When we sell a security, we are doing so with the understanding that we can re-invest the proceeds in a way that will maintain our nominal returns. The logic behind this is fairly simple, in that we wouldn’t sell the security if we didn’t feel as though there was a long-term benefit … [Read more...]
Is that Really a Mutual Fund or Just Diluted Equity Position?
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Having looked through a batch of tech Funds in preparation for an upcoming post, I came across a startling trend for overexposing a fund towards a very specific security. Funds that claim to act as an index of the tech industry have holding more than 14% of their holdings in companies … [Read more...]
How a Gold Exit Might Impact Your Real Estate Portfolio
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When looking at how it is that a gold liquidation would impact a personal investing portfolio, we need to remember how it is that Gold will generally act as a store of value against uncertainty, inflation, and general macroeconomic risk. However, the only real reason why it is that … [Read more...]
Paying Off Debt Fast or Slow Which is Best?
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The question of paying off debt fast or slow is a no brainer for me personally. Financially speaking it's the obvious best answer because the faster you pay off your debt the less interest you're going to pay. I guess the flip side to this would be paying your debt off slower means … [Read more...]
What is the Gross Debt Service Ratio (GDSR)?
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Similar to the Total Debt Service Ratio (TDSR), the Gross Debt Service Ratio (GDSR) is a metric that is commonly used by lenders in conjunction with a credit score. As the name suggests, GDSR acts as a metric for specifically representing the amount of an individual’s income that is … [Read more...]
American Investment Licences: Series 6 & Series 7
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The first investment licence that potential advisors pursue is either the Series 6 or the Series 7 certification from FINRA. Between the two options, an individual is able to decide as to whether they want to jump right into the investments industry, or instead work their way in more … [Read more...]
Are You Being Charged Twice at the ATM?
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We’ve all seen the message before: “An additional service fee of $2 will be charged in order to process this transaction. Do you still want to continue with your withdraw?” It’s annoying, but who cares about a measly $2 when the machine is so convenient! If only that were the case, I … [Read more...]
Improving Tangible Net Worth
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Looking at how it is that the tangible ‘worth’ of an asset is such an arbitrary process from a lender’s perspective, it is important that a borrower take as much of the valuation process into their own hands as possible before submitting a loan application. By professionally … [Read more...]
Avoid Facebook if You’re Going Through a Divorce!
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I just read a very interesting article about social media that got me thinking. If you are going through a divorce avoid social media contact at all costs or it will end up biting you in the wallet! Social media websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter are the gold at the end … [Read more...]
The Opposing Sides of Structured Settlement Annuity Payments
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In simple terms, a structured settlement is an annuity awarded to a plaintiff due to a personal injury lawsuit settlement. The goals of the buyer and the seller of structured settlement annuity payments are, for the most part, entirely opposed. But despite the contrast in the … [Read more...]
Credit Score Factors: Payment History
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It might seem counter-intuitive, but the most important investment decisions that a personal investor will ever make tend to revolve more around debt than they do actual securities. This is because of the way in which our debt and credit capacity makes up for such much of our total … [Read more...]
Who Regulates Financial Advisory in the USA?
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Financial planners and advisors seem to spring up frequently these days, all claiming to be the best qualified to handle our personal savings and investments. While many of these professionals do indeed have the skills necessary to guide us towards our financial goals, it can still be … [Read more...]
The Spanish Debt Crisis: How Bad is it?
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Over April, the Spanish Debt Crisis began to take centre stage as investors turned their attention away from Greece. Despite a brief rally in the market, it seems as though European debt is again going to exert its influence on North American Stock Exchanges for the near future. But … [Read more...]
Credit Score Factors: Age of File & Credit Seeking Tendencies
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Credit building requires, without a doubt, a long term plan and determination in order to be effective over the long term. However, many people don’t realize that the long-term nature of credit building is not just an exercise in self-restraint, but a factor that is considered in … [Read more...]
When to Co-Sign a Loan
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One of the most frustrating aspects of being denied for a loan is that the application itself will decrease the borrower’s credit score, even though no actual debt transaction will actually take place. Because of this catch-22 situation, many individuals become particularly averse to … [Read more...]
Save Big Money by Shopping for Hot Deals Online
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For the last several years I have shopped exclusively online for everything except food. I do this for two reasons number one being convenience and number two the huge cost savings I get. For those familiar with Bing Cash Back you know how great this program is but it's coming to a … [Read more...]
Stop Payments, Stop ETF, and Trace Check
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Working for a financial institution, I’ve been able to see the benefits of online banking from a first-hand perspective. By cutting the costs associated with retail transactions in more than half, online banking provides some amazing opportunities for expanding the kinds of services … [Read more...]
How a Gold Exit Might Impact Your Bonds and Guaranteed Savings Portfolio
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Your bond portfolio is your back-bone. It supports both the fixed-income and growth aspects of your portfolio by virtue of its stability, predictability, and cash-producing nature. No matter what, you know what kind of returns you’ll be getting from this portfolio, provided that there … [Read more...]
How to Manage TDSR and GDSR
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Having gone through the last two articles to understand what TDSR and GDSR are, we are now in a position to dig into exactly how it is that lenders look at these two metrics, and some simple strategies that borrowers can use to improve their applications through these venues. When … [Read more...]
How does the Spanish Debt Crisis Impact a Personal Investment Portfolio?
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Currently, it has been forecasted that there is anywhere between a 60-80% Debt-to-GDP ratio in Spain. This means that sixty cents on every dollar of income in the country is tied to government bonds. That being said, this ratio is 20% less than that of Germany, France, or the USA, … [Read more...]
