- Blue Sky Laws: Definition and Examples
Every American state has its own securities laws that aim to protect investors against fraud. These laws, called blue sky laws, also oversee the licensing and reporting requirements placed on broker-dealer firms, individual brokers and financial advisors. Here’s what you… read more…
- A Comprehensive Guide to Affiliate Marketing
Marketing as an affiliate is an increasingly popular way for people to write on digital platforms about goods and services to earn money on sales that stem from their positive reviews. Reviewers, known as affiliates, get a commission when readers… read more…
- Credit Repair: How to Fix Your Bad Credit Score
Your credit score is a numerical representation of how responsible you are with your finances and, by extension, how trustworthy you are as a borrower. So if your credit score has fallen, whether through your own negligence, a mistake in… read more…
- Can You Discharge Student Loans If Your School Closes?
If your university, college, or higher education institution closes, you might be wondering if you can discharge student loans. It’s an especially pertinent question now, with many schools temporarily closing due to COVID-19 and much more potentially facing permanent closure… read more…
- How to Retire into a Bear Market
With millions of Americans depending on 401(k) and IRA assets for their retirement income, a market downturn can wipe out decades of investment in a single go. And while young workers at least have the time to rebuild their savings after a… read more…
- Small Business Grants for Women
There are a variety of small business grants specifically for female entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses. These grants primarily come from private sources, and they tend to be competitive and offer relatively modest amounts of money. Meanwhile, government assistance for women-owned businesses… read more…
- A Guide to Free Look Periods for Annuities
If you’re looking for a way to create an additional income stream for retirement, you may consider purchasing an annuity. An annuity is an insurance contract that pays out money to you during your lifetime that you can use to… read more…
- How to Read an Annual Report (And Why You Should)
If you invest in stocks then you’ve probably received an annual report in the mail at least once. While you may be tempted to toss it out, it’s worth taking the time to read through it to better understand the… read more…
- The Extra $600 Unemployment Is Ending: What You Need to Know
8/25 Update: On August 8, President Trump signed an executive measure authorizing extra federal unemployment assistance to resume. Specifically, it calls for $300 in weekly federal assistance and $100 in state assistance. This is $200 less than what was being provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act until July 31. The additional unemployment benefits… read more…
- Alternative Funds: Definition and How to Invest
Alternative funds offer a unique mutual fund option for investors seeking exposure to securities beyond traditional bonds, stocks or balanced mutual funds. These funds focus on non-traditional investment opportunities and leverage alternative strategies to enhance performance and manage risk. While not suitable for every investor, alternative funds can play a pivotal role in diversifying your… read more…
- How to Assess and Mitigate Portfolio Risk
Portfolio risk is one of the most essential challenges for any investor. More ambitious portfolios can generate greater rewards, creating more wealth in a single year than cautious portfolios can provide over several years of investing. But they can also… read more…
- Discounted Cash Flow: A Guide for Investors
Discounted cash flow, or DCF, is a tool for analyzing financial investments based on their likely future cash flow. When an investment will cost more money to buy, generate less money in return, or require greater tradeoffs, its DCF will rise.… read more…
- What Is a Land Trust, and Who Needs One?
Trusts can be used as an estate planning tool if you need more than just a will to manage your assets. A land trust is a specific type of trust related to real estate. This is a type of living… read more…
- How to Disclaim an Inheritance (And Why You Would)
Receiving an inheritance can provide a financial windfall, but there are some scenarios where you may prefer not to receive one. In that case, you might be wondering if it’s possible to decline an inheritance and the responsibilities that go… read more…
- Money Market Funds vs. Money Market Accounts
When deciding where to save and invest, your choices will depend on your goals, time frame for saving and risk tolerance. A money market fund is one option; a money market account is another. While they sound similar, they actually… read more…
- How to Retire in Guatemala: Costs, Visas and More
If you’ve thought about retiring in Central America, you’ve likely learned plenty about Costa Rica and Panama, two popular destinations for ex-pat retirees. However, their neighbor Guatemala, the Mayan heartland of Central America, is another attractive retirement destination in the region. Guatemala’s beautiful landscapes include Lake Atitlan, a lake created by a massive volcanic crater,… read more…
- Fiduciary Duties in Trusts and Estate Planning
As you plan how you will leave your estate, it’s important to your family’s future that you leave a legacy with well-executed documents. It’s also essential that you understand all of the roles of the people involved in your estate,… read more…
- Understanding Lagging and Leading Indicators
They say that hindsight is 20/20. There’s also an old joke that economists have predicted nine of the last five recessions. These two sayings encapsulate, respectively, the concepts of “lagging” and “leading” indicators – the two key categories of data… read more…
- What is a Tax Cliff?
A tax cliff happens when a small increase to your income triggers an increase in your tax bill. Personal income taxes increase gradually as a proportion of income; even if your income increases to the point that you enter a new… read more…
- Balanced Funds: Definition and Investing Options
Mutual funds can offer a simplified way to diversify your portfolio. Rather than picking individual stocks, bonds or other securities to invest in, you can gain exposure to multiple investments and asset classes using a single mutual fund. A balanced… read more…
- Financial Planning for the Sandwich Generation
Being part of the sandwich generation – meaning you’re caring for aging parents while also raising children – can create unique challenges in shaping your financial plan. You may be trying to balance the financial goals and needs of your… read more…
- Income Based Repayment Plans for Student Loans
Many people graduate from colleges in the United States with debt. According to EducationData.org, the average 2020 student loan debt was $32,731 per graduate. This means that many people are paying over $400 per month on their student loan debt… read more…
- What Is a Retirement Management Advisor?
There are many certifications for financial professionals. Each one specifies a distinct type of service that an advisor is qualified to offer. A retirement management advisor (RMA) is one such designation. You may consider working with this financial advisor when you need guidance and help in creating a personalized retirement income plan. Here’s what you need… read more…
- Cash Flow Management for Businesses
Cash flow describes how money flows into and out of a business. It covers a specific time period, such as a month or quarter. Managing cash flow is crucial for both individuals and businesses. Even highly profitable businesses can fail if they don’t manage cash properly. Here are the basic principles and techniques for effective… read more…
- PEG Ratio: Definition, Calculation and Usage
A PEG ratio is a tool used in fundamental stock analysis by investors to assess a share’s value. It measures a stock’s price-to-earnings ratio against the anticipated earnings growth for the underlying company. If the ratio is significantly above 1, the stock might… read more…