Not long ago, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were hardly ever considered as an investment option for retail investors. While many investors had heard of them, they were generally considered to be…
An Investment For Pessimists
When it comes to investments with exotic sounding names, it’s hard to beat inverse-leveraged exchange-traded funds. Then again, it’s also hard to beat them when the market is sinking. Given…
Welcome Back To 10,000 … Sort Of
“Tonight we’re going to party like it’s 1999.” Prince There was much celebrating on Oct. 14, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 10,000. It was the first…
No Recovery For Most Investors
Two factors make reaching the 10,000 milestone for the Dow what Dorsey Wright calls “the quintessential Pyrrhic victory” for many investors around the world. First, bond funds attracted net deposits…
Roth IRAs May Be Antidote To Rising Taxes, Market Losses
Your retirement portfolio hasn’t fully recovered from the recent bear market, the economy is weak and your taxes will soon be going up. So what can you do about it?…
The Risk of Doing Nothing
I have a confession to make. When I first became an investment manager, I followed the “buy and hold” strategy that almost every investment manager in the industry follows. That…
Knowing When To Sell
“Investors spend most of their time deciding what stock to buy. They spend little if any time thinking about when and under what circumstances their stock should be sold. This…
Why Diversification Matters
Diversification is a term most investors understand as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” While that phrase captures the essence of what not to do with your investments,…
Trustee vs. Co-Trustee
Today I received a phone call from a dear and close friend about her eighty something year old father. She was vacationing with him and the topic of his trust…
Nine Common Investing Mistakes
Individual investors often jump into the investing arena without having a financial plan in place. The risk? Committing common investing mistakes that end up lowering overall returns. Avoid the mistakes below…