Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so you may have a gain or loss when shares are sold. Current performance may be higher or lower than that quoted.
Last year, on the Friday before Labor Day weekend, my fiancé Brendan asked if I wanted to hear something funny. He pointed to the area above his left lip and said that it felt numb. While it looked and felt no different to me, he said when my hand touched the left side of his face, it felt cold. While this was strange, we both thought it would go away in a day or two, so we continued our plans to head out of town for the long weekend.
That Monday evening as we were unpacking our bags and getting ready to return to work, he said his face still felt numb. We reached out to a friend who is a doctor and although he believed it was not serious, he suggested getting it checked out the next day. While Brendan would have been OK waiting a few more days, I insisted he follow our friend's suggestion.
The next day he explained his symptoms to a doctor in urgent care, and was told it was likely Lyme disease, but to...
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- Forecasts of gross domestic product (GDP) growth may offer insight into how stock markets and bond yields could fare in the future. Population and productivity trends may slow global GDP growth over the next 20 years. Slower growth could mean lower-than-average interest rates and lower stock market returns than in recent decades.
If you're creating an investment strategy designed to help you pursue long-term financial goals, understanding the relationship between company size, return potential, and risk is crucial. With that knowledge, you’ll be better prepared to build a balanced stock portfolio that comprises a mix of "market caps."
Market cap—or market capitalization—refers to the total value of all a company's shares of stock. It is calculated by multiplying the price of a stock by its total number of outstanding shares. For example, a company with 20 million shares selling at $50 a share would have a market cap of $1 billion.
Why is market capitalization such an important concept? It allows investors to understand the relative size of one company versus another. Market cap measures what a company is worth on the open market, as well as the market's perception of its future prospects, because it reflects what investors are willing to pay for its...
If you're wondering if Social Security benefits taxable, here's your answer: Absolutely. Uncle Sam taxes up to 85% of your benefits, depending on your income, and more than a dozens states can tack on additional taxes of their own. New Mexico, for one, treats Social Security benefits the same way as the feds. But other states tax Social Security benefits only if income exceeds a specified threshold amount. For example, Missouri taxes Social Security benefits only if your income tops $85,000, or $100,000 for married couples. Then there's Utah, which includes Social Security benefits in taxable income, but starting in 2021 allows a tax credit for a portion of the benefits subject to tax.
Also remember that a tax on Social Security doesn't necessarily mean a state is unsuitable for retirement. Colorado, one of the 13 states that taxes at least some Social Security benefits, actually ranks as one of the 10 most tax-friendly state for retirees....
- Many important priorities, including finances, get pushed aside because of "invisible labor" such as caregiving and household tasks. Women are often the "she-fault" for invisible labor, taking on a higher percentage of household tasks. Focusing on long-term planning and regular conversations can help create a better balance of tasks and priorities.
These are professionally managed funds designed to simplify investing. There are 2 types—target date funds and asset allocation funds.
Target date funds are built for retirement. Pick the one closest to your retirement date. When the target date is many years away, the fund invests for growth potential. As the retirement date nears, the investment mix becomes conservative.
Asset allocation funds seek to maintain a target mix of stocks, bonds, and cash. You pick the fund with the mix that aligns with your goals. For short-term goals, a conservative mix with bonds and cash could work well. For longer-term goals, a fund more focused on stocks may be a better option.
Technical analysis is the study of past market action to try to gauge what the market might do in the future. At its most basic, it is the study of price. Fundamental analysis involves analyzing the characteristics of a company in order to estimate its value. Technical analysis takes an entirely different approach; it doesn't care about the "value" of a company. Technical analysis is only interested in the price movements in the market.
Asset protection strategies aren't necessary for every affluent family. Many high-net-worth families may choose not to use them, or may place only a fraction of their wealth into trusts and other vehicles designed to protect assets. Why? Many asset protection strategies can significantly reduce the control and flexibility owners can exert over their assets.
That trade-off makes sense for some people. For instance, if you're a doctor, lawyer, landlord, or accountant—professions that carry a higher risk of litigation—you may have a greater need for asset protection strategies than other people do. If so, you may find that the benefits of protecting your wealth outweigh the drawbacks of giving up some control over it.
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- HSAs offer a number of benefits: not only spending for the short-term, but also saving for longer-term qualified medical expenses, including those in retirement. Because an HSA is one of the most tax-efficient savings options available, consider contributing the maximum and paying for current health care expenses from other sources of personal savings. If you can afford to pay for current medical expenses from your personal savings, consider investing a portion of your HSA assets in an asset mix that is somewhat less aggressive than your other retirement assets.
- Save at least 3 to 6 months' worth of necessary expenses by funding your emergency savings account regularly, as you would pay a bill. Try to save in an account that pays some interest but preserves liquidity. Consider sources of credit, ideally with low interest rates, available as a backup. Be sure to have adequate health and disability insurance coverage.
- Inflation poses a threat to bondholders because rising prices reduce the purchasing power of the fixed rates of interest that their bonds pay. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are bonds whose principal and interest rate payments rise along with inflation. TIPS are usually more expensive than conventional bonds and they may lose value if inflation is lower than expected. Investors should consider whether adding inflation protection to their diversified portfolios makes sense.
After a 30-year career at Procter & Gamble, Francis Nelson Beebe was living his retirement dream—playing about 200 rounds of golf a year—before an epiphany.
“I was standing over a putt one day and I said, ‘I can’t do this for the rest of my life,’ ” the former logistics executive recalls.
For Beebe, who graduated from the Cordon Bleu culinary program after retiring from P&G, that has meant a second act as the baker and owner of Mr. Nelson’s Cookies. Five days a week, Beebe makes 24 batches of a dozen artisanal chocolate-chip cookies that he sells in packs of six or 12 over the internet or individually at farmer’s markets on weekends.
“I’m 73 years old, and I feel like I’m 45,” says Beebe, who bakes in Gold Canyon, Ariz., after his seven-year retirement. “I can’t wait to get up in the morning.”
The share of retirement-age Americans working has doubled since 1985, according to a study by investment firm United...
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so you may have a gain or loss when shares are sold. Current performance may be higher or lower than that quoted.
- Cyclical sectors generally continued to lead in the second quarter as the economic recovery gained momentum: Real estate and energy posted the first- and third-best performance, respectively, while technology surged after a weak Q1. Financials had cheapest relative valuations in Q2 for the fourth quarter in a row. The most expensive sectors were consumer discretionary, real estate, and industrials. Going forward, the energy sector may be in a particularly good spot due to disciplined spending and possible rising oil prices. Consumer discretionary stocks have had two advantages over consumer staples during periods of strong wage growth: greater consumption and more successful price raising to boost margins.
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- Building a strong credit history takes time. That's why it makes sense to adopt good credit habits even if you aren't planning to apply for new loans in the near future. To help improve your credit, make sure to pay your bills on time and try to only use a portion of the total credit available to you. Following a budget, keeping an emergency fund, and avoiding taking on too much debt in the first place can make it easier to care for your credit.
Investors want to know if rising prices for housing, groceries, labor, and many commodities are short-term blips as the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic or the beginning of the type of unexpected systemic inflation that could surprise the markets and stymie real economic growth.
“I think it’s one of the most important lenses through which to view investment decisions so far in 2021,” says Bobby Barnes, head of Quant Index Solutions at Fidelity.
Annualized inflation in the U.S. rose to 5% for the 12 months ended May 2021, its fastest clip since 2008. It’s been more than a decade since many investors watched the rate of inflation with interest, let alone with mild trepidation, but after several consecutive months of healthy consumer price increases, many are likely to tune in for subsequent updates from the U.S. Labor Department.
Inflation tends to dent the profits for many companies by raising expenses for raw...
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