Stocks have been on a tear the past few months — no doubt about that. Investors who bought in at the market’s March 6 ebb have seen a +52.8% return in the the S&P 500. Even investors who entered the market at the beginning of the year have seen a… Read More
Investing Basics
When Enron’s accounting fraud came to light and the company went bankrupt, Enron employees not only lost their jobs, they lost an estimated $850 million on the Enron stock held in their retirement accounts. Bear Sterns… Read More
The government usually doesn’t make things easy. Take tax forms. Or consider the Postal Service. But rules were made to be broken. Washington’s latest pronouncement is turning the difficult task of making money in a recession into a walk in the park —… Read More
Conventional wisdom is that stocks outperform bonds. That’s wrong. Fact: Investors who buck conventional wisdom and buy bonds are more likely to see better results than investors who focus solely on equities. Don’t let anyone tell you that bonds are staid, stodgy or that they’ll… Read More
Investing even modest sums over time can build affluence. But don’t put the cart before the horse. You’re not ready to build wealth until you understand your overall financial situation and take several key steps to make sure you build on a sound foundation. 1. Get an… Read More
It happens every quarter, and it’s beginning to grate on me. While every other company is gauged by earnings, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) is measured by a different standard than the rest of the financial world. Read More
Banks need a break, right? After all the bailouts, I thought so, too. Until this morning. As it turns out, banks may be eating some bad loans, but they’re raking in cash from other sources. The Financial Times reported that banks will charge customers more than $38.5… Read More
When it comes to mutual funds, you could be looking for love in all the wrong places according to the renowned bond fund manager, Bill Gross. In his August 2009 Investment Outlook, Gross compared his own industry to Madame Rue, the gold-toothed gypsy in… Read More
We all know that Congress is only too happy to “invest” our money. But how are they when it comes to managing their own? Not so great, as it turns out. A review of the personal financial disclosures filed by members of the… Read More