Investing News

The number of small business owners reporting inflation as their top business problem has reached its highest level since 1979, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Thirty-seven percent of small business owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, an increase of three points from

The world’s biggest companies by market cap operate within a range of different market sectors, including technology, communication services, energy, consumer cyclicals, and financial services. A company’s market cap is calculated by multiplying the total number of its shares outstanding by the current market price of a single share. The majority of the companies making

Pet insurance is like human health insurance in many ways. The main difference has to do with the restrictions imposed on most pet health insurance policies. For example, pet insurance rarely covers preexisting conditions. Fortunately, despite these restrictions, pet insurance can be purchased that offers a wide array of coverage, from routine care to major

Is Free Market the Same as Capitalism? A capitalist economy and a free market economy are two types of economic systems. Often the terms are used interchangeably, especially in casual parlance. But, while they have overlapping qualities, the two are not quite the same thing. Capitalist and free-market systems do spring from the same economic

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a great investment vehicle for small and large investors alike. These popular funds, which are similar to mutual funds but trade like stocks, have become a popular choice among investors looking to broaden the diversity of their portfolios without increasing the time and effort that they have to spend managing

If you have never worked or paid Social Security taxes (or didn’t pay them for long enough), you won’t be eligible to claim Social Security retirement benefits on your own account. However, you may be able to receive spousal benefits through your spouse’s account. You can file a claim under their account as early as

If you have a 401(k) plan, you are probably aware that you can use it to invest in a wide variety of funds – target-date funds, passively managed index funds, and actively managed mutual funds. Some plans, however, also allow you to access other types of financial product, such as annuities. An annuity is a

If you need to access some of the money you’ve built up in your 401(k), you can use a short-term loan that you will pay back with money from your paychecks. Borrowing from your 401(k) can often be a better alternative to getting money than using higher-interest loans like title loans, payday loans, or even

Investors seeking exposure to the driverless car revolution now have the option of buying into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) specifically dedicated to driverless cars, electric vehicles, and other innovations in the automobile industry. Among this class of ETFs are KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility ETF (KARS), which debuted in January of 2018; InnovationShares NextGen Vehicle and

If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, this can be a very effective way of saving for retirement. The money you put in your plan is “tax-deferred,” so you won’t pay income tax on it for the year you earn it. Instead, you’ll be taxed when you take it out of your 401(k) account during

If you’re looking at the investment options available in your 401(k) and are overwhelmed by your range of choices, you should count yourself lucky. Many 401(k) plans offer only very limited investment options, and some encourage participants to invest heavily in your own company’s stock.  You might not feel lucky, of course, as you scroll

A home equity loan—also known as an equity loan, home equity installment loan, or second mortgage—is a type of consumer debt. Home equity loans allow homeowners to borrow against the equity in their homes. The loan amount is based on the difference between the home’s current market value and the homeowner’s mortgage balance due. Because

If you’re interested in retirement – either because you are planning your own, or because you find the subject fascinating – you might have wondered if you can share your knowledge in a formal way. The good news is that this is certainly possible – there are courses that help people learn about retirement, led

The Russell 1000 Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. It represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of all listed stocks in the U.S. equity market. For this reason, it is considered a bellwether for large-cap investing. Some of the largest companies in the index

U.S. stocks continued to claw their way back last week, especially growth stocks. For the week, the Nasdaq posted a gain of 2.2% and the S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow? Not so much, sliding just 0.1%. A blowout jobs report for July offered up another dose of good news for the economy and not-so-good

The Inflation Reduction Act, a scaled-down version of the Build Back Better Act, passed the Senate over the weekend and now heads to the House where it is expected to pass before going to President Biden for his signature as soon as the end of this week. The legislation, according to Senate Democrats, will make

As of 2021, there are reportedly 2,755 billionaires on Earth, with an estimated total net worth of $13.1 trillion. Of this amount, the top 10 wealthiest people in the world account for $1,153 billion, or roughly 8.8%, which is impressive when you consider that they represent around 0.36% of billionaires. Below are the 10 individuals

Rates on 30-year mortgages rose by almost four-tenths of a point Friday, extending a three-day pattern of dramatic up and down swings ranging from a third to a half a percentage point each day. Today’s National Mortgage Rate Averages The 30-year mortgage average seesawed for a third day Friday, jumping 39 basis points after a

Ranging from food to electronics, from luxury specialists to discounters, the retail sector is a diverse and dynamic one—and extremely susceptible to changing consumer tastes, as well. Yet the industry seems to grow every year, regardless of economic cycles or capital costs. Investors can find a lot to like (and dislike) in retail stocks. In doing

When considering investments for your 401(k), you might see options listed as “target-date” or “lifecycle” funds. These are actually the same type of fund. They’re structured to minimize risk and maximize returns at a specific date. Target-date or lifecycle funds automate some aspects of portfolio management, and are ideal for investors who don’t want to