March 2014 Blog: Can You Win “Investment” Gold?
It’s not often that we can gain investment insights from an 18-year-old wunderkind. Many of us marveled at the performance of American Mikaela Shiffrin at the Sochi Winter Olympics, where she became the youngest Olympic slalom champion. What makes Shiffrin remarkable is not only her success, but also her approach [...]
What return are you really earning on your money?
If you're like most people, you probably want to know what return you might expect before you invest. But to translate a given rate of return into actual income or growth potential, you'll need to understand the difference between nominal return and real return, and how that difference can affect [...]
Plan Now for Year-End Investment Changes
You might not enjoy sitting down to do year-end investment planning, but at least this fall you can make plans with greater certainty. For the last three years, investment planning has meant trying to anticipate possible changes in tax law; for tax year 2013 and beyond, you know for sure [...]
What Rate of Return Can Stock Market Investing Provide?
That depends on many factors, including your time frame and the types of stocks involved. Many retirement planning calculators project a portfolio's future value based on historical returns. However, past performance is no guarantee of future results, and you should take any such assumptions with a grain of salt. You [...]
When Market Volatility Is Most Dangerous
When Is Market Volatility Most Dangerous? Though a market downturn generally isn't fun for most people, its timing can have a greater impact on some investors than on others. For example, a market downturn can have greater significance for retirees than for those who are still accumulating assets. And it [...]
Asset Class Review: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Many investors whose incomes are suffering from low interest rates have begun to seek investment alternatives to help supplement those incomes. One possibility often suggested is a real estate investment trust (REIT). REITs are a way to invest in commercial real estate without the responsibility of managing a property yourself, [...]
The Great Investment Debate: Active versus Passive
Recently, one of my clients asked my opinion about “actively” managed investments, as compared to “passive” strategies which attempt to track the performance of a particular index. This is not usually the stuff of interesting dinner table conversations, but I do think it is a great question and one that [...]
Just How Risky is Your Portfolio?
If you're like most people, you probably evaluate your portfolio in terms of its return. However, return isn't the only factor you should consider; also important is the amount of risk you take in pursuing those returns. The term "risk" is often understood to mean the risk of loss. However, [...]
High-Yield Bonds: The Pros and Cons
Interest rates at historically low levels are great for those looking to refinance a mortgage or borrow money to start a business. However, people who rely on their investments for income have sought out a variety of alternatives to rock-bottom yields on U.S. Treasuries, including high-yield bonds. If you're considering [...]