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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.
The first half of 2014 is done. It was a good six months, far better than I expected. Every asset class is positive for the year. I bet nobody forecast that possibility back in January. Continue Reading…
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The persistent fear over rising rates drives demand for investments that protect from interest rate risk. Now you can add Treasury floating rate notes (FRNs) to that growing list.
At the start of 2014, the Treasury auctioned its first floating rate notes. Since then FRN ETFs started popping up as another way to own these notes. But should you? Are there better options available?
The Treasury floating rate notes are a 2-year maturity government bond (with all the same guarantees) with the addition of an adjustable interest rate. Continue Reading…
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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.
A number of reading lists have popped up around the web the past few weeks. As a serial collector of book recommendations, I added several to my growing wishlist on Amazon.
This past weekend I spent a few minutes digging through that list looking for stuff to read. The goal was to find a mix of interesting books for about $5 each. Continue Reading…
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The best way to make a habit of saving and investing is to automate it. It throws behavior out the window, removes mistakes (or lowers the chance of it at least), and enforces discipline without trying. All you have to do is start an automatic investment plan.
Automatic saving has been around for years. Now there are tools available to help you automate investing.
Making systematic monthly investments is the best way to stick to your goals. Anytime you automate that process it increases your chance of success. Not to mention, it makes it simpler for you. Continue Reading…
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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup of interesting reads in another edition of Happy Hour.
I don’t know to many people who buy a car on the spot based only on what the salesperson tells them. Yet, that’s exactly what many people do every year with their retirement money.
Bloomberg reported how people were duped by sketchy advisors to rollover their 401k money into terrible financial products. Continue Reading…
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The first rule of wealth creation is to spend less than you earn. The result is extra money you can save and put to work. When choosing between whether to pay off debt or invest, what’s the best use of your money?
Both play a role in a smart financial plan. But basic math says – whatever gives the best return on your money. To simplify things, here’s a formula for dealing with this question.
I’ll explain below. Continue Reading…