Nervous about bear markets, crashes, and corrections? Equities offer outstanding returns in the long term, but their volatility can be terrifying in the short term, especially for new investors. Fortunately, investors have plenty of options to reduce risk in their stock investing and sleep easy at night. But for all the benefits that stocks and
For much of the past decade, interest rates have been at historic lows. Interest rates set by most lenders tend to go up and down based on the federal funds target rate, or the rate at which banks can borrow from other banks, which is set by the Federal Reserve. This rate has ranged from around
The differences between the sexes can be a pretty touchy subject. Whenever you talk in general terms about men and women, you must pick your words carefully so you don’t sound like you’re promoting sexist stereotypes. Sometimes it seems safer to ignore the whole idea and stick to talking about “people,” as if men and
We all like to think of ourselves as rational consumers. When we buy Product A instead of Product B, we think we’re doing it because we’ve carefully weighed the pros and cons – price, quality, and so on – and decided Product A is a better value. And if someone asked us why we made this choice, no
Every day you make financial decisions. Some are minor, like buying a new outfit. Others are major, like deciding to start a new job. But all of them, large and small, can have an impact on your future. The problem is that you can’t always tell how your decisions will affect you in the long run. It’s only
Close your eyes for a minute and picture yourself at the age of 90, looking back on your life – and, in particular, your financial choices. Which decisions do you think you’ll be happiest about? Which ones do you think you’ll regret? Those are the very questions that Claris Finance asked 2,000 people in a 2016 poll. The
Whether you’re purchasing a prefab dwelling, building a new construction home, or planning to fix up an older house, you’re probably excited about the prospect of closing the deal and moving in. Not so fast. Buying a home is an expensive proposition – the biggest investment that most families ever make. While you aren’t required to cover the
When you make a new acquaintance, often the first question you’re asked is, “What do you do for a living?” This line makes sense as an icebreaker because work occupies such a central place in our lives. If you work a standard 40-hour week, you’re devoting over 35% of your waking hours to your job
The term “financial independence” gets thrown around a lot in personal finance articles and blogs, and not everyone uses it the same way. To some people, financial independence simply means earning enough to pay your bills, so you don’t have to depend on help from your family or the government. To others, it means being
Seeking and finding the perfect advisor is not always easy, especially in an industry filled with confusing acronyms. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), there were more than 160 different professional designations. In addition, terms such as financial analyst, financial advisor, financial consultant, and wealth manager are generic titles and can be used
Country wisdom is the collection of practical experiences gained by generations of pioneers, farmers, and ranchers as America transformed from a vast frontier to the world’s greatest economy. That experience – the result of constant trial and error – was passed from parent to child in plain language that left no room for misinterpretation. Living
When you hear the phrase “wine cellar,” what pops into your mind? I picture a climate-controlled bunker attached to a gaudy beachfront mansion. Sure, wine collecting and investing is a popular hobby among the wealthy elite and has a certain snobbish connotation – but that’s not the whole story. In recent years, it has become
