Bring your appetite
If you're looking for a burgeoning trend to invest in, you might consider the bulging waistline of the American consumer. We're eating more, dining out more and packing on more pounds than ever before. Our growing appetited has spawned a universe of food-investment opportunities that is expanding almost as quickly as the average American belt size. More
Trust your estate to trusts
A couple of years ago, with his close friend facing failing health, Larry Nelson lined up an attorney to help the friend craft a will to designate the beneficiaries of his estate. Nearly two years after his friend's death, the will is still tied up in probate. How can you smooth the transition for your beneficiaries? Read on
When life ends, be ready for the red tape
The duties of an estate executor
There’s nothing more final than death, but when life ends, the red tape begins. Whether you’re planning your own estate or you’re involved in the dissolution of the estate of a friend or family member, it’s helpful to understand the duties and responsibilities of the executor or personal representative who is charged with settling the estate. More
A ruling to protect investors--striking down the Merrill Lynch rule
In an era when the financial services industry has been accused of exploiting lax consumer protection laws to stick it to their customers, the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. recently struck a rare blow for the consumer. The court struck down the SEC's broker-dealer exemption law—known as the “Merrill Lynch rule”—that gave brokers many of the same benefits of a registered investment advisor (RIA) without the same obligation to serve the best interests of their clients. More
ETFs make diversification cheap and easy
If you’re looking for a quick, cheap, easy way to buy a stake in the stock market, you might consider “exchange-traded funds” (ETF). ETFs are similar to mutual funds in that they give small investors the ability to buy a diversified basket of stocks with a single purchase. But they also feature some important benefits that traditional mutual funds don’t offer. More
Finance from a feminine perspective
The investment business has long had an image as macho as the bull and bear. Wall Street was a place where men peddled securities to men. That world is slowing changing, but more women still need to take an interest in their financial well-being--95% will be in charge of their own finances at some point in their life. More
Bonds: Not always a safe harbor
With the stock market skidding through a patch of volatility reminiscent of the 1990s, suddenly the bond market may look like a good spot to stash some cash. But bonds have their own patchwork of pitfalls. In fact, whether you pick a bond or a bond mutual fund, you could be stepping into trouble unless you understand the fundamentals of the bond market. More
Shopping for a better advisor
Retirement is barreling down on Baby Boomers like a runaway tram. Many boomers are wondering how their modest nest egg can possibly bankroll two or three decades of retirement. If you’re looking for a better advisor with a greater emphasis on long-term planning, where should you turn? More
Leaving your best wishes behind
When they compared notes, Jay Carlson and Richard Hegener realized that the emotional and organizational nightmare they faced when their fathers died was probably not all that different from the scenarios millions of grieving Americans face each year. That led to their creataion of LegacyWish, a computer software program that not only helps people organize the estaate process, but also provides emotional guidance to the family and friends you leave behind. More
Annuities, accessing retirement funds and other reader questions
If you have money to invest, there’s an annuity out there with your name on it—at least that’s the message some advisors give their clients. But you need to weigh the pros and cons before you sign the dotted line for any of these long-term investment contracts. More on annuities and accessing your retirement funds
An old hand at arbitrage
When he was a student at the University of Minnesota, Trevor Cook relished every zero percent credit card offer that landed in his mail box. He would borrow the maximum from every card, reinvest the proceeds in CDs at 6 percent, and pay off the balance in full just before the penalty kicked in. These days, Cook is making his trades on the foreign exchange market and leveraging each transaction to bump up the effective return from 4.5 percent to about a 12 percent return. More
Investing in a strong global market
Housing is down. Gas prices are way up. Yet the stock market continues to climb and the U.S. economy continues to chirp along in a positive direction. What’s keeping us afloat? One significant factor is the strong global economy. More on global market investing
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