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Happy Hour: Paying What It’s Worth & Deserted Island

November 1, 2013

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Jon

Welcome to the end of the week and another edition of Happy Hour! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your end of the week roundup of all things interesting in the land of money.

Paying What It’s Worth

We’re used to paying full price for hings and if not full price, then sales price. With the number of constant sales going on, you could argue sales are really full price disguised in as shiny red tags. Anyways, what if you could pay what you thought something was worth?

Rather than paying full price or sales price, there was no sticker price at all. You paid (or didn’t) what it was worth to you. This idea was tested by the folks at Freakonomics and came to an interesting conclusion. Continue Reading…
401k Plan: The Definitive Resource Guide

October 29, 2013

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Jon

At some point in your working life, you’ll be handed a 401k plan packet full of information and investment choices, told to fill things out, and, if you’re lucky, someone might actually explain it all for you.

At least, that’s how it happened for me. Except, a couple of salesmen from the plan provider rushed through it in fifteen minutes.

When you know saving for retirement is important, it’s hard to put your trust in a tool that you don’t entirely understand. Luckily, I knew enough to get by while I researched the rest on my own.

The 401k plan is the staple retirement plan offered by employers these days. Yet, dealing with one can be overwhelming and tricky. Your 401k is more than just another retirement account. It’s your primary savings tool for retirement.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the traditional 401k plan, the rules and limits, so you can take full advantage of this employer-provided retirement tool. Continue Reading…
Happy Hour: Athlete Stocks And Other Signs Of Exuberance

October 25, 2013

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Jon

Welcome to the end of the week and another edition of Happy Hour! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your end of the week roundup of all things interesting in the land of money.

Athlete Stocks

The idea of investing in people isn’t new. The last big celebrity offering was David Bowie in 1997. The Bowie Bonds were tied to his intellectual property. That song catalog of his still made money and you could own a piece of that revenue stream. It was an opportunity for Bowie to get access to some of that material’s value immediately while investors earned a decent interest over time. A side note, for Bowie it was perfect timing, right at the peak for music before Napster came along and killed the industry. Continue Reading…
Year End Tax Tips To Plan Now

October 24, 2013

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Jon

We’re a few short months away from the end of the year. Pretty soon it will be a new year and tax season again. This leaves you with a couple of options. One is to put things off till January or do the last-minute rush in April. The other, is to start planning now and make the most of your tax savings. Plus the end of the year is a great time to knock out a bunch of financial stuff all at once. Here are a few year end tax tips to get you started.

Prepare Early

The best place to start is with last years tax return. If you haven’t had any major life changes this year, it will be painless – just use the same information. But not everyone is that lucky.

Many life changing events like a marriage, divorce, new baby, or new home can all trigger potential credits or deductions. These are all opportunities to save on taxes. Take the extra time to sort through everything. Continue Reading…
Happy Hour: Nobel Prizes & Debt Deal

October 18, 2013

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Jon

Welcome to the end of the week and another edition of Happy Hour! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your end of the week roundup of all things interesting in the land of money.

Nobel Prizes

This week kicked off with the Nobel Prize in Economics being award to three economists, Fama, Shiller, and Hansen, each with differing views on market theory. This Bloomberg article sums up best what each has brought to the efficient market table. Continue Reading…
Best Mutual Fund Screener Online

October 16, 2013

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Jon

Even though ETFs are all the rage, mutual funds and low-cost index funds are still the investment of choice for most investors. With tens of thousands of funds to choose from, building a solid portfolio isn’t easy. That’s where a mutual fund screener comes in handy.

Like any great stock screener, a good fund screener narrows down your choices by filtering through different criteria to find the funds that meet your goals. Once you have a small list to choose from researching each one should be easy too.

Since mutual funds are built for most investors, the best mutual fund screener should be too. It should be easy to use and understand. You shouldn’t need a manual for a simple screen by category, asset class, and cost. Once you have the results, the site should have all the fund information you need to make an informed decision before investing. The best part is, all the screening tools below do that and each one is free. Continue Reading…

Happy Hour: Paying What It’s Worth & Deserted Island

Paying What It’s Worth

401k Plan: The Definitive Resource Guide

Happy Hour: Athlete Stocks And Other Signs Of Exuberance

Athlete Stocks

Year End Tax Tips To Plan Now

Prepare Early

Happy Hour: Nobel Prizes & Debt Deal

Nobel Prizes

Best Mutual Fund Screener Online