How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? When I was first learning about exchange-traded funds (ETFs), I make a mistake that cost me a good chunk of my total nest egg. I wanted to move away from individual stocks, and I knew that ETFs were a good way to … Continue reading Make Sure You Know What You’re Investing In
Do you have a sizable amount of cash sitting in the bank earning almost nothing in interest? This could include your emergency fund, which may in some cases be as large as 12 months' worth of expenses, though most of the time only 3 months' worth needs to be immediately available. This could also include … Continue reading Money Sitting In The Bank? Consider Treasuries
You may be aware of home bias when it comes to investing, which is the tendency to oversaturate a portfolio with investments from your home country at the expense of international exposure. However, have you ever considered the biases of financial analysts, whose job it is to make stock recommendations (from buy to sell) and … Continue reading Beware Of Financial Analyst Location Bias
I was recently looking up statistics on stock ownership broken down by subgroup (income level, education, age, race/ethnicity, gender, and political party affiliation), and I was surprised to discover that while around 60% of both Democrats and Republicans own stocks (61% and 65%, respectively), only 53% of Independents invest in the stock market. This is … Continue reading Why Do Fewer Independents Own Stocks Than Democrats and Republicans?
What is a stock? A stock is a financial instrument, or monetary contract, denoting partial ownership of a corporation. A unit of stock is called a share. A company issues shares when it divides ownership among investors or employees. Both public and private companies may issue shares, but they are traded and valued differently. The … Continue reading Stocks: Answers To Common Questions
With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, my heart goes out to all the Ukrainians and their relatives and friends around the world. War is a terrible thing, and the needless suffering of innocent people is heartbreaking. That said, during tumultuous times, people often wonder how their personal finances may be affected. This may seem … Continue reading How Does War Affect The U.S. Stock Market?
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the highest unemployment rate (14.8% in April 2020) since the Great Recession. Millions were out of jobs and struggled to make ends meet. As states eased restrictions and began to reopen, the economy has geared up to return to the pre-pandemic normal. More than a year has passed since then, … Continue reading Be Wary about Job Scams that Promise You Quick Ways to Wealth
A recent survey by MagnifyMoney found that a significant portion of investors, particularly younger investors, have taken on debt to invest. Out of about 1000 investors surveyed, 40% took on debt to invest. Here's how that broke down by age group: Generation Percent who took on debt to invest Z80%Millennials60%X28% Baby boomers 9% Of those … Continue reading Don’t Take Out Personal Loans To Invest
Investing can be simple, or it can be quite complex. For most people, simplicity is the best choice. Just invest in a total market or S&P 500 index fund, and you'll be good to go (check out The Simple Way To Become A Millionaire). This allows you to take advantage of compounding in the stock … Continue reading Why I Like Covered Calls
One of the biggest weak points for an investor is the emotional component to watching your money rise and fall. Most investors underperform the market, and a big reason for that is emotional investing. People tend to buy into the market when it rises for fear of missing out on gains, and then they sell … Continue reading Why You Should Be Careful About Reference Points When Investing
Cozy Nest Egg 