Why Global Investors Are Worried About European Debt
European Union officials recently announced an agreement to rescue debt-laden Greece for a second time.
Settling on a Salary
It’s somewhat disheartening that 40% of working Americans in Charleston, Miami, Charlotte and Atlanta believe they will never save enough money to retire.1 There may be nothing you love more than running your business today.
What Kind of Investor Are You?
Most Americans seem to understand that to pursue financial gains through investing, they typically must assume some level of risk.
What Do Price/Earnings Ratios Really Have to Offer?
With an abundance of market information literally at investors’ fingertips, the price/earnings ratios of publicly traded companies are easier than ever to find but often more difficult to interpret.
Tax-Efficient Investments for the Tax-Averse
Raising taxes is one of many ideas that have been proposed to help reduce mounting federal budget deficits. Yet some taxpayers are already facing the prospect of higher taxes as a result of health-reform legislation passed in 2009.
ETFs for the Conservative Investor
Investment in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has grown substantially since the first ETF was introduced in 1993.
Giving Strategies That Can Give Back
A recent survey in 136 countries suggests that spending money to help others may be a universal source of personal happiness.1 Americans seem to take this to heart, giving more than $290 billion to charity in 2010, even with the slow economy.2
When making a substantial donation to a specific charit
Why use Independent Advisors ? Growth, Value or Both?
More than half of Americans have direct investments in the stock market, and it’s probably safe to say that they would like their investments to grow.1Most investors would also like to believe their investments have value.
Federal Estate Tax Is Much Lower — For Now
The federal estate tax was repealed in 2010, then reinstated by the 2010 Tax Relief Act with new provisions for 2011 and 2012. These provisions include a higher exemption amount and a lower tax rate that could ease or eliminate the tax burden on many estates.
Evaluating Life Insurance Needs
Because life insurance typically becomes more expensive as we age, many people may believe they can’t afford to purchase coverage later in life.
Layer Cake… Good, but do you know what you are getting into?
There was a good film in 2004 that starred the infamous Daniel Craig called Layer Cake. Essentially the film is a gangster thriller, portraying a convoluted set of illegal drug transactions… hard to keep up with if you blink.
Reaching critical mass… the way businesses become efficient for their customers and clients.
The reason Walmart can charge such low prices (and yes, I do shop there) is that the store reached “critical mass” many many years ago. The reason supermarkets offer “buy one, get one free” is because their suppliers reached “critical mass” many years ago.
It’s not what you make… It’s what you keep
Last Monday was Memorial Day Weekend, henceforth I gave our readers and followers a well earned break and time to remember those who deserve honor.
How to keep fees simple on your investment portfolio
Remember the times when you as the client would phone up your broker and make a trade to buy a stock, or a bond, or a fund? You usually asked what the commission was going to be, or at least an approximation.
There are many people in the world in which we live continuing with such modus operandi.
Basic Concept: Gross Return - Total Fees = Net Return on Portfolio
This equation is relatively basic knowledge for most people. However, the true quandry lies in finding all of the "Total Fees". How does one truly find all of the "Total Fees" in their porfolio.
