What You Need to Know About Preferred Stock

How familiar are you with Preferred Stock? Preferred stock is a class of securities that is often overlooked by investors. It deserves consideration because preferreds have the characteristics of both fixed-income and equity securities. Preferred Stock in a Traditional Corporate Capital Structure In the capital structure, preferred stock is junior to company debt (bonds) but…

Brokered CDs Vs Bank Certificates of Deposit

CDs or Certificates of Deposit are popular again.  With interest rates up, investors are once again rewarded for holding “safe” fixed-income instruments like FDIC-insured bank accounts and securities issued by the United States Treasury. That’s where CDs come in. CDs are a type of fixed-interest rate deposit offered by banks. Most CDs are backed by the…

Funding a Roth IRA For Your Child

Have you considered funding a Roth IRA for your child? To make a Roth contribution, your child must have earned income from a job. As a parent (or grandparent), you can contribute to this Roth IRA. Not only do you help your child get started on planning for retirement but you benefit by transferring assets…

What Determines Stock Prices?

There are two forces investors need to understand when determining the path of stock prices. The first is the Fed and the second is corporate earnings.  >> To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, click on Subscribe! Earnings, Interest Rates, and Stock Prices Stock prices are a function, among other items, of their estimated future earnings discounted…

The Implications of Tax Changes: Start Early!

Tax changes have implications and it’s a good idea to get an early start on tax planning for 2023.  Understanding some of the new rules can help you as you go through the year.  Here are some of the major tax changes for 2023. Beneficial 2023 Tax Items First, there are some beneficial tax items…

Negative Surprises in Bear Markets

The bear market is still alive and well, and full of surprises. I read a Tweet posted by long-time technical analyst Walter Deemer that said, “In a bear market, the surprises tend to be negative.” >> To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, click on Subscribe! Stronger Consumer Price Index & Wild Dow Jones Swings This was…

Risk and Return When Investing in the Market

As a serious investor, you regularly weigh risk and return as you consider what to invest in, what to divest, and how to react to market news and attempts to manage economic forces. In this article, you’ll get a taste of the market’s response to pain, higher short-term interest rates, and falling bond prices. >>…

The Renewable Energy Investment Landscape

It would be an understatement to say that investors in the renewable energy space have been frustrated.  After a strong run in 2020, shares in renewable energy companies have been in a steep bear market. To illustrate, the Invesco Solar ETF (symbol: TAN) was down 25% in 2021 and was down another 25% to the…

China: Of Great Interest to Investors

What do you know about China from an investor’s perspective? After all, China is one of the world’s largest economies. China and Emerging Market Indices As one of the world’s largest economies, China is of great interest to investors.  China makes up a dominant weighting in most emerging market indices.  Examples iShare, EEM and FXI…

Why Staying Invested Is So Important For the Long Run

Do you believe in staying invested, regardless of the market’s ups and downs? We hope you do. We’ll explain why in this article so you feel more confident about the benefits of being and staying invested for the long run. Long-Term Investing Tips Odds in an Investor’s Favor The most important concept for investors to…