Investing News

Third quarter earnings season has barely begun and already analysts are worried about the final three months of the year. “Guidance is going to be terrible,” BofA strategists recently said in a note to clients, adding that the lender expects them to deteriorate even further. Key Takeaways Factors including a strong dollar, inflation, and weakening

President Biden said on Oct. 17 that the application for his student debt relief program has exited its beta phase and has officially launched. Eligible borrowers who apply before Dec. 31, 2023 could have up to $20,000 of their student debt forgiven. Key Takeaways Up to $20,000 in student debt relief is now available for

One step forward, one-and-a-half steps back. U.S. markets are having a hard time getting traction these days, and the volatility has been kind-of extreme lately. Big rallies have been followed by even bigger selloffs, which is exactly what we see when we look at historical bear markets searching for the bottom. The downward turn is

Many consumers use a debit card for online purchases to avoid accumulating credit card debt, but, is it safe to use a debit card online? Payments with a debit card are taken instantly from your checking account and shopping online comes with the added risk that your information may be stolen. Using a debit card

Keep An Eye On These Coins The crypto market has had a fairly low-key October. While the price of Bitcoin dipped briefly below $19,000, it continues to hold around that support level. Some investors believe that the market has bottomed out and that the only way to move is up. The reduced volatility has some

A single stock future (SSF) is a futures contract between two parties. The buyer of the SSF, or the “long” side of the contract, promises to pay a specified price for 100 shares of a single stock at a predetermined future date (the delivery date). The seller, who is on the “short” side of the

Americans have been complaining about the cost of living since the Colonial days. But actually measuring it, and determining how it changes over time, have always been a challenge. It was just a century ago, in 1921, that the U.S. government started publishing a national Consumer Price Index (CPI), based on living costs across major

How can people get rid of their student loan debt—and, more specifically, when is loan forgiveness an option? We don’t need another statistic to tell us how deep in student loan debt U.S. college graduates are. Total debt and average debt figures don’t mean much, except to say that if the sums you owe keep

Most IRAs consist of traditional investments, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. However, a self-directed IRA lets you access a wide variety of investment options—everything from real estate and precious metals to cryptocurrencies and mineral rights—giving you more control and greater diversification over your investments.  Key Takeaways A self-directed IRA (SDIRA) can hold virtually

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) hold a collection of securities—such as stocks—that often track an underlying index. While they are similar to mutual funds in some ways, ETFs are different in that they are listed on exchanges and can be traded throughout the day like traditional stocks. In recent years, ETFs have become immensely popular with investors

China has steadily accumulated U.S. Treasury securities over the last few decades. As of Q3 2022, the Asian nation owns nearly $1 trillion, or about 3.2%, of the $31.1 trillion U.S. national debt at the time. That was more than any other foreign country except Japan. As the trade war between the two economies escalates,

Today, many of us find ourselves with multiple bank accounts. Maybe we opened one back in college and it still has a balance. Perhaps another was opened for work. Yet another as a joint account with a spouse. Another had a really good deal on a one-year CD. Regardless, at some point you may be

“Sustainability” and “sustainable investing” are among the latest buzzwords in the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) industry. These funds cater to people who want to be certain that their money is invested in companies that are committed to environmental, social, and governance awareness. The sentiment has spawned its own acronym, ESG. There are now nearly 70 ETFs

Throughout a lifetime, a person can save large amounts of money and collect valuable assets. To ensure their assets and valuables are kept in the family, many people create wills, which are legal documents that dictate how they want their assets and funds distributed among the family and friends they leave behind when they pass

The Swiss franc (CHF) has long been considered a stable currency in the global economy and is often purchased by investors when the stability of other foreign currencies is at risk due to adverse economic or political environments. The franc’s stability is due to measures by the Swiss Central Bank to control the currency’s value

Estate planning fees were tax deductible, but they no longer are. First, estate planning is the general term that covers arranging one’s assets and property for distribution at death to beneficiaries. It includes the creation of legal documents such as trusts and wills, as well as that of directives such as durable power of attorney

How much will you need to retire? And will it be enough? A survey from Schwab Retirement Plan Services found the average 401(k) participant thinks they’ll need $1.7 million to retire. Roughly half of the people surveyed believe they can meet their retirement goals. Of course, many people in the U.S. aren’t investing enough to

Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called Medicare Part C, allow you to combine Medicare Parts A and B coverage in one policy. During Medicare open enrollment, you have an opportunity to switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan or make changes to an existing plan. For instance, you may want to change from a health maintenance organization