Credit Debt, Unemployment Affect Holiday Consumer Spending
Credit debt and unemployment affect holiday consumer spending. Consumer spending this holiday shopping season will be affected by credit debt and unemployment. Holiday shoppers consumer spending habits affected by credit card debt and unemployment this holiday shopping season. Credit card companies say the decrease in holiday consumer spending is creating a "credit winter."
Improve Your Investment Returns without Increasing Your Risk
Volatile markets make everyone nervous. Investing in stocks involves risk. Risk means you can lose money. No one likes that. What if you could increase your returns without taking any risk? You can, and with limited effort. Here are some suggestions, gleaned from Allan Roth’s excellent book, How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street: 1. [...]
Socially Responsible Investing: How to Invest with Your Conscience
I can understand why investors want to invest with their conscience. Socially responsible investing can mean choosing companies that are sensitive to issues like the environment, consumers’ rights, human rights, and diversity. It can also mean choosing not to support companies whose business is tied to alcohol, gambling, military activities, or tobacco. If you want [...]
All Money Market Funds Are Not Created Equal
Thomas Jefferson got it partly right when he stated, in the opening lines of the United States Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal.” He should have included “women,” but I digress. Unlike all men and women, all money market funds are not created equal. It’s important that investors understand the differences. Let’s [...]
Asset Allocation: Maximize Your Returns and Minimize Your Risk
Few subjects in investing are more misunderstood than asset allocation. Brokers don’t like to talk about it. Instead, they entice their clients with stocks they believe will “take off” or fund managers they think are “hot.” Asset allocation refers to the division of your portfolio between various asset classes, like stocks and bonds. Maybe asset [...]
Avoid Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) as Part of Your Investment Strategy
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are similar to index funds, except they can be traded like a stock on stock exchanges, and you must buy them through a brokerage firm. ETFs are required to maintain a 99 percent correlation to their designated benchmark. There are many different indexes used as benchmarks, so be sure to understand how [...]