IS IT TIME TO MOVE CASH INTO EQUITIES?

Are we looking at a great buying opportunity?

A super Tuesday renews a lot of hope. October risked being the worst month for stocks in decades until the amazing rally on October 28. Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had its second biggest point gain ever, rising a mindblowing 889.35 (10.88% in a single trading [...]

FED CUTS RATES TO 1.0%

Another major cut, and a (mostly) minor market reaction.

As expected, a 50 basis point cut. On Wednesday, October 29, the Federal Reserve reduced the benchmark U.S. interest rate half a point to 1.0%, by a unanimous 10-0 vote of the Federal Open Market Committee. The FOMC also voted 10-0 to lower the discount [...]

DO YOU NEED A FINANCIAL PLANNER?

What do they do? And should you have one?

What does a financial planner do? Well, that depends. Many individuals refer to themselves as “financial planners”, but not all perform true multidisciplinary financial planning. Investment, insurance and tax professionals sometimes specialize in certain areas of financial planning (such as retirement planning, estate [...]

MAKING INVESTMENT DECISIONS

Are your choices based on evidence or emotion?

Information vs. instinct. When it comes to investing, many people believe they have a “knack” for choosing good investments. But what exactly is that “knack” based on? The fact is, the choices we make with our assets can be strongly influenced by factors, many [...]

FOUR WORDS YOU SHOULDN’T BELIEVE

These are the words that make investors irrational.

“This time is different.” Beware those four little words. They are perhaps the most dangerous words an investor can believe in. If you believe “this time is different,” you are mentally positioning yourself to exit the stock market and make impulsive, short-sighted decisions with your [...]

MORTGAGE POINTS

Do you understand them? And can you deduct them?

Mortgages come with “points” – a polite synonym for fees or premiums that your lender charges for loan origination or refinancing. The math on points is simple: one point equals 1% of the amount of the loan you take out, two points equal 2%, [...]

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR PENSION PLAN IS?

What do you really know about pension plans?

How’s your pension plan doing? Many people know they have a pension plan, but they’re not quite sure how it works, how stable it is, or exactly how their money is invested. The details are often hazy.

Pension plans are also called “defined benefit” plans [...]

THE GROWING POPULARITY OF etfs

Why are investors turning to exchange-traded funds?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become fundamental instruments in the pursuit of tax-efficient investing. ETFs have low operating costs, so they represent intriguing alternatives to garden-variety mutual funds that can gradually “nickel and dime” an investor.
The fees are minimal. With their very low charges and management fees, ETFs [...]

HOW FEES NEGATIVELY IMPACT 401(k)s

The little costs that eat away at your retirement savings.

Your 401(k) offers you an outstanding retirement savings vehicle … with fees attached. Some of these fees are hard to detect unless you read the fine, fine print about what’s going on with your investments. Over time, those fees will actually cut into [...]

The new 403(b) Regulations

Changes are coming – check now to see if they affect your investments.

For the first time in 45 years, the rules governing 403(b) plans have changed. So this is the time to review your account and see if your investments can continue under the changes.
Your employer has to put everything in writing. By [...]