
Exchange-traded funds - ETFs for short - are billed as among the most investor-friendly products ever created, thanks to low fees, intraday pricing, and unprecedented flexibility versus the mutual funds they've ostensibly "replaced."
By Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist, Money Map Report -
Exchange-traded funds - ETFs for short - are billed as among the most investor-friendly products ever created, thanks to low fees, intraday pricing, and unprecedented flexibility versus the mutual funds they've ostensibly "replaced."
By Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist, Money Map Report -
Exchange-traded funds - ETFs for short - are billed as among the most investor-friendly products ever created, thanks to low fees, intraday pricing, and unprecedented flexibility versus the mutual funds they've ostensibly "replaced."
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds are alike in that both offer diversification and professional management. Otherwise, the two investment vehicles differ greatly.
Key differences include how these funds are bought and sold, as well as pricing, transaction costs, and much more.
By David Zeiler, Associate Editor, Money Morning • @DavidGZeiler -
The best mutual fund in tech has managed annual returns of nearly 11% without owning a single share of a big tech darlings.
And yet the performance of the Fidelity Select IT Services Fund (MUTF: FBSOX) makes it the best mutual fund in the tech sector for the past 15 years.
Since March 10, 2000 - the peak of the tech bubble - the fund has posted an average annual return of 10.9%. According to Lipper, that's more than double the second-best mutual fund in the tech sector.
The secret lies in choosing a certain kind of tech stock...
By Jim Bach, Associate Editor, Money Morning • @JimBach22 -
Right now investors should be investing in mutual funds that provide stability - not ones that chase yield.
A case can be made for the Fed doves who want to see rates stay low for a while, or the Fed hawks who want rate hikes now.
By Money Morning Staff Reports, Money Morning -
American workers with 401(k) plans are right to dread a stock market crash that would wipe out a big chunk of their hard-earned balances.
But instead of living in fear, it's possible to do something about it - thanks to the option of money market funds, which almost every 401(k) plan offers.
And the best part is, reallocating 401(k) investments to a money market fund couldn't be any easier.
By David Zeiler, Associate Editor, Money Morning • @DavidGZeiler -
Few among us haven't dreamed of sudden riches - the financial windfall of a big legal settlement, an unexpected inheritance, a winning lottery ticket, or, for the young and athletically gifted, a lucrative contract with a major professional sports franchise.
But it turns out that few are prepared for a financial windfall when it comes their way.
Nowhere is this more obvious than with big sports stars.
Despite the proliferation of multimillion-dollar contracts, an astonishing number of professional athletes are forced to declare bankruptcy within a few years of hanging up their jerseys.
In the National Football League, for example, where the average salary is $1.9 million, 78% of former players are in bankruptcy within five years of retirement. That figure is 60% for former National Basketball Association players, who earn an average of $5.5 million a year as players.
How can people so generously compensated go broke so quickly?
Part of it has to do with youth, but many of the mistakes athletes make with the financial windfall of a professional sports salary also are made by regular people who suddenly come into large sums of money.
There's a lot we all can learn from their mistakes. When it comes to financial windfalls, it's best to know what to expect ahead of time so you can put the money to work for you instead of squandering it.
"Every single day, people come into large sums of money, whether it's a thousand dollars or a million, and without proper planning, funds quickly disappear," writes Jim Wang in U.S. News and World Report. "Just look at the horrible stories you often hear of lottery winners, and you'll have enough evidence that everyone needs a little preparation, even if you don't expect to get a windfall."
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By Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist, Money Map Report -
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By Don Miller, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
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By Jon D. Markman, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
By Larry D. Spears, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
By Jon D. Markman, Contributing Writer, Money Morning -
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