At mid-year, how are your investments doing and what should we expect for the remainder of the year? Certified Financial Planner Paul Fain reviews your portfolio. PAUL, LET’S START WITH STOCK INVESTMENTS…HOW DID THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR GO? 7% U.S. Large Companies: The widely-quoted S&P 500 index of large company stocks rallied…
Fun Facts about Stock Ownership Owning shares of stock in a company makes you an owner of that company and some companies treat their shareholders like real owners – giving them discounts and rewards on products and services. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SHAREHOLDER PERKS… Kimberly Clark and 3M: Gift boxes with an…
Interest rates are an important part of everyone’s lives! Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) began to gradually increase key interest rates in December 2015 from a record low of near zero. The expectation is that the Fed will continue raising rates in 2018 and 2019 (See Fed Chart.) On the…
When the stock market gyrates, especially those downturns in prices, millions of investors start watching the “ticker tape” – sometimes hour by hour. It is easy to get lost in the stock market lingo – here’s a quick glossary of terms. LET’S START WITH TERMS LIKE “CORRECTION” AND “BEAR MARKET” – WHAT DO…
My youngest child, a college freshman, recently sent me a long text discussing the potential opportunities for Bitcoin miners. As we know, last year, Bitcoin rocketed from $1,000 to $20,000 before splashing down below $9,000. I know an 80-year old investor who has shifted most of his portfolio into stocks, particularly into healthcare and…
My family has Appalachian kinfolk who will predict your future by reading coffee grounds. Of course, you could just visit a fortune teller in Pigeon Forge. While I don’t know the track records of mountain folk divinations or palm readers, I do enjoy keeping an annual “Forecasting” folder to review the predictive powers of the…
The recent spike in market volatility has left many investors concerned about their portfolios and uncertain as to how a rise in interest rates impacts their bond investments. LET’S START WITH BONDS 101, HOW DO BONDS WORK AND WHY DO WE BUY THEM? Bonds are generally conservative investments and they produce income –…
The U.S. stock market recently entered correction territory – dropping about 10% – for the first time in two years. The increased market volatility continues to rattle investors. What is causing the market decline and what should you do about it? Here are 8 tips for your investment strategy. WHAT IS CAUSING RECENT MARKET…
Is Bitcoin a Digital Currency or a Digital Tulip Bulb mania? Many investors are wondering if electronic money deserve a place in their portfolios. WHAT IS BITCOIN? Simply put, Bitcoin is a digital currency also called a “cryptocurrency.” It is a form of code made by computers and stored in a digital wallet. Transactions…
How do you select a mutual fund to invest in? Well, for one thing, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal challenged the notion of relying on “star ratings” to make your picks. WHAT IS THIS HULLABALU ABOUT THE STAR RATINGS ON MUTUAL FUNDS? Morningstar research rates funds from 1-star (low) to 5-star…