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There are two primary factors that affect bond prices — interest rate changes and credit rating changes. Interest rate changes typically will cause a bond’s value to fluctuate more than credit rating changes. As interest...

If you find that you’re not living within your budget every month, it’s time to take a step back to understand why. The following questions can help you find the issues that may be wreaking havoc on your budget and figure...

Tax-advantaged savings plans, like 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), help your money grow faster than taxable investments, but they’re not always the right place for all of your savings. Here is a rundown on...

A great many investors are aware of only one way to manage their bonds: buy them and hold them until they mature, reinvesting the redeemed funds in more bonds to hold until they mature. Not surprisingly, this is called a buy-and-hold...

Signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, also known as the SECURE Act, is intended to increase access to tax-advantaged retirement accounts, helping older...

Many people confuse tax planning with tax preparation and only think about it when preparing their annual tax return. However, there is little you can do to actually lower your tax bill when preparing your return. If your goal is to...

Financial rules of thumb are designed to provide quick guidelines for your finances. However, you shouldn’t blindly follow them without giving thought to your personal circumstances. Some of the more common financial rules of...

One of the most basic investment principles is that returns reward you for the risks that you take. While investors are often uncomfortable with the concept of risk, it is this uncertainty that makes higher rates of return possible....

You may think that after retirement you can sit back and stop worrying about money…after all, you scrimped and saved for decades. You’re comfortable with what you’ve put away and now it’s time to relax....

The fact is, investing isn’t just about making your money work for you. It’s about making your money work for you for a particular purpose. In other words, you need a goal. Here are four specific reasons why a goal-focused...

Of the three main asset classes, bonds often appear the least exciting. Perhaps the combination of their stable and seemingly turtle-paced growth decreases their likelihood of crossing investors’ minds when it comes to any goal,...

Avoid these common investor mistakes when making investment portfolio decisions: Chasing performance. Investors often pull out of sectors that are not performing well, moving that money to high performing investments. But the market is...

Although you’ll have to wait a good while before they’ll thank you for it, teaching your children to be financially responsible is one of the best gifts you can give them. Of course, the earlier they start to learn about...

To gain a better understanding of how we’re affected by risk when building a retirement portfolio, it’s important to learn about risk tolerance and what it means for you as an investor. What Is Risk Tolerance? Risk...

Market timing involves making market buy and sell decisions based on your prediction of the future performance of the market. A buy-and-hold investment strategy, in contrast, involves buying in to the market on a regular basis and...

Don’t have a calculator handy, but need a quick answer to a financial question? Here are three shortcuts: How long will it take to double your money? Divide 72 by your annual investment return. If you are earning 8% annually on...

You’re off to college. It’s an exciting time filled with firsts — the first time living away from home, the first time you’re on your own for meals and laundry, and the first time you have to manage your own...

Millions of Americans are stay-at-home parents. While they may not get paid a regular salary, they perform vital work caring for children and managing the household. Unfortunately, since this work doesn’t come with a paycheck, it...

In addition to starting the company that publishes The Wall Street Journal, Charles Dow (1851–1902) also lent his name to one of the most popular U.S. stock market indexes (the Dow Jones Industrial Average) and created a theory...

Though it’s typical for parents to underscore the value of a college education from the time their children are in grade school, what’s more commonly overlooked are the benefits of encouraging them to save for their...

Bonds have a reputation as safe, stable investments. But writing off bonds as boring investments best for the risk-averse could be a mistake. While it’s true that investing in bonds tends to lack the dramatic highs (and the lows)...