Investing
Exchange Traded Funds
Who comes up with these names? Couldn’t they be a little bit more creative? Are ETF’s the same as mutual funds? An Exchange Traded Fund refers to shares of a fund traded on an exchange. The same way stock is traded on an exchange. So, someone rearranged the words and came up with Exchange Traded…
Read MoreOne in a Million
Over 100 million people have at least one. Most people know what they are called but cannot describe them. Many people don’t know what to do with them. You stare at them, they stare at you and your mind goes blank. What are they? Mutual Funds. Mutual Funds have become the primary investment choice for…
Read MoreHow to Buy a Stock
The Big Swing In the stock market, when the price of a stock changes dramatically during the day it is called a big swing. Kids swinging on swings is iconic. I was the kid who was every parent’s (including my own) nightmare. I would swing as high as I could go and then…jump off! It…
Read MoreWhat Is a Brokerage Account?
What Is a Brokerage Account? If you are working and have an employee pension plan, you have a brokerage account. Your investments are held at a brokerage firm. The brokerage firm is acting as the custodian for your investments, but you are responsible for making the investment choices. For anyone to buy and sell securities…
Read MoreTariffs and Trade Offs
Reprinted from the August Newsletter 2018 Update on Cranberries With Thanksgiving clearly in sight, I thought it time to revisit the cranberry industry and to give you an update on the trade deficit. I contacted the Cranberry Institute and received an immediate response from Mr. Terry Humfeld, Executive Director of the Cranberry Institute. Specifically, I…
Read MoreAsset Allocation
Let me be your Guide (cue spooky music) “Come on crystal ball, show me what my asset allocation should be. I have been staring at you for hours and this book is useless. Then show me my future” There is no magic when it comes to asset allocation. What? The mere suggestion that there is…
Read MoreInvesting Cash
How do I invest my cash? How much cash should I have? What should I invest in? These are questions I am frequently asked. Knowing how to invest cash poses a dilemma for most people. This week my trading partner Lisa and I got together to discuss a few investment ideas. We vowed to make…
Read MoreBonds Part One
What does a dog on a teeter totter have to do with understanding bonds? Everything. Bonds can be a challenging concept. Interest rates go up, bond prices go down. Interest rates go down, bond prices go up. This is a concept I can assure you many financial writers do not understand. When I read this:…
Read MorePerformance
There are some professions where you cannot make a mistake. A trapeze artist is one of them. What this performer is doing is amazing. Graceful and balanced. It is a risky situation to be in. There is no safety net underneath her. She must perform flawlessly. Perfectly. Every time. Fortunately for the rest of us,…
Read MoreLet’s Talk About Mutual Fund Fees
In this article I am going to focus on mutual fund fees. Mutual funds take up a lot of shelf space in the investment world. If you have a retirement account, a savings account, or a cash account it is likely you are invested in a mutual fund. No matter where or what or with…
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