Market news, retirement advice & planning tips.
Many people have heard the Benjamin Franklin quote, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Mutual fund taxes can be onerous. However, if you understand the complexities…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Most people know something about the stock market, but many investors who see stock as a way to get rich quick might not understand exactly what stock is and how…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Zero-coupon bonds (“zeros”) represent a type of bond that does not pay interest during the life of the bond. Instead, investors buy these bonds at a steep discount from the…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Bonds are issued by federal, state, and local governments; agencies of the U.S. government; and corporations. There are three basic types of bonds: U.S. Treasury, municipal, and corporate. Treasury Securities…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
When you invest in bonds, you are investing in the debt of a government entity or a corporation. A bond is simply evidence of a debt and represents a long-term…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Bond ratings gauge a bond issuer’s financial ability to repay its promised principal and interest payments. Ratings are based on an analysis of the issuer’s financial condition and creditworthiness. In…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
In 1884, Charles Henry Dow averaged the closing prices of 11 stocks he considered representative of the strength of the U.S. economy in a paper that preceded The Wall Street…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Closed-end funds have been around since 1893, more than 30 years before the first mutual fund (also known as an open-end fund) was created in the United States. However, closed-end…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
Taken by itself, the word "risk" sounds negative. But broken down into what it really stands for in terms of investing, it begins to be a little more manageable. By…
KenFebruary 12, 2014
When it comes to investing their money, many people are content to take a random approach. They may have received a hot tip for a particular investment and decided to…
KenFebruary 12, 2014