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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup in another edition of Happy Hour.
As if the tax code isn’t hard enough deal with, there are tax scams you have to fend off too. You’d think common sense would prevail if it happened to you. The latest instance, reported by CNET, has scam artists impersonating an IRS agent, calling you, and threatening jail time if you don’t pay up. Continue Reading…
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Given the choice between two funds – an index fund vs ETF – that meet the same goal, costs are a big deciding factor. The same principle works for the active vs index argument too. Why pay more for something when you get the same results for less somewhere else.
I think we can agree that low costs matter. Once you decide on an all index portfolio, the next step is picking between similar index funds and ETFs. Both do the same thing, for the most part. So is one better than the other? Are there other factors to consider?
There are a number of ways to build a portfolio. For this exercise let’s use a sampling of asset classes to build two portfolios around – one with index funds and the other with ETFs. Continue Reading…
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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup in another edition of Happy Hour.
I’ll keep it short since it’s Labor Day weekend. For most of us, Labor Day marks the end the summer, the start of the school year, and the football season. Continue Reading…
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When the markets start acting crazy, remembering your investment horizon puts everything back into perspective. Fears in Europe, the economy, unemployment, and a few hundred other data sets all add to the daily swings of the market. But you can lower your risk to these issues by building your portfolio around a strict investment time horizon.
So are we heading for a repeat of last year? Or are the recent headlines another gut check for every investor out there? More importantly, should it really matter?
All that noise breeds a shortsighted view of your money. What is different today that affects your investment risk? The answer should be “Nothing” if your portfolio is built around your investment horizon. Continue Reading…
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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup in another edition of Happy Hour.
I ran across a couple of things this week that are a great follow-up to yesterday’s post. First, Mohnish Pabrai gave a Talks at Google presentation back in July that’s worth watching (video is below). He’s a value investor and student of Buffett who also likes to stack the odds in his favor. Continue Reading…
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Welcome to the end of the week! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks roundup in another edition of Happy Hour.
Gallup started the week off with an eye-opening poll showing just how excited the average person is about the stock market. They’re not!
After the S&P gained 16% in 2012, followed by 32% in 2013, you’d think those returns would induce chasing. Guess not. Of course, only 7% of those polled actually knew the market was up 32% last year. Continue Reading…