Asset Classes
The First Question is: ‘What Asset Classes?’, Not ‘Which Mutual Funds?’
One of the most common first questions to find on financial forums is “which of these funds should I invest in?” In some cases, these are folks who have freshly found themselves with 401(k) options for the first time. In … Continue reading
10 Sides to Bitcoin: Crypto-Currency Bubble or Bold New Paradigm?
If you haven’t heard of Bitcoin, you will soon – either as its adoption (and value) continues to skyrocket, or as the bubbly atmosphere it inhabits bursts in spectacular fashion. But many of the news outlets and new adopters alike … Continue reading
5 Lending Club Risks: Why Peer to Peer May Lend Itself to Problems
The internet is full of positively glowing reviews of peer-to-peer lending programs like Lending Club or Prosper just a few months into their experience.* The problem is: this coverage frequently lacks a well-rounded look at all of the risks and … Continue reading
5 Rules of Thumb: A Starting Point for Beginning Investors
The world of investing is vastly complex, but only if you let it be. There are some great books and websites on which to get started, but even these can be a bit much for someone looking to put their … Continue reading
Stock Up on Bonds!? [Diminishing Returns of 100% Equities]
The most important decision in portfolio construction is deceptively simple on its surface: how much should you allocate toward stocks and how much toward bonds? Sure, some include cash or commodities as well, but the basic issue comes down to … Continue reading
OK, So …I Have X Dollars – What Should I Invest In?
Thanks to careful savings, a lucky windfall or a well-deserved raise, you find yourself with some cash on hand and are not sure what to do with it. While there is no single answer, perhaps the most important part of … Continue reading
Scarecrow Index: The S&P 500 Straw Man Argument
I have heard and read it too many times to count: “Ah, but anyone following an indexing strategy experienced a lost decade over the last ten years!” Active investors and day traders (not to mention: fund companies and brokerages wanting … Continue reading
The Dividend Illusion: Sorry, Stocks Are Not Like Bonds
Some people balk when I call dividends an ‘illusion’ or refer to them as a kind of investment ‘myth’ – and they are right to be skeptical at first: after all, dividend payouts are the means by which companies transfer … Continue reading
Return of the Rates: 4 of the Best Investments for Periods of High Inflation
Inflation is perhaps the biggest enemy of a would-be retiree, eating away at the value of core investments virtually across the board – the 70s shook investors to their core, causing many to flee stocks and bonds in favor of … Continue reading
Jack Bogle: 8 Video Interviews with Vanguard’s Founder
Mr. Bogle is a man of many dimensions, but with a deep-running moral core and steadfast long-term convictions in the power of passive stock market investing. Born in the same year that started the 20th Century’s Great Depression, he has … Continue reading