We’ve all heard the adage “buy low, sell high” when it comes to stocks. But with the stock market reaching new highs repeatedly, you may be wondering whether or not it’s a good idea to invest right now, which is a completely valid question. Investing by my definition should be a strategic, long-term endeavor. So when we talk about investing in today’s episode, we are NOT talking about money that you’ll need in the next 3 months, 1 year, or…
Category: Investing
Lessons From Bernie Madoff’s Fraud
Earlier today, the famous fraudster Bernie Madoff died in his jail cell. Here’s a quick synopsis for those of you who aren’t familiar: Madoff pretended to be an investment advisor, while he was actually running the world’s largest Ponzi Scheme. He would tell his investors that he ran a very sophisticated options strategy, wouldn’t ever divulge details of the strategy, and told all of his clients that his investments (and their money) were generating double digit returns, while never having…
This Is How Warren Buffett Makes His Money
The coronavirus fears have continued their effect on the stock market. Just today, the US stock market is down around 7.6%. And the markets are down around 19% from their all time highs earlier this year. Naturally, this leads lots of us to ask, “what should we do now?” I was actually talking to one of my favorite, and smartest, clients earlier today. She didn’t want to sell her investments. And she wasn’t happy with just holding on to what…
Kobe’s Advice To Be A Better Investor
Yesterday was the memorial services for Kobe Bryant. It was full of very powerful and emotional speeches and tributes. My favorite came from Shaquille O’Neal, who was teammates with Kobe early on in his career. Shaq was quoting a philosophy that Kobe had shared with him, and here’s what Shaq said: Everything negative, all pressures and challenges, is all an opportunity to rise. Shaq and Kobe discussed this in reference to basketball, but it can apply to all areas of…
What The Pope Slap Can Teach You About Investing
Did you see what the Pope was up to earlier this week? It’s been all over the news, and it’s kind of been hard to ignore. The Pope was making his way through a crowd, and a woman touched him (not unusual). But it escalated when she actually held on to the Pope’s hand and wouldn’t let go, at which point the Pope gave this woman’s hand a slight slap to get her to release her hand. Here’s the video:…
How To Select 401k Investments
You’ve just started a new job – Congrats! The human resources department has probably handed you a stack of paperwork as big as a college textbook, and there’s a pretty good chance you haven’t looked through every single thing that they handed you. One of those documents was probably the investment options that you have in your 401K. Maybe you looked at it, got overwhelmed, and just ignored it. Or maybe you just picked an option and haven’t thought much…
Are Investing Apps Worth It?
A lot has been made recently about investing apps – apps that can help you save a little bit of money here and there and then turn that money into investments in the stock market. But are they worth your time? Or should you be spending your energy elsewhere? I answer those questions (and more!) in the video below. Be sure to comment and let me know what you think.
What To Do In Volatile Markets
So far in 2018, we have seen a lot of market volatility. There are various reasons for the volatility: trade wars, tweets, interest rates, and more. In fact, 2018 has been the most volatile year in the markets since 2008. While this year has brought on more volatility than normal, this type of volatility isn’t unique. In fact, volatility is a normal part of investing and something you will experience quite often if you’re going to be invested for multiple…
Don’t Mix Politics And Money
Let’s face it: we live in a hyper-political world. Everything and everyone seemingly wants to bring up the latest political news. So it’s easy to think that politics is all-encompassing. It’s in the news, of course. But it’s also in sporting events, talk shows, and even comedy shows. It’s everywhere. But even if politics is everywhere, there’s one part of your life where it should be avoided at all costs: Your Money. Mixing your money and your politics is one of…
Which is better: Lump Sum or Gradual Investing?
What is the better way to invest a large amount of money: Lump Sum or Gradual Investing? While working with widows, I’ve noticed there are some unique issues they face. One of them is what to do with a large amount of money that they’ve suddenly received (often through life insurance proceeds, and also through the sale of the deceased spouse’s business). Many of us are accustomed to receiving money on a regular basis through our income. But most of us…