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Investments
Why Losses Hurt More than Gains Feel Good: Part 1. When 1 Doesn’t Equal 1
Written by Bruce Yates, Financial Advisor and Founding Shareholder Many investors assume that as long as they are right more times than they’re wrong, they will end up with good results. That is a logical assumption. If you buy three stocks in succession, for instance, and two of them produce big gains, and only one…
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Concentrated Stock Positions Series, Part 2: Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Written by Marcus Dusenbury, Financial Advisor So you just got restricted stock from your employer . . . now what? Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) have become an increasingly popular corporate benefit over the past decade. Companies recognize that their stock can effectively attract and retain talented employees. As part of a compensation package, therefore, your…
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Concentrated Stock Position Series, Part 1: Employee Stock Option Plans (ESO Plans)
Written by Marcus Dusenbury, Financial Advisor So you just got stock options from your employer . . . now what? Employee stock option plans (ESO plans) have been around for a few decades now. They are an employee benefit plan through which companies offer employees “options” to buy shares of the employer stock at a…
Read MoreIRA and Retirement Plan Limits for 2018
IRA contribution limits The maximum amount you can contribute to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA in 2018 is $5,500 (or 100% of your earned income, if less), unchanged from 2017. The maximum catch-up contribution for those age 50 or older remains at $1,000. You can contribute to both a traditional IRA and a…
Read MoreThe Traits of a Good Investor and How Women Can Make the Most of Them
Women are increasingly taking responsibility for managing their own money. That includes those who in the past may have left investing to a spouse because they were busy raising a family or had no interest in the subject, but who have since found that divorce, a spouse’s death, or the need to help a parent…
Read MoreHow Women Are Different from Men, Financially Speaking
We all know men and women are different in some fundamental ways. But is this true when it comes to financial planning? In a word, yes. In the financial world, women often find themselves in very different circumstances than their male counterparts. Everyone wants financial security. Yet women often face financial headwinds that can affect…
Read MoreImmediate vs. Deferred Annuities
The terms immediate annuity and deferred annuity simply indicate when the distribution phase of the annuity begins. Both allow unlimited contributions, and both can provide, upon election, a continuous stream of payments for life. Immediate annuities Immediate annuities allow you to convert a lump sum of cash into an income stream. They differ from deferred…
Read MoreGrowth vs. Value: What's the Difference?
With the wide variety of stocks in the market, figuring out which ones you want to invest in can be a challenging task. Many investors feel it’s useful to have a system for finding stocks that might be worth buying, deciding what price to pay, and identifying when a stock should be sold. Bull markets–periods…
Read MoreInvesting as a Couple: Getting to Yes
In a perfect world, both halves of a couple share the same investment goals and agree on the best way to try to reach them. It doesn’t always work that way, though; disagreements about money are often a source of friction between couples. You may be risk averse, while your spouse may be comfortable investing…
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