Is this a reasonable plan? I feel that the fixed annuity will represent a large part of my fixed income allocation and allow the remainder of my portfolio to remain in a 75/25 ratio. Q. As you probably know, within the last 9 months several new funds have been created that seem to offer an…
ReadHere we are on the edge of a new Millennium knee deep in visions of unending revolutionary change It makes me tired just thinking about it let alone girding to experience it If you have similar feelings then read on because this years' list of Fearless Predictions will not be devoted to the…
ReadEven more than when I wrote that in 1996, predicting a new rush of mega mansions, the power currency of the day is common stock. It certainly isnt dollars. Have some stock and everything in the world is cheap, getting cheaper. Have none and things look pricey. The Home/Stock…
ReadA. Sorry, this doesnt fly. First, it creates an unnecessary tax expense, probably enough to pay for much of your travel. If, for instance, you are in the 28 percent tax bracket, youll need to withdraw $76,389 from your account, $21,389 for income taxes and $55,000 to pay off the mortgage. …
ReadCouch Potato Paper #1: Call it the Great Pacifier of Investing. Long term, common stocks produce an average return of just over 10 per cent a year. Better still, the longer you hold your investment, the greater the probability it will provide the long-term average return. The printed…
ReadWhat would you think of a corporation that was heading for its 30th year of losses What would you say if the company offered hokey numbers as an action plan when it’s source of financing finally demanded they become profitable or liquidate And what if you were a shareholder in that corporation…
ReadIts one of those ice water questions: How do stocks or funds do after you write about them? While I like to think that my job is to be a critical and analytical reporter, with the emphasis on reporting, it remains that I try not to write about investments that I think are about to bomb. I…
ReadI would like to pay off our 7.5 percent house note. We are in the 28 percent tax bracket. I felt the broker was pushing his interest as well as mine. Why must I use a broker anyway?
ReadThe answer is simple: buy his book and read it. It will cost you less than one commission at a major online brokerage firm. Markmans book is different. While it provides a virtual encyclopedia of websites, it starts with the models he uses for creating the portfolios that are tracked on the…
ReadBut it isnt. The Dow is the figure we hear on radio and TV to give us a general notion of how the stock market is doing. Comprised of 30 major industrial stocks, it was once a key indicator for the performance of our economy. Now four old economy stocks— Chevron, Goodyear, Sears, and Union…
ReadHeres what I suggest. First, dont buy any more. Keep some money available and start learning. Second, move your money out of the non-index funds and put it all in the index. This will reduce the total expense burden and increase the odds of enjoying superior performance. Third, when you can…
ReadNow imagine a busy professional who bills out at, say, $150 an hour. For her, the opportunity cost of shopping— what she could have earned by working instead of shopping— is destructive. Spend two hours comparison-shopping and that person has just lost the purchase price of the Palm Pilot V!…
Read