With interest rates continuing to hover at historically low levels, investors looking for income are understandably frustrated. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that more people are recommending dividend stocks as an alternative to bonds, CDs, or even savings accounts. See here for an example.
As such articles sometimes (but not always) point out, [...]
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Archive for the ‘Saving & Investing’ Category
Stocks are Not Bonds, CDs, or Savings Accounts
Written by Nickel - 3 Comments
Published on February 10th, 2012 - 3 Comments
Filed under: Banking, Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Banking, Saving & Investing
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Own Your Investments, Rent Your Fun
Written by Nickel - 8 Comments
I’m not sure where I first heard it, but whenever I get the urge to “invest” in a lake place, or do something similarly extravagant, I always fall back on this saying:
“Own your investments and rent your fun.”
I’ve mused in the past about buying a vacation home, but the harsh reality is that such endeavors [...]
Published on February 8th, 2012 - 8 Comments
Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Is Your Investment Allocation Right?
Written by Nickel - 4 Comments
Here’s an interesting thought experiment from Carl Richards over on the NY Times “Bucks” blog…
Imagine that your investment portfolio somehow got liquidated overnight, such that when you wake up your holding are 100% in cash. If you were give the opportunity to buy back into the market at no cost, would you re-create the same [...]
Published on February 3rd, 2012 - 4 Comments
Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Will the IRS Disallow Backdoor Roth Contributions?
Written by Nickel - 9 Comments
I’ve talked quite a bit about making “backdoor” Roth contributions if you’re over the income limits for contributing to a Roth IRA. In short, you can make a non-deductible contribution to a traditional and then immediately convert it into their Roth.
This strategy has become so popular that mainstream publications such as Forbes have started talking [...]
Published on February 1st, 2012 - 9 Comments
Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Thoughts on Kodak, Bankruptcy, and Investing
Written by Nickel - 7 Comments
Over the past couple of weeks, there have been rumors swirling about Eastman Kodak’s financial (in)solvency. And then it happened. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday. Not surprisingly, their stock dropped 35%. But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Kodak actually traded at an all-time high of just under $93/share in [...]
Published on January 20th, 2012 - 7 Comments
Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Make the Most of Your Pay Raise
Written by Hank Coleman - 6 Comments
Despite high unemployment and lingering financial turmoil from the recent recession, American workers continue to earn pay raises each year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical worker earned an average pay raise of 1.9% last year, and they are on tap to earn a similar raise in 2012.
These annual pay raises will [...]
Published on January 19th, 2012 - 6 Comments
Filed under: Debt Reduction, Planning, Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Debt Reduction, Planning, Saving & Investing
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401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) Contribution Limits for 2012
Written by Nickel - Leave a Comment
Do you have a workplace retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b)? If so, then you might be interested in knowing that the contribution limits for these account types has increased for 2012.
This means that individuals under age 50 can contribute up to $17,000 to their 401(k) account this year, up from last [...]
Published on January 18th, 2012 - Leave a Comment
Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Contribute to Your Roth IRA, Even if it Stretches Your Budget
Written by Nickel - 9 Comments
Your 2011 taxes are due in just under three months. That also means that you have just under three months left to make any 2011 IRA contributions that you might have been putting off.
But what if you’re neglected to contribute to an IRA because you’re not sure you can afford it? Maybe the only cash [...]
Published on January 18th, 2012 - 9 Comments
Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Far-Out Investment Strategies
Written by Jeffrey Steele - 2 Comments
There’s no time like the recently-passed 10-year anniversary of the Enron wipeout to revisit some solid pieces of investment wisdom. And one of those nuggets is of such all-encompassing sagacity that it can be easily summarized in a single word.
Diversify.
If you’ll remember the Enron affair, so insightfully captured in “The Smartest Guys in the Room,” [...]
Published on January 17th, 2012 - 2 Comments
Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Filed under: Saving & Investing
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Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules: How to Get Your Money Out Early
Written by Nickel - One Comment
As a followup to Friday’s post on contributing to a traditional IRA and converting to a Roth IRA (i.e., funding a “back door” Roth) I wanted to spend a little time talking about Roth IRA withdrawal rules.
This post was actually inspired by a comment from a reader named John who is interested in using IRA [...]
Published on January 16th, 2012 - One Comment
Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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Filed under: Retirement, Saving & Investing, Taxes
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