- What Are 529 Plan Rules?
529 college savings plans offer several tax benefits and the potential to build your child’s college fund over time. Unlike with several investment accounts, the federal government allows your 529 plan earnings to grow tax-free. Your withdrawals will be tax-free… read more…
- What Is Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)?
When you’re getting started with investing, it’s important to research the options available to you. One such option, known as socially responsible investing (SRI), enables you to grow your money while doing good. It allows you to invest in social… read more…
- How Does Inheritance Work and What Should You Expect?
Inheritance is receiving assets from someone who has passed away. Many people are not prepared to pass on assets or receive them. As it turns out, the passing of property and assets doesn’t always go as expected or planned. Plus, though it may seem like a windfall, getting an inheritance is rarely as easy as… read more…
- Making an Investment Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
Making an investment plan involves more than just choosing a few stocks. You must also consider your current financial situation, as well as your goals for the future. It’s also important to define your timeline and determine how much risk you are willing to assume in order to determine your optimal asset allocation. These considerations… read more…
- How to Diversify Your Investment Portfolio
When creating an investment plan, understanding how to diversify your portfolio is one of the most important aspects. Diversification essentially means spreading your assets among a variety of investments. Doing this helps to mitigate risk and provides the potential to improve returns. A financial advisor can help you optimize an investment strategy for your financial… read more…
- What Is an Investment Advisor?
If you need help making investment decisions and managing your portfolio, you may want to seek the advice of an investment advisor. Investment advisors are basically financial advisors that, for a fee, provide guidance and management for your investment portfolio. These individuals… read more…
- Form ADV: What It Is and How to Read It
If you’re looking for a financial advisor, the Form ADV is an essential point of reference. In fact, this publicly available paperwork must be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by all financial advisor firms with more than… read more…
- What Is the Minimum You Need to Invest for a Mutual Fund?
Whether you’re new to investing or have been doing it for years, mutual funds offer a great way to invest your money. It allows you to invest in multiple stocks and bonds without the hassle of choosing and buying each… read more…
- What Is a Wrap Fee Program?
When you place your investments in the care of an investment manager or advisor, you’ll often run into various fees. The advisor can charge you a percentage of your assets, a transaction fee per trade, commission fees and more. To… read more…
- What Is a Wealth Manager?
A wealth manager is a subset of financial advisor that primarily offers high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients wealth management services. But a wealth manager’s role is far more comprehensive than just offering investment advice. They focus on a holistic suite of services… read more…
- 10 Best Investing Books for Beginners and Beyond
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned investor in need of a refresher, the best investing books can serve as a great way to sharpen your knowledge. With these best investing books for beginners, you can pick Peter Lynch’s brain, learn the history of Wall Street or simply decide if you are ready to… read more…
- How to Buy Bonds: A Complete Guide
There are a number of ways to buy bonds: directly from the U.S. Government, via a bond fund or with the help of a broker. Before you make your purchase, it’s important to understand what types of bonds there are, and how… read more…
- What Is an Institutional Investor?
Not all investors in the stock market are individuals who buy and sell their own hand-picked stocks and bonds. Some are large entities trading securities on a large scale, usually on behalf of individuals: Pension plans, mutual funds, commercial banks and more. Such entities are known as institutional investors, and they account for the majority… read more…
- What Is Carried Interest?
If you were paying close attention to the presidential race, you may have heard someone say something about carried interest. Or maybe you have finance friends who’ve mentioned this term in passing. Either way, if you’re not sure what carried… read more…
- What Is Arbitrage?
Arbitrage is the buying and selling of assets, profiting from the price difference between the price paid to buy and the price at the time of sale. In a successful arbitrage deal, the turn-around time between buying and selling is minimal and the transaction costs (the cost of buying the goods and bringing them to… read more…
- Top 6 Tips for Recession-Proofing Your Portfolio
Economic recessions are never pleasant. But they’re an unfortunate reality that investors have to deal with from time to time. While it’s impossible to predict when a recession will hit, there are often clues that warn of a potential economic… read more…
- Can You Micro Invest Your Way to Wealth?
One common misconception about investing is that you need a big bankroll to get started. Some financial technology companies are challenging that notion by bringing the concept of micro investing to the masses. The idea is simple: Instead of investing large… read more…
- What Is a Ponzi Scheme?
A Ponzi scheme is a kind of investment scam in which investors of longer standing are paid with the buy-in contributions of newer investors. To avoid collapse, a Ponzi scheme must secure a continual supply of new investors. When a Ponzi scheme is exposed or otherwise comes to an end investors face disastrous consequences. The most… read more…
- What Is Beyonce’s Net Worth?
Beyonce’s net worth is an estimated $265 million in 2016. Beyonce is an icon known for her electrifying performances and her empowering lyrics. At 35, she’s one of the youngest people on Forbes’ 2016 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. Read… read more…
- What Is Drake’s Net Worth?
Drake’s net worth is an estimated $60 million as of May 2016. The Canadian actor-turned-rapper’s annual earnings have risen, going from a reported $10 million in 2010 to $39.5 million in 2015. Today, he’s one of the wealthiest hip-hop artists. Here’s… read more…
- What Is Kanye West’s Net Worth?
Kanye West’s net worth is an estimated $145 million. West is one of the most polarizing figures in entertainment today. The outspoken rapper knows how to keep fans guessing with his unpredictable behavior. While we don’t know what he’ll do next,… read more…
- How to Calculate Your Net Worth
We seem to have a fascination with the net worth of celebrities, but the wealthy aren’t the only ones whose net worth is of interest. It’s a good idea to know your own net worth so you can assess the state of your assets and liabilities and figure out how to increase your financial stability.… read more…
- What Does the World Trade Organization Do?
Although the World Trade Organization (WTO) affects all of us, many people aren’t very familiar with it. You might remember hearing about it over the years since its beginnings in 1995. If you had no idea that it exists, don’t worry. We’ll explain what the organization does and discuss what critics have to say about it.… read more…
- What Is a Good Debt-to-Equity Ratio?
Investors often consider a company’s debt-to-equity ratio when evaluating the stock. If the number is roughly 4, it means that for every shareholder dollar, there is $4 of debt. What’s high or low, or good or bad, depends on the… read more…
- How a Presidential Election Year Can Impact the Economy
Each election year, many of us feel uncertain about the new personnel and policy changes that could be in store for our country. If there’s one thing we all can agree on, it’s that the presidential race is often filled with surprises. Election years can bring economic surprises as well. Here’s a look at how presidential… read more…