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What's the benefit of a credit card with an annual fee, vs. a no-fee card?
How would you respond to these cases: Limited card options - If someone has a bad credit record the cards available may only be those with an annual fee. Not everyone will have your credit record and thus access to the cards you have. Some annual fees may be waived in some cases - Thus, someone may have a card with a ...
Is it a good practice to keep salary account and savings account separate?
My wife and I do this. We have one account for income and one for expenditures (and around 7 others for dedicated savings.) Doing this we are forcing ourselves to keep track of all expenditures as we have to manually transfer funds from one to the other, we try to do this periodically (every Wednesday) and then keep th...
Why would a restaurant offer a very large cash discount?
Another possible reason for this is to benefit the servers. When patrons pay with a credit card, they usually tip on the credit card too. If patrons are more likely to pay with cash, then the servers will get more cash tips. Even if the restaurant is completely honest with their books, the servers may not be. Having a ...
Are lottery tickets ever a wise investment provided the jackpot is large enough?
Is playing the lottery a wise investment? --Probably not. Is playing the lottery an investment at all? --Probably not though I'll make a remark on that further below. Does it make any sense to play the lottery in order to improve your total asset allocation? --If you follow the theory of the Black Swan, it actually m...
Is the need to issue bonds a telltale sign that the company would have a hard time paying coupons?
People borrow money all the time to buy a house. Banks will lend money on one (up to 80%, sometimes more), because they consider it an "investment." If you own a large company and want to expand, a bank or bond issuer will first look at what you plan to do with the money, like build new factories, or whatever. Based on...
Is it irresponsible for me to lease a $300/month car for 18 months?
With a gross income of $ 95,000 per year, and a net savings rate of over $ 18,000 per year, a budget of $ 3,600 per year for automobile interest and depreciation is not irresponsible. But poor car choices, poor car maintenance habits, and driving habits that risk totalling cars are irresponsible. Also, not fully under...
What happens to my savings if my country defaults or restructures its debt?
I am going to add in an opinion here from the Wall Street Journal that I read this morning in What's at Stake in the Greek Vote, in light of current events and elections in Greece. The article claims that if the election results make it sound like a break from the Euro is imminent then ... we will see a full-fledged ba...
How risky is it to keep my emergency fund in stocks?
There's something very important no one else has mentioned... times when the stock market falls dramatically are often the times when you're most likely to lose your job, and when it's hardest to get loans. So if you ever do need your emergency fund, it will more than likely be related to a dip in the stock market.
UK: Personal finance book for a twenty-something
As you are in UK, you should think in terms of Tax Free (interest and accumulated capital gains) ISA type investments for the long term AND/OR open a SIPP (Self Invested Pension Plan) account where you get back the tax you have paid on the money you deposit for your old age. Pensions are the best bet for money you do ...
At what percentage drop should you buy to average down
Only average down super blue chips with a long history or better still, ETFs or index type funds. I do it with income producing funds as I'm a retiree. Other people may have much shorter horizins.
What are dividends, when are they paid, and how do they affect my position?
Dividends are normally paid in cash, so don't generally affect your portfolio aside from a slight increase to 'cash'. You get a check for them, or your broker would deposit the funds into a money-market account for you. There is sometimes an option to re-invest dividends, See Westyfresh's answer regarding Dividend Re...
Should we prepay our private student loans, given our particular profile?
Just for another opinion, radio host Clark Howard would suggest killing the private student loans as quickly as possible. The only reason is the industry around private student loans has fewer rules as to how they interact with you, and they have historically been very unpleasant if you have to deal with them in bad f...
Why would a bank need to accept deposits from private clients if it can just borrow from the Federal Reserve?
Let's just focus on the "why would a bank need to accept deposits from private clients part" and forget the central bank for a moment. I'm a guy. I have a wife and two kids. They have this pesky habit of wanting to buy stuff. When I get paid, I could just get a check, cash it, stuff it under a mattress, and pull it out...
Split buying a house 3 ways. How do I approach this?
I would second the advice to not do this. Real estate ownership is complex to begin with, involving a constant stream of maintenance, financing, and other decisions. It is difficult enough to do for a single individual or a family as a unit (a couple), but at least spouses are forced to compromise. Friends are not, an...
Evidence for/against negative correlation between commodity futures, stocks
The correlation I heard most about in economics/finance was that stock prices and bond yields were negatively correlated; as the stock market does better, bond yields fall (company's doing well as evidenced by stocks, so it's a good credit risk, so YTM of its bonds on the market goes down). The correlation, if any, bet...
I cosigned for a friend who is not paying the payment
Cosigning is explicitly a promise that you will make the payments if the primary signer can not. Don't do it unless you are able to handle the cost and trust the other party will "make you whole" when they can... which means don't do it for anyone you would not lend your money to, since it comes out to about the same l...
Why do people sell when demand pushes share price up?
You are assuming the price increase will continue. The people selling are assuming that the price increase will not continue. Ultimately that's what a share transaction is: one person would rather have the cash at a particular price / time, and one person would rather have the share.
Are there Investable Real Estate Indices which track Geographical Locations?
Yes. S&P/ Case-Shiller real-estate indices are available, as a single national index as well as multiple regional geographic indices. These indices are updated on the last Tuesday of every month. According to the Case-Shiller Index Methodology documentation: Their purpose is to measure the average change in home prices...
Understanding differences between S&P500 index-tracking ETFs
Regarding SPY: "One SPDR unit is valued at approximately 1/10 of the value of the S&P 500. Dividends are distributed quarterly, and are based on the accumulated stock dividends held in trust, less any expenses of the trust." (source) These are depository receipts, not the actual stocks. Regarding IVV: "The component ...
Borrowing share with a covered call for short?
No, if your stock is called away, the stock is sold at the agreed upon price. You cannot get it back at your original price. If you don't want your stock to be called, make sure you have the short call position closed by expiration if it is ITM. Also you could be at risk for early assignment if the option has little t...
What to do with a distribution as a young person?
I have money to invest. Where should I put it? Anyone who answers with "Give it to me, I'll invest it for you, don't worry." needs to be avoided. If your financial advisor gives you this line or equivalent, fire him/her and find another. Before you think about where you should put your money, learn about investing. Tak...
Why does the share price tend to fall if a company's profits decrease, yet remain positive?
Let's use an example: You buy 10 machines for 100k, and those machines produce products sold for a total of 10k/year in profit (ignoring labor/electricity/sales costs etc). If the typical investor requires a rate of return of 10% on this business, your company would be worth 100k. In investing terms, you would have a ...
Should I pay off my car loan within the year?
Personally, I don't think that the interest from the car loan is worth the credit history you're building through it. There are other ways to build credit that don't require you to pay interest, like the credit card you mentioned (so long as you keep paying off the balance). So I'd go that route: ditch the auto loan an...
Non Qualifying Stock Option offered by employer
A little terminology: Grant: you get a "gift" with strings attached. "Grant" refers to the plan (legal contract) under which you get the stock options. Vesting: these are the strings attached to the grant. As long as you're employed by the company, your options will vest every quarter, proportionally. You'll become an ...
Multiple hard inquiry for a single loan from car dealer?
This is normal with the dealer's financing. To add more details to littleadv's answer, what happens is when you get the financing through the dealer, at first, they will try to do the loan on your behalf with local banks in your area. This is why you see several hard inquiries; one from each back. If none of these ban...
What are the basics of apartment rental finances?
Well for starters you want to rent it for more than the apartment costs you. Aside from mortgage you have insurance, and maintenance costs. If you are going to have a long term rental property you need to make a profit, or at a bare minimum break even. Personally I would not like the break even option because there ...
What things are important to consider when investing in one's company stock?
Does your job give you access to "confidential information", such that you can only buy or sell shares in the company during certain windows? Employees with access to company financial data, resource planning databases, or customer databases are often only allowed to trade in company securities (or derivatives thereof...
Do I even need credit cards?
Try to buy an airline ticket, rent a hotel room, or rent a car without a credit card. Doable? Perhaps. Easy? Nope. With a debit card, you run the risk of a hotel reserving more than your stay's cost for room service, parking, etc and potentially having a domino effect if other payments bounce. We just spent 3 nights i...
How did this day trader lose so much?
Learn something new every day... I found this interesting and thought I'd throw my 2c in. Good description (I hope) from Short Selling: What is Short Selling First, let's describe what short selling means when you purchase shares of stock. In purchasing stocks, you buy a piece of ownership in the company. You buy/sell ...
Higher mortgage to increase savings to invest?
I don't follow the numbers in your example, but the fundamental question you're asking is, "If I can borrow money for a low cost, and if I think I can invest it and receive returns greater than that cost, should I do it?" It doesn't matter where that money comes from, a mortgage that's bigger than it needs to be, a cre...
Which is better when working as a contractor, 1099 or incorporating?
Unless the amounts involved are very small, it is MUCH better to incorporate. First, incorporation gives you limited liability for your acts as an employee. As an individual, you have unlimited liability. Second, incorporating allows you to deduct (for tax purposes) the costs of doing business, including all of your he...
Are REIT worth it and is it a good option to generate passive income for a while?
Other individuals answered how owning an REIT compares to an individual real estate investment, but did not answer your second question as readily, "are REITs a good option to generate passive income for awhile?". The "awhile" part is quite important in answering this question. If your intentions are to invest for a re...
What is the principle of forming an arbitrage strategy?
Arbitrage is basically taking advantage of a difference in price. Generally extending to "in different places for the same thing". A monetary version would be interlisted stocks, that is stocks in companies that are on both the NYSE/Nasdaq and Toronto stock exchanges. If somebody comes along and buys a large number o...
Efficient International money transfer
Wiring is the best way to move large amounts of money from one country to another. I am sure Japanese banks will allow you to exchange your Japanese Yen into USD and wire it to Canada. I am not sure if they will be able to convert directly from JPY to CND and wire funds in CND. If you can open a USD bank account in...
I am the sole owner of an LLC. Does it make a difference if I file as an S-Corp or a sole-member LLC?
Be careful of the other answers here. Many are wrong or partially wrong. The question implies that you knew this, but for everyone else's benefit, you can keep you LLC organization and still elect to be treated as a S-Corp by the IRS just for tax purposes. You do this by filing Form 2553 with the IRS. (You can also, b...
Buy home and leverage roommates, or split rent?
what I should think about. If you decide to do this - get everything in writing. Get lease agreements to enforce the business side of the relationship. If they are not comfortable with that much formality, it's probably best not to do it, I'm not saying that you should not do this - but that you need to think about t...
What publicly available software do professional stock traders use for stock analysis?
Bloomberg Professional seems to be very popular. It provides any kind of data you can imagine. Analysis is a subjective interpretation of the data.
Can I write off time spent learning my trade - Two-Man S-Corp
I'm not sure what you mean by "writing off your time," but to answer your questions: Remember that, essentially, you are a salaried employee of a corporation. So if you are spending time at your job, even if you are not billing anything to a client, you are earning your salary. If there are costs involved with these a...
Can rent be added to your salary when applying for a mortgage?
The days are long gone when offered mortgages were simply based on salary multiples. These days it's all about affordability, taking into account all incomes and all outgoings. Different lenders will have different rules about what they do and don't accept as incomes; these rules may even vary per-product within the sa...
What if you get pre-approved for a mortgage but don't find a house in the pre-approval timeframe?
As mentioned before - you're over-thinking the hard-pull issue. But do try to make the preapproval as close to the actual bidding as possible - because it costs money. At least from my experience, you'll get charged the application fee for preapproval, while "pre-qualification" is usually free. If you're seriously shop...
In what cases can a business refuse to take cash?
You have to take legal tender to settle a debt. If your business model doesn't involve the customer incurring a debt that is then settled, you don't have to take cash. For example, in a restaurant where you pay after eating, you can insist on paying cash, because you're settling a debt. But in McDonald's they can refus...
selling apple stock limit order
Your order may or may not be executed. The price of stock can open anywhere. Often yesterday's close is a good indication of today's open, but with a big event overnight, the open may be somewhere quite different. You'll have to wait and see like the rest of us. Also, even if it doesn't execute at the open, the pri...
Is there any reason not to put a 35% down payment on a car?
I somewhat agree to Alex B's post. I was a finance manager for 7 years both prime and sub-prime(special)(in other words bad). The parts he's 100% right on. Hit up you local credit union then your bank. Get your financing done first if you can. Now 690 credit score is one of 3 bureaus, not all banks and lending in...
Using Loan to Invest - Paying Monthly Installments by Selling Originally Bought Shares
In addition to the answer from CQM, let me answer your 'am I missing anything?' question. Then I'll talk about how your approach of simplifying this is making it both harder and easier for you. Last I'll show what my model for this would look like, but if you aren't capable of stacking this up yourself, then you REALLY...
Is there an advantage to keeping a liquid emergency fund if one also has an untapped line of credit?
Why can't you have both? If you do have both credit and an emergency fund, and an emergency occurs, you can draw from the line of credit first. Having debt + cash is a much more stable situation than having neither, because then you have the option to use the cash to pay off the debt, or use the cash to pay other expen...
How is taxation for youtube/twitch etc monetization handled in the UK?
Unless your video does very well, it's unlikely that your income from it will exceed your expenses incurred in making it, such as the purchase prices of your computer and video camera and the cost of your broadband connection, so there shouldn't be any tax to pay.
Usage of a sell stop order
It depends to some extent on how you interpret the situation, so I think this is the general idea. Say you purchase one share at $50, and soon after, the price moves up, say, to $55. You now have an unrealized profit of $5. Now, you can either sell and realize that profit, or hold on to the position, expecting a furthe...
Is it better to use DRIP or invest when stock drops before ex-date?
Yes you can do that and it it wise to do so. However, you should make sure that the general trend of the stock is upwards and you buy during a trought in the uptrend. So basically if the stock is making higher highs and higher lows on the daily or weekly charts, then you would want to buy around one of the higher lows ...
Optimal way to use a credit card to build better credit?
Most business credit cards do not report to the personal credit report unless the person pays the card late. Given that fact, any debt carried on these cards does not hurt the credit score if it is not reported. You can carry credit card debt on these cards without hurting your credit score. Just apply for business cre...
Do algorithmic trading platforms typically have live-data access to stock data?
Yes, Interactive Brokers is a good source for live data feeds and they have an API which is used to programmatically access the feeds, you will have to pay for data feeds from the individual data sources though. The stock exchanges have a very high price for their data and this has stifled innovation in the financial ...
Why do banks require small businesses to open a business bank account instead of a cheaper personal one?
The bank won't let you because: Differences in required account features — Business accounts have different features (many of them legal features) that are required by businesses. For instances: Do you want to be able to deposit cheques that are written out to your business name? You need a business account for that. Y...
Why does a long/purchased call option have a long position in the option itself?
It will be helpful to establish some definitions: Long "Long" is financial slang for "to have possession of an asset", legally, and "to debit an asset", financially. Short "Short" is financial slang for "to be liable for an asset", legally, and "to credit an asset", financially. Option "Option" is financial slang for...
Are buying and selling futures based on objective data?
I own a gold mine and my cost of producing an ounce of gold is $600. Less than that, I lose money, anything over is profit. Today, at $1500, I sell futures to match my production for the next 2 years. I'm happy to lock in the profit. If gold goes to $3000, well, too bad, but if it drops to $500, I can still sell it for...
How much should a new graduate with new job put towards a car?
I think the answer to how much you "should" spend depends on a few more questions: Once you answer these questions I think you'll have a better idea of what you should spend. If you have no financial goals then what kind of car you buy doesn't really matter. But if your goals are to build and accumulate wealth both in ...
Are buying and selling futures based on objective data?
If you're simply a futures speculator, then yes, it does seem like gambling. If you're a farmer producing a few thousand bushels of wheat, futures can be a mechanism for you to hedge against certain kinds of market risk. Same if you're running a heating oil company, etc. I just read somewhere that the bad spring weathe...
Are investor's preference for dividends justified?
Stocks aren't just paper -- they're ownership of a company. Getting cash from a stock that doesn't pay dividends basically means reducing your stake in the company. If the stock pays dividends, on the other hand, you still have the same shares, but now you have cash too. You can choose to buy more of the company...or...
Are Certificates of Deposit worth it compared to investing in the stock market?
If you want to spend all of your money in the next few years, then a CD protects you from the risk of a bear market. however, if your time horizon is longer than 10 years, then the stock market is a better bet, since it is less effected by inflation risk. also, as you point out average stock returns are much higher, ig...
Is there a benefit, long term, to life insurance for a youngish, debt, and dependent free person?
As others have said, if you don't have dependents, there's little need for life insurance. If you can't think of any obvious beneficiary for an insurance policy, than you probably don't need one. "Dependents" here should be understood broadly. It wouldn't necessarily be limited to wife and children. If you're the only ...
What percentage of my stock portfolio should be international (non-US) stocks?
Rephrasing your question: Am I diversified if I have more than 50% US stocks? I would say that you can certainly be diversified and have more than 50% of your portfolio invested in US Stocks. I view the amount of international stocks (non-US) as a risk choice. My observations have been that my international stocks...
Mortgage refinancing
Check the terms of your mortgage. If you are in a fixed-term mortgage, you can likely "over-pay" a fixed amount of the capital each year: typically 10%. Eg if you owe £300,000 on the mortgage, you can pay off an additional £30,000 this year. Next year you'd owe something like £260,000 so could pay off £26,000. You'd ne...
are there any special procedures for managing non-petty cash?
You manage this account just as any other account. "Petty cash" refers to accounts where the cash money is intended for ad-hoc purchases, where you store an amount of cash in your drawer and take it out as needed. However, other than naming it "petty cash", there's nothing petty about it - it's an account just as any o...
Stocks and Bankruptcy
As Mhoran said, the risks of buying a bankrupt company are huge, and even successful bankruptcy turnarounds don't involve keeping the same stock. For instance, the GM bankruptcy was resolved by the company more or less selling all its valuable assets (brands, factories, inventory) to a new version of itself, using that...
Should we prepay our private student loans, given our particular profile?
Don't frett to much about your retirement savings just put something towards it each year. You could be dead in ten years. You should always try to clear out debt when you can. But don't wipe yourself out! Expedite the repayment process.
I'm thinking of getting a new car … why shouldn't I LEASE one?
If you are looking to build wealth, leasing is a bad idea. But so is buying a new car. All cars lose value once you buy them. New cars lose anywhere between 30-60% of their value in the first 4 years of ownership. Buying a good quality, used car is the way to go if you are looking to build wealth. And keeping the c...
What do Earnings Per Share tell potential shareholders?
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What are the contents of fixed annuities?
An annuity is a contract. Its contents are "a contractual obligation from the issuing company". If you want to evaluate how your annuity is likely to fare, you're essentially asking whether or not its issuer will honor its contract. They're legally required to honor the contract, unless they go bankrupt. (Even if they ...
Why do 10 year-old luxury cars lose so much value?
They are overpriced to begin with. One reason is the fact that they are luxury cars. A second, related reason, is that they tend to push the technology envelope. All cars depreciate drastically the minute they are driven off the lot. This a good argument for buying a car that is 1-2 years old. The higher you are,...
As a 22-year-old, how risky should I be with my 401(k) investments?
As a 22 year old planning for your financial life, it is obvious to say that saving as much as you can to invest for the long run is the smartest thing to do from a financial point of view. In general, at this point, aged 22, you can take as much risk as you'll ever will. You're investing for the very long term (+30/+...
How is taxation for youtube/twitch etc monetization handled in the UK?
The HMRC has a dedicated self-help/learning site that is helpful here: It's important to tell HMRC that you are self-employed as soon as possible. If you don't, you may have to pay a penalty. You don't want to pay more to HMRC than you have to as it is a waste of your money. Your business has started when you sta...
Definition of equity
I was wondering why equity is reflecting ownership of the issuing entity? That is the definition of equity in this regard. My understanding is that for a stock/equity, its issuing entity is a company/firm that sells the stock/equity, while its receiving entity is an investor that buys the stock/equity Correct. equity ...
Executor of will
I strongly doubt that being executor will make the assets of the estate vulnerable to a suit against him personally. The estate is it's own separate legal entity with its own TIN. Only creditors against the estate itself can make claims against it and after all creditors are paid, then the balance is distributed in acc...
Does a US LLC owned by a non-resident alien have to pay US taxes if it operates exclusively online?
Since as you say, an LLC is a pass-through entity, you will be making income in the U.S. when you sell to U.S. customers. And so you will need to file the appropriate personal tax forms in the US. As well as potentially in one or more States. The US government does not register LLCs. The various States do. So you'...
Merchant dispute with airline over missed flight, and which credit cards offer protection?
You have no grounds for a refund. The flight took off on time, and you chose not to be on board. The fact that the airline could not guarantee ahead of time that the flight would leave on time is not relevant. You can certainly try to dispute the charge with the airline, and it sounds like you have done so. The airline...
Is this follow-up after a car crash a potential scam?
Do not give them any money until you have a signed contract that releases your liability completely. It's imperative that this contract be drafted correctly. The contract needs proper consideration (money in exchange for release of liability), among other things. In other words, talk to a lawyer if you want to go this ...
How to minimise the risk of a reduction in purchase power in case of Brexit for money held in a bank account?
The mathematical answer is for you to have a diversified portfolio in your ISA. But that's easier said than done.
Can paying down a mortgage be considered an “investment”?
Something you invest in has the ability to grow in value. So examples of investments would be buying stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities. Buying your house or a piece of real estate can be considered an investment because the house/property will hopefully be worth more as time passes. So the act of paying down a ...
How to invest in gold at market value, i.e. without paying a markup?
if you bought gold in late '79, it would have taken 30 years to break even. Of all this time it was two brief periods the returns were great, but long term, not so much. Look at the ETF GLD if you wish to buy gold, and avoid most of the buy/sell spread issues. Edit - I suggest looking at Compound Annual Growth Rate an...
Should you always max out contributions to your 401k?
First, the limit this year is $16,500, $22,000 for age 50 or older. Next, does the company give you any match? If so, how much? Some will match your deposits dollar for dollar up to a certain percent of your pay. If you make $50k and deposit say 6%, that's $3k matched by company, for example. This deposit/match is the ...
What is the best and most optimal way to use margin
This essentially depends on how you prefer to measure your performance. I will just give a few simple examples to start. Let me know if you're looking for something more. If you just want to achieve maximum $ return, then you should always use maximum margin, so long as your expected return (%) is higher than your cost...
New car: buy with cash or 0% financing
If you don't have other installment loans on your credit report, adding this one could help your credit. That could potentially help you get a better interest rate when you apply for a mortgage. There are positive and negative factors. Positive: Negative:
What should I do with $4,000 cash and High Interest Debt?
With all due respect to The David, the $1000 is best put against 20%+ debt, no sitting in checking as part of some emergency fund. I'd agree with the decision to pay off the lower rate card. Why? Because we can do the math, and can see the cost in doing so. Low enough that other factors come in, namely, a freed up car...
A guy scammed me, but he gave me a bank account number & routing number. Can I use that to take out what he owes me?
A routing number and account number are on the bottom of every check. If anybody who ever handled your checks or even saw your checks could just withdraw as much money as they wanted, the whole banking system would need to be reworked. In short, just having that info is not enough. Not legally.
If I plan to buy a car in cash, should I let the dealer know?
Yes you tell them. I can say that I pay cash for all my cars and always get cars for lower than the TrueCar low-end. There are basically two steps: go test drive, negotiate fully, leave (unless you are given a mind-blowing offer). This may take you one to many dealerships. It depends on how well you know what car y...
Pay or not pay charged-off accounts for mortgage qualification
Your post has some assumptions that are not, or may not be true. For one the assumption is that you have to wait 7 years after you settle your debts to buy a home. That is not the case. For some people (me included) settling an charged off debt was part of my mortgage application process. It was a small debt that a ...
What are the options for a 19-year-old college student who only has about $1000?
Kid, you need to start thinking in thresholds. There are several monetary thresholds that separate your class from a more well funded class. 1) You cannot use margin with less than $2000 dollars Brokers require that you have at least $2000 before they will lend to you 2) In 2010, Congress banned under 21 year olds from...
Is insurance worth it if you can afford to replace the item? If not, when is it?
Insurance is for events that are both and Unexpected and, for many people, catastrophic events are, for example, sickness, disability, death, car accidents, house fires, and burglaries, for which you may buy health, disability, life, auto, home, and renter's insurance. It may be catastrophic for a family relying on a ...
How should I pay off my private student loans that have a lot of restrictions?
Excellent question and it is a debate that is often raised. Mathematically you are probably best off using option #1. Any money that is above and beyond minimum payments earns a pretty high interest rate, about 6.82% in the form of saved interest payments. The problem is you are likely to get discouraged. Personal f...
How do I evaluate reasonability of home improvement projects?
The exact answers depend on what you're going to do and what you started with and what your local market is like ... But a bit of websearching (and/or asking a good general contractor) will yield a table of typical improvement in sale price from various renovations. One thing you'll discover is that unless you are star...
Why do stock prices of retailers not surge during the holidays?
I think the question can be answered by realizing that whoever is buying the stock is buying it from someone who can do the same mathematics. Ask your son to imagine that everyone planned to buy the stock exactly one week before Christmas. Would the price still be cheap? The problem is that if everyone knows the pric...
Will my father still be eligible for SNAP if I claim him as my dependent?
This may be best handled by an expert. Look for somebody recommended by a church, homeless shelter, food pantry, office of unemployment, office of disability, or Veterans services to advise you on maximizing support for your father. You want to know what type of help you can give without causing the overall level of ...
How much is university projected to cost in Canada in 18 years?
Here's a great Canadian college/university cost calculator I used; found at Canadian Business - they say: Our tool is divided into three easy steps. First, calculate the tuition cost for the university and faculty you wish to attend. Then, calculate any additional fees for residence (on campus student housing...
Bi-weekly payment option
Your question is unclear about whether you are moving from bi-weekly payments or to bi-weekly payments. Let's calculate each case. Bi-weekly pay means you will be paid every two weeks. The amount for each payment will be your annual salary divided by 26, possibly with a small decrease (around 0.3%) to account for the f...
What are the pros and cons of buying a house just to rent it out?
You should absolutely go for it, and I encourage you to look for multi-unit (up to 4) properties if there are any in your area. With nulti-unit properties it is far more common than not that the other units pay the mortgage. To comment on your point about slowly building an asset if the renter covers the payment; that...
How long should I keep my tax documents, and why?
Unfortunately, my taxes tend to be complicated This. In and of itself, is a greater reason to keep the documents. The other answer offered a good summary, but keep in mind, if the IRS decides you fraudulently withheld claiming income, they can go back 7 years. I bought a rental property in 1987, and sold it in 2016. I...
What makes an actual share valuable? [duplicate]
What benefit do I get from buying a share The value of any financial asset is its ability to generate cash in the future, and thus the "value" of a share is heavily influenced by the dividends it pays and the equity value. The equity value can be calculated different ways. Two common ways are to just take "book" value...
What is the best way to invest in gold as a hedge against inflation without having to hold physical gold?
Investing in gold without having physical gold is not really a hedge against inflation. GLD is really more for speculation, not protection against serious inflation. If there is any kind of inflation worth really protecting yourself against then one thing you will notice at its onset is a divergence in the price of phy...
What low-fee & liquid exchange-traded index funds / ETFs should I consider holding in a retirement portfolio?
@bstpierre gave you an example of a portfolio similar to IFA's 70 portfolio. Please, look other variants of example portfolios there and investigate which would suit to you. Although the example portfolios are not ETF-based, required by the op, you can rather easily check corresponding components with this tool here. ...
Once stock prices are down, where to look for good stock market deals?
Do your own research There are hundreds of places where people will give you all sorts of recommendations. There is as much noise in the recommendations as there is in the stock market itself. Become your own filter. You need to work on your own instinct. Pick a couple of sectors and a few stocks in each and study them...
Do Americans really use checks that often?
I know this an old thread, but one that caught my interest as I just moved to the USA from Australia. As per the OP I had never written a check in my whole life, and upon arriving in the US I was surprised as to their proliference. In Australia pretty much all bills you receive can be paid in a number of ways: For sma...
Where can I find closed dates for the New York Stock Exchange for the coming year?
You can find the NYSE holiday dates listed on the exchange's own site (already linked in answer above), which should obviously be consulted as the most reliable source; they are also published in an article that I have written here: NYSE Holidays 2016, which provides additional information about traditions and events t...