Investing

Decluttering your investments isn’t just about owning too many mutual funds and the need to reduce the number of them.   It also can be about consolidating different accounts that may be scattered around, for example, accounts with a former employer’s retirement plan that... Continue reading »

I once worked with a mutual fund collector. She owned more than 100 mutual funds, each holding about $5,000. Her actual performance was, well, not surprisingly, average. So no major worries there. And was she well-diversified? Yes, she was.   But there is also such a thing... Continue reading »

The beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to untangle your investments.   If you’re like most people, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.   It’s not too different from the challenges in organizing your time, your email, your closets, your garage. Too much... Continue reading »

If you got $3,000 dollars in the mail, what would you do with it?   Well, for the average American, that’s a question many will have to figure out the answer to very soon (if they haven’t already). CNNMoney reports that the average tax refund in 2011 is $3,129.    Now... Continue reading »

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, a couple decades from now you may well be reading articles similar to this one in the New York Times about the risks of experiencing poor or subpar investment returns in your late career years. Ideally, when you come across a quote like this one... Continue reading »

Stock market volatility is a fact of life but it doesn’t have to derail your well thought out investment plan. High volatility can understandably make investors nervous; however, building long-term wealth requires the mental fortitude and discipline to control one's emotions... Continue reading »

I used to think I could predict the outcome of football games. Then my dad made a bet with me: that my mom, who knew absolutely nothing about football, could beat me over the remainder of the season. My mom made her predictions based on which city she liked more. You can guess... Continue reading »

It’s interesting that many of us take the time to scrutinize costs – electronics, clothes, cell phone, you name it – but don’t have a clue what we spend on our investments. It’s not that we don’t care but rather that it can be hard to understand; harder than, say, just looking... Continue reading »