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2011 IRA Contribution Deadline Just Around The Corner

March 15, 2012 by Jon

One of the complications with the tax code is not knowing when the tax year ends.  This is certainly true with an IRA contribution.  Though 2011 ended months ago, the tax year for some IRAs is just now coming to an end.

The good news out of all this is the IRS gives us some wiggle room to max out our IRAs every year.  While you scramble to meet the tax deadline, know that the IRA deadline is right around the corner too.

IRA Contribution Deadline

This year the 2011 tax deadline falls on April 17, 2012 which also happens to be the IRA contribution deadline.  In fact, the contribution deadline always falls on the same day taxes come due.  At least that is how it works for traditional and Roth IRAs.

While you are finishing (or starting) your taxes this year, it’s a good idea to look into adding more money to that IRA of yours, if it isn’t maxed out already.  The 2011 IRA contribution limit was $5,000 ($6,000 for those over 50 or older). Continue Reading…

Happy Hour: Iced Tea Beer, The Price of Twitter & Political Betting

March 9, 2012 by Jon

It’s Happy Hour again, TGIF! Time to kick back relax and enjoy the more interesting reads of the week.

Ice Tea Beer

Ah, remember the ’90s, grunge music, Friends, the internet boom and Zima?!  Well Zima is back or the concept is, big beer companies are pushing the limits yet again with flavored beers.  We’ve seen it with Bud Light Lime (because cutting a lime wedge is so complicated) and now Coors Light Ice Tea.  There is nothing like hitting happy hour and relaxing after a hard days work with a nice cold ice tea…beer?  Watch out Snapple!

The Price Of Twitter

If you are a twitterer, tweeter, or just a person who tweets?  It’s a simple easy way to get a message out in 140 characters or less.  And it’s free!  But it does have costs, just check out the 5 costliest tweets ever.  You all remember ex-congressman Weiner?

Political Betting

For anyone with a hankering for politics and gambling or just want to know who has the best chance of being the next president, check out Intrade.  It had a recent write-up in Businessweek and how it’s used by campaign advisers to reassure the media of their chances of winning the GOP candidacy. Continue Reading…

Beware: ETFs Should Come With A Warning Label

March 8, 2012 by Jon

Warning LabelThe continued growth of ETFs isn’t going to stop anytime soon.  If your 401k doesn’t offer them as an investment option, just wait.  It will soon.  As the low-cost equivalent to most mutual funds, ETFs are becoming the go to investment of choice for anyone not willing or interested in stock picking and owning individual bonds.  But is it a good thing.

One of the benefits everyone, myself included, touts about ETFs is how easy it is to buy and sell them.  The soonest a mutual fund share transaction goes through is at the end of the business day, if you’re lucky.  With ETFs you can buy and sell them in microseconds and its done.  Now anyone can be a trader for a day and the growing number of exotic, “smart” beta, and specialized ETFs just makes it easier.  There in lies the dilemma. Continue Reading…

Best Stocks For A Cashless Society

March 6, 2012 by Jon

Cashless SocietyThe push to a cashless society has been slowly ongoing since the first credit card was introduced decades ago.  It wasn’t until recently that technology has caught up with the possibility.  Whether the move towards reality continues will be more about acceptance and security than anything else.  With computers becoming smaller, faster and the world continuing on its wireless path, it’s almost inevitable.

We already have little to no need for ATMs, and I’ve only used a bank teller once in the past three years.  We have direct deposit and can scan or take a picture of a check with our phones to make deposits too.  Debit cards are accepted everywhere and we can transfer money and pay bills with the touch of a button.

With the potential of mobile to deliver the missing link, we can see paper money heading the way of the dodo. Continue Reading…

Happy Hour: The Buffett Way And Apple’s Bigger Than

March 2, 2012 by Jon

It’s another Friday and happy hour time again.  So sit back, relax and check out some all around interesting reads I’ve found this week.

The Buffett Way

The 2011 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder letter was recently released.  Though I’m not a shareholder myself, it’s worth taking the time to see how one of the greatest investors of our time views the company, the economy, the stock market, and were he believes it’s headed in the future.  This is a recommended read every year.

Is Anything Bigger Than Apple?

This week Apple topped the $500 billion market cap.  Quite a climb since it’s lowly days of near extinction competing against Microsoft and the PC movement.  While reaching that market cap is nice, comparing the company to things Apple is bigger than, is more fun.  As a side note, Continue Reading…

An Under-Invested America: Is Conservative The New Norm?

March 1, 2012 by Jon

Fortunes aren’t made being conservative.  Nobody has gotten rich earning less than 1% on their money.  Yet more money has been put into savings accounts than into stock and bond funds, since the market crash of ’08.  This may sound like a good thing.  At first glance it looks as though people are building up their emergency funds.  A great sign of financial responsibility, if it were only true.

The first 11 months of 2011, retail investors put over $900 billion into savings accounts.  During the same period only $109 billion was investing into stock and bond funds.  Putting money into a mattress is never a good idea, but expecting to reach financial goals earning less than 1% is just as bad.

A look at the chart below shows how extremely different the amounts of money saved and invested have become since the ’08 crash.  Which isn’t that surprising really.  The fact that the numbers haven’t returned to a more normalized setting after four years should be questioned. Continue Reading…

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