January 2018 | FIGuide

Running for the Hills

Jan 31 2018

I’ve never seen anything like it. The mere mention of Amazon eyeing another kind of business can send chills down traders’ backs who might own stocks in that line of business. It seems no one wants to be caught owning the next business Amazon might want to conquer.

As a result, on Tuesday morning, Wall Street traders woke up to something they haven’t experienced much of lately: actual market volatility. One trader posted an image of his Bloomberg terminal at the market opening, which showed an immediate scary-looking plunge in U.S. equities as the opening bell rung. By the end …

Why Average Investors Don’t Beat the Market

Jan 31 2018

Most people invest in order to grow wealth over time. It’s only natural to want the biggest returns possible as part of that process.

But focusing on returns isn’t necessarily a sound investment strategy — and it could be part of what leads average investors to perform so poorly.

In fact, average investors don’t just fail to get big returns. They tend to underperform market indices that they invested in, like the S&P 500. In 2015, the S&P 500 index outperformed average investors by 3+% percent and they did the same with the Barclay’s Bond Index!

Theoretically, that shouldn’t …

5 Things to Know About Safe Deposit Boxes, Home Safes and Your Valuables

Jan 31 2018

I found this helpful information about safe deposit boxes on the FDIC site. It was posted nearly a decade ago and remains relevant today.

1. Think about what should or should not be kept in a bank’s safe deposit box. Good candidates include originals of key documents, such as birth certificates, property deeds, car titles, and U.S. Savings Bonds that haven’t been converted into electronic securities. Other possibilities include family keepsakes, valuable collections, pictures or videos of your home’s contents for insurance purposes, and negatives for irreplaceable photos. (Another option may be to store digital images of important documents and …

Best and Worst States for Retirement Finances

Jan 29 2018

Retirement can be one of the most anticipated and exciting times in a person’s life. When the time comes to start this new chapter, it is important to consider all of the factors to make the transition as easy as possible. Diligent financial planning is one of the most important things that can make a senior’s retirement successful, and it is especially helpful to know that there are some states that have better financial environments than others. Whether retirees already live in one of these states, or are looking for a new place to reside, knowing expense expectations can help …

Archive - January 2018