It’s natural to look at the New Year as a time to evaluate your investments’ performance, and with the bull market in stocks heading into its ninth year, some investors are worried about what the stock market will do in 2017. However, most investors shouldn’t dwell on what the coming year may bring for stocks.
Category: Personal Finance
Traditional IRA vs. Annuity: Which Is Right for You?
It’s estimated that at least one out of every three Americans has no retirement savings in place. If you don’t have access to an employer-sponsored 401 plan, you’ll need to be especially proactive in identifying a retirement savings solution.
A Republican Privatization of Social Security Is a Real Possibility
Social Security was among the most important issues heading into the 2016 election. Yet, interestingly enough, it wasn’t paid very much attention during the debates, which is surprising when you consider that 61% of current retired beneficiaries count on Social Security to provide at least half of their monthly income.
Can Automatic Savings Plans Solve America’s Retirement Woes?
It’s no secret that Americans’ retirement readiness is abysmal. According to a 2013 study , more than half of American households won’t be able to live as comfortably in retirement as they did while working.
5 Smart IRA Moves You Can Make in 2017
Your IRA shouldn’t just be something you toss a little money into every year or two. According to the 2016 Retirement Confidence Survey published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, about 29% of workers expect their IRAs to be a major source of income in retirement.
Hidden Fees Cost Consumers Billions: Which Ones Are the Worst?
Fees for common items like mortgages, credit cards, bank accounts and online deliverables, among many others, can really add up, and do hit consumers hard in the pocketbook. That goes double for so-called “hidden fees” – shadowy charges on goods and services that buyers usually don’t know about.
Why Tyson Foods, Inc. Stock Gained 16% in 2016
The meat processor benefited from strong profit growth in the first half of the year, though the stock fell in the closing months as commodity prices dropped and CEO Donnie Smith announced his retirement. Tyson Foods kicked off the year with a blowout earnings report in February as the stock jumped 16% in two days.
Why Taking Social Security Early Takes a Permanent Toll on Your Monthly Check
In this video from the Motley Fool Answers podcast,Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp welcome Sean Gates to the show as they answer listener questions. This listener wants to know more about the country’s biggest entitlement program and how it works.
When Is It Best to Claim Your Social Security Benefits?
Roughly one-third of Americans rely on Social Security for more than 90% of their retirement income, so choosing when to claim Social Security can be one of the most difficult and most important decisions you face in your 50s and 60s. If you’re struggling to decide when to claim your Social Security benefits, you’re not alone.
United Airlines Can’t Get Rid of the Boeing 747 Fast Enough
United Airlines has been flying one version or another of Boeing’s iconic jumbo jet since 1970. However, United’s management recently decided to accelerate the retirement of the carrier’s remaining 747s for the second time in less than a year.
These 3 Deals Show Just How Desperate Sears Holdings Is
Sears has time and again had to resort to one-time infusions of cash simply to keep the lights on at its Sears and Kmart stores. Image source: Sears Holdings.
To cut down on clutter, cut up some of your credit cards
From now until the end of January, I’m encouraging people to clean both their real house and their financial house. It’s the 2017 #NoDebtNoMess Color of Money Challenge.
Stock picks for Trump era
The S&P 500 returned +1.82% in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 9.54% for the year-to-date. The year-to-date return of 9.54% is impressive given that market pundits had predicted a fall in stocks on a Trump win.
Instant Analysis: HCP Names a New CEO
He is a familiar presence in HCP’s C-suite. He joined the company last June as its Chief Financial Officer, having previously served in the same position at residential REIT, United Dominion Realty Trust , from early 2013 until then.
Chicagoa s Rise in Violence Hurting Citya s Small Businesses
Chicago police officer investigate a crime scene of a gunshot victim in Chicago, Illinois, United States, July 5, 2015. Extra police patrols and long shifts were not enough to prevent nine deaths and about 50 injuries from gun violence in Chicago … over the Fourth of July weekend, when homicides jump almost every year.
Bank of America Kicks Off Bank Earnings With a Profit Beat
Bank of America said its fourth-quarter profit rose 43% as its trading desk benefited from the uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s surprise election. Quarterly profit at the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank grew to $4.7 billion, from $3.28 billion a year earlier.
Market Recon: Now Our Attention Turns to Earnings Season
“I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it’s possible.” — Milton Friedman The markets are coming off of a wild Thursday session that saw equities sell off rather harshly and then rally most of the way back.
Square Inc’s Best Moves in 2016
At times, the market couldn’t tell whether the company was making a turn toward profitability or falling down a rabbit hole of losses it may never emerge from. Amid the market turmoil, Square made some solid moves that expand its capabilities for customers and will help grow revenue organically — and there’s evidence the plan is working.
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The retail sector has been a treacherous one over the past few years, due to heavy competition from e-tailers and cutthroat competition among brick-and-mortar players. Therefore, it’s easy for investors to step on landmines across the sector if they’re not careful.
Home Equity Line of Credit Rates to Rise; What Should You Do?
Mortgage rates may be a mystery; they move up one day and down the next, often befuddling the experts. However, the prime rate, which is the foundation for the interest you’re charged on home equity lines of credit , is a bit more transparent.
What Is the Tax Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled?
Seniors today face a world of expenses, from housing to transportation to healthcare . Similarly, those who are disabled often have difficulty making ends meet, especially when their conditions render them unable to work.
SoFi: A Financial Services Provider That Is So Not Wall Street
In the old days, banks were imposing granite buildings housing massive vaults and offering 3% on savings and 6% mortgages. Later they morphed into unassuming suburban branches distinguished from fast-food outlets primarily by having multiple drive-through lanes.
REIT ETFs Are Making a Comeback
Real estate investment trusts weakened since the summer months on prospects of a rising interest rate environment, but sector-related exchange traded funds are clawing back after Donald Trump won the elections. The Vanguard REIT ETF , the largest REIT ETF, has gained 2.3% over the past month.
How Paying Small Businesses Faster Can Boost Jobs
Jean-Noel Barrot is assistant professor of finance at MIT Sloan School of Management. This piece originally appeared at The Conversation .
Pace of Canadian housing starts rises in December: CMHC
CMHC said housing starts were higher in December on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, but added that the six-month trend was down. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts across the country rose to 207,041 units in December, up from 187,273 units in November, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported Tuesday.
Rates fall at weekly US Treasury bill auction
Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills fell in Monday’s auction, with rates on six-month bills dropping to their lowest level since early November. The Treasury Department auctioned $34 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.510 percent, down from 0.530 percent last week.
Asian Millionaires Fund European Soccer Teams in Hunt for Yield
Wealthy Asian investors unwilling to splurge on owning their own European soccer teams are showing their enthusiasm by helping fund the sport. Sales of football finance notes, backed by television rights of soccer clubs, doubled to $11 million last month from the amount issued in April, when they were opened to investors in the region, according to data from Swiss-Asia Holding Pte.
Top Oil Stocks to Buy in 2017
Between OPEC’s recent plans to decrease output by up to 1.2 million barrels per day, another nearly half-million barrels that some non-OPEC oil countries are set to cut, and a million-barrel drop in North American daily production since the peak in 2015, oil prices look poised to surge at some point in the next year or so. After all, global oil and refined product stocks won’t last forever, and while oil output has steadily fallen, consumption has increased.
Interactive Brokers or TradeKing: Comparing Online Brokerage Accounts
Are you ready to start investing in stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds? You’ll need to open a brokerage account , which can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. But to avoid getting lost in the weeds, we think you can save some time and mental energy by focusing on the differences that are most meaningful to investors.
Life Inside A Shenzhen Hardware Accelerator
China has a city built to help people make things. And startup founders from around the world are flocking to it.
Mortgage Rates Dipped At Year-End, But Buyers Shouldn’t Get Too Excited
After a big run-up in mortgage rates after the Federal Reserve boosted its benchmark interest rates in mid-December, mortgage rates are in a moderate decline in the last week. On Tuesday, January 3, the average 30-year mortgage rate slid one basis point, from 3.96% to 3.95%, according to Zillow.com.
Interactive Brokers vs. TradeStation: Comparing Ways to Buy Stocks Online
Once you’ve mastered the basics of personal finance, it may be time to start thinking about how you can start growing your wealth for the future. You’ll need to open a brokerage account to get started, a dizzying process that can be complicated by the many different features of modern brokerage services.
3 Top Balance Transfer Credit Cards for 2017
If you’re starting 2017 with credit card debt, now’s a great time to decide to pay it down and stop giving away your money to credit card companies. If you’re struggling to make a dent in your balances or simply want to pay them off faster, a 0% APR balance transfer could be a smart move for you.
Fairfax Said in Talks With OMERS to Back $4.9 Billion Takeover
Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. is in talks with the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System to see if the pension fund will help finance his $4.9 billion takeover of Allied World Assurance Co., according to a person familiar with the discussions. OMERS could take a minority stake in Zug, Switzerland-based Allied, and there have also been talks with other potential backers, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential matter.
Vanguard’s $305 Billion Take From Investors in 2016 Sets Record
Vanguard Group, the world’s largest mutual fund manager, said it attracted a record $305 billion last year — an annual total that some firms need decades to reach. Vanguard’s take, which tops the firm’s previous record of $276.4 billion in 2015, includes $93 billion that went into exchange-traded funds, up from $76 billion the year before, spokesman John Woerth wrote in an e-mail.
Tillerson Discloses Global Assets of as Much as $400 Million
Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. secretary of state, disclosed assets worth as much as $400 million in a federal ethics filing that reflected investments spanning more than a dozen nations. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Tillerson will recuse himself for a year from government decisions involving Exxon Mobil Corp., where he served as chairman and chief executive officer until Jan. 1, according to a separate filing posted by the Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday.
Brokers for Long-Term Investors: Interactive Brokers vs. Charles Schwab
When you’re ready to start investing, you’ll need to open a brokerage account to place your orders. Many investors now use online discount brokers for self-directed accounts to make trades quickly, conveniently, and inexpensively.Today we’ll look at two of the largest brokers out there, Interactive Brokers and Charles Schwab , to see how they compare on factors that are important to investors.
6 Tax Deductions Homeowners Won’t Want to Miss
Though there are plenty of good reasons to buy a home, owning property can be a costly prospect. From maintenance to insurance to real estate taxes, there are numerous costs that come with buying a home.
2017 Mortgage Rate Outlook: The Trump Effect
For the first time in almost a year, mortgage rates are above 4%. While still low by historic standards – the annual average rate on a 30-year mortgage in 1981 was 16.63%, according to Freddie Mac – most observers expect rates to keep climbing in 2017.
Why You Should Add Liability Insurance to Your New Year’s Resolutions
Umbrella liability insurance costs about $150 to $200 a year, but it covers what your home and auto policies won’t. In any situation where you can be held liable for someone else’s injury, misfortune or death, liability insurance comes in handy.