UTMA accounts provide a way to gift money to minor children. Contributing funds to UTMA accounts constitutes an irrevocable gift. Once you gift the funds, they must be managed for the benefit of the minor and you cannot change the beneficiary. However, there is a lot of flexibility with this type of account. The custodian […]
Investing vs gambling. We shouldn’t confuse the two but often do. And to be fair, some investment decisions look a lot like gambling. Investing gives you ownership of an asset with potential to increase in value over time. In most cases, this asset will provide some sort of income while you wait. This could be […]
Retirement saving doesn’t have to be painful, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to catch up. That can be hazardous to your financial health. If you think it will be difficult coming up with the funds now, consider how hard it will be in the future. While this example assumes a […]
If you have a work place retirement account, you are likely investing in mutual funds. While other investment vehicles like exchange traded funds (ETFs) have grown in popularity, mutual funds haven’t been replaced. At least not yet. Here’s what you need to know. What are mutual funds? Mutual funds are companies that pool money from investors. […]
There is much more to bond mutual funds than meets the eye. Building a diversified mutual fund portfolio will often require the addition of some type of bond fund. To what degree depends on your risk tolerance, investment objective, and time horizon (how long you intend to be invested). Bonds are typically viewed as a […]
Successful long term retirement investing is often as simple as focusing on what we can control. This sounds easy, but all too often we become distracted by things outside of our control. We are bombarded with information and most of it is just noise. We would be well served to learn how to turn down this […]
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 20,068.51 which is an all time closing high. For those that like round numbers, this is a big deal. After all, Dow 20,000 seems like a much bigger number than 19,912 (which also happens to be yesterday’s closing price). To put this in perspective, today’s closing level on […]
What a year it has been! As we say goodbye to 2016, here’s a look back at some of the most popular posts on The Astute Advisor blog. Hopefully you find some of these articles helpful. I love reading your comments and feedback. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach me via email […]
When I launched The Astute Advisor personal finance site, I was excited to reach a much broader audience. But I’ve always believed that the blog shouldn’t be my voice alone. I’m convinced my readers will benefit by hearing from other financial professionals too. Here are some articles that are worth a read. Enjoy. Review Your 401(k) […]
The financial world can be complicated and there is always more to learn. Not only is there a staggering amount of information, but the laws and regulations change regularly. Over the years, I’ve had thousands of conversations and email exchanges on various personal finance matters. I’ve included some of the misconceptions I’ve heard along the way. Beware of […]
