Investing

Betterment Just Got Much Better

February 22, 2012

When I first reviewed Betterment I gave it mixed reviews. On the positive side, it is very easy to use, has a solid investment strategy, and allows you to invest with little money. On the negative side, however, it didn’t offer international exposure and its cost was just too high. I even spoke to Betterment’s [...]

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Is Buying Gold and Silver a Smart Investment?

February 20, 2012

Two articles were recently published that took contrary views on investing in gold and silver. Both articles, which I’ll discuss in a minute, offer important insight into buying precious metals. Although not in large quantities, I’ve purchased silver American Eagles over the past two years and plan to buy gold American Eagles this year. Given [...]

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How to Invest with Just $25 A Month

January 13, 2012

When I started investing in the stock market back in 1993, my wife and I were dirt poor. I’d just graduated from law school, and our net worth was a negative $55,000. We still wanted to start investing, but we were faced with a big problem–how do you invest when you don’t have much money? [...]

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How Half a Percent Can Ruin Your Retirement

January 12, 2012

Last year one of my largest expenses was one I never saw. I didn’t get a bill for it. And I didn’t have to pay it, at least not directly. But it still cost me a small fortune. I’m talking about investment costs in the form of mutual fund expenses. Mutual fund expenses present two [...]

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Electronic U.S. Savings Bonds–Say Goodbye to Paper

January 2, 2012

As of today, U.S. savings bonds have gone digital. Paper savings bonds are history. I’m get a bit nostalgic when it comes to paper bonds. There’s just something comforting in holding physical evidence of your investment. And the designs of paper bonds over the years have been quite impressive. So before we get to how [...]

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OptionsHouse Current Deals and Promotions

December 15, 2011

It’s become routine for online discount brokers to woo customers by providing a few free trades or a little up-front cash. But OptionsHouse has taken the idea to another level.  Currently, OptionsHouse is offering five different promotions, each awarding a little something different for potential traders. I use OptionsHouse for both casual investing and to [...]

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OptionsHouse $600 IRA Bonus

November 23, 2011

In a down economy, the possibility of earning big cash bonuses without shelling out money of your own has proven to be difficult.  Outside some of the best credit card deals, banks are becoming more stingy with their promo offers. But OptionsHouse has just launched a goody.  From now until December 31st, 2012, anyone who [...]

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5 Weird Ways to Invest Your Money

November 16, 2011

A volatile stock market and crummy interest rates have forced a lot of people to get creative when it comes to investing their money. We’ve put together a list of five of the wackiest ways people are parking their cash. A quick word of caution before you go crazy with these types of investments — [...]

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How to Evaluate a Mutual Fund in 60 Seconds Flat

November 1, 2011

There are more than 15,000 mutual funds to choose from! Knowing how to wade through this sea of choices can cause the best of us to throw up our hands in despair. The reality is, however, that evaluating a mutual fund is really quite simple. So if you have 60 seconds to spare, here’s how [...]

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