You cannot use the amount of the return alone to assess the performance of your investment. After all, even though your stock portfolio may be up by 15%, it does not mean that it is performing quite as well as it should. So, how can you identify how successful your investment is? If you are at a loss, here are two ways not to assess your stocks and three proven ways to assess your investment portfolio successfully. Why You Shouldn’t Use Indexes The... ❯❯❯
If you are new to the investing game, educating yourself can seem like something akin to learning a whole new language. Before you delve into investing, however, it’s important to understand some important terms. “Balanced mutual fund” is one such term with which you should familiarize yourself before you start investing. Essentially, mutual funds are classified in accordance to the types of investments they own. For example, some mutual funds specialize... ❯❯❯
Over the years binary options have become increasingly popular among investors. It is a financial option where there are only two possible outcomes: Paying off a fixed amount as per the initial option or not paying off at all. Essentially the trader is ‘predicting’ what they feel will happen to the product over a certain period of time (i.e. will it close higher or lower at a certain time), and if they’re right they make a profit, but if they’re wrong... ❯❯❯
We get it. When you work hard day in and day out, and you only have so much disposable income floating around, it’s hard not to use it to reward yourself for all your hard work. After all, the government takes its fair share of taxes and most of what’s left can be expected to go to buzz-killing bills. With the tiny portion you have left after all is said and done and all your necessities have been taken care of, the temptation to splurge on fun and... ❯❯❯
If you have got to the point where you want to invest in real estate, there are a few things that you need to know before you go ahead. Yes, real estate is a great investment. However, there are some crucial things that you should know, before choosing to invest. To ensure that you are aware of all the crucial details as an investor, we have put together a guide to everything that new investors need to know, below: Picture from Flickr Know your goals... ❯❯❯
Buying a home for the first time is an exciting moment in life. Because it is a big commitment, it is important that first-time homebuyers take their time through the house hunting process in order to make sure they do not make any critical mistakes that could cost them in more ways than one. In order to avoid a financial crisis after buying a home, here are five mistakes to avoid: Many first-time homebuyers purchase a home after they believe they can... ❯❯❯
The city of Gurgaon is one of the most important cities in Northern India. The city is known to be the centre of economic development and is dotted with corporate offices of numerous enterprises. It was not like this two and half decades back. The city was a small village outside Delhi where there were some farm houses and houses of those who had retired. But the urban development that started with the establishment of corporate offices transformed the... ❯❯❯
Image source: So, you’ve been contemplating your next investment move for some time now. After much consideration, you've arrived at the conclusion of trading on the Foreign Exchange. Good choice. With an average daily turnover of over $4trillion, the Forex is the world’s largest financial market. For that reason alone, it's easy to see why so many look to it as a potentially very rewarding trading investment. While trading stocks and other commodities... ❯❯❯
A furniture and electronics retailer is not the sort of company that you might normally expect to be involved in illegal debt collection activities. Nevertheless, this is exactly what one Virginia-based retailer that previously ran a store in Jacksonville has been accused of. As a result, the company is now required to pay over $2.5 million in restitution and a $100,000 civil penalty for illegal debt collection practices. The company in question is... ❯❯❯
A town hearing in Massachusetts ended abruptly when the crowd became unruly, yelling, clapping and interrupting the speakers. The community of less than 8,000 became aggravated at the meeting Wednesday night when the proposal to ban sale items (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and chewing tobacco) was discussed. If this ban is pushed through in Westminster, Massachusetts, this town will make history by being the first. However, the residents remain... ❯❯❯
The financial world can sometimes seem like a complex maze, which it’s impossible for most people to navigate. When finance professionals are struggling to get great results and to predict the future, how can enthusiastic amateurs possibly hope to succeed? It seems to me that a successful approach to investing is all about having clear requirements in mind and then outlining a plan to meet your specific objectives. In fact, it’s only by identifying the... ❯❯❯
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Out of the all the begrudging expenses that you must incur as a homeowner – home insurance is usually the most frustrating. One of the biggest reasons why it is so frustrating is because you can never seem to nail down a rate that makes any sense. You may call one company and get a quote that is completely different from another agency’s quote. It can really make your head spin. However – unbeknownst to you – your insurance company may be calculating your... ❯❯❯
Faced with retirement on a pension of today's standards, lots of us are looking for a way to bump up the pot of cash we have access to in later life. If you're over the age of 55 and own your own home, equity release could help you gain a lump sum of cash, boost your monthly income, or provide a combination of both to help you to fund your lifestyle. According to research, the amount of people taking out a lifetime mortgage (a form of equity release) has... ❯❯❯
No one wants to be straddled with debt after years of being in the classroom training to become a doctor, business person or other professional. But that’s the situation facing many graduates today. Adding to the fact, securing your first job right out of college can be a real challenge--even for the most arduous job seeker. With only a six month grace period before student loans go into repayment, students often face having to pay back loans without any... ❯❯❯
Electric cars have long been feted as the answer to the world’s vehicular-related pollution problems. They don’t run on petrol, therefore they don’t produce as many harmful emissions, or contribute to the ongoing depletion of the world’s natural gas resources. Most of the people who drive electric cars believe that they are therefore contributing positively towards environmentalism. But how environmentally friendly are electric cars in reality? Cause for... ❯❯❯
Planning for your death is never easy. Even if you aren’t anticipating it happening anytime in the near future, it can be an eerie feeling. Because of this, people avoid it for too long and often die before they have settled their affairs. This can lead to a long process and a lot of heartache for your loved ones. Even if you are young and healthy, it is a good idea to get these matters settled so that you don’t have to worry about the what-if factor.... ❯❯❯
Making a bad real estate investment is not like having buyer’s remorse. You can always return an expensive watch or an expensive television set, but you can’t return a home that turns out to be a lemon. If you wind up in a bad real estate deal, it could take a lengthy legal process to actually get out of it, which will only cost you more money down the line. So, the best option is try and avoid bad real estate investments before they actually happen. Yet,... ❯❯❯
Debt can be a significant issue that overtakes other considerations. Daily problems seem to compound the situation. The stress of dealing with this issue causes a wide range of difficulties, but there is a way to stop the cycle. Knowing the steps for eliminating debt from your life is the best way to begin a positive change. Write Down All DebtsStart by creating a list of all debts currently owed. This can help show you what needs to be the focus of debt... ❯❯❯
Seasonal expenses creep in without fanfare, sneaking up on well-intentioned gift-givers bringing joy to their friends and families. It is easy to get carried away with the spirit of giving; after all, celebrations call for memorable presents. But left unmanaged, spending quickly goes beyond affordability for many holiday shoppers. Generosity, within your means, is indeed part of the seasonal joy shared with loved ones. Excited celebrants, marking... ❯❯❯