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 … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Guide to Earning a 10% Rate of Return on Your Investments
What is a Landlord Insurance? Is it worth it?
Being a landlord can be very hectic, if you are renting out your vacant properties, there are plenty of things that can go wrong when you allow tenants to rent the house. It is wise to take the necessary precautions before it happens. If you haven’t got the right insurance cover you might have to pay the bills from your own pocket if things go wrong. What if the property is damaged by a natural calamity, or even vandalized? To make being a landlord less stressful than it already is, there is the Landlord insurance, which can really come in … [Read more...] about What is a Landlord Insurance? Is it worth it?
How to Separate Your Paycheck from Your Discretionary Spending
Did you know that half of American families live paycheck to paycheck? That number may seem astounding, but considering how high costs of living are nowadays and how wages don’t seem to be catching up with those costs, maybe it’s not so surprising that so many families live paycheck to paycheck and as many as 1 in 3 Americans have less than $500 saved up to cover emergency situations. It’s never been more important to separate your paycheck from your discretionary expenses because we never know whether our health insurance premiums might go … [Read more...] about How to Separate Your Paycheck from Your Discretionary Spending
Top 4 Reasons You Might Want to Sell Mutual Funds You Own
I am a buy and hold investor. I do not like to sell many of my investments. I’m decades away from retiring, and I’m a long-term investor, to say the least. It takes a lot for me to sell mutual funds that I own. But, I have been known to transfer the assets from one mutual fund or mutual fund company to another one based on certain criteria. There are times that it is best to just sell your mutual funds and let them go. Things change. Investing philosophies and goals change. Those are the reason to sell mutual funds. Four Reasons When … [Read more...] about Top 4 Reasons You Might Want to Sell Mutual Funds You Own
4 Ways I Would Change Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps in 2020
The following is a guest post from Ben, publisher of the blog - Saved by the Cents. If you'd like to submit a guest post to Money Q&A, be sure to check out our guest posting guidelines. You may be reading the title and thinking that I completely disagree with Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps to achieve financial freedom. It’s actually quite the opposite. I have a lot of respect for Dave Ramsey. I also believe that what he’s done has been quite instrumental in my life and many people I have come in contact with. If you aren’t familiar with … [Read more...] about 4 Ways I Would Change Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps in 2020
Do Your Investments Suffer From Mutual Fund Overlap?
How many mutual funds do you invest in? Do you have several funds spread out between Roth IRAs, or do you invest in several mutual funds through your company’s 401k retirement plan? Do you know which stocks those funds invest in? You may suffer from mutual fund overlap. You may be surprised to learn that many of these mutual funds overlap. There can be a real danger in overlap, and you may not as diversified as you think. What Is Mutual Fund Overlap? When a mutual fund does well, investors pile into the investment. Eventually, you wind … [Read more...] about Do Your Investments Suffer From Mutual Fund Overlap?
Young Investors Hold Too Much Cash in Their Portfolios
A recent survey by MFS Investment Management, the nation’s oldest mutual fund company, found that young investors are staying away from the stock market and holding large cash positions. In fact, the survey shows that the youngest investors, those of Generation Y, are actually increasing their cash positions in their nest eggs while shunning the stock market to a large degree. While it can make young investors have a little better feeling when they try and simply protect their principle, far too many young investors have too much of their … [Read more...] about Young Investors Hold Too Much Cash in Their Portfolios