International Investing- Pros and Cons

With today's wars, ethnic strife and oil prices, you might think global investing would be mostly rough sailing these days. Not so, according to global-investment managers who can point to plenty of opportunities for solid growth in overseas markets: Part of the trick is to keep your eye on corporate performance -- and not let the noise of external factors drown out what's good there. (more…)

The Risks of Investing

All types of investments have risks, whether you're investing in stock funds, bond funds, or even money market funds. Stock funds * Market risk: One of the most significant risks you face is the volatility of the market. Stock prices overall can decline—sometimes dramatically—over short or even long periods. You can reduce market risk by holding stock investments for a long time—at least ten years. * Investment style risk: Returns from the types of stocks a fund invests in—such as growt...

A lot of people end up at my site after searching on the question "How much interest do you earn on one million dollars?" So, I've decided to give them a proper answer: How much interest do you earn on a million dollars? The answer is, of course, it depends. It depends on several factors including: What is the interest rate? Over what period of time? How often is the interest calculated and paid during the period? What is the interest rate? Obviously the higher the interest rate, the better. ...

What did Albert Einstein, well known for being smarter than the average cat, claim to be the most powerful force in the universe? ... Compound interest! Compound Interest has also been called the eighth wonder of the world and the greatest mathematical discovery of all time. Fortunately for the rest of us, you don't have to be a genius to understand compound interest. In fact, it's pretty simple. (more…)

I Bond Rates

The big news as of late is the new I bond rates. With the current fixed rate of 1.2%, I bonds bought between now and the end of the October will pay 4.8% for the first 6 months, and then 6.92%(!) for the next 6 months. The question, then, for those of you considering buying I bonds, is whether to buy before the end of October or before the end of November. (more…)

If Savers Are Losers…. We’re Winning.

The latest report of the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that in August, just as it was in July, the personal savings rate in this country dipped below zero. That's worse than simply not saving. It means that, on average, we're spending more than we are earning. Personal saving was a negative $61.8 billion in August, compared with a negative $100.9 billion in July. Personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income was a negative 0.7 percent in August, compared with a negative 1.1 ...

Money 101

International Investing- Pros and Cons

The Risks of Investing

How much interest do you earn on one million dollars?

Compound Interest – The Most Powerful Force in the Universe

I Bond Rates

If Savers Are Losers…. We’re Winning.