Ever since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed off on the 1935 Social Security Act, most Americans have ended up pondering this critical question as they approach retirement: “When should I (or we) start taking my (or our) Social Security?” And yet, the “right” answer to this common query remains as elusive as ever. It depends […]
MARKET TERM OF THE WEEK: “Qualified Charitable Distribution” A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows individuals who are 72 years old or older to donate up to $100,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA instead of taking their required minimum distributions. FACT 1: The S&P 500’s 1.37% gain in […]
MARKET TERM OF THE WEEK: “Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)” Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is defined as gross income minus adjustments to income. Gross income includes your wages, dividends, capital gains, business income, retirement distributions as well as other income. Adjustments to Income include such items as Educator expenses, Student loan interest, charitable giving or contributions […]
Fiduciary Advice- How do you know when an investment recommendation is worth heeding? Red tape and legal jargon aside, it’s about finding an advisor who exemplifies a few simple ideals: “There’s no confusion in the minds of investors as to what they want. They’re very clear. They want somebody they trust who makes recommendations that […]
MARKET TERM OF THE WEEK: “Volatility” Stocks that move up and down wildly are known as volatile stocks. They can provide great profit opportunities, but also come with greater risk. FACT 1: Researchers conducting a study in the UK found that more than 200 employees who had access to and used a company gym were […]
From robotic arms to robotic bees (as featured in this 2017 NPR piece), the future looks bright for new and potentially improved ways to enhance our lives with robotics. Lately, “robo-advisors” have been capturing the fancy of the financial press, promising to take over investment decisions that have traditionally demanded human intervention. Will robo-advisors […]
As recent global markets continue to test the patience of even some of the most stoic among us, how are you holding up? Are you finding it feasible (if not necessarily fun) to stick with your existing strategy, or have you been eying it with increasing suspicion of late? If you fall into the latter […]
Patience and Personal Persistence So far in our investment basics series, we’ve explored the history of investing; how important it is to save (so you have money to invest); how to invest efficiently in broad markets; and why to avoid chasing or fleeing rising or falling prices. By applying these logistics, you are much better […]
The Price You Pay Matters In our last piece, we described our marvelous markets, and how to account for their being both robust and random at the same time. Today, we’ll look at how stock pricing works, and why Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe was correct when he reminded us: “Asset prices are not determined […]
Our Marvelous Markets In our last piece, we introduced the importance of saving, which is the first of five basics that have served investors well over time. Today, we’ll look at where stock market returns really come from, and why that matters to your investing. You can’t invest if you haven’t saved. Markets are inspired […]