Sell investments for the right reasons
It’s important to understand which investments to own, and when to buy them. But you should also know when it’s time to sell an investment — and why.
Unfortunately, many people sell investments for the wrong reasons. Some people want the money to purchase so-called “hot” investments, even if these new investments aren’t appropriate for their needs. Others own investments that have lost value, and fearing further losses, they decide to sell — thereby violating the oldest rule of investing: “Buy low and sell high.”
Put power of tax deferral to work
As an investor, you may sometimes feel frustrated. After all, your portfolio seems to be at the mercy of the financial markets, whose volatility is beyond anyone’s control. Yet you can control the quality of the investments you own and the diversification of those investments to improve your chances of attaining your long-term financial goals. One way in which to do so is to put as much as you can afford, year after year, into tax-deferred investments.
Explore the world of international investments
You’re probably accustomed to measuring the progress of your investments, and the overall condition of the investment world, by checking on indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. And since these types of benchmarks focus almost exclusively on American companies, you might get the idea that the best investments are located right here in the United States. But that impression would be false — because there are, literally, a world of investment opportunities beyond the U.S. borders.
In fact, as of the end of 2010, U.S. stock markets constituted less than a third of the total global stock market value, according to the World Bank. And you can probably just look around at the products you use in your daily life to identify many successful foreign companies.
Here’s how to insure a great Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. To celebrate, you may want to present your loved ones with chocolates, flowers or any number of other traditional gifts. But if your valentine also happens to be your spouse or your life partner, you also might want to show your love in another way — by making sure you have adequate insurance.
Just consider some of the things that life insurance can do for you and your family:
Investors can learn much from Super Bowl teams
by Edward Jones Matthew North Financial Advisor It’s Super Bowl time again. And whether you’re a sports fan or not, you can probably learn something from the Super Bowl teams that you can apply to other endeavors — such as investing. What might these lessons be? Take a look: • Pick players carefully. Super Bowl [...]
Delay in investing could prove costly
by Edward Jones Matthew North Financial Advisor You’ve no doubt heard that “time is money.” While this expression may be applicable in many areas of life, it’s especially relevant for investors — because the more time you spend not investing, the less money you are likely to have when you really need it, such as [...]
Don’t play politics with your investment decisions
by Edward Jones Matthew North Financial Advisor While the election season heats up, you will hear more and more promises, claims and counter-claims from the candidates. As a citizen, you may or may not enjoy this “political theater,” but as an investor, you might be concerned over all the talk about taxes, Social Security, Medicare [...]
When should you start taking social security
by Edward Jones Matthew North Financial Advisor If you’re of a certain age, the new year means you’re that much closer to a day you may have anticipated with a combination of humor and resignation — specifically, the day you’re eligible for Social Security. But just because you can take Social Security, it doesn’t mean [...]
What does investment landscape look like in 2012?
As an investor, you know that 2011 was a somewhat “choppy” year, with the financial markets going through many ups and downs. So what can you expect in 2012?
As baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra is quoted as saying: “It’s hard to make predictions — especially about the future.” And these words are certainly applicable for anyone who would like an accurate forecast of the investment climate.
Yet we do know of some factors that may affect your portfolio in the months ahead. Here are a few of them:
Help for fisheries ahead in 2013
Alaska’s commercial fisheries programs could get a slight boost if the Governor’s budget for the next fiscal year gets a nod from legislators.
The proposed FY2013 operating budget for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, including all state and federal funds, is just over $209 million, a 5.1 percent increase. For commercial fisheries, the department’s most expensive unit, a budget of $70.5 million is a 4.4 percent increase.
Gov. Parnell also is proposing a bond package that includes $10 million to help Seward prepare to homeport large at-sea processing boats owned by communities in the Kuskokwim region. The vessels now are based in Seattle, and it could begin a transfer of other big boats to remain in Alaska year round.
