Investment Resources
Your Identity - Your Most Valuable Asset | July 2, 2009
According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 9 million Americans are victims of some type of identity theft each year. Either you or someone you know was probably the victim of identity theft within the past year.
Read More
College Savings – Louisiana 529 Plan is a Good START | March 10, 2009
Over the past 20 years, saving for a college education has become a more prominent fixture in financial planning. According to SavingforCollege.com, a website dedicated to providing information on college savings, the cost to attend college has increased approximately 6 percent per year during this time span.
Read More
What is Your Proper Asset Allocation | January 14, 2009
During periods of market volatility, such as in 2008, having the proper asset allocation can help you sleep at night. The right asset allocation will depend on several factors of which determine how much risk you can afford to take both financially and emotionally.
Read More
Bond Basics | October 14, 2008
Bonds are normally part of a conservative diversified investment strategy. As such, it is important to have an understanding of bonds and how they function. Bonds (or “fixed income”) are utilized in portfolios to help reduce risk and add stability to the portfolio. In addition, bonds can create cash flow that can be used to fund withdrawals.
Read More
Questions for your Broker | July 29, 2008
In the past two decades, deciding where to obtain financial advice has become increasingly difficult, as banks, insurance companies, CPAs, and other independent firms have marketed themselves with traditional brokers as “Financial Consultants”. With more choices, being informed can have a large financial impact on your investment success. Whether searching for a new investment advisor or simply evaluating your current one, investors should ask some basic questions to help determine which is best for them. The following sample questions will help determine the right choice.
Read More
Variable Annuity Basics | May 28, 2008
Variable annuities have become an increasingly popular option amongst many commissioned advisors when planning for retirement for clients. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the basic concepts of variable annuities and discuss important features along with their relative cost.
Read More
The ABCs of Mutual Fund Investing | April 21, 2008
A Mutual fund is a company that will pool money from investors and manage the assets according to its stated investment strategy. For years mutual funds have been an easy way to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities. Because of this feature, investment brokers will use them to help a client obtain diversification without having to make individual security selections. The investment selection is left up to the fund manager. With over 10,000 mutual funds to choose from, fund selection can be a tedious process. Whenever making an investment decision, it is always prudent to consider the cost associated with making the investment. Over the long-term, mutual fund expenses can play an important role in the overall performance of a portfolio.
Read More
Registered Investment Advisors versus “Traditional” Brokerage Firms |
February 15, 2008
It has become evident that most investors do not understand the basic difference between a firm that is a Registered Investment Advisor and one that operates as a “brokerage” firm. The purpose of this article is to explore the most important differences that exist between the two, the relationship to the client and compensation.
Read More