Updated Articles and Resources

By Joshua Kennon, About.com Guide since 2001

New Investor's Guide to Investment Research Created: Friday, May 31, 2013 Updated: Friday, May 31, 2013
When it comes to investment research the big three filings you should know are the annual report, the 10K, and the proxy statement. There are other sources of good information, too, that the serio...
New Investor's Guide to Asset Allocation Created: Thursday, May 30, 2013 Updated: Thursday, May 30, 2013
Asset allocation is the practice of splitting your portfolio into different asset classes such as stocks, bonds, real estate, cash, private businesses, etc. This guide to asset allocation was writ...
Finding an Asset Allocation Model That Works for Your Investment Portfolio Created: Sunday, October 28, 2012 Updated: Thursday, May 30, 2013
It is important to know the asset allocation you want for your investment portfolio, as well as the reasons you want to adhere to the particular mix of stocks, bonds, real estate, gold, private equ...
How I Would Invest If I Couldn't Buy Individual Stocks Created: Sunday, November 21, 2010 Updated: Thursday, May 30, 2013
Investing is really simple, especially if you focus on buying a collection of low-cost index funds or mutual funds from a company such as Vanguard, which operates in a mutual fashion so that the ec...
Investing in Collectibles Created: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 Updated: Thursday, May 30, 2013
When investing in collectibles it is important that you stay within your circle of competence. Investing in collectibles should require an additional margin of safety above and beyond what you nor...
New Investor's Guide to Trust Funds Created: Monday, May 27, 2013 Updated: Monday, May 27, 2013
There is a common misconception among new investors that leads to them thinking trust funds are only for the rich. Almost all Americans, especially older retirees, can benefit from using trust fun...
New Investor's Guide to Investing in Bonds Created: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 Updated: Saturday, May 25, 2013
This basic guide to investing in bonds and bond investing was created for beginners who want to understand what a bond is, how you earn interest income and some of the things you should consider be...
New Investor's Guide to Municipal Bonds Created: Saturday, May 25, 2013 Updated: Saturday, May 25, 2013
Investing in tax-free municipal bonds not only helps your local community, it can allow you to legally avoid paying taxes to the Federal and state government if you follow the rules correctly.
Reading Between the Lines - The Spread Between Treasuries and TIPs Created: Friday, January 19, 2007 Updated: Thursday, May 09, 2013
The spread between treasury bonds and TIPs or treasury inflation protection bonds is often used by professional money managers to gauge the market's expectation for inflation. TIPs can be a great ...
The Many Flavors of Preferred Stock Created: Friday, May 23, 2003 Updated: Thursday, May 09, 2013
Preferred stock is a hybrid between common stock and a bond. There are numerous classes of preferred stock including voting, non voting, cumulative, non cumulative, convertible and participating. T...
The Two Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building a High Yield Portfolio Created: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
If you want to build a high yield portfolio of investments, there are two big dangers you need to avoid unless you want to experience subpar returns and even losses.
Six Secrets To Building a Successful Investment Portfolio Created: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
There are six things you should consider doing if you want to build a successful investment portfolio.
3 Reasons Your Investment Portfolio Should Have a Clearly Defined Objective Created: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Your investment portfolio should have clearly defined objectives for three reasons. Those investment objectives can save you from some serious financial pain if you design them well and then adher...
Warren Buffett Shareholder Letters Created: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Warren Buffett's shareholder letters have come to occupy an important place in business, finance, economic and managerial theory. These links will allow you to read Buffett's original shareholder l...
How to Select a Mutual Fund - A 10-Part Guide to Picking Winning Mutual Funds Created: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
When three Boston money managers pooled their money in 1924, the first no load mutual fund was born. In the subsequent eight decades, that simple concept has grown into one of the biggest industrie...
What Is a Portfolio? Created: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What is a portfolio?". In simple terms, an investment portfolio is a collection of assets designed to make you money.
How to Amass the First $100,000 Created: Monday, December 10, 2007 Updated: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
It has been said that making the first $100,000 is the hardest and most difficult part of building your wealth. The truth is, that a few secrets can help making the first one hundred thousand dolla...
How to Retire with Over $4.3 Million on Only $197 Dollars per Paycheck Created: Thursday, April 12, 2007 Updated: Thursday, April 04, 2013
College graduates can retire with over $4 million by following a few simple rules. To learn how college graduates can build wealth and retire rich check out these resources.
Payable on Death Accounts Can Increase Your FDIC Insurance to $1.25 Million Created: Sunday, March 31, 2013 Updated: Sunday, March 31, 2013
You can increase your FDIC insurance limits from $250,000 to $1,250,000 if you want to utilize a technique that involves using something known as a payable on death designation.
How Much Money Should I Keep In a Savings Account? Created: Sunday, March 31, 2013 Updated: Sunday, March 31, 2013
Have you ever wondered how much money you should keep in a savings account? Here are some thoughts to help you answer that question.
5 Things You Should Look For In a Savings Account Created: Sunday, March 31, 2013 Updated: Sunday, March 31, 2013
If you are looking to open a savings account, here are five things you should consider before you do.
Protecting Your Savings Accounts from Bank Failures Created: Sunday, March 31, 2013 Updated: Sunday, March 31, 2013
If you want to protect your savings accounts from bank failures, there are three main strategies you can use to minimize your risk of loss.
Investing in Bank Stocks Created: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 Updated: Sunday, March 24, 2013
Investing in bank stocks has specific risks such as determining the adequacy of loan loss reserves and multiples of bank stock price to book value.
The Three Ways a Small Business Investment Can Make Money for Your Portfolio Created: Sunday, July 29, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
When you make a small business investment, you can profit in one of three ways. Having reasonable expectations about which source of profit will generate the highest return for you is an important...
Reinvesting Your Dividends vs. Not Reinvesting Your Dividends Created: Sunday, July 29, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
One of the most important decisions new investors must make is whether or not they will reinvest the dividends they receive on their stocks. You might think that $50 here or $100 there doesn't mat...
Diversification Risk a Major Problem For Small Business Investors Created: Saturday, July 28, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
If you invest in a small business, you can run into trouble if the company becomes so successful than you rely on it too heavily. Though this is a good problem to have, be careful about unwillingl...
Converting Your Human Capital Into Financial Capital Created: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Turning your human capital into financial capital is one of the most important responsibilities you have in your career and life. Failure to do so means being a burden on your family, society, and...
What Is a Defined Benefit Plan? Created: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A defined benefit plan is a type of retirement plan such as a pension, which is very different from a so-called defined contribution plan, such as 401(k).
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution? Created: Thursday, April 28, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
When you reach retirement age, you will encounter the required minimum distribution. The RMD determines how much money you have to take out of your IRA, 401(k), or other accounts.
Understanding Your Rollover IRA Created: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
When you change jobs, one option is to move your old 401(k) plan into a rollover IRA with a brokerage firm. This offers several advantages because a rollover IRA will allow you to invest in stocks...
How Every College Student Can Retire With More than Six Million Dollars Created: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Every college student can retirement with millions of dollars if they just put aside enough money and let it compound for decades. This basic overview of how to build huge retirement wealth from t...
How Immigration Can Save Your Retirement Created: Saturday, July 28, 2007 Updated: Wednesday, March 20, 2013
There has been a lot of controversy about illegal immigration. Yet, from a financial standpoint, amnesty for illegal immigrants may just solve the social security crisis.

Investing for Beginners