Should I pay off my mortgage early or invest? You will inevitably confront this question in your pursuit of financial security. The problem is the answer is far more complex and confusing than generally understood. Here is your definitive guide to simplifying the complex so you can make a smart decision…
What Is A Good Investment?
There is no such thing as an inherently good or bad investment. It is a myth. All assets can be good or bad investment given the right strategy, timing, or price. It is all about process – not product. Let’s see how this works…
Avoid Losses: 5 Ways Investment Research Lies To You
Things are seldom as they appear. Nowhere is this more true than investment research. Every day another trading system or sure-fire investment strategy is published. They always look good on the surface – impressive statistics, testimonials, lots of social proof. You’ll find them in best-selling books, or published by authority figures like professors, or endorsed by a trade journal. None of that matters because it can still be total hogwash. Here is how you sort fact from fiction to protect your portfolio…
How To Invest For Inflation & Deflation
The stable economic past is over. The future is going to be volatile with bouts of deflation and inflation. How do you invest and manage risk in that scenario?
Can I Actively Trade My Way Out Of This Economic Mess?
A reader asks, “…I’m an architect suffering under this dreadful economy like so many of us are, and I need to do something to help carry me through… What I’d like to do is use a portion of my IRA funds to educate myself further in the investment arena, pay back the loan, and use the remainder of the IRA to actively invest for income and growth. In other words, keep a portion of the earnings to supplement my income and reinvest the rest for growth. Does that sound like a reasonable idea?” My short answer is…
A 10% Safe Dividend On The Dow 30?
We live in an increasingly complex investment environment. It’s no longer sufficient to master just stocks, bonds and real estate because financial engineers are busily creating all kinds of hybrid investment products to satisfy demand. These Frankenstein-type investments usually involve derivatives and create complex risk profiles that few people have the expertise to analyze. In this post I explain the same three step process that helped my financial coaching client sort through the confusion and make a smart investment decision…
New Rules For Real Estate Investing
I’ve received many questions from readers during the past few months about real estate investment strategy during this economic crisis. The common thinking is that somewhere down the road a nasty inflation should return making real estate a smart inflation hedge. While I agree with the basic concept, I also believe there are many issues to be wary of…
Should I Buy Insurance From A Commission Salesperson?
The question of the week comes from a reader who asks, “Do you think the only kind of advisor one should hire is a fee based one? I was told by a commission person that when they have a client buy an insurance policy they HAVE to take a commission. Is this true?” To answer that question we must expand the discussion to make some important distinctions that will allow you to make smarter investment decisions…
Wealth Building Secrets Of The Forbes 400
I’m a junkie for anything claiming to divulge the secrets to building wealth. After all, my job is teaching you this stuff, right? So when Forbes magazine published an article analyzing the common characteristics among billionaires I was all ears. As it turns out, their lead characteristic was identical to an essential principle I teach…
New Bull Market Or Bear Market Rally?
The critical question for investors today is whether the current rally is a new bull market or just a correction of the recent bear market that has likely already run its course? To answer that question you must understand the following…
