Finance and Investing 101

Making Money Investing in Mortgages

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Income from mutual funds and stocks that invest in real estate backed mortgages has never been higher. With returns of 8-15% these alternative investments – when used appropriately – can substantially increase portfolio income and growth. Much of the success of these funds is due to the difficulty that Americans are having refinancing, despite low [...]

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2011 and 2012 Capital Gains Tax Rates – Short and Long Term

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When you sell a capital asset like a stock or a home you own, the difference between the amount you sell it for and what you paid for it (cost basis) is classified as a capital gain or a capital loss. Capital gains and losses are further classified as long-term or short-term, depending on how [...]

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Three Investments That Profit From Inflation – CDs, TIPS and Commodities

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Everybody has heard the word but few really know what it means. Before we can figure out how to profit from inflation we have to understand how it works. When you inflate a balloon, it gets bigger. For those with an inflated ego, well, we all know what that means. Simply put inflation is a [...]

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Financial IQ: Test Your Basic Financial Knowledge With This 10 Question Money Quiz

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All of us think we know a thing or two about money, but really how good is your financial knowledge? Take this quick quiz to get a gauge of where you stand when it comes to basic financial concepts (answers and ratings are at the end). Q1: Sam earns $2,500 per month working at Home Depot. Who pays [...]

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Rich Advice: What The Top Financial Advisors Are Saying About Investing

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I always enjoy reading Barron’s annual Top 1,000 financial advisors list. While, I am way too middle class to engage the ongoing services of a financial advisor (most of the top advisors service families/people with more than $5 million in net worth), it’s still interesting to note what they are saying about the future and [...]

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What Do Stock Buybacks Mean For a Company and Its Share Price

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The financial news media does it all of the time, don’t they? They assume that the millions of retail or part time investors know all of the terms used on a daily basis. When IBM announced another stock buyback, the financial news channels reported it leaving investors unsure of what that will mean for their [...]

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FOREX 101 – How Foreign Exchange Currency Market Trading Works

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You may know about stock markets but how about the foreign exchange market (FOREX)? If you’ve never heard of it, you should because it’s substantially larger than any single stock market. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), for example, handles $153 billion a day in volume, but the foreign exchange market has a daily volume [...]

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Gold: A Sound Investment or Overrated?

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You’ve probably noticed by now that gold, and more specifically skyrocketing gold prices,  is just about the only thing people talk about these days. Buying gold has become the new trend in investing as the “gold-boom” continues. With the stock market looking as risky as ever, bonds at the mercy of impending inflation and savings [...]

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Understanding Annuities: Why They Should Be Part of Your Financial Plan For Retirement

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Annuities have been a viable investment option for many years. However, there is still a great deal of confusion on what exactly they are and how exactly they work. Understanding the concept of annuities can help you to determine if they are right for you, and if so, what type is best for your retirement [...]

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Battle of the Banks: Local Versus National

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There’s a lot to consider when choosing your bank. After all, the fate of your hard-earned money lays in the decision. The institution charged with keeping your funds secure and fostering their growth into a sizable sum has a lot of expectations to meet. Usually, consumers look for banks that offer competitive interest rates. This [...]

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How to Choose a 529 Plan And Save Now For Future College Costs – Prepaid vs. College Tax Savings Plan

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With my son approaching his 5th birthday, I’ve started thinking more seriously about his schooling from elementary to college/university. My parents paid for a big part of my education and I would like to do the same for my son. Given the rising cost of tertiary education, I figured the earlier I save the better [...]

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How to Invest in Stocks, ETFs and Mutual Funds

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With the economy showing signs of improvement and financial markets making a strong recovery (example: Wall Street exec’s are back to paying themselves big bonuses), many would be investors are more willing to invest in the stock market in order to earn higher than average returns. Investing in this day and age is easy and [...]

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