Category: Investing

  • Investing in a Roth as Part of College Education Planning

    A Roth IRA can be a smart way to save for a child’s education or fund continuing education classes. However, the key is to maintain the right amount of risk depending on when the money will be used for college expenses. Education Planning doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with the guidance of a respected…

  • Five Essentials for Early Retirement Planning

    Who wouldn’t want to retire early and pursue their own goals and desires? The problem is that without sensible retirement planning it can be difficult to save up enough to retire at 65 and even harder to get to that point early. To help, here are five things you can do to help get yourself there…

  • What are the Hidden Fees associated with Annuities?

    It’s not that there’s anything wrong with an investor paying fees for certain investments in their portfolio, but when it comes to annuities the key is ‘transparency,’ notes the WSJ’s article on getting to the bottom of hidden annuity fees. What are some of the fees carried by a popular annuity choice among investors, namely…

  • Are Investment Fees Tax Deductible?

    I was looking for a specific answer to this question and I found this great article from David Marotta on Forbes Magazine so I thought I would share on the blog. “I often get asked, “Are investment management fees tax deductible?” The answer is not a simple “yes” or “no.” Like many tax questions, the answer is…

  • Estate Planning and Investing for Retiring Baby Boomers

    Some baby boomers are skeptical about the stock market after being burned during the downturn 2008/2009. Now that the stock market has been booming for several years, it may be time to consider a financial planner who understands estate planning and investing as you close in on retirement. Having a will set up and assigning a…

  • Millennials and Their Money: 3 Tips for Overcoming Investing Fears

    When it comes to Millennials and their money, most Americans ages 18 to 29 would rather sit on a boat load of cash. They have a sinking feeling that investing in the stock market is like boarding the Titanic. According to a recent Bankrate.com study cited by a recent The Street article, younger people prefer…

  • What is Dollar Cost Averaging?

    Today we are going to discuss dollar cost averaging (DCA) and how it is most likely helping your retirement portfolio. “Dollar Cost Averaging-  The technique of buying a fixed dollar amount of a particular investment on a regular schedule, regardless of the share price. More shares are purchased when prices are low, and fewer shares…

  • 3 Reasons to Roll Over an Old 401K to an IRA

    After leaving a company, former employees can usually opt to keep their 401K or move the money over into a Rollover IRA. The benefits of rolling over old employer 401ks often outweigh the negatives. 1. Opening up new opportunities Most 401K or company-sponsored retirement plans offer only a small selection of mutual funds, target-date funds…

  • Is it Safe?

    Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that investors face is determining if “right now” is a SAFE time to invest (meaning not just the present, but any time). What makes it difficult for investors is a twofold issue: first, is a lack of historical knowledge and perspective, and second, their own emotions. Actually, if one…