Individuals with excess dollars to put to work in some form of investment have an often-bewildering range of choices. An investor may decide to tackle the financial markets alone, and buy and sell investments directly, in his or her own name. A second option is to invest indirectly, using an investment medium know as a […]
Saving money in pursuit of an accumulation goal is a problem many of us face. Some goals, such as retirement or a college fund for a child, are long-term savings goals. Many of us also have short-term savings goals such as a Christmas or holiday fund. One option for long-term savings, one that is sometimes
Asset allocation is an investment strategy that seeks to reduce investment risk, while maintaining a desired rate of return, by spreading an individual\’s investments over a number of asset types. But asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets. Learn more about asset allocation investment strategy below.
There are two schools of thought within the investment community as to whether higher returns can be achieved for \”growth\” or by investing for \”value.\” Learn more about them and see which is best.
One approach to the problem of providing income during an extended period of disability is to purchase individual disability income insurance. Learn more about what to look for in a Disability Policy below.
Many individuals are attracted to the benefits of investing in real estate, such as current income or the potential for capital gain. Direct investment in real estate, however, can require large amounts of capital, as well as the time and expertise to properly manage real estate properties. One alternative to direct real estate investment is
To determine the real rate of return on an investment, one must consider the effect of inflation and taxes on the gross return. Check out the Real Rate of Return Worksheet below.
An investment program should be built like a pyramid – with a strong, broad base. As your potential reward increases so does the potential risk. Check out this easy to follow graphic demonstrating the increase in potential risk vs potential reward.
News reports about the stock market that you see or hear everyday on television, on the radio, and in newspapers track the movement of groups of stocks, not individual issues. Citing a specific \”index\” or \”average\”, these reports give you a general sense of the direction of stock prices. So what are Indexes and Averages?
An index fund is a type of mutual fun, exchange-traded fund, or unit investment trust whose primary investment objective is to mimic the performance of a specified market index, such as the S&P 500 Index. Learn more about what an Index Fund is, its advantages and disadvantages, and possible risks.
