Market Capitalization: An Overview
June 20, 2011
As you sit and watch the financial news, or read other financial articles, you will constantly hear about this large-cap company or that small-cap, etc. What do these terms mean? Which companies fall where? And most importantly, why does it matter? The first thing we need to do when discussing this topic is define what […]
Real Estate Short Sales Explained
November 20, 2009
Real estate short sales have become more common in the tough housing market of the last few years. A short sale is an attempt to sell a home instead of the bank taking it back by foreclosure. This sale can partially salvage the homeowner’s credit rating and lift the stress of large mortgage payments. If […]
Five Tips on Buying Foreclosures
November 18, 2009
Buying a foreclosed home can be a great way to get a deal on real estate but it can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. Here are a few tips to consider when you’re thinking about buying a foreclosure. Know Thy Neighbor – Remember, when you buy a home, it’s like getting married. […]
Variable Annuities Overview
October 28, 2009
Variable annuities are probably something you’ve never even considered investing in if you’re under 50 years young. However, I’ve had people write me whose parents are getting pitched fixed annuitites and variable annuities as they are getting closer to retirement. To give an idea of how variable annuities work, Victor wrote up the following overview. […]
Bond Fund Investing
October 27, 2009
Bond funds probably aren’t the investments that you spend hours investigating and researching when building your portfolio or 401k. Typically individual stocks or equity mutual funds are the primary investing focus and bond funds are an afterthought if they’re included at all. However, bond mutual funds and their fixed income can be just as important […]
Fixed Annuities Overview
October 16, 2009
Fixed annuities have caught the attention of some investors who have taken a pounding from the world of stocks over the last few years and started looking for something a little less volatile. This type of investment, though it brings a much lower return on investment, does provide more stability. Are the lower returns and […]
Bond Investing Strategies
October 9, 2009
Bond investing strategies to help you decide how to invest in bonds are the next topic to cover now that we’ve talked about bond investing basics and some bond investment terms. Bond Ladders Bond ladders are a strategy where an investor purchases bonds with different maturity dates. It is the fixed income equivalent of dollar […]
Bond Investing Terms
October 6, 2009
Bond investing terms can be confusing for someone who’s never been around the bond market. I remember the first conversation I had with a bond investor; I knew he was speaking English but his talk of yield curves and zero coupon bonds made it feel like a foreign language. If you don’t know the bond […]
Bond Investing Basics
October 5, 2009
Bond Investing Overview Bond investments should probably be a part of most portfolios; across all ages, investing goals, and levels of risk tolerance. The problem is many people spend their time learning how to invest in stocks and aren’t aware of the benefits that investing in bonds can offer. In general, investors spend very little […]
529 College Savings Plan Overview
October 3, 2009
A 529 college savings plan is another way for U.S. families to prepare for the high costs of college. Named after section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, this investment vehicle has some similarities with and differences from the Coverdell ESA. A 529 plan is another tax-advantaged plan that is designed to give incentives for […]
