How to Handle the Dangers of DIY Investing
Wall Street wants you to believe that you need professional help to manage your money, but most investors prefer to go it alone. And you, can, if you dodge these pitfalls.
conservative investing
Don't Ignore the Dangerous Side of Dividend Stocks
Conservative investors fleeing low-yield, fixed-income investments have flocked to dividend stocks. But they often ignore just how much more dangerous those stocks can be.
Target-Date Funds: Same Dates Can Earn Wildly Different Returns
The appeal of target-date funds is obvious. Decide when you'll need your money back, and the fund invests accordingly: aggressively at first, more conservatively as the "target" approaches. But it's not so simple: Different funds can give you dramatically different performance.
How the Fiscal Cliff Deal Saved Dividend Stocks
In recent years, with low interest rates devastating the returns on conservative investment options, income-hungry investors have turned more and more to dividend stocks. And had there not been a fiscal cliff deal, even that last refuge for income investors could have disappeared.
Lottery Winners Share Lessons, Risks of a Giant Powerball Prize
For the winners of the $500 million Powerball jackpot, past winners of mega-lottery drawings have some sound financial advice: Stick to a budget, invest wisely, learn to say no and be prepared to lose friends while riding an emotional roller-coaster of joy, anxiety, guilt and distrust.
How Safe Are Your Muni Bonds? Not Very, Warns Warren Buffett
A couple of years ago, billionaire super-investor Warren Buffett told Congress a "terrible problem" with U.S. municipal bonds was on the horizon. Now, Buffett is back, and warning that the crisis is closer than ever.
The 2 Devils That Could Ruin Your Portfolio (and How to Beat Them)
Right now, there's probably one of two very different devils sitting on your shoulder, whispering in your ear. And it's dictating your every financial move -- either paralyzing you or compelling you to overreact.
Something's Not REIT: Real Estate CEOs Are Landing Huge Raises
Once upon a time on Wall Street, if you wanted to make big bucks, you'd head for a big bank, private equity or a hedge fund. Lately, however, things have taken a turn for the surreal. For serious coin, you might be better off running a fuddy-duddy real estate investment trust.
Forget the 4% Rule: Retirement's Common Wisdom Is Obsolete
Get ready to play the retirement game even more cautiously: The common wisdom that a 4% annual withdrawal rate is the safe way to avoid outliving your money is increasingly coming under fire. In fact, it may well become a thing of the past.
Is Safe Investing Possible? How to Manage Market Volatility
With all the volatility in the stock market today, some individual investors are wondering if they should be more active with a portion of their portfolio, or back away from equities entirely. But if you bail out of stocks, where can you find decent returns? DailyFinance's Laura Rowley talks with Stuart Ritter, financial planner with T. Rowe Price.
A 9/11 Widow Shares Her Financial Journey
On Sept. 11, 2001, Gail's husband went to work at the World Trade Center. He never came home again. During the blur of grief, the stay-at-home mom realized she was now her family's CFO. Today, she's a bona fide investor, but getting to that point meant traveling a long, challenging road.
Three Dividend Stocks That Are Energy Plays Too
Given the uncertain prospects of the U.S. economic recovery, it's not surprising that many investors are reluctant to pour more money into stocks this spring. One lower-risk way to invest is to buy stocks that also pay decent dividends. Here are three options in the energy sector.
Treasury TIPS: A Looming Disaster for Small Investors
Hoping to add some safety against inflation to their portfolios, many folks have been investing in Treasury inflation-protected securities -- TIPS. So now that inflation is on the horizon, they should be sitting pretty, right? Unfortunately not. Here's why.