Investing

Declare Independence From Your Broker

With Independence Day approaching, it might be time for you declare your independence from high fees and bad investing advice. Here are a few reasons to consider breaking free from your broker.

The Finest Investment Vehicle Ever Designed

Inveterate fund geek that I am, I have a strong bias toward the investment option of choice for more than 90 million of us -- one that no less an authority than Jack Bogle has called the "finest vehicle for long-term investing ever designed." Among other things, if you're after smart diversification and access to asset classes that might otherwise elude you, mutual funds should be your very first stop.

If You Could Make Only One Investment...

Music geek that I am, I'm a big fan of the BBC's "Desert Island Discs" game: If you were stranded for the rest of your life, which eight albums would you want for company?

Investing geek that I am, I can't resist changing the question and raising the stakes: If you could make only one investment for the rest of your life, how would you proceed?

Ride a Roth to Riches

This year's tax-filing deadline has, thankfully, come and gone, but it's always a fine time to begin (or continue) fully funding a Roth for the 2007 tax year -- and beyond. Plain and simple, if you wa

Great Investments for Busy People

There are many here among us, Bob Dylan once sang, who are hard-core stock jocks. OK, Dylan didn't sing that last part, but it's true nonetheless. Finance geek that I am, though, I'm not an investor of the stock-jock persuasion.

Getting LinkedIn to the Next Hot IPO

Is the market ready for a dot-com stock offering with connections? LinkedIn, the social-networking site that has won over 12 million business professionals, seems to be inching toward a public lifestyle.

Don't Make a Million-Dollar Mistake

In an earlier commentary, we ran the numbers and found that a 22-year-old investor with $20,000 could surpass the million-dollar mark by the time he or she reached age 62. Provided this portfolio only slightly outperformed the market's historical average and returned an annualized 11%, that growth would occur without our hypothetical investor kicking in a single additional penny.

Cheap Stocks for New Investors

In my opinion, this is an excellent time to be a brand-spanking-new investor. I'm a contrarian by nature -- just ask my wife -- and scouring the market for its "coldest" prospects (as opposed to its hottest) is a favorite pastime of mine. At present, it appears that investors seeking the kinds of stocks that can anchor a portfolio -- long-haul overachievers trading on the cheap -- are in luck.

Live Off Your Investments

Someday, your portfolio will earn more than you do.

Sure, that day may be a long way off, especially if you've just started saving for retirement. But little by little, month after month, as you save more, your investments will earn more.