Why Your Bond Portfolio May Be Riskier Than You Think
With the broader markets retracting much of their declines from early 2016, many investors find themselves letting out a sigh of relief and stepping back from the closer look they would have taken at their holdings had things continued heading...
Feel the Burn: Why Working Out Is Like Investing in the Market
“To get to the magic part of the climb, it’s going to hurt. That’s normal. Your legs should be feeling pain right now. Just keep going.” So said my Revocycle instructor during a recent freewheel spinning class. My legs were...
The Two Types of Risks Every Investor Must Understand
As markets start off the new year with a global slide in prices, you may want to re-acquaint yourself with a concept often found in standard introductory courses on economics–the difference between systematic and nonsystematic risk. Your retirement assets could...
Why Investors Need to Embrace Bear Markets
Suppose you had a friend whose lifelong dream was to travel overseas. But this friend was deathly afraid of experiencing turbulence on an airplane. So he decided to forgo his trip until a new plane was invented, one able to...
What Investors Should Have Learned From Recent Market Volatility
How did you spend August 2015? Take a moment to really think about this question, as it can have serious implications for your portfolio in 2016 and beyond. As you may recall, this was the month we were all reminded...
A Joyful Way to Look at Budgeting
For most people the “B-Word” (budgeting) conjures up feelings of deprivation and self-denial. As such, when it comes to deciding how to allocate your hard-earned cash, I far prefer a concept I call “joy-based spending” to traditional budgeting. Here’s how...
The Worst Financial Advice to Give a College Grad
I think just about the worst financial advice you can give to a recent college graduate is: “Buy stocks in companies whose products and services you like.” On the surface, advice to “buy what you know” is well-intentioned. After all,...
How to Understand the Yield Curve
The Federal Reserve has signaled that interest rates will eventually rise. It may be tempting to conclude that, with diligence and perseverance, you could uncover a way to profit from this knowledge. If you find yourself enticed by this possibility,...
The Most Important Factor in Picking a Fund Manager
When choosing a fund manager, there are a wide variety of characteristics an investor can evaluate. Common points of assessment include: Educational background: What degrees has the fund manager earned, and from what schools? Is the fund manager a certified...
How to Calculate Where to Invest Abroad
With the MSCI Emerging Markets Index up nearly 10% year-to-date through May 1, I think many people are wondering whether this area is the most attractive for investors seeking international exposure. Alas, history has taught us time and again that...
