Bonds are a very popular investment, but before you buy any, let me tell you waht I share with my clients about them.
Think of a bond as a loan between you and a company or government. Assuming all goes normally, here’s how it looks:
1. You lend them a sum of money…. Read more
Recently, a retired widow met with me to discuss her concerns about having enough income from her investments. I reviewed her portfolio and made some suggestions about restructuring her investments to get predictable income. Here are some ideas I brought up:
Consider bonds
Bonds pay a set amount on a fixed schedule,… Read more
Have you thought of giving someone power of attorney over your finances?
Contrary to the popular myth that a power of attorney (POA) is only necessary for old people, there are times when you may need to give a trusted individual discretion over your finances regardless of your age.
When do you appoint a power of attorney?… Read more
Investors frequently diversify their portfolios between stocks, bonds, and cash in order to find the best tool for making money. Some people also diversify between different sectors of the economy, and invest in different countries around the world. However, an important but often overlooked type of diversification is active and passive management. … Read more
My clients often ask me how I manage my own money. I’m happy to answer this question.
Not everyone should invest the same way
Investments aren’t a matter of “one size fits all.” All folks have their own personal circumstances, risk tolerance, and goals. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend you copy my portfolio because my needs are probably different from yours…. Read more
Though there are many questions you should ask when selecting someone to help you handle your money, consider these three:
#1 Who is the subject of the first meeting
At your initial meeting, the advisor should spend much more time asking you questions than lecturing about who he is…. Read more
Here’s a story that I’ve watched unfold many times in my conference room. Do you recognize yourself, or perhaps your parents?
She made a lot of money
I sat with a new client, a woman whose husband of over 50 years had handled all of the money decisions, and she proudly told me about all of the successful stocks that he had chosen…. Read more
If you discover a small loss in your portfolio, what should you do?
The first thing is not to get discouraged. Not every loss is necessarily a bad thing.
A chess idea that can make you a better investor
Once, when I played a game of chess with my children’s chess coach,… Read more
The problem with a lot of financial advertising these days is the “one size fits all” attitude. Financial companies market their product to everyone, even though we’re all different.
How to find the right investment
Here’s what Nobel Prize winner of Economics Robert Merton personally told me: goal-based investing is the best formula to reach financial success…. Read more
When working with people to set up and handle their U.S. brokerage accounts (including IRAs, joint and custodial accounts), we’ll often consider “market capitalization,” or “market cap,” which refer to the size of a company. Investing in different size companies carries different levels of risk and potential for growth and dividends…. Read more
