Personal Finance
Advertiser Disclosure

Investing

Retirement
stock market crashes

A Timeline of the Biggest Stock Market Crashes in U.S. History

As bad as the current stock market downturn feels, it’s hardly one of the biggest market crashes in U.S. history. There are strategies to survive and thrive in whatever happens with the market.

Robinhood Review: Pros, Cons, and If It's The Right Platform for You

This review will provide a balanced evaluation of Robinhood, including a deep dive into the pros and cons of the broker’s app and whether it’s the right choice for you.

best way to earn interest on your money

6 Best Ways to Earn Interest On Your Money in 2023

The best way to earn interest on your money depends on your savings goals, but these six options may provide a great return.

best online brokers

6 Best Online Brokers and Stock Trading Platforms in September 2023

The best online brokers offer a full range of investments, low fees, and user-friendly trading platforms. Here are our top picks for online brokers in 2023.

What Are I Bonds? All You Need To Know

Learn how to benefit from high inflation with Series I Bonds, including tax benefits, annual purchase limits, and ways to avoid penalties.

savings bonds complete guide

How Do Savings Bonds Work? An Essential Guide.

Savings bonds offer a safe haven with guarantees of principal and interest payments. Learn about the types of bonds, how they work and how to buy them.

FIRE movement

What is FIRE Movement: Financial Independence, Retire Early?

Learn how you can take control of how you spend your time and money—and stop working sooner—with the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement.

how to invest in real estate

6 Proven Strategies To Invest In Real Estate in 2023

Real estate can be a lucrative investment, whether you invest directly in properties or indirectly through REITs, REIGs, and crowdfunding. Here are six ways to invest in real estate.

roth 401k

What Is A Roth 401(k)? Essential Guide 2023

A Roth 401(k) is a designated Roth retirement savings account funded with after-tax earnings and kept within an employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan.

how to buy rental property

7 Tips for Buying Rental Property

Investing in real estate can build wealth, but there are a lot of costs and much ongoing work involved with buying rental property. Here’s what you’re in for.

What Is a Solo 401(k)?

What is a solo 401(k)?

A solo 401(k) is a retirement account for self-employed individuals who need higher limits to fast-track their retirement savings.

small cap stocks

Small Cap Stocks: All Your Need to Know

Small-cap stocks have market caps between $250 million and $2 billion. They can bring diversification and higher growth potential to your portfolio—but also risk. Here's what you need to know.

Roth IRA

How to Make Roth IRA Withdrawals Tax- and Penalty-Free

Roth IRAs offer the possibility for tax and penalty-free withdrawals, but the rules are complex. It’s important to understand these rules to be sure you are getting the most out of your Roth IRA.

Bull vs Bear Market

Bear Market vs. Bull Market: How Are They Different & What Investors Need to Know

A bull market occurs when securities are on the rise and increasing in value. Learn how to invest during a bull market, compared to a bear market, in this article.

stock prices

How Are Stock Prices Determined: The Factors that Affect Share Prices of Listed Companies

In large part, supply and demand dictates the per-share price of a stock. If demand for a limited number of shares outpaces the supply, then the stock price normally rises.

backdoor roth ir

What Is A Backdoor Roth IRA? Benefits, Limits, Conversion

The backdoor Roth IRA is a technique to allow taxpayers who earn too much to contribute directly to a Roth IRA to still be able to contribute to one using a backdoor approach.

investing for beginners

9 Best Investments for Beginners

Investing your money can seem unsettling if you’re not sure which route to take. The best investments for beginners will help you get started.

Best Index Funds with Low Expense Ratios

Best Index Funds with Low Expense Ratios

Index funds offer a low cost way to invest and an easy way to diversify your portfolio among different investment styles.

best roth ira accounts

Best Roth IRA Accounts in September 2023

The best Roth IRA accounts come with low starting balance requirements, minimal fees (or no fees), and ample investment options and tools.

401(k) matching

401(k) Matching: Meaning, How It Works, and How to Get the Most Out of It

A 401(k) match is a contribution made by an employer to match some or all of an employee’s contributions to a company retirement plan. Employer contributions can also be made on a nonmatching basis. Not all 401(k) plans offer a match.

401k and ira

Can You Have a 401(k) and an IRA?

You can have a 401(k) and an IRA, and contribute to both in the same year, most of the time. Learn more about the pros and cons of each—and their contribution limits—here.

401(k) rollover to IRA

401(k) Rollover to a Roth IRA: What You Need to Know

If you are contemplating rolling over your 401(k) to a Roth IRA, there are a number of things you need to know before deciding whether the move is advantageous or not.

401k contribution limits

What Are the 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2023? All You Need to Know

The 2023 individual 401(k) contribution limit is $22,500, up $2,000 from 2022. Contributions from all sources—including employer 401(k) matching—are limited to $66,000.

How to Withdraw Early From a 401(k) (& Why You Shouldn’t)

Withdrawals from a 401(k) are a serious matter, as they can lead to financial penalties and deplete funds meant for your senior years. But a host of options can help you avoid this outcome, even in an emergency.

Best Long Term Investments

5 Best Long Term Investments To Add To Your Portfolio in 2023

Will the 2023 investment picture look like 2022? If not, you’ll need to be positioned in the best long-term investments for 2023.

How to invest in index funds

How to Invest in Index Fund: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How index funds work, why they’re so popular, and how to start investing in them.

how many stocks should I own

Portfolio Diversification: How Many (& Which) Stocks Should You Own?

How many stocks do you have in your portfolio? Financial advisors generally recommend 20 to 30. But the specific number will depend on your investment goals and intended portfolio composition.

Money markets vs. capital markets

Money Markets vs. Capital Markets: Key Differences

abc

man looking at laptop deciding between stocks or ETFs

ETFs vs Stocks: Pros & Cons of Individual Stocks vs. Funds

Stocks and ETFs have some similarities but are very different. Here’s what you need to know about stocks vs ETFs and your investing strategy.

different types of stocks

What Are The Different Types of Stocks Available to Investors?

There are numerous different types of stock investors can choose from, including common, preferred, international, growth, income, and value stocks.

should you reinvest in dividends

Should You Reinvest Dividends? A Practical Guide

Cash dividends provide immediate income, while dividend reinvestment lets you take advantage of the power of compounding. Learn the pros and cons of dividend reinvestment and DRIPs.

combat inflation

9 Ways to Combat Inflation

You feel it when you buy food, pay your electricity bill and fill your tank. It’s inflation. While there’s no escaping it, there are ways to combat it.

mutual funds vs stocks

Mutual Funds vs. Stocks: Key Differences & Which Investors Should Pick

When you invest in a stock, you buy a share of one company. A mutual fund bundles stocks, bonds, or other securities together, offering instant diversification in a single investment.

Stock Market Sectors List

A List of 11 GISC Stock Market Sectors

One way to encourage portfolio diversification is to add stocks from different sectors. There are 11 stock market sectors and understanding them can potentially help you become a better investor.

paper trading

Paper Trading Explained

Paper trading lets you practice trading, try out ideas, and test-drive a trading platform before risking real money. Here's how to paper trade and improve your trading.

portfolio diversification

Why It's Important to Diversify Your Investing Portfolio

Investment diversification is a way to mitigate investment risk while gaining exposure to several different asset classes or market sectors.

401(k) roll over

Rolling Over 401(k): An Essential Guide

When you separate from a job where you have an existing 401(k), you have options. Here’s how to roll over your 401(k) and the tax implications of doing so.

income investing

What is Income Investing?

Income investing is a means for investors to generate ongoing income and cash flow from all or a portion of their investment portfolio.

What are employee stock options

What Are Employee Stock Options?

Employee stock options grant employees the ability to buy company stock at an advantageous price, and have upsides for both employees and employers.

dividend stocks

What Are Dividend Stocks, How They Work And How To Invest In Them

Dividend stocks are companies that make regular payouts to their shareholders. But not all dividend-paying stocks are worth investing in.

Roth IRA vs 401(k)

Roth IRA vs 401(k): What's The Difference?

Let’s take a look at the differences between a Roth IRA and the two types of 401(k) accounts and what they tell you about which to use for retirement.

Roth vs Traditional IRA

Roth vs Traditional IRA

Here are some key differences between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA to help you choose the best investment account for your personal situation.

 pay off your mortgage or invest

Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Invest?

Debating whether you should put extra cash towards mortgage payments or investing it? It’s a tricky decision, but both are worthy goals.

ira to buy a home

Can You (And Should You) Use an IRA to Buy a Home?

The issue of whether you can use an IRA, or if you should use your IRA to buy a house is complicated. It's important to understand all sides of this issue before making a decision.

Mutual Funds vs etf written on a binder next to a typewriter and a champagne glass

ETFS vs. Mutual Funds: How To Choose the Right Investment

ETFs and mutual funds are similar, but distinct investment vehicles that offer built-in diversification and other advantages for investors.

mutual fund expense ratio

What Is A Mutual Fund Expense Ratios And What Is A Good One?

Buried deep in your investment funds are costs known as expense ratios. If you understand what they are and how to minimize them, you can improve your investment performance dramatically.

price earning ratio

What is a P/E ratio, And What Is Considered A Good One?

Learn how to use P/E ratio as you make investing decisions about individual stocks.

popular crypto scams

What Are the Most Popular Crypto Scams to Watch For in 2023

Crypto scams take on my forms, including phishing scams, giveaway scams and more. Find out which cryptocurrency scams are most prevalent so far in 2023.

Stock Split

What Is A Stock Split And What Causes It?

A stock split is when the share of a stock and its share price is split. Here’s how to invest in them.

dow vs nasdaq vs s&p

Dow vs Nasdaq vs S&P: What's The Difference?

How do these three stock indices compare and which should you use to assess the economy and guide your investing strategy?

average 401k return

What Average Rate of Return on 401(k) Can You Expect?

While you may be aware of how much money goes into your 401(k) every month, do you know what the average return on your 401(k) investments is?

What is a bull market

What Is A Bull Market? Definition, Characteristics and Tips on How to Invest.

A bull market occurs when securities are on the rise and increasing in value. Learn how to invest during a bull market in this article.

sinking fund

Sinking Fund: What Is It, Types & How to Set One Up

A sinking fund is a financial tool you can use to save money over time for a specific expense, such as a planned vacation or a home repair.

Roth IRA

What is A Roth IRA?

Roth IRAs offer an alternative to traditional IRAs in terms of their tax treatment and other factors. They may be a good addition to your retirement savings efforts.

mutual funds & Expenses 101

Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses for Beginners

Mutual fund fees and expenses are confusing. Funds with the lowest fees can improve your investment performance by thousands of dollars.

roth ira contribution limits

Roth IRA Contribution and Income Limits 2022 and 2023

Roth IRA contribution and income limits generally are revised each year. These limits determine how much you can contribute to an IRA in general and to a Roth IRA specifically.

1.1007.1750+1.51.12