Hi Everyone,     This week is going to be interesting as we await the results of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on the 16th and 17th. If they do move forward with the first rate increase in years, I'll consider it a birthday present. Susan The Week Ahead The meeting this week is one of eight regularly scheduled meetings during the year. Minutes should be released about three weeks after any … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,   July has been a month of questions due to heightened volatility in the markets. It's understandable and I hope I answered yours. A great thinker (aka Burton Malkiel) once wrote "A Random Walk Down Wall Street".   Here's one of my favorite parts,     Susan Expectations and Predictions "Predicting future earnings and dividends is a most hazardous occupation. It requires not … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,   Recent corporate earnings reports addressed world currency valuations and their impact on profits. It's a good time to look at what currency risks we are dealing with as investors in a global economy.     Susan   3 Kinds of Risk   "If you hold stock in a company with overseas operations, currency fluctuations can impact profits. There are three kinds of currency risk for … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,   June ended on a sour note with the news out of Greece and Puerto Rico so don't expect your monthly statements to make you dance. Here are some things we can know and do to make July productive.     Susan Where We're At The U.S. equity markets finished the first half of the year mostly flat. Investor's portfolios likely did too; however, there were some bright spots such as small cap … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,   Income generation is a priority for many investors. Years have passed since sitting back  and collecting interest made it a simple task. Let's look at common approaches.     Susan Yield vs. Total Return Many investors, including retirees, rely on their investment portfolio to fund their cash needs. One approach is to simply draw on interest and dividends from securities as earned … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,It seems as though I write about dividends and their quoted yields once or twice per year. It's worth doing again this week.   Here's why, Susan   Stock DividendsThe dividend yield of a stock, as currently quoted, is a function of share price. You may have purchased a stock with a 4% dividend and a $30 price but as the price rose to $33, the yield fell to 3.64%. Should it concern you? Probably … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone, New rules apply to 2015 regarding IRA rollovers. Let's make sure you understand them. If you have questions, don't be shy; I'm here to help. Here you go, Susan   New in Tax: One IRA Rollover Per Year Beginning in 2015, investors are only able to make one rollover from an IRA to another (or the same) IRA in a 12-month period. This limit applies to all IRA accounts, regardless of the number you may own. In … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,   Once again, I have survived April 15th. But, if one more person tells me to be glad I had to pay, I'm going to smack them. Kidding aside, I am always glad and thankful for each year this business thrives and grows. Thank you for helping me make it work. Have a great week, Susan  Charitable Donations and Kiva On the final flip through of the returns, I lingered on the page listing all of the charitable … [Read more...]

Hi Everyone,As we head into April, a month typically kind to equity markets, I have found many articles discussing the valuation of companies as it relates to their stock price. Rana Foroohar's from Time this week was most interesting.     Here you go, Susan   Stock Prices and True Value"One of the hardest-dying ideas in economics is that stock price accurately reflects the fundamental value of a given … [Read more...]