Investments Resources

With Treasury yields still relatively low and worry about the eventuality of rising rates ever present, many investors have been moving away from Treasuries and into other fixed-income sectors in their quest for income. Two fixed-income segments seeing activity from this migration are corporate and emerging-markets bonds.

Corporate bonds: Many investors have bumped up their…

Even if you're already convinced that saving in an IRA is a sensible thing to do, there's still a little bit of research to conduct. There are two main types of IRA accounts, and selecting the one that's best for you can be a daunting process. You can figure this out in relatively short order by following these three steps.

1) Know the Basics: Understanding the difference between the…

Since interest rates are still relatively low right now, many investors looking for income and yield have begun to assess switching a portion of their investment allocation from bonds into dividend-paying stocks. However, it is important to remember that the interest payment of a bond is a contractual obligation of the company, whereas dividend payments are not. If a bond issuer does not pay…

More and more companies have eliminated traditional pension plans, and individual retirement accounts are becoming a cornerstone of many workers' retirement plans. So it only makes sense to take some time to make sure you are taking maximum advantage of these plans. Follow these strategies and tips to make the most of your IRAs.

Strategy 1: Start early

Lots of young people (and…

Instant access to real-time quotes and media reports can make it difficult for investors with a long-term investment horizon to stay focused on their goals. In reality, these daily market movements may not be as extreme as they seem.

As investors look longer term, their perception often changes. Short-term market fluctuations can be quite volatile, and the probability of realizing a…

Do we have a winner? Ever since passively-managed funds like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) came into being, there has been much debate about active management versus passive management. Research published by industry professionals presents different arguments. Some studies show that only a fraction of active funds beat their respective benchmarks. Other studies show that, while active funds…

Over the last 20 years, markets have experienced many shocks and recessions, including the Asian currency crisis, the Russian debt default, the dot-com crash of the early 2000s, and the recent global financial crisis. When these events occur, investors frequently attempt to reduce (or increase) investments to certain asset classes in order to lower exposure to (or take advantage of) the…

College savers need to be aware of many details when choosing a 529 plan, yet often the information either isn't provided or takes too much digging to find. A recent Morningstar study of 529 plans' disclosure found that the typical 529 plan website and plan document provide only high-level descriptions of the investment options. Basic information, including the name and tenure of the…

In 2014, the income limit for Roth contributions is $129,000 for single filers and $191,000 for married couples filing jointly. For high-income earners who earn too much to contribute to a Roth IRA directly, the only method of getting new assets into a Roth IRA is to go in through the backdoor, opening traditional nondeductible IRAs, then converting those accounts to Roth IRAs.…

Finding the right frequency for rebalancing is a personal decision that rests on a number of factors. Here's an overview of what to bear in mind.

Tax Status of Investments: Rebalancing involves peeling back on winners, which in turn could result in taxable capital gains if the sales occur within taxable accounts. Investors whose assets are mostly in taxable accounts may want to err on…