The S&P 500 Index is the most commonly tracked investment benchmark in the United States. When you hear about a portfolio manager “beating the market,” chances are it is in reference to outperforming the S&P 500. Read More

Canada has been an income investor’s playscape for decades. That reputation is mainly thanks to Canadian trusts, which aren’t taxed at the corporate level as long as they pay out the bulk of earnings as dividends. That’s allowed them to… Read More

In tough economic times, a high debt load can cripple a company. But when business is good, that debt can actually be a real benefit. That’s because equity comprises just a small part of the company’s total enterprise value (… Read More

My guess is you haven’t brought the Restoring American Financial Stability Act (the official name of the just-passed financial reform act) to the lake with you this summer. At 2,300 pages and filled with 100-word sentences written in complex legalese, the bill — signed into law with… Read More

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) just got with the program. The company announced Friday morning that it will increase its existing stock buyback program by $7.5 billion and modestly boost its dividend. Suddenly, using hefty cash balances to buy back stock… Read More

A seldom mentioned emerging market country is nurturing a future oil giant. Few are aware that Colombia is a growing and dynamic economy. Many people think of Colombia as a violent and lawless place dominated by drug cartels, or perhaps even… Read More

The banking industry still has a rocky road ahead of it as it struggles to shake the hangover headache from the financial meltdown that tipped the U.S. economy into recession. A quick check of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s website paints… Read More

I attended an investment conference last week and listened to a number of business updates from leading financial institutions. The vast majority are staying extremely conservative with their lending activities and are waiting for more tangible signs of an economic recovery before they start shifting gears from surviving the credit… Read More

As income investors, we can get caught up in yields… almost to a fault. But there is something else you should be studying that could make just as big a difference to your long-term returns: dividend growth. That’s because dividend… Read More

A 10% yield is high in any market. In today’s market, it’s stratospheric. The S&P 500 is only yielding 2% and a three-year CD currently pays about 1.77% on average. Is a 10% yield too good to be true? Often it is. A… Read More