How much money should you have at your age? (This could hurt) People don’t often talk about how much money they have. It’s just not something that’s shared during dinner conversations or at lunch with co-workers. So, it’s really hard to know how well you’re doing because there’s no benchmark. Also, everyone makes and spends different amounts, so it’s hard to compare. But many people want ... Read More
The Money Road Map
How to Buy a Home and Secure Your Financial Future at the Same Time
Too often people make life-changing money moves without considering the Big Picture. One of the biggest money moves for any family is buying a home or investment property. If you really want to secure your financial future, owning real estate can help. Buy you'll need to have a plan. Instead of just visiting Open Houses or scrolling through online listings, you need to have a team working with you ... Read More
End of QE Part 2: Weathering the Storm
Like any great voyage, eventually it comes to an end and you have to move on to what's next. Quantitative easing also known as QE2 is Fed-speak for the Central Bank's program of injecting liquidity into the economy by buying up mortgage bonds to the tune of $85 billion each month. This has done wonders at keeping interest rates down and stock prices up. But what happens when it ends? How are ... Read More
Weak US Dollar Impact for Investors
What does a weak US dollar imply for our economy and how should investors position themselves? Weak is a relative term when it comes to the economy. Reading the tea leaves can provide some insight about what to expect in the near term and how investors need to respond. Setting aside political views about whether it is a good or bad thing to have a "weak" currency, let's take a look at what's ... Read More
Debt Ceiling Crisis: What Investors Should Do
Investment Forecast: Cloudy with chance of default and variable recession. Trying to read the tea leaves and make prudent investment decisions for clients - or yourself - has been complicated by the headwinds out of Washington lately. The debt ceiling crisis exposes investors to a real risk of loss. Crystal Ball Predictions Depending on how you read your crystal ball, any and all of the ... Read More
Default and Your Money – Forecasting the End
October is a tough month for investments. History has not been kind to investors in this month of Tricks or Treats. And depending on how things play out in the halls of Congress over the next dozen hours, the world financial markets and US investor 401(k) accounts will find out if they've been given a nasty trick. How Will Government Default Affect Your Money? Remember seeing those guys ... Read More
Smart Investing Rules to Live By: KISS
Looking for a fool-proof system for investing success? I'm not sure there really is one but you can't really go wrong following this advice: Smart investors keep it simple. Keep It Simple, Stupid ... KISS. This is the view of many Bogleheads and behavioral finance experts like Meir Statman, author of What Investors Really Want. Too often we try to out-think and over-analyze things. We are ... Read More
Low ETF Fees Attract Investors
Can you keep a secret? Affluent investors are becoming big fans of Exchange Traded Funds (ETF). While Wall Street may want to continue to pick your pocket through higher-cost mutual funds, you can lower your costs and need to get to know about ETFs. Wall Street doesn't want you to know that you may not be getting the best deal when it comes to your investments. Most people invest through ... Read More
Financial Planning Roadmap
Wouldn't it be nice if money came with a user manual or a road map? Well, here it is, folks. You have asked and the financial planning powers that be (or at least the folks at Bloomberg BusinessWeek) have answered. Click here for the Financial Planning Flowchart. For the Do-It-Yourselfer in all of us, this fun, interactive chart is a great tool. But like any tool, it's not right for all ... Read More
Secrets to Long Term Investing Success
Portfolio Management Secrets of a Successful Investor Investors Ask: How do I improve my investment performance? We're all familiar with the disclosure at the end of all the commercials and print ads: Past Performance Is No Guarantee of Future Results. If that's true, then how can you be sure that someone is doing better than the market? Well, the short answer is: You Can't. But there ... Read More
