There are many places to get information about the stock market. Major news sites. The individual company websites. Finance blogs. I rely on a mix of sources for my personal investing. But what I really want to know is, what are your favorite resources for news about the stock market?
I'll compile a list and share it all in one place once I get some answers.
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Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Today in the Stock Market
Today the stock market is set to get off to a good start as investors anticipate positive numbers from the labor market and inflation statistics.
The Consumer Price Index is expected to be up 0.1%, once you exclude food and energy costs. If you add those core sectors back in, the CPI is expected to be down 0.1%.
Jobless claims fell by 2,000, which I don't think is a pretty percentage, but it does represent a decline that probably has nothing to do with the 2010 US Census.
Another piece of good news that you've seen me talk about before is that BP has decided to cancel their dividend. This was truly the only logical and ethical thing to do and I am glad to see it happening. My only wish is that they had stepped up to do this sooner instead of leaving everyone in limbo for so long. It would have been a real chance to improve their public image.
What stock news are you watching and waiting for today?
The Consumer Price Index is expected to be up 0.1%, once you exclude food and energy costs. If you add those core sectors back in, the CPI is expected to be down 0.1%.
Jobless claims fell by 2,000, which I don't think is a pretty percentage, but it does represent a decline that probably has nothing to do with the 2010 US Census.
Another piece of good news that you've seen me talk about before is that BP has decided to cancel their dividend. This was truly the only logical and ethical thing to do and I am glad to see it happening. My only wish is that they had stepped up to do this sooner instead of leaving everyone in limbo for so long. It would have been a real chance to improve their public image.
What stock news are you watching and waiting for today?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Does the Stock Market Scare you?
If so, I understand. Having lost a substantial amount of my own retirement to a dip in the market, I know first hand the feeling that comes from opening my quarterly 401k statement only to see a number much lower than I expected. My gut sunk. It was a bad feeling.
So, now I have a strategy for how to approach the stocks in my 401k portfolio. Here is my first tip for becoming more comfortable investing in the stock market.
1 - Diversify. This is always the first piece of advice people give when talking about stocks. And that is because it is true. But it you are truly worried about the stock market, don't just pick stocks from different sectors. Invest some in bonds or other cash equivalents. Common wisdom suggests that the further you are from retirement the smaller your bond investment should be. Then, as you get closer to retirement, you should begin transitioning more of your money into cash equivalent investments to protect the assets when you need the the most. A target-date retirement fund can achieve this same goal.
Check back tomorrow for my second tip for becoming more comfortable investing in the stock market.
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So, now I have a strategy for how to approach the stocks in my 401k portfolio. Here is my first tip for becoming more comfortable investing in the stock market.
1 - Diversify. This is always the first piece of advice people give when talking about stocks. And that is because it is true. But it you are truly worried about the stock market, don't just pick stocks from different sectors. Invest some in bonds or other cash equivalents. Common wisdom suggests that the further you are from retirement the smaller your bond investment should be. Then, as you get closer to retirement, you should begin transitioning more of your money into cash equivalent investments to protect the assets when you need the the most. A target-date retirement fund can achieve this same goal.
Check back tomorrow for my second tip for becoming more comfortable investing in the stock market.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
401k Plan Fees
It always seems that the costs associated with managing a 401k are hard to figure out. Most large companies now send out reports that are clear about the 3-month performance of your funds, but they rarely tell you the actual dollar amount you are losing to plan fees. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that "an annual fee of 0.5% of assets can reduce your savings by 12.5% over 30 years." If you work for a smaller company, your fees might be even higher.
It is possible however to find out how much you are paying in plan fees. BrightScope.com has an extensive list of employer managed fund fees. For fun, I looked up one employer, the Allstate Corporation, and learned that employees investing in their 401k plan may lose more than $300,000 in savings over the course of their career. This can equate to up to 11 years of extra work to make up the money lost to fund fees.
Take a look and let me know what you found out about your employer.
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It is possible however to find out how much you are paying in plan fees. BrightScope.com has an extensive list of employer managed fund fees. For fun, I looked up one employer, the Allstate Corporation, and learned that employees investing in their 401k plan may lose more than $300,000 in savings over the course of their career. This can equate to up to 11 years of extra work to make up the money lost to fund fees.
Take a look and let me know what you found out about your employer.
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Monday, June 14, 2010
What are annuity fees?
Picking up the discussion on fees from last week, let's discuss annuity fees. What exactly are annuity fees?
Simply, they are the fees associated with periodic income for a specified length of time, for life, or a combination of the two. Like anything else in finance, there are fees associated with the purchase of an annuity. Depending on the annuity type you buy, you may pay contract fees, administration fees, withdrawal fees, or mortality fees(!).
Annuity fees are expensive (up to 10% in some cases) and may even be born by those who survive you. That is not much of a legacy to leave, is it? It might be hard to figure out what your annuity fees even are because they are often buried in hundreds of pages of prospectus.
Honestly, variable annuities do not make sense in most circumstances precisely because of these high fees. A better alternative for your retirement income is an immediate annuity. There are fewer fees which mean you have more to invest.
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Simply, they are the fees associated with periodic income for a specified length of time, for life, or a combination of the two. Like anything else in finance, there are fees associated with the purchase of an annuity. Depending on the annuity type you buy, you may pay contract fees, administration fees, withdrawal fees, or mortality fees(!).
Annuity fees are expensive (up to 10% in some cases) and may even be born by those who survive you. That is not much of a legacy to leave, is it? It might be hard to figure out what your annuity fees even are because they are often buried in hundreds of pages of prospectus.
Honestly, variable annuities do not make sense in most circumstances precisely because of these high fees. A better alternative for your retirement income is an immediate annuity. There are fewer fees which mean you have more to invest.
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Saturday, June 12, 2010
Brokerage Fees
We all know that our brokerage firms are going to charge us fees. The most savvy of consumers tries to get a clear understanding of what those are before they sign over a single penny to a new brokerage firm. While Protect My Retirement Funds is not in the business of recommending stocks, funds, or brokerage firms, we thought it would be good to give you a heads up about one fee that is becoming more and more common - transfer fees.
More and more often, firms such as Wells Fargo and Schwab, are charging any where from $50 - $200 just to transfer your money to another firm. Benjamin Poor, of Cerulli Associates, a researcher in the financial services market likens it to "having a bad meal at a restaurant, then being charged to leave the building."
A potential way to avoid the fee is to ask for it to be waived before you even create an account. The new firm might be willing to do this to earn your business. Also, clients transferring six figures may have the leverage to ask the new firm if they will reimburse the client the fee charged by the old firm.
Are there any fees that have given you a financial headache? What do you do about them?
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More and more often, firms such as Wells Fargo and Schwab, are charging any where from $50 - $200 just to transfer your money to another firm. Benjamin Poor, of Cerulli Associates, a researcher in the financial services market likens it to "having a bad meal at a restaurant, then being charged to leave the building."
A potential way to avoid the fee is to ask for it to be waived before you even create an account. The new firm might be willing to do this to earn your business. Also, clients transferring six figures may have the leverage to ask the new firm if they will reimburse the client the fee charged by the old firm.
Are there any fees that have given you a financial headache? What do you do about them?
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Friday, June 11, 2010
Why It's Cool to be an Economist
It used to be that eonomists were only seen in dry lectures at the local college or on the "boring" money-focused news shows. That has been changing though. Now, every day folks are finding economists, and what they have to say, more and more interesting.
It is amazing how much more invested people become in their retirement funds when they see negative trends in the stock market. It does make sense though. People are very protective of their money. That is part of why I started my company. I was protective of my money and wish I had thought to pay more attention to it while I still had most of it.
How often do you check your stock portfolio?
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It is amazing how much more invested people become in their retirement funds when they see negative trends in the stock market. It does make sense though. People are very protective of their money. That is part of why I started my company. I was protective of my money and wish I had thought to pay more attention to it while I still had most of it.
How often do you check your stock portfolio?
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