Jul
23
Websites let buyers invest in a company before IPO
July 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Say you want to invest in a popular private company like Twitter, Facebook etc. There is another option besides waiting forever for an IPO. These private companies are normally off limits for regular investors, but this is 2009. Where there's a will, there's a way.
Several financial websites are now allowing investors to buy pieces of [...]
Jan
16
What Prosper.com Taught Me About Risk
January 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment
In 2007 I started investing with Prosper.com. Prosper is a peer to peer lending website. I thought I was investing cautiously, only choosing to loan to people with good or very good credit (A & AA). Boy was I wrong. I learned some valuable lessons about risk and predicting the future.
With Prosper, like all my [...]
Dec
31
Problems with Edward Jones
December 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment
A while back I told you I dumped Edward Jones for Vanguard. So far I couldn't be happier (well, I could be if the market was down so much, but that just means I can buy more right?). A recent problem with Edward Jones convinced me that I made the right move.
I logged onto the [...]
Dec
2
I've Contributed the Maximum to my Roth IRA
December 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The markets are in turmoil, the economy is in shambles and the end is nigh. Most people are scared. I've just contributed the max to my Roth IRA. Am I incredibly brave or incredibly stupid?
Here's my though process. You can't predict the markets. You can't time the markets. However, you can take advantage of low [...]
Nov
26
Investing in Tax Free Municipal Bonds
November 26, 2008 | 1 Comment
Now might be a good time to get into tax free municipal bonds. But how do I invest? What are municipal bonds and how do I know if they are right for me? Read on.
I'm sitting on a lot of cash right now. Most of it's either in savings accounts or certificates of deposit. I [...]
Nov
19
How Much Can I Contribute to My Roth IRA in 2008?
November 19, 2008 | 1 Comment
In 2008 you can contribute $5000 to a Roth IRA if you are Under 50 (49 or younger). If you are 50 or over you can contribute $6000. Of course you have to check your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Remember you can contribute as late as April 15th, 2009 and still have the [...]
Nov
18
Switching to Vanguard
November 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
It's official. Vanguard now has my money and it's all in their Target Retirement 2040 fund. The best part is, the transition was smooth and painless.
If you've been hesitating to move those old 401(k)'s and Roth IRA's, stop procrastinating and just do it.
Why did I chose Vanguard?
Because the expenses are low and the fees are [...]
Nov
14
How to Visualize the Financial Crisis
November 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Mint.com has created a diagram of the financial sub-prime crisis. Head on over and take a look. As far as I can tell, it's accurate based on the sources I've read so far. I've been trying to explain this to friends, family and co-workers and this chart makes it much easier.
I think this recent round [...]
Nov
12
The End of Wall Street
November 12, 2008 | 2 Comments
Not to beat a dead horse, or bull in this case, but Wall Street as we know it seems to be gone. As a child of the 80's, I watched my share of Charlie Sheen/Michael Douglas/Michael J Fox movies. Wall Street was the place where kids with big dreams went to make it.
Michael Lewis wrote Liar's [...]
Nov
4
Fire Your Financial Advisor
November 4, 2008 | 2 Comments
This week I finally got around to doing something I've wanted to do for a long time. I fired my "financial advisor." Here's why you should consider it.
History
I had some 401(k) roll over money and Roth IRA. I wanted to move them to the same place for convenience. A new "advisor" had taken over my [...]