Global Investing Gets a Boost - July 29, 2008
The U.S. now comprises just one-third of the world's market capitalization. And in the past few years, global returns handily outpaced those of U.S. issues. But recently -- in spite of all the talk of decoupling -- international markets have suffered right along with our domestic exchanges.

Emerging Markets--Is the Party Over? - July 22, 2008
Emerging market investments have been on a tear for the last few years, easily outpacing the returns of U.S. stocks.

ETFs, Mutual Funds and Fee Questions - July 15, 2008
The cheapskate mutual fund investor looks carefully at fees to make sure they match the value received. Some investors, in search of the best possible bargain, look to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) because they have a reputation for being so cheap.

Do You Need a Trust? - July 08, 2008
Many people believe that a will is all you need to ensure that your assets are left according to your wishes.

Life Insurance--Who Needs It? - July 01, 2008
Here it is, well into summer and I’ve finally tackled the cleaning out of my 2007 files. What a job! As always, I’m absolutely amazed at the amount of money I’ve managed to fritter away!

ETFs--Seeking a New Frontier? - June 24, 2008
Today, there are more than 700 ETFs, scattered among just about any investment category you can imagine.

Roth IRA's: Planning for the Future - June 17, 2008
For as long as I've been in the investment world, I have witnessed countless, seemingly small mistakes and omissions that people have made that ultimately turn into gigantic, colossal financial disasters. And the worst part is that most of these blunders -- if caught or avoided early on -- can actually result in tremendous opportunities to radically increase your financial stature.

DRIPs: A Little Bit of Investing Goes a Long Way - June 10, 2008
Mutual funds have been around for a number of years, but it's been in the last 20 or so that their popularity has skyrocketed, due in large part to the growing participation in 401(k) retirement plans, which made mutual funds household names.

Add a Little Glitter to Your Portfolio - June 03, 2008
You would have had to be living under a rock for the last couple of years to be unaware of the phenomenal rise of gold. Now, many investors are questioning – is it too late to get in on this rally?

Already in the Hole, Graduating Seniors Face a Challenging Future - May 27, 2008
Since 1980, students and check-writing parents have seen the cost of college triple. Rarely can parents fork over enough cash today to sustain their child/student for 4+ years of higher learning.

Is Credit/Debt Consolidation the Answer? - May 20, 2008
Our national savings rate has been declining for more than 20 years. And according to Goldman Sachs' research, the 2006 accumulated net savings rate for household, business and government savings as a share of Gross National Income was a paltry 1.6%

The State of Real Estate - May 13, 2008
Folks in the market to buy real estate haven't seen such good opportunities in years. In some pockets across the United States, dollars can buy almost twice the house they could have purchased a couple of years ago.

Recession-Proof Your Portfolio - May 06, 2008
At the financial conferences that I have attended in the past few months, recession has been the primary topic.

Seven Signs of Fraud--How Do You Know Your Stock Isn't The Next Bear Stearns? - April 29, 2008
Last month, many investors were again caught unaware when Bear Stearns, the fifth-largest U.S. investment bank, and one of the street's blue bloods, announced that it was being rescued by JP Morgan Chase and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Master Limited Partnerships--An Alternative Path to High Yields - April 22, 2008
Are you looking for consistent income without the large investment of bond purchases or the fluctuation of bond funds? If you answered yes, then you may want to consider a fairly-unknown, but generally high-yielding vehicle – the master limited partnership (MLP).

Are Bond Funds Right For You? - April 15, 2008
In the wake of the recent volatility in the stock markets around the world, many investors have asked me – is it time to turn to bonds?

Making This a Less "Taxing" Year - April 08, 2008
April 15 is just around the corner, and if you're like most folks, your brain is probably in a frenzy trying to think up new deductions to ward off the IRS pocket-pickers.

Targeted-Date and Actively-Managed ETFs Expand the ETF Universe - April 01, 2008
Last week, we talked about the pros and cons of adding country and sector exchange traded funds to your portfolio. In this issue, I want to bring to your attention, a couple more types of ETFs that are gaining momentum.

Narrowing Your ETF's Focus Can Pay Off Big - March 25, 2008
For the past couple of weeks, we have been talking about exchange-traded funds (ETFs), first, discussing several large ETF fund families, and then focusing on gold ETFs. This week, I want to more-narrowly focus our discussion, delving further into different classes of ETFs...

Add a Little Glitter to Your Portfolio - March 18, 2008
You would have had to be living under a rock for the last couple of years to be unaware of the phenomenal rise of gold. The price nearly quadrupled between 2001 and 2007 and just peaked at $1,005 per troy ounce last week, on March 13, 2008.

A Host of Small Cap Options to Choose from for ETF Investors - March 11, 2008
At the beginning of 2007, Financially Fit brought you a series of articles on small-cap investing. We covered the advantages (on Jan. 16, 2007), the analysis (Jan. 23, 2007) and how to choose the best small-cap funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) (Jan. 30, 2007)

Making Sense of the Explosion in Exchange Traded Funds - March 04, 2008
Rarely has the stock market encountered a phenomenon like exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Time to Max Out Those Retirement Plans - February 26, 2008
My parents and many of their contemporaries didn’t have to worry too much about saving for their retirement years, since many of them were covered by defined benefit plans funded by their employers.

The A,B,C's of Life Insurance - February 19, 2008
I can always count on a rousing debate when I raise the topic of the need for life insurance in a roomful of financial advisors. It reminds me of a game I played as a child,

Forex, the Featured Guest at the World Money Show - February 12, 2008
More than 14,000 investors gathered last week at the World Money Show, where the focus was on international investing.

Dems or Republicans--Does it Really Matter to an Investor? - February 05, 2008
The election season seems to be getting longer and longer. We are now inundated with campaign ads and debates that — while sometimes entertaining — leave me in awe at the amount of money that is wasted on a process that in most countries lasts a matter of weeks, not months.

Are Bond Funds Right for You? - January 29, 2008
In the wake of the recent volatility in the stock markets around the world, many investors have asked me – is it time to turn to bonds? My first response is that all investors should have some fixed income in their portfolios.

Investing in Non-U.S. Listed Companies - January 22, 2008
The buzzword for the last few years has been international investing. Investors have finally discovered that the world of investing is not just comprised of the 2,764 companies listed on the NYSE, 3,200 on the Nasdaq and the 1,621 on the Amex.

Why You Need a Roth IRA - January 15, 2008
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) were created in 1974, a boon to folks who either were not fortunate enough to participate in a company retirement plan and to others who just needed an impetus to begin saving for retirement.

The Hated Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) - January 08, 2008
While we hate to usher in the New Year discussing such a dreaded topic as the AMT, we thought it would be helpful to bring you up-to-date on the latest (and actually good) news about the AMT.

It's the Season for Your Portfolio Check-Up! - December 18, 2007
Buying stocks, bonds, funds and exchange-traded funds is often akin to coming down the stairs on Christmas morning and finding lots of presents from Santa.

It Is Better To Give Than Receive - December 11, 2007
The holiday season brings out the best in folks, and that includes their generosity. It’s the time of year for giving, and fortunately for those in need, many people include various charities in their gift planning.

The SEC Proposes New Disclosure Standards for Mutual Funds - December 04, 2007
Financial disclosures, including mutual fund prospectuses, used to be written in a secret lawyer language. In 1998, the SEC mandated “Plain English” for all agency filings, going so far as to prepare a handbook to help those who misplaced their undergraduate copies of Strunk & White.

Health Account Savings-Are They Right for You? - November 27, 2007
Growing up, my parents’ medical insurance was provided by their employers, and I don’t ever recall them having to pay anything out-of-pocket for the numerous doctor and emergency room visits that my four siblings and I made routinely.

ETFs, Mutual Funds and Fee Questions - November 13, 2007
The cheapskate mutual fund investor looks carefully at fees to make sure they match the value received. Some investors, in search of the best possible bargain, look to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) because they have a reputation for being so cheap.

Show Me the Money: All You Need to Know to Understand an Income Statement - November 06, 2007
The Income Statement, also called the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L), shows investors whether a company made or lost money during the reporting period—usually three or 12 months.

Trick or Treat? How to Detect Accounting Tricks - October 30, 2007
In today's market, the pressure for firms to produce outstanding earnings year after year sometimes creates a temptation to

Investing in Non-U.S. Listed Companies - October 23, 2007
The buzzword for the last few years has been international investing.

Too Late for Emerging Markets? - October 16, 2007
Emerging markets, defined by Wikipedia as those countries in transition between developing and developed, have been on a tear for the last few years. The two primary catalysts have been tremendous growth in consumption and rising energy demand. 

Mutual Fund Fees - October 09, 2007
As long as there is value in a higher price, then it's worth paying for. Mutual funds carry a huge range of fees, covering everything from compensation to financial advisors to the flight the analyst took to China to research investment opportunities.

The Advantages of Trusts - October 02, 2007
Folks who have built substantial assets that need to be protected from unwanted and unnecessary taxes, or those who have heirs who may need special consideration or who need assistance with handling their inheritances, often establish a trust—which, when combined with their will—will ensure (as best as possible) that their estate is handled in accordance with their wishes. 

Do You Really Need a Will? - September 25, 2007
If you pass away in 2007 and your net worth, including life insurance, is less than $2 million, your estate will owe no federal estate taxes. That exemption rises to $3.5 million in 2009, is eliminated in 2010 and returns in 2011 with an exclusion of $1 million, unless Congress takes action, which most financial planners assume it will. 

How to Read a Mutual Fund Prospectus - September 18, 2007
Raise your hand if you read the fund prospectuses that your mutual fund companies send you in the mail! 

The Federal Funds Rate and You - September 11, 2007
With the recent volatility in the markets stemming from the sub-prime debacle, investors are closely eyeing the moves of the Federal Reserve (the Fed) in hopes of lower rates. But why is this?

Top Money Mistakes, Part II - September 04, 2007
In last week's issue of Financially Fit, I discussed five major money mistakes that all too often sabotage an entire lifetime of earning, leaving folks facing retirement with inadequate funds to enjoy their golden years. 

Top Money Mistakes - August 28, 2007
If you diligently avoid these five major money mistakes, you will be well on your way to a much more sound financial life.

The A, B, C's of Life Insurance - August 21, 2007
I can always count on a rousing debate when I raise the topic of the need for life insurance in a roomful of financial advisors.

Retirement Planning: Part II - August 14, 2007
You need to begin to maximize your retirement savings NOW.

Retirement Planning: Part 1 - August 07, 2007
Our acceptable standard of living and what we plan to do in retirement is much greater than that of our parents or any generation before them.

Naturally Occurring Investments - July 31, 2007
In just the past 52 weeks alone, the commodities index is up 33.7%, compared with the S&P's 15.6% gain. 

Why You Need a Roth IRA - July 24, 2007
Roth IRAs provide certain advantages beyond traditional IRAs.

The Investor's Bookshelf - July 17, 2007
Recommendations for investment books that genuinely offer some good tips for investors.

Meet EDGAR - July 10, 2007
You should get very well acquainted with EDGAR, because EDGAR is here to make you money.

The Beauty of Options, Part 2 - July 03, 2007
Last week's issue of Financially Fit introduced options, defining the terms commonly used among options traders. This week, we'll delve a little deeper.

The Beauty of Options - June 26, 2007
Options provide a chance to turn small investments into large profits by employing simple leverage.

A Guide to IPO Investing - June 19, 2007
Investing in recent IPOs is much like investing in seasoned stocks, with the noted exception of the limited availability of information.

Understanding Financial Reports: Easier than you Think - June 12, 2007
The ability to understand financial reports of your current holdings or potential investments is essential knowledge for individual investors.

Valuation Metrics - June 05, 2007
Valuations are assessments of market capitalization as compared to the company's intrinsic value.

Lazy Portfolios for the Time-Challenged Investor - May 29, 2007
With the proliferation of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), even the most time-challenged investor can begin and sustain a fine investing program.

All Graduates Need Apply! - May 22, 2007
Iif you have a graduate near and dear to your heart, I hope you will share this article.

Large Cap Indexes - May 15, 2007
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), first compiled by Charles Dow in 1896, is the accepted benchmark of how well stocks perform each business day.

Don't Ignore The Middle-Child - May 08, 2007
Adding mid cap stocks to your portfolio can not only increase your returns but also reduce your risk.

Small Cap Indexes - May 01, 2007
The Russell 2000, a subset of the larger Russell 3000, by way of how it is constituted includes many newer, smaller firms often not represented by the S&P 500 or other large indices. On this basis, it is used both as a barometer and the benchmark in the small cap world.

More Special Situations… - April 24, 2007
In this issue, I want to cover two additional special situations: Mergers and acquisitions, and stock splits.

Profitable Special Situations - April 17, 2007
Just tune into any of the business news media and you will often hear the term

Growth or Value? Why Not a Blend of Both? - April 10, 2007
Finding a stock that exhibits characteristics of both value and growth stocks can be a great way to unlocking outsized returns.

A Little Planning may Save you Lots of Taxes! - April 03, 2007
I thought you might be able to use some solid tips to help you wade through the minefield of tax information to determine the optimum strategy for keeping the taxes on your investment gains to a minimum. In these pages, I will touch on a few tax situations that often drive investors into a frenzy at tax time.

The Federal Funds Rate - March 27, 2007
What is the connection between the interest rates the Fed meets to discuss and the stocks in your equity portfolio?

Employers, Pay Yourself First - Invest in Your Retirement - March 20, 2007
In this issue, I want to talk about retirement plans created specifically for the self-employed.

IRAs - A to Z - March 13, 2007
Opening or adding to an existing IRA affords you an important tax advantage.

Developed Markets - March 06, 2007
Six years ago, 8 cents of every dollar flowing into U.S. mutual stock funds was invested overseas. Last year, that number had soared to 77 cents. According to consulting firm Financial Research, in just the last three years U.S. mutual fund investors have added some $1 trillion to international and global funds, increasing their stake to $1.6 trillion at the end of 2006, from $630 billion.

Emerging Markets - February 27, 2007
Emerging market mutual funds were hot in 2005, receiving a record $20.3 billion in inflows. But last year was even better, with inflows rising to $22.4 billion, according to Emerging Portfolio Fund Research. And the love hasn’t stopped.

Time to Go Global? - February 20, 2007
Global investing comes with unique risks that can not only cause tremendous volatility in foreign companies' stock prices, but also determine their immediate and long-term futures:

Put the "Value" in Valentine's Day! - February 13, 2007
Nothing beats finding a well-run, fundamentally strong company whose shares are trading at less than their intrinsic value, scooping it up, then waiting until the market discovers it, sending its shares to a fair value - at which point you can take your gains.

Investing in Real Estate without a Mortgage - February 06, 2007
During the past few years of the

How to Choose the Right Small-Cap Fund or ETF - January 30, 2007
This week’s issue – focusing on analyzing small-cap mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – should provide you a few investment ideas to help you get your feet wet in the small-cap market.

Analyzing Small Caps - January 23, 2007
Today, I want to give you a few ideas that will not only help you analyze the small-cap stocks that you are interested in adding to your portfolio, but will also assist you in avoiding these problems.

Small-Cap Investing: A Boost to your Portfolio Returns - January 16, 2007
When investors hear

Preserving Your Wealth - January 09, 2007
An overview of some of the tools that are available to help you in your quest for estate planning knowledge.

Tips to Make 2007 Brighter! - January 02, 2007
The end of the year is the perfect time to think about plans and goals for 2007, and to develop a strategy to achieve them.

The Season for Giving - and for Stealing! - December 19, 2006
While the holiday season is a time of giving, unfortunately it's also a lucrative feast for criminals and scam artists out to make a quick buck.

Your Children: An Investment in their Future - December 12, 2006
There's one more item I'd like you to add to your list that will reap huge benefits for years, and for generations - far into the future: Teaching your children about investing - and creating investment accounts for them.

How to Profit from the Resurgence of the IPO - December 05, 2006
During the technology boom and bust of a few years ago, initial public offerings (IPO's) were on the tip of the tongue of almost every investor and financial professional I met.

Tips for Year-End - November 28, 2006
It's the time of year when our thoughts turn to holiday festivities and, yes - tax planning!

Investing for Women: It's Your Turn, Take It! - November 21, 2006
For several years, I've been speaking and conducting workshops at financial conferences across the country. And for the lion's share of that time, I have looked out upon an audience of mostly retirees - comprised primarily of men.

Fixed Income Investing - Part II - November 14, 2006
In this issue, I want to give you an overview of the many types of fixed income and hybrid (equity/fixed income) investments that are available in the marketplace.

Fixed Income Investing: A Portfolio Necessity - November 07, 2006
Diversification of your portfolio is crucial to your investing success; owning fixed income investments as well as equity securities is a key to building that diversification.

Industry Analysis Made Easy - October 31, 2006
There is one more complementary sector of fundamental analysis that is also of extreme import: Analyzing the industry in which a company operates.

Retirement Planning: Part 2 - October 24, 2006
Now that you have a good idea of the size of the stockpile you will need, let’s review the types of accounts that will assist you in growing your retirement monies.

Retirement Planning: It's Not Too Late to Start! - October 19, 2006
The good news is that it's not too late to influence the outcome and to provide for a - maybe not as grand - retirement, but certainly one in which you can spend your golden years still doing the activities you enjoy, in a fairly contented, hopefully healthy and mostly independent environment.

Hedge Funds, Part II - October 10, 2006
This week, we’ll wrap up our series on hedge funds by looking at investor qualifications, compensation of managers, the regulatory environment, problems in the industry, and resources for further information.

The A,B,C's of Hedge Funds - October 03, 2006
To most investors, the words ‘hedge funds’ conjure up two visions: 1) Exotic private vehicles in which only the very wealthy can participate, and 2) extremely speculative ventures suitable only for highly sophisticated investors.

Selecting a Broker or Asset Manager - September 26, 2006
One area that often still remains a dark mystery is how to find a good broker or asset manager. Fortunately, that process is not as difficult as most investors believe.

529 Plans - Part II - September 19, 2006
The numerous benefits for both the owner, as well as the beneficiary, of 529's and resources for further research.

529 Plans - Part I - September 12, 2006
The 529 Plan, the college-funding investment that has experienced explosive growth in the last few years, with more to come in light of recent favorable federal regulation.

The Internet: The Answer to a Researcher's Dream! - September 05, 2006
Most of us do not want to spend an arm and a leg to find just a few investments to purchase every year. Fortunately, there are a couple of sites that will work very well for you.

Peter Lynch makes "Value Investing" a household word. - August 30, 2006
Peter Lynch — the longtime Fidelity Magellan fund manager — brought the concept of Value Investing to the masses with his books One Up On Wall Street and Beating the Street.

Value Investing is Back in Vogue - August 23, 2006
An increasing number are tapping into that old standby that can be counted on through thick and thin: value investing.

Evaluating Your Mutual Funds - August 15, 2006
How to compare your 401(k) plan's available fund selections to determine which ones are the optimal investments given your objectives.

Making the Most of your 401(k) - August 09, 2006
All it takes is a little knowledge and some elbow grease, and you will never be scared of opening up that 401(k) package again.

Indexing, with a Twist - August 01, 2006
ETFs hold tremendous advantages over the average mutual fund.

The Case for Indexing - July 25, 2006
The goal of the index fund is to buy the same stocks in similar proportions to the index it is tracking, thereby mirroring the return.

The Easy Way to Invest: Dividend Reinvestment Plans - July 18, 2006
With DRIPs, investors can start small, buying as little as one share of stock, at vastly reduced commissions.

Make an Investment Plan...for Life - July 11, 2006
To ensure that you have the resources you need for every stage of your life, it is imperative that you have an investment plan for each of those periods.  

Easy Reading - June 27, 2006
The A,B,C's of Understanding Annual Reports

The 7 Critical Steps to Profitable Investing - June 20, 2006
Seven key metrics that should be reviewed before buying any stock.