If you own your own shop, you need to know when to invest in your business and when to keep your powder dry. I’ll show you how to answer this question. But first lets’ understand why even successful business owners find this a difficult question to answer. First, remember that we are dealing with a […]
What is a Balanced Fund and is it Good Investment?
Mutual funds come in all shapes and sizes. By far, one of the most popular choices is the balanced fund. But if I asked most investors, “What is a balanced fund?” they couldn’t tell me. Even if you don’t currently own such funds you should know how to answer this question. If nothing else, it […]
Is Medicare Enough Health Insurance? Your Answer
Once you reach age 65 you will be eligible for Medicare and all the bells and whistles that come with it. But is Medicare enough to take care of all your health insurance needs? In a word, no. Consider to cost of hospital stays. Every time you are a hospital inpatient your Medicare deductible will […]
What You and Your Kids Must Understand About the Roth IRA
If you have children, do yourself and them a favor; teach them about the Roth IRA. Don’t do this because they are your Roth IRA beneficiary. Encourage them to own their own Roth accounts. If you do, they’ll get a huge head start when it comes to understanding how investments work. They will also […]
Why Are There Phases of a Business Cycle?
The phases of a business cycle are easy to define. They are contraction, trough, expansion and peak (more on each in a moment.) What’s more important is how to use this information to make better investments and not lose your money unnecessarily. It also helps answer the question,” how should I invest right now?” In […]
What is Average Tax Rate? What is Effective Tax Rate? Do Either Matter?
What is average tax rate? What is effective tax rate? Which matters most when it comes to making investments? I recently received an email from “S”. He is a friendly reader asking about how his effective tax rate might impact the investments he was considering. Here’s what he wrote: I am trying to figure out […]