Do you still have too much invested in stocks? At Young Research, we’ve long favored a balanced strategy. Why do we favor a balanced approach? The simple fact is that an all-stock portfolio has more volatility than most investors are comfortable with. This is especially true for conservative investors and those investors in or nearing retirement. If you are on the verge of retirement, can you afford to sustain a 50% loss in your portfolio? Stocks fell 50% twice in the last decade alone, and it could happen again. With a balanced portfolio, you minimize the risk of portfolio-decimating … [Read more...]
My Top Internet Investment
I have an Internet investment that I want to tell you about. It is a guaranteed winner. A guaranteed winner? Yup, and it is one of the safest investments you’ll ever make. You might be skeptical. Internet stocks are risky. Some analysts are talking about a Web 2.0 bubble. Shares of LinkedIn, the social networking site, doubled on their debut. And Yandex, Russia’s version of Google, came public at a price-to-earnings ratio over 75X—that’s not cheap. If you invested in Internet stocks in the late 1990s, this may all sound eerily familiar to you. You wouldn’t dare make an Internet investment … [Read more...]
The Two Most Important Words in Investing
The two most important words in investing are “compound interest.” Albert Einstein referred to compound interest as the eighth wonder of the world. And Ben Franklin said compound interest is “the stone that will turn all your lead into gold.” Many investors are familiar with compound interest, but few appreciate its awesome power. Until you fully appreciate the power of compounding, attempts at crafting a successful long-term investment strategy will likely fall short. If you are among the millions of Americans who still believe investing is buying a security today and selling it at a … [Read more...]
The Key to a Financially Secure Retirement
Fidelity Investments, the nation’s top provider of retirement savings plans, reported that the average 401(k) balance reached a record high at the end of the first quarter. A record high—that sounds impressive. What was the average 401(k) balance? $74,900. When you consider that the median age of American workers is about 41, $75,000 is inadequate. The average American is unprepared for retirement. He has too little saved, and he isn’t saving enough from current income to make up for the shortfall. USA Today reports that most employees enrolled in 401(k) plans have opted for a 3% savings … [Read more...]
5 Tax Tips to Save You Time and Money
Tax season is here again. The tax filing deadline for 2011 is April 18. The IRS is giving taxpayers an extra three days to file their taxes because Washington, D.C., is celebrating a public holiday on the usual filing deadline of April 15. Don’t you feel lucky? In the spirit of tax season, here are five investment tax tips that will save you time and money. 1. Make Investing Your Priority: Taxes should always be a secondary consideration in your investment decisions. Making an investment decision solely for tax purposes is a mistake. If you don’t like the future prospects of a stock or … [Read more...]
In the Money
Are you impressed by the strength of the U.S. stock market? After a mini correction that took the S&P 500 down 7% from its recent high, stocks have almost recovered all of their losses. This, despite the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, a still uncertain outcome to Japan’s nuclear tragedy, a flare-up in the European debt crisis, an unmistakable double-dip in U.S. housing, and surging food and energy prices. Yes, the strength of this market is impressive, but not at all surprising. As I’ve written previously, the market is focused almost exclusively on one variable, and that variable is … [Read more...]
Who’s Looking Out for You?
Do you ever wonder why the guys on TV are selling you gold if it’s so valuable? Why don’t they just pocket it for themselves? Some pretty good money is being made in the transactions they’re promoting, don’t you think? With all that selling, there’s buying too. Like the bookie in Vegas, the gold guy is after the vig, or commission, from both sides of the transaction. He doesn’t really care if gold goes up or down. He just happens to be promoting the buy side on television. All the while, it’s quite possible he sees a line of sellers wrapped around the block outside his office. You don’t … [Read more...]
Sage Advice
I recently came across an article by Arthur Zeikel in the March/April 1995 edition of the Financial Analysts Journal (FAJ). Zeikel was the head of Merrill Lynch Asset Management at the time. The article was written in the format of a letter to his daughter. The title is “Managing Your Own Portfolio.” I’ve included a few excerpts from the letter below. In the current environment with risk-free interest rates near zero and the stock market performing like it’s a riskless bet, the pressure to make emotionally charged investment decisions is immense. You start thinking you don’t want to miss … [Read more...]
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