocks
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011
More Americans — now more than one in four — fear they won’t have enough money when they retire, and fewer are confident they do have enough, according to a new survey.
The survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that turmoil in the markets and investment losses suffered during the recent recession have left many Americans fretful about their prospects for a financially secure retirement. (more…)
Tags: financial planning, INVESTING, retirement planning, retirement savings
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