Question
stringlengths
14
166
Answer
stringlengths
3
17k
Borrow from 401k for down payment on rental property?
Two simple possibilities:
Personal finance in EFU and NAFA
I want to know why my investment is having loss in 4 to 5 months. As the funds invest in stock markets, the Pakistan stock market is going down in last 4-5 months from all time high. Should I liquidate my investment or wait in hope that it will grow again? This is opinion based and one cannot predict what will happen i...
Large BUY LIMIT orders' effect on a stock's price
Traders sometimes look at the depth of the book (number of outstanding limit orders) to try and gauge the sentiment of the market or otherwise use this information to formulate their strategy. If there was a large outstanding buy order at $49.50, there's a decent chance this could increase the price by influencing oth...
Lifetime ISA: What are the chances of a reputable Bank offering it?
The Skipton Building Society has recently announced that it is offering a cash LISA. According to the papers it is the first to offer a cash LISA. Skipton is the UK's 4th largest UK Building Society and has been in existence since 1853. There are other providers of LISAs such as Hargreaves Landsdown. Hargreaves Lansdow...
H&R Block says form 1120 not finalized? IRS won't take it yet?
This form is due March 15. This year, the 15th is Saturday, so the deadline is Monday March 17th. Keep in mind, the software guys would have two choices, wait until every last form is finalized before releasing, or put the software out by late November when 80%+ are good to go. Nothing is broken in this process. Keep...
Safe method of paying for a Gym Membership?
New York state actually has laws protecting gym members from predatory gym membership pricing. Your state may also have laws like that as well.
How to invest in a specific market without investing in a specific company?
You need to hope that a fund exists targeting the particular market segment you are interested in. For example, searching for "cloud computing ETF" throws up one result. You'd then need to read all the details of how it invests to figure out if that really matches up with what you want - there'll always be various trad...
What are some simple techniques used for Timing the Stock Market over the long term?
Buy low, sell high - the problem, of course, finding a crystal ball that will tell you when the highs and lows are going to happen :-) You could, for instance, save your money in cash and wait for the occasional sharp drop, but then you've lost profits & dividends from having that cash under the mattress all those year...
Buy index mutual fund or build my own?
One thing I would add to @littleadv (buy an ETF instead of doing your own) answer would be ensure that the dividend yield matches. Expense ratios aren't the only thing that eat you with mutual funds: the managers can hold on to a large percentage of the dividends that the stocks normally pay (for instance, if by holdi...
Can rent be added to your salary when applying for a mortgage?
I can answer Scenario #3. If you are purchasing a property with buy-to-let intentions […] can you use the rental income exclusively to fund the mortgage repayments? Yes – this is exactly how buy-to-let mortgage applications are evaluated. Lenders generally expect you to fund the mortgage payments with rent. They look...
What to do with a 50K inheritance [duplicate]
**I would encourage you to clear all your debts and remain debt free, then you can consult a financial manager-for investing purposes that fits your needs and goals. There are so many investment vehicles out, but the best of all is in real estate which requires lots of money. For your case I would prefer money marke...
What sort of tax treatment does a charitable micro-lending loan incur?
Lending is not a charitable contribution. Its an investment. If the loan becomes a bad debt - you'll have to show that it had become a bad debt. For example - bankruptcy declaration. You'll have to show an arm's length transaction, for example - real intention to repay (evidenced by payments of principal and interest m...
Are solar cell panels and wind mills worth the money?
I have personally known a family in the hills of Southern Oregon, US who lived off the electricity grid. As far as being "possible" yes, but easy is a certain no. This family was very dedicated to the point of living without grid electricity. A special built home of native field stones, careful alignment with the sun...
How are startup shares worth more than the total investment funding?
He is worth $17.5 billion today Note that he is worth that dollar figure, but he doesn't have that many dollars. That's the worth of his stake in the company (number of shares he owns times the assumed value per share), i.e. assuming its total value being several hundreds of billions, as pundits assume. However, it is ...
Should I participate in a 401k if there is no company match?
I believe @Dilip addressed your question alread, I am going to focus on your second question: What are the criteria one should use for estimating the worth of the situation? The criteria are: I hope this helps.
Why does the share price tend to fall if a company's profits decrease, yet remain positive?
It has got to do with market perceptions and expectation and the perceived future prospects of the company. Usually the expectation of a company's results are already priced into the share price, so if the results deviate from these expectations, the share price can move up or down respectfully. For example, many times...
US Banks offering Security Tokens in 2012
I'm looking for another one right now. Here's what I've found: Los Alamos National Bank (www.lanb.com) has tokens ($5?), but I think they only open accounts for New Mexico residents. I've had one for several years. USAA Savings Bank (usaa.com) has tokens ($5 or free, I don't remember). I'm pretty sure you do NOT need t...
How exactly does dealing in stock make me money?
This is a very good question! The biggest difference is that when you put money in a savings bank you are a lender that is protected by the government, and when you buy stocks you become an owner. As a lender, whether the bank makes or loses money on the loans it makes, they still maintain your balance and pay you inte...
Is selling put options an advisable strategy for a retiree to generate stable income?
There is only one way to create "stable" income using options: write COVERED calls. This means you must own some stocks which offer an active and liquid option market (FB would be good; T would be useless.) In other words, you need to own some "unstable" stocks, tickers that have sometimes scary volatility, and of co...
Is short selling a good hedging strategy during overzealous market conditions?
Below is just a little information on short selling from my small unique book "The small stock trader": Short selling is an advanced stock trading tool with unique risks and rewards. It is primarily a short-term trading strategy of a technical nature, mostly done by small stock traders, market makers, and hedge funds....
Online Foreign Exchange Brokerages: Which ones are good & reputable for smaller trades?
There are many good brokers available in the market and many spammers too. Personally I have been associated with FXCM since 2001 and have never faced any problem. But everyone has their own personal choice and I recommend you to make your own. But the question is how to find out which broker is a good broker and would...
Diversification reduces risk, but does this base on the assumption that expected return of each asset is always in proportion to its risk?
if I have a asset A with expected return of 100% and risk(measured by standard deviation) 1%, and asset B with expected return of 1% and risk 100%, would it be rational to put asset B into the portfolio ? No, because Modern Portfolio Theory would say that if there is another asset (B2) with the same (or higher) return ...
Can a bank hold my deposit on a closed account?
What I'm reading is that they subtracted the $85 you owe them and they're cutting you a cashier's check for the rest. Ethically speaking, you owed them the money, they subtracted it and made you a check for the rest. Once you cash that check, nobody owes anyone anything in this equation. Sounds like they're in the cl...
Relation between inflation rates and interest rates
Possibly but not necessarily, though that can happen if one looks at the US interest rates in the late 1970s which did end with really high rates in the early 1980s. Generally interest rates are raised when inflation picks up as a way to bring down inflation.
Does the rise in ACA premiums affect employer-provided health insurance premiums?
It's likely impossible to determine why premiums are increasing in a meaningful way; not only is the interrelationship between the various data points very complex, but some of the increases are likely due to decisions by people who do not and will not publicly post what they decided and why. However, it is possible to...
Should I sell my stocks when the stock hits a 52-week high in order to “Buy Low, Sell High”?
Buy low, sell high. I think a lot of people apply that advice wrongly. Instead of using this as advice about when to buy and when to sell, you should use it as advice about when not to buy and when not to sell. Don't buy when P/Es cannot support the current stock price. Don't sell when stocks have already fallen due to...
Pay off credit card debt or earn employer 401(k) match?
I'd take the match, but I wouldn't contribute beyond your match, for two reasons:
Legitimate unclaimed property that doesn't appear in any state directory?
Most states have a "cap" on the amount a "heir finder" can charge for retrieving the property. It is generally around 10%. Even if the state does not have a particular statute you can usually negotiate the rate with the company. Thirty-percent is extortion, if they won't do it for less, someone else will.
Should I have more than one brokerage account?
I use two different brokerages, both well-known. I got a bit spooked during the financial crisis and didn't want to have all my eggs in one basket. The SIPC limits weren't so much a factor. At the time, I was more worried about the hassle of dealing with a Lehman-style meltdown. If one were to fail, the misery of waiti...
My bank wants to lower my credit limit on my credit card. Will this impact me negatively?
Will having a lower credit limit, which I will still never reach, negatively impact my ability to get a mortgage in future? This would increase your utilization, the percentage of your total available credit that you use at any one time. Because it decreases the divisor, your total available credit, while not changing...
Is there a government-mandated resource that lists the shareholders of a public company?
The list of the public companies is available on the regulatory agencies' sites usually (for example, in the US, you can look at SEC filings). Otherwise, you can check the stock exchange listings, which show all the public companies traded on that exchange. The shareholders, on the other hand, are normally not listed a...
Avoiding timing traps with long term index investing
It's amusing that despite all the evidence that "you can't time the market", everyone still wants to try. Of course I understand your fear. If you invest all your money in the stock market today and it suddenly falls tomorrow you will feel very bad. There are a few things you can do to reduce your risk with respect ...
What Russell 2000 price action would move TZA on the upside back to its 6000 level?
the pricing model makes all inverse leveraged ETF decay over time. When the price gets low the manager can once again do a stock split to make the share price more attractive. The manager usually states a price range that will prompt a stock split, but actually doing the split is at their discretion The Russell 2000 ha...
Using stop-loss as risk management: Is it safe?
A stop-loss does not guarantee a sale at the given price; it just automatically triggers an unlimited sale as soon as the market reaches the limit. Depending on the development, your sale could be right at, slightly under, or deeply under the stop-loss limit you gave - it could even be it is never executed, if there ar...
What economic growth rate is required to halve U.S. unemployment?
Two points.
Where can I open a Bank Account in Canadian dollars in the US?
Everbank has offered accounts in foreign currencies for a while. https://www.everbank.com/currencies Takes a while to get it setup; and moving cash in and out is via wire transfer. Also you need to park $5K in USD in a money market account; which you use as a transfer point.
Live in Oregon and work in Washington: Do I need to file Oregon state taxes?
Unfortunately, you are required, but most states do have agreements with neighboring states that let the states share the collected taxes without the person having to pay double taxes. So being as this is your first tax return in your current situation, you might be wise to have a professional fill it out for you this ...
How to account for startup costs for an LLC from personal money?
You don't even need to formally loan the LLC any money. You pay for the setup costs out of pocket, and then once the LLC is formed, you reimburse yourself (just like with an expense report). Essentially you submit an expense report to the LLC for the startup costs, and the LLC pays out a check to you, categorized for t...
What are the marks of poor investment advice?
Any investment advice that is not targeted to your situation should be avoided.
What are the opportunities/implications of having a designated clearing bank in my home country?
For an individual there will not be much impact immediately. This arrangement will help Corporates and Banks settle payments more easily. - It would typically help companies dealing with Yuan [Buying or selling to China or Countries that accept Yuan as payment] to make payments at a cheaper cost & in less time. - In th...
Should I switch to this high rate checking account for my emergency fund?
I do this, and as you say the biggest downside is not having a separate account for your savings. If you're the type of person who struggles with restraint this is not for you. On the other hand this type of account gives more interest than any other type of US Checking or Savings account I've seen, so you will benefi...
What happens to my savings if my country defaults or restructures its debt?
This question is different because you are asking for actual advice vs. a more academic, "what if" scenario. The answer that I'll give will be different, and similar to another recent question on a similar vein. Basically, if you're living in a European country that's effectively in default and in need of a bailout, th...
Money Structuring
See "Structuring transactions to evade reporting requirement prohibited." You absolutely run the risk of the accusation of structuring. One can move money via check, direct transfer, etc, all day long, from account to account, and not have a reporting issue. But, cash deposits have a reporting requirement (by the bank)...
Do I need a business credit card?
I finally got one to separate my business and personal expenses. It will make accounting at the end of the year a lot easier.
Are there any banks in Europe that I can have an account without being in that country?
Opening account in foreign bank is possible, but you must have strong proofs you use it for legitimate purposes. More chances to get an account if you visit Europe and able to stay, for example, for a week, to visit bank in person and wait for all the checks and approvals. Also keep in mind that there will be deposit/w...
Can I buy a new house before selling my current house?
The two most common scenarios are: Since you have more control of timing when you are the buyer compared to when you are the seller, #1 is probably more common, however, a good real estate attorney should be able to walk you through your options should #2 come up. Fortunately, many real estate attorneys do not charge y...
What's the catch in investing in real estate for rent?
There are those who are knowledgable in real estate who offer rules of thumb: Don't pay more that 50X the rent for the house. Here, $972 x 50 is $48600. Assume half the rent goes to expenses. So from $972, you net $486, and after that mortgage, you have $111 in profit. Zillow usually assumes 20% down, here $20K. So you...
How does a lender compute equity requirement for PMI?
Never ever use a giant monster mega bank for home loans. I am sure you probably didn't and they bought your loan from someone else. You have no legal options. What you should do Is look at getting a new loan maybe a 15 year loan. Your payment might be the same with no PMI. I would check with a relator to see what t...
How to avoid tax when taking a windfall in small chunks?
How can I avoid this, so we are taxed as if we are making the $60k/yr that we want to receive? You can't. In the US the income is taxed when received, not when used. If you receive 1M this year, taking out 60K doesn't mean the other 940K "weren't received". They were, and are taxable. Create a pension fund in the corp...
Can I invest in gold through Vanguard (Or another instrument that should perform well in financial crisis)?
I found a comparison of stock and bond returns. The relevant portion here is that bonds went up by 10% in 2007 and 20% in 2008 (32% compounded). Stocks were already recovering in 2009, going up almost 26%. You don't mention what you were hoping to get from your gold investment, but bonds gave a very good return for...
Finding a good small business CPA?
Look for an accountant who brings not only expertise in number crunching, but consulting and business planning - a full package.
Which set of earnings is used to work out the P/E of a stock
There are two common types of P/E ratio calculations: "trailing" and "forward" (and then there are various mixes of the two). Trailing P/E ratios are calculated as [current price] / [trailing 12-month EPS]. An alternative is the Forward P/E ratio, which is based on an estimate of earnings in the coming 12 months. The e...
Why is auto insurance ridiculously overpriced for those who drive few miles?
Other people lie to the companies about how many miles they drive, so they can't take the mileage figures literally. You aren't specifying whether you want liability only, or more-comprehensive insurance. Stuff happens when you aren't driving. Cars get stolen. Other drivers hit parked cars and leave. Trees fall o...
What are good games to play to teach young children about saving money?
I've found that good old fashioned "Monopoly" teaches children about cash flow, mortgaging properties, and paying income taxes.
Return on asset (ROA) value for a stock is reported differently on Yahoo Finance and MarketWatch
IESC has a one-time, non-repeatable event in its operating income stream. It magnifies operating income by about a factor of five. It impacts both the numerator and the denominator. Without knowing exactly how the adjustments are made it would take too much work for me to calculate it exactly, but I did get close to...
How to calculate cash loss over time?
There are two things you need to keep in mind when you look at Inflation as an entity. Inflation is necessary to keep in check the value of goods. As per Moore's Law for example, a mobile phone that you buy for £100 today will be available for £50 in two years. With increased purchasing power, one needs to maintain bal...
What does it mean “sell on ask” , “sell on bid” in stocks?
It's good to ask this question, because this is one of the fundamental dichotomies in market microstructure. At any time T for each product on a (typical) exchange there are two well-defined prices: At time T there is literally no person in the market who wants to sell below the ask, so all the people who are waiting t...
Is there a debit card that earns miles (1 mile per $1 spent) and doesn't have an annual fee?
I don't know of any that are comparable to credit cards. There's a reason for that. Debit cards, being newer, have a much lower interchange rate. Since collecting on debt is risky and less predictable, rewards / miles are paid from those interchange fees. This means with a debit card there's less money to pay you with....
What does it mean that stocks are “memoryless”?
With my current, limited knowledge (see end), I understand it the following way: Are share prices really described as "memoryless"? Yes. Is there a technical meaning of the term? What does it really mean? The meaning comes from Markov Models: Think of the behavior of the stock market over time as a Markov Chain, i....
Over the long term, why invest in bonds?
If I don't need this money for decades, meaning I can ride out periodical market crashes, why would I invest in bonds instead of funds that track broad stock market indexes? You wouldn't. But you can never be 100% sure that you really won't need the money for decades. Also, even if you don't need it for decades, you ...
Super-generic mutual fund type
Since this is your emergency fund, you generally want to avoid volatility while keeping pace with inflation. You really shouldn't be looking for aggressive growth (which means taking on some risk). That comes from money outside of the emergency fund. The simplest thing to do would be to shop around for a different sa...
Is the return on investment better with high or low dividends?
Let's say two companies make 5% profit every year. Company A pays 5% dividend every year, but company B pays no dividend but grows its business by 5%. (And both spend the money needed to keep the business up-to-date, that's before profits are calculated). You are right that with company B, the company will grow. So if...
I have an extra 1000€ per month, what should I do with it?
Congratulations on getting started in life! John Malloy's (American) research suggests that you should take some time to get used to living on your own, make some friends, and settle into your community. During this time, you can build up an emergency fund. If/when the stock markets do not seem to be in a bear market...
I spend too much money. How can I get on the path to a frugal lifestyle?
For many folks these days, not having a credit card is just not practical. Personally, I do quite a bit of shopping online for things not available locally. Cash is not an option in these cases and I don't want to give out my debit card number. So, a strategy is this: use a credit card for a purchase. Then immediately,...
Why online brokerages sometimes allow free ETF buying
The same reason a company would offer coupons. I'd guess they're just doing it as a way to entice people to do their investing with them. Since it is any ETF I doubt they are being compensated by the ETF companies, as is sometimes the case (iShares does this with Fidelity, for example). And they still get the commissio...
Should I set a stop loss for long term investments?
Stop loss orders are the exact opposite of what you should be doing if you are implementing a long term buy-and-hold strategy. The motivation of a buy-and-hold strategy is that in the long term, the market rises even despite the occasional crash or recession. Setting a stop loss simply increases the probability that yo...
How to calculate P/E ratio for S&P500 sectors
To calculate a sector (or index) P/E ratio you need to sum the market caps of the constituent stocks and divide it by the sum of the total earnings of the constituent stocks (including stocks that have negative earnings). There are no "per share" figures used in the calculation. Beware when you include an individual s...
What are the tax implications of exercising options early?
Despite a fair number of views, no one besides @mbhunter answered, so I'll gather the findings of my own research here. Hopefully, this will help others in similar situations. If you spot any errors, please let me know!
Can one be non-resident alien in the US without being a resident anywhere else?
You'll need to read carefully the German laws on tax residency, in many European (and other) tax laws the loss of residency due to absence is conditioned on acquiring residency elsewhere. But in general, it is possible to use treaties and statuses so that you end up not being resident anywhere, but it doesn't mean that...
Passing money through a different account to avoid cash pay-in fees
Let me do the math. .6% * (not large) = really tiny. Since "not large" = "small" , etc. I suggest that even a small chance that you need to explain this to anyone in the future is a sign to avoid the risk. Yes, there are times that it's illegal. A real estate office may not deposit escrow funds into anything but a seg...
How do top investors pull out 20% ROI?
It's called leverage. Here's an example from real estate. The underlying appreciation on a house in certain parts of America is something like 7% a year. So if you bought the house "all cash," your return would be something like 7% a year. (Actually, a little more, because of the rent you would be collecting, or saving...
Pay down on second mortage when underwater?
You're welcome to throw in the towel and stop paying any time you want. You'll just suffer the consequences of doing so. It sounds like you're concerned about losing your job "in the next few years." What are you doing to stem this off? Are you building up a side income? Are you building up portable skills -- ones ...
How can you sell stocks if you do not have any?
Shorting is the term used when someone borrows a stock and sells it at the current price to then buy it back later at hopefully a lower price. There are rules about this as noted in the link that begins this answer as there are risks to selling a stock you don't own of course. If you look up various large companies you...
For a single company listed in multiple exchanges in different countries, are the shares being offered the same?
Yes and no. There are two primary ways to do this. The first is known as "cross listing". Basically, this means that shares are listed in the home country are the primary shares, but are also traded on secondary markets using mechanisms like ADRs or Globally Registered Shares. Examples of this method include Vodafone...
Can we estimate the impact of a large buy order on the share price?
Orders large enough to buy down the current Bid and Ask Book are common. This is the essential strategy through which larger traders "Strip" the Bid or Ask in order to excite motion in a direction that is favorable to their interests. Smaller traders will often focus on low float/small cap tickers, as both conditions t...
Investing in hemp producers in advance of possible legalization in Canada?
The legalization of Cannabis will drastically alter supply and demand of cannabis and hemp. The distribution channels that work well for hemp may or may not work well for cannabis and may or may not continue to work well once cannabis is widely available. Companies may have avoided sponsoring hemp products because of i...
Optimal down payment amount
The optimal down payment is 100%. The only way you would do anything else when you have the cash to buy it outright is to invest the remaining money to get a better return. When you compare investments, you need to take risk into account as well. When you make loan payments, you are getting a risk free return. You c...
Missing 401(k) dividends
Your investment is probably in a Collective Investment Trust. These are not mutual funds, and are not publicly traded. I.e. they are private to plan participants in your company. Because of this, they are not required* to distribute dividends like mutual funds. Instead, they will reinvest dividends automatically, incre...
What are the differences between an investment mortgage and a personal mortgage?
It's just a guess, as I'm from the UK and am unfamiliar with the term "investment" mortgage but is it one where you are buying the property in order to rent it out, and make money from it, rather than to live in? In the UK we call those "buy to let" mortgages and one of the main differences is that you have to have a h...
How feasible would it be to retire just maxing out a Roth IRA?
I wouldn't settle for 10%, and I certainly wouldn't settle for a Roth. I'd recommend not retiring. I'd recommend building up a side business in your "free" time while you're working that's closer to your calling that you can "retire into." Don't be complacent.
Is it common for a new car of about $16k to be worth only $4-6k after three years?
It's possible the $16,000 was for more than the car. Perhaps extras were added on at purchase time; or perhaps they were folded into the retail price of the car. Here's an example. 2014: I'm ready to buy. My 3-year-old trade-in originally cost $15,000, and I financed it for 6 years and still owe $6500. It has lots ...
Do you avoid tax when taking a home equity loan?
(credits to Joe's answer above which alluded to what I was not considering) You aren't "bypassing" the tax liability if you invest in a home instead of, say, stocks. It's true stocks would be subject to tax during the year you cash in on them while the proceeds of a home equity loan would not affect your tax liability....
How can I find out which ETFs has holdings in a particular stock?
An ETF does not track any one individual stock. It "is a marketable security that tracks an index, a commodity, bonds, or a basket of assets like an index fund." Check out this link to learn more about ETFs. The easiest way see what ETF tracks a stock is to determine what sector and industry that company is in and find...
Why would a public company not initiate secondary stock offerings more often?
What prevents a company from doing secondary public stock offerings on regular basis? The primary goal of a company doing secondary public offering is to raise more funds, that can be utilized for funding the business. If no funding is needed [i.e. company has sufficient funds, or no expansion plans], this funding crea...
Should I make more conservative investments in my company 401(K) if I'm going to leave the job in a couple of years?
My advice would be to invest in the 401k with the same type of funds you'd purchase when you rollover to your IRA. They are both retirement accounts. If the stock market tanks, your 401k balance will be low but you'll also be purchasing stocks at a much cheaper price when you establish your roth. You should create an a...
Why is it not a requirement for companies to pay dividends?
This answer will expand a bit on the theory. :) A company, as an entity, represents a pile of value. Some of that is business value (the revenue stream from their products) and some of that is assets (real estate, manufacturing equipment, a patent portfolio, etc). One of those assets is cash. If you own a share in the ...
Would it make sense to sell a stock, then repurchase it for tax purposes?
What you're talking about is called "tax gain harvesting," and it is considered good tax management. From The Oblivious Investor, investors in the 10% or 15% bracket pay 0% tax on long-term capital gains. For an interesting take on never paying income taxes again, check out Go Curry Cracker. You can claim up to $70,000...
Good way to record currency conversion transactions in personal accounting software?
Here's what the GnuCash documentation, 10.5 Tracking Currency Investments (How-To) has to say about bookkeeping for currency exchanges. Essentially, treat all currency conversions in a similar way to investment transactions. In addition to asset accounts to represent holdings in Currency A and Currency B, have an fore...
Should I fund a move by borrowing or selling other property assets?
It depends what rate mortgage you can get for any extra loans... If you remortgage you are likely to get a rate of 3.5-4%... depending who you go with. With deposit accounts in the UK maying around 1% (yes, you can get more by tying it up for longer but not a huge amount more) clearly you're better off not having a mo...
Taxes on foreign and local dividends held in a TFSA
As far as I read in many articles, all earnings (capital gains and dividends) from Canadian stocks will be always tax-free. Right? There's no withholding tax, ie. a $100 dividend means you get $100. There's no withholding for capital gains in shares for anybody. You will still have to pay taxes on the amounts, bu...
Is it a bad idea to invest a student loan?
This answer is better served as a comment but I don't have enough rep. It is not guaranteed that they 'do not accrue interest while you are a full time student'. Some student loans can capitalize the interest - before pursuing leveraged investing, be sure that your student loan is not capitalizing. https://www.salliem...
Saving for retirement without employer sponsored plan
You might consider working on getting your new employer to sponsor a 401k, there may be options where you can invest and they aren't required to add anything as a match (which gives you higher limits). If they don't match, they may just be liable for some administration fees. If you have any side business that you do, ...
Looking for a good source for Financial Statements
All websites pull Statement data line by line from central databases. They get to choose which line items to pull, and sometimes they get the plus/minus wrong and sometimes the Statements they recreate don't add up. Nothing you can do about it. All the sites have problems. I personally think the best is Morningstar...
Paid cash for a car, but dealer wants to change price
If the discount is only for financed car then their software application should have accepted the payment (electronic transfer ID) from financed bank. In this case the bank should have given the payment on behalf of your son. I believe the dealer know in advance about the paper work and deal they were doing with your s...
What are the advantages and disadvantages of leasing out a property or part of a property (such as a basement apartment)?
Complexity has mentioned some good points. I'd also like to add on the downsides: It's not that easy to get rid of a tenant! Imagine if your tenant passed your background check with flying colors but then turned out to be the tenant from hell... How would you resolve the situation? If the thought of that kind of si...
Shorting Obvious Pump and Dump Penny Stocks
Shorting penny stocks is very risky. For example, read this investopedia article, which explains some of the problems. In general: If you have some sort of method for perfectly identifying Pump and Dump schemes, it's possible you could make money if you time things right, but that timing is going to be very difficult...
Steps and timing of the SEIS investment (in the UK)
You make the investment in Jan 2016. Assuming the SEIS certificate is issued before 5th April 2016, then you will enter the SEIS investment on your 2015-2016 tax return and claim the relief in that year. If the certificate is not issued in time then you will enter it in the 2016-2017 tax return and get the relief then....
Buying car from rental business without title
I would steer well clear of this. The risk is that they take your money but don't pay the bank. This wouldn't require dishonesty - what if they run into financial trouble? Any money of yours that they have that hasn't gone on to the bank yet might end up paying off other debts instead of yours. It's not clear if the id...
What expenses do most people not prepare for that turn into “emergencies” but are not covered by an Emergency Fund?
insurance premiums My annual car premium always caught me off guard until I set up a dedicated savings account for it.
Why buy insurance?
The fundamental flaw here is conflating net worth with utility, at least failing to recognize that there's a nonlinear relationship between the two. In the extreme example imagine taking a bet that will either make you twice as rich or completely broke. Your expected return is zero, but it would be pretty dumb to take...