Posted by Paul on 31st, 2009
Invest in your Long-term Financial Future
We all know the Social Security System is failing with people living longer than ever before. We all know that it is unlikely that many people who are currently contributing to social security will ever see the money we?ve invested into the program. At least these funds are probably not coming back to darken our doors. This means we need to find alternatives and end our reliance on the government for a comfortable retirement that doesn?t appear to be in the woodworks.
For this reason we are seeing more and more people in the twenty and thirty something generation taking matters into their own hands and investing not only for their retirements and the days when we can no longer work but also for those days when things happen and we need to fix broken houses, buy new cars, or pay hefty insurance deductibles for medical care. There are many reasons we choose to invest and very few that would ever be considered the wrong reason. The question remains, because there are so many out there who are not yet investing, with so many reasons to invest, are you ready to invest? Full Story →
Posted by Paul on 24th, 2009
Are Stocks or Mutual Funds a better Investment?
It may seem a little strange to compare mutual funds with stocks but you should so you make the best decisions to secure your financial future. Some of the more notable differences will be discussed below in order to help you decide which investment type is more suitable for your financial situation.
When it comes to investing for the everyday man or woman you really can?t beat mutual funds. Stocks carry hefty fees for buying, selling, and transferring that significantly hinder any profits that would otherwise be made from the transaction. In fact, these fees often serve to deter the trading of stocks rather than encouraging it. Perversely, big trading companies offer hefty discounts for their big spenders making the stock market trading game seem even more exclusive by making it easier for those who already have a great deal invested than they make it for the new guy trying to make his way on the market. Mutual funds are much more accessible to those who don?t have massive fortunes available to invest and need to make small steps (such as %100 a month) towards their financial and investment goals. Full Story →
Posted by Paul on 17th, 2009
Why Use a Stock Broker?
While stock brokers can be expensive it is worth thinking about hiring one. However, if you are new to the world of investing and find the terminology, expenses, fees, and process the least bit confusing it is best to utilize the services of a stock broker that is going to work with you every step of the way and explain the way things work at least for the first several trades you make. Stock brokers are paid through commissions that are earned every time you buy or sell a stock. For this reason they are great for advising you on which stocks to buy or sell though their main goal is to keep you buying and selling because they earn money on each transaction so be sure to take their advice, to some degree, with a grain of salt.
That being said a good stock broker can help you learn the ropes about trading stocks when you are just beginning in your investment efforts. Their advice and services can be invaluable and well worth every penny you pay them provided you find a broker that is going to work with you even though you are, presumably, going to be trading on a much smaller scale than some of their high dollar clients. In other words you want someone that is going to work with you even though you aren?t likely to be their biggest client anytime in the near future unless they make some excellent decisions on your behalf. Full Story →