The most important thing to know as an investor is that the future is uncertain. No matter what kind of analysis and forecast study is conducted, the future is always a mystery. But there are rules of thumb investors can rely upon when it comes to forecasting the future course… Read More

By the simplest of measures, it was a good year for stocks. The S&P 500 rose 12%, extending a bull market that began in March 2009. Yet the bull is showing his age. Sharp… Read More

Bill Gates has a secret. It’s something very few people know. For the most part, only those who closely follow his business or work with him are aware of this secret. As the second wealthiest person on Earth, with a net worth… Read More

My dad has been running our family farm in northern Illinois for more than 40 years. I grew up riding tractors, feeding cows and running through cornfields, though admittedly I never took to the business of farming. Growing up on the farm, I knew one thing for certain: Every single… Read More

Bill Gates has a secret. It’s something very few people know. For the most part, only those who closely follow his business or work with him are aware of this secret. As the second wealthiest person on Earth, with a net worth of about $65 billion, Gates stepped down from the lead role at Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) a few years ago to dedicate his life to philanthropy. He is already credited with giving away nearly $30 billion through the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Foundation — the largest transparently operated nonprofit foundation in… Read More

Bill Gates has a secret. It’s something very few people know. For the most part, only those who closely follow his business or work with him are aware of this secret. As the second wealthiest person on Earth, with a net worth of about $65 billion, Gates stepped down from the lead role at Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) a few years ago to dedicate his life to philanthropy. He is already credited with giving away nearly $30 billion through the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Foundation — the largest transparently operated nonprofit foundation in the world. The foundation has noble goals of easing poverty and enhancing health care worldwide. It is estimated this foundation will have saved 8 million lives by 2020. The Gates Foundation is so well respected that other well-known executives are also part of it. Warren Buffett, for instance, sits on the board of directors and has pledged the majority of his wealth to the cause. You can’t get much better of an endorsement than from the Oracle… Read More

Each week, one of our investing experts answers a readers question in our InvestingAnswers’ Q&A column. It’s all part of our mission to help consumers build and protect their wealth through education. If you’d like us to answer one of your questions,… Read More

Ever wonder how the most successful investors do it, correctly calling stock picks time and again?   They must know something you don’t, you think, something that gives them that extra edge. Well, you’re right. And it’s easier than you think.   #-ad_banner-#One of the least… Read More

Growth, for its own sake, has tripped up many companies — and investors, for that matter. Every year around this time, financial publications publish their list of America’s fastest-growing companies. And their advertising departments love them. These are often the most popular… Read More

Investing in a stock isn’t throwing your money into a poker pot and betting you’ll magically become rich overnight.  When you “buy” a stock, you’re not buying a… Read More

The “January Effect“ is a well-known market phenomenon famous for causing the stock market to rally during the month in most years. It’s considered an anomaly because it’s not driven by the market’s forces. Read More