Money Questions and Answers

The Ultimate Guide to Earning a 10% Rate of Return on Your Investments

Are you getting the best rate of return on investment? Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine annually discusses ways to boost your investment yield in its latest issue. I have to say that I am always pretty disappointed with their recommendations. I love the magazine, but I didn’t really care for a list of mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). But, I wanted concrete ideas on how to earn a 10% annual rate of return on my investments. US Treasuries are earning less than 1% and money market funds are not fairing much better. Certificates of deposit are barely scraping by at 2% or so even for the longest maturities. But, are these levels going to last? The stock market has … Read more

The Pros and Cons of Never Buying a Home

by Hank Coleman

As you’ve probably noticed, the housing market has experienced unprecedented sales opportunities over the past several months. It’s gotten to the point where many would-be buyers cannot keep up with the frenetic pace of bidding wars that often lead to homes selling for 10-30% or more over the asking price. But is it ever right to never buying a home? The hot market is likely the culmination of several factors, including ultra-low interest rates, higher-income workers saving a lot more money over the pandemic by staying home most of the time, and a significant shift in consumer lifestyle preferences from chic urban apartments to bigger homes in the less-populous suburbs. Why Never Buying a Home May Be Okay If you had … Read more

403b vs 457b – Pros and Cons of 403b Retirement Plans and 457b Retirement Plans

by Hank Coleman

Saving for retirement can be a confusing experience whether you’re just getting started in your early twenties or you’re on the verge of retiring within the next decade. There are so many different options to choose from – not all of which may be available to you, depending on what your employer offers – and choosing the best plan possible is critically important for securing your long-term financial sustainability. If you’ve encountered 403b retirement plans and/or 457b retirement plans as potential retirement planning options, then which one would be the ideal fit for your situation? 403b vs 457b Before we take a deep dive into the pros and cons of each type of retirement savings account, let’s start with the … Read more

What Is Insider Buying? How Investors Can Make Money Spotting Insider Buying

by Hank Coleman

Insider buying is when a director, officer, or executive buys shares in a corporation they work for. It’s not insider trading which refers to corporate insiders making illegal stock purchases based on non-public information. Investors can spot insider buying by looking for directors, officers, or executives who have recently bought shares in the company they work for and use this information to decide whether to invest in that company as well. When people with insider knowledge buy stocks themselves, it means that they believe the company has potential and would be worth investing in at some point down the line. You can find the latest insider trades from company executives by looking at SEC Form 4 filings. For example, if … Read more

When It Comes to Investing, Beware of “Di-Worsification”

by Guest Contributor

The following is a guest post by Robert F. Roby, author of Wealth Simplified: The Secrets of Everyday People Who Retire Richer, Happier, and Earlier. If you’d like to submit a guest post to Money Q&A, be sure to check out our guest posting guidelines. A common refrain used by investors and advisors to describe diversification is “Don’t put all of your eggs in the same basket.” In its most simplistic terms, diversification means allocating your investment dollars to a variety of different assets, such as stocks, funds, bonds, and deposit products, within different sectors of the economy. Diversification typically involves investing in companies of different sizes, both large and small alike, in different industries and different sectors, including health … Read more

Best Way to Save for Retirement When You Are in Debt

by Hank Coleman

Getting (and staying) out of debt and saving regularly for retirement are some of the most important personal financial habits that everyone should be doing, but having a finite income with conflicting financial priorities understandably complicates matters. If you have student loans, a running balance on your credit cards, or other outstanding debts in the 4+ figures range, how should you balance your debt repayment plan (short-term goal) with your retirement savings plan (long-term goal)? What is the best way to save for retirement when you are in debt? Best Way to Save for Retirement When You Are in Debt The answer to this ultimately depends on the amount of debt and the interest rate you’re paying. Still, a generally … Read more

What Are Third Party Lease Buyouts and Are They Worth It?

by Hank Coleman

Although leasing a car is typically viewed as a not-so-financially savvy decision, there are certain situations in which leasing a car can actually be the best possible option. Whether you really like having the latest safety upgrades in your vehicle or perhaps you’re planning to move cross-country or overseas within a couple of years, leasing a car can be a good fit for your situation. And you might even be able to make a profit from it! What about thrid party auto lease buyouts? Did you know that some lease lending companies allow consumers to sell their leased vehicles to third parties? And, if demand for used cars is high – like it is in 2021 – then you could … Read more