The "Money Talks" hosts discuss the BP Oil Spill disaster, our firm’s outlook on regulating the rating agencies and the European economic crisis and how investors should continue to invest through such bad news.
Let’s create a visual here. Picture an editorial cartoon of a Prius driving down the road. In that Prius are two graduates hanging out the windows drinking from what looks like vodka bottles, but instead of vodka, the bottle says “Power.” There is also a sign under the window of these graduates that says “Young…
Dr. Gene, Ted and Bil discuss a recent Wall Street Journal article on gold, reiterating why it is not a good investment.
Now is a great time to assess your financial needs and set achievable goals for your financial future. One way to accomplish this is to develop a financial plan. Simply, financial planning is a process in which you determine what you want to achieve in life and how best to do it with the money you have and will earn.
If you were faced with an emergency, would you have the funds to cover it? Emergencies may vary from needing a new roof for the house to unemployment. An emergency fund with cash and cash equivalents in low-risk investments provide easy access to money should you need it. For more information on how much you should have in your emergency reserve, read this Financial Strategy.
Municipal bonds are issued by a city or other local government, such as counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and hospitals and any other state government entities. Also known as “munis,” municipal bonds are attractive to many investors within taxable accounts, because the interest income is exempt from federal income tax, and in many cases, state and local taxes as well.
Investors who are seeking income producing investments during a time when interest rates are low may turn to master limited partnerships. It is important to remember master limited partnerships are businesses first, and they expose the investor to more than investment or market risk. For a detailed explanation of master limited partnerships, read this Investment Whys.
Some financial advisers may view real estate as an important element of an investment portfolio. For many individuals, it is one of the main elements. Many investors tend to choose real estate over other investments because they are more familiar with real estate. Real estate is not limited to owning a home though.
When developing an estate plan, one must know what type of property is owned and the type of ownership interests held. Real and Personal are the two basic types of property, and they can be owned in different forms. For more on property and ownership interests and how it affects you, read this Financial Strategy.
Hedge funds are investment funds that are free to invest in almost any investment opportunity, utilizing a broad array of investment strategies. Initially, hedge funds were designed to hedge against market risk, and while some still do, others take on excess risk in hopes of outsized gains. For more information on hedge funds, read this Investment Whys.
