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From the Education Center

Stock Options 101 | What are Call and Put Options?

An Stock option is the right to buy or sell a security at a guaranteed price for an agreed upon period of time. 

The two types of stock options, puts, which give the holder the right to sell the stock at guaranteed price; and, calls, which give the holder the right to buy the stock at a guaranteed price. Provided that the option isn’t granted as a term of employment, you have to pay to purchase a stock option. The owner of the  stock in question sells the option. If the option is exercised then the stock must be sold to the option holder if

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What is a 401k, 403b, or 457 Rollover to an IRA?

Generally, after a person leaves the employment of a company, they are given the option to rollover their 401k into a new company’s plans, or, if available, or into a Rollover IRA. or Roth IRA Rollover.

Frequently, the choice is made to roll into an IRA because of the flexibility and vast array of investment choices available. Once in an IRA, the owner is no longer restricted to the investment choices offered by their employer plan, nor is the participant subject to any potential future restrictions imposed by the new employer, if any. 

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Using Bond Laddering Strategies for Fixed Income Investments

Bond ladders are a valuable retirement planning strategy because of the ability to reinvest the principal from the maturing bond (bottom step) into a longer term bond with a higher yield. The new bond will then become the new top step of your ladder.

Every investor has their own individual investment goals, such as meeting future money needs or developing a strategy for retirement income. In creating a bond ladder, the selection will also take into account such things as your tax rate, desired rating of the underlying bond, and frequency of bond maturities.

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Value Mutual Funds and their Investment Philosophy

There are several different types of mutual funds, which mainly differ in their particular style or investment philosophy. Each particular fund may be a fit for a portion of your portfolio, and depends on your risk tolerance, investment horizon, and suggested asset allocation. In this entry, we will review the value style of mutual fund investing.

Mutual funds that tend to focus on safety rather than growth, and often choose investments providing dividends as well as capital appreciation are known primarily as value mutual funds.  The fund managers tend to invest in companies that are out of favor, primarily due to changing investor sentiment, a poor recent track record, or an industry that isn't in the limelight

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What are Convertible Bonds?

A convertible note is a type of bond that the holder can convert into either shares of  stock in the issuing company or cash of equal value, at a pre-determined price. Convertibles are widely considered as a hybrid of stocks and bonds, and typically have a low coupon rate when compared to ordinary bonds.

To compensate for the lower coupon, the bond gives the holder the option to convert the bond to stock, which gives the investor the ability to receive equity-type returns if the underlying security does well over the duration of the conversion period. Like all bonds, their value depends on the level of prevailing interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer.

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Custodian may limit IRA investment choices Which investments are forbidden in an IRA? Turns out, much of the decision is up to the custodian.
How to bequeath your retirement savings Careful planning can save your heirs a bundle on taxes or stop them from squandering your savings.
Will you really need $2 million to retire? Experts say we need $2 million to retire, but the fact is most workers don't have 50 grand saved up.
8 Roth IRA conversion traps to avoid Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA can be a smart move; just be mindful of these traps.
Hot trends in retirement plans New products and policies will give workers more tools and opportunities to feather their nest eggs.
Roth IRA, 401(k): What's the difference? Though they share the same name, the Roth 401(k) is a different animal from the Roth IRA.
3 ways to build a secure retirement plan You can completely ignore your 401(k), or you can devote a few hours a year to keeping it on track.
IRA cash available before age 70½ You can take an RMD from your IRA at any point during the year you turn age 70½.
3 steps to retirement savings Follow those tips to kick-start your retirement savings.
Penalty-free 401(k), IRA withdrawals Lose your job? In some situations, the IRS lets you take penalty-free withdrawals before age 59½.
IRA has separate deposit insurance limit An IRA held at a depository institution has its own separate $250,000 FDIC limit.
Getting access to load-waived funds Small investors can now buy load funds sans the load, a privilege usually reserved for the wealthy.
Fixed income alternatives for retirees In this barren environment, retirees must search far and wide to find investments with decent yield.
Making the pension decision Whether you take the monthly pension or a lump sum payout, the decision will have lifelong effects.
The case for getting a monthly annuity Annuities can be an attractive option, offering a steady paycheck for life and certain guarantees.

CNBC feed

Double Dip Unlikely Despite 'Some Risks': BOE's Sentance The Bank of England is not expecting a double dip recession for the global economy despite some risk signals, policy maker Andrew Sentance told CNBC on Friday.
To Fill Budget Gaps, ‘Stealth’ Taxes Are Creeping Up At a time when political leaders in Europe and the United States are committed to no additional income-tax burden on the middle class, they also share the advantage of raising revenue without drawing too much attention to the tightening fiscal noose.
Fed Regional Presidents Defend Bank Oversight Role Presidents of regional Federal Reserve banks on Thursday defended their role in supervising small banks, and said ending it would cut a link between the central bank and the national heartland.
Indicators, Factories Point to Some Economic Growth
Fed Members Warn Against Narrow Regulations
Jobless Claims Down, CPI Tame Amid Slow Recovery
UK Public Sector Debt at 60% of GDP in February
Greek Bank Shares Fall on EU Support Worries
Greece Ups Stakes in Quest for EU Help, Euro Falls
Marc Faber: We Have a New Gold Standard
Merkel: Make It Possible to Expel Nations From Eurozone
Regulators Worry Over Cracks in Financial Reforms
Ireland Economy Turning Green Leaf: IDA CEO
EU Deficit-Cutting Plans Optimistic: EU Exec
Bernanke Defends Fed's Small Bank Supervision Role