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One of the most important things to consider when investing your money is how much risk you should take. Typically the more risk you take the higher the reward can be. The drawback is with risk comes volatility, and with volatility comes good sized fluctuations in your account balance. When these fl...

European finance ministers agreed over the weekend to a rescue package for struggling Greece, with standby authority in case other debt-burdened nations like Portugal, Spain, or Italy should need it. The complex deal amounts to nearly a trillion dollars, an amount considered essential to calm financ...

When picking a stock to add to your portfolio there are several things to consider: the strength of the company, the market share of the company, their level of innovation. What lies ahead for their sector of the economy? Do they have any big law suits pending against them? The list goes on from the...

Back in 2002, the Euro currency began it's physical existence in the firm of banknotes, replacing Marks, Francs, Pesetas, and Drachmas, among others. A common currency had long been a dream among the economic thinkers of secular European democracies, making commerce and everyday life easier and bett...

There never seems to be a lack of pessimism for the equity markets these days. A quick scan of headlines warns that strong banking profits can be dangerous for investors, that earnings beat estimates but forecast disappoints, etc. There's a sort of "damned if you do and damned if you don't" mental...

I have had a couple of questions regarding "required minimum distributions" or RMD's over the past few weeks and thought I would share some answers. In the year you turn 70.5 years old you are required to begin withdrawing money from your IRA's, 401K's and other qualified retirement plans. The amou...

Cyclical industries have been a major driver of the market's recovery over the past year. It stands to reason, as cyclical companies will benefit the most from an increase in economic activity. Industrial companies are among the most cyclical. Manufacturing is a commodity-intensive process. It i...

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar may have let slip a clue the other day when speaking about the underwater oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Here is his comment to CNN: "Our job is basically to keep the boot on the neck of British Petroleum to carry out the responsibilities that they have both un...

Today two local companies reported their earnings for the first quarter of 2010. Eastman Kodak is hailing a rise in sales and earnings when compared to the same quarter of 2009. I am always glad to hear good news out of Kodak. Too bad that this is not such good news. Digging into the report and a...

You may never need long-term care, but if you do, having a long-term care insurance policy can help protect your retirement assets from being drastically depleted over a short period of time. Many long-term care policies pay most of the costs of expensive assisted-living care, whether in nursing hom...