Lifecycle funds are popular investment options. They are choices in almost every retirement and 529 plan I see these days. And this is to say nothing of the many investors who purchase these funds outside of college and retirement plans. But are lifecycle funds good choices? In most cases, no. In one case, yes. Before […]
Investing Strategies
They don’t teach investing in school. It’s no wonder that so few of us really understand how investments work, what mutual funds are and how to select the right investments for our unique situation.
The following articles explain how the stock market, mutual funds, annuities,stocks and bonds work in plain English. They demystify investing and empower you to make better investing decisions for you and your family.
Why You Must Check Your Credit Record before Applying for Credit
Many of us don’t think about checking our credit records until after we’ve applied for credit — and possibly been denied. I understand that process of course – but it can be costly. If you go that route you may not get the best credit terms – or you might even get rejected. Of course […]
What Is a Mutual Fund Prospectus? How to Read and Understand It.
What is a mutual fund prospectus? It’s a document that gives you an inside look at your mutual fund, and it’s about as inviting to read as a telephone book. That’s exactly the way Wall Street likes it. As long as you don’t take the five minutes it usually requires to go through the document, […]
Don’t Buy a Leveraged Stock or Commodity ETF Before You Read This
You might be interested in buying a leveraged stock or commodity ETF. These are funds that magnify market returns. A leveraged fund might perform twice as well (or poorly) as a typical fund. If you are concerned about inflation you might look for commodity ETFs to shield you against that problem. And if you are […]
What You Should Do With Inheritance Money
Do you know what to do with inheritance money or any other windfall? I received a question like that from Nancy a few weeks ago. Here’s the situation. Nancy and Jim are both 31. They have two small children. They rent an apartment and have almost no debt. When Jim’s great-aunt passed away, they inherited […]
What is Money Management
You’ve heard this term thrown around for years no doubt. Ever wondered what it really means? What is money management? “Money Management” revolves around one word – risk. In other words, proper money management helps you reduce risk. It helps you avoid the downside pain and that’s why it’s critical you understand it. When I […]