From the category archives:

Investing for beginners

All about Online investing for beginners (or offline for that matter). Articles for beginners about investing in stocks, mutual funds, index funds, real estate, or any other forms of investing.

Is the 401k a bad idea?

10.27.2009

This week Time Magazine had a thought-provoking article titled Why it’s time to retire the 401(k). The article is pretty long and detailed and as you would expect it points out many of the flaws of the 401(k) and argues that for many people it is doing more harm than good.
History of the 401(k)
The article [...]

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5 small business owner retirement plans

10.26.2009

Many times people come into my office looking for advice on how to appropriately plan their financial future. Asset location is often just as important as asset allocation. While asset allocation looks to spread your assets among many different assets classes, asset location helps you spread your assets among taxable, tax-deferred, and potentially tax-free accounts. Many who are employed by a corporation have retirement planning options at work, but what about the business owner? How do you choose the best location for your assets and that of your employees?

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Basics of stock market investing: 3 traps to avoid

10.03.2009

When you buy low and sell high, investing is easy!
3 stock market investing traps to avoid
If we all knew the exact time to buy and the exact time to sell we’d all be rich and there’d be no point to talking about investing. Few people, if any can know exactly when to buy or sell [...]

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How to create a tax efficient portfolio of investments

08.27.2009

Everyone wants their investment portfolio to perform well. But it is your after-tax return that really matters. If your portfolio earns you double-digit returns, those returns really aren’t so great if you end up losing 20% or 30% of them to taxes. In periods when the return on your investments is low, tax efficiency takes on even greater importance…

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20 free stock trades from Zecco

08.26.2009

Zecco’s 20 free trades promotion… So, they currently have a deal going where you can get 20 free stock trades if you sign up as a new customer. I signed up with them about a year ago…

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Comparing Annuity Features: How to choose the right one

08.26.2009

This article has been submitted by the folks at NewRetirement.com, a website dedicated to provide unbiased and comprehensive coverage on retirement financial issues and ensure that retirees save money, increase their income, save their assets, and secure their future.
How to choose the right annuity
Purchasing an annuity can be a great way to guarantee your retirement [...]

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5 reasons mutual funds may be a bad way to invest your money

08.06.2009

…especially retail mutual funds. Retail mutual funds tend to have layers of hidden fees…. Here are 5 reasons why mutual funds may be a bad idea for your family…

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A little about ETFs: 4 reasons you may want one

07.16.2009

If you have heard of ETFs, but aren’t really sure why they may be a good choice for you, check out this article full of valuable information about ETFs…

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Know well the condition of your flocks

07.12.2009

As it relates to both trading and investing, one of my favorite verses is Proverbs 27:23 which says, “Be sure to know the conditions of your flocks, and give careful attention to your herds.” Flocks and herds were the investment accounts of that day. This proverb advises us to know what we are invested in and to understand the factors that impact our investments…

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Owning real estate within an IRA

07.09.2009

What does the IRS say about owning real estate within an IRA? Actually they say that you can – if you jump through their hoops…

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Using a Roth IRA as an emergency fund?

06.29.2009

Have you ever thought about using a Roth IRA as an emergency fund? These are some of the pros and cons of creating a Roth Emergency Fund…

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Should you convert your IRA to a Roth in 2010?

06.25.2009

Here’s why a Roth IRA conversion may make sense for you Consider this: a Roth IRA allows tax-free growth and tax-free income distributions at age 59½ or older and as long as you have held your Roth account for 5 years or longer. … So, if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is $100,000 or less, you have an option to fund a Roth IRA with a withdrawal from a traditional IRA – at least through the end of 2009.

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