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Can I pay into a Stocks & Shares LISA as well as a regular S&S ISA?
Yes, this is fine: You can save up to £20,000 in one type of account or split the allowance across some or all of the other types. You can only pay £4,000 into your Lifetime ISA in a tax year ... Example You could save £11,000 in a cash ISA, £2,000 in a stocks and shares ISA, £3,000 in an innovative finance ISA and...
Income tax on my online drop-shipping business (India)
I find that there are two violation of law , prima facie , if someone earns money by depositing in the online account and then not reporting it ( including in his total income for the year ) and not bringing in India. Income Tax Act violation 1. It is simply comcealment liable for penalty & prosecution under I.T.Act. 2...
How does the purchase of shares on the secondary market benefit the issuing company?
Stock trading (as opposed to IPO) doesn't directly benefit the company. But it affects their ability to raise additional funds; if they're valued higher, they don't need to sell as many shares to raise a given amount of money. And the stockholders are part owners of the company; their votes in annual corporate meeting...
What options do I have at 26 years old, with 1.2 million USD?
Since you mentioned moving, you can buy real state very cheap here in Mexico that will give you income monthly. I will tell you some numbers in case you're interested. Now to investments: you can buy houses for rent, and prices are as follows: Average house $25k which will give about $220 monthly of income. Let's say y...
Ethics and investment
Peer to peer lending such as Kiva, Lending Club, Funding Circle(small business), SoFi(student loans), Prosper, and various other services provide you with access to the 'basic form' of investing you described in your question. Other funds: You may find the documentary '97% Owned' fascinating as it provides an overview...
Wash sales + restricted stock in USA: grant date or vesting date?
The vesting date. Look at publication 525, under stock options, where they talk about ESPP: Your basis is equal to the option price at the time you exercised your option and acquired the stock. The timing and amount of pay period deductions do not affect your basis.
Variable Annuity inside a Roth IRA? What is this and how can I switch it to something else?
This answer is provided mostly to answer your question "what is it?" A variable annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company. The insurance company takes a bunch of money up front as a lump sum, and will pay you some money yearly - like earning interest. (In this case, they will probably be paying you the...
Does a market maker sell (buy) at a bid or ask price?
The answer posted by Kirill Fuchs is incorrect according to my series 65 text book and practice question answers. The everyday investor buys at the ask and sells at the bid but the market maker does the opposite. THE MARKET MAKER "BUYS AT THE BID AND SELLS AT THE ASK", he makes a profit form the spread. I have posted a...
How to pay with cash when car shopping?
I have in the last few years purchased several used cars from dealers. They have handled it two different ways. They accepted a small check ~$1,000 now, and then gave me three business days to bring the rest as a cashiers check. They also insisted that I submit a application for credit, in case I needed a loan. They a...
Paid cash for a car, but dealer wants to change price
The sales manager and/or finance manager applied a rebate that did not apply. It's their fault. They have internal accounts to handle these situations as they do come up from time to time. The deal is done. They have no legal ground.
Can one get a house mortgage without buying a house?
As a legal contract, a mortgage is a form of secured debt. In the case of a mortgage, the debt is secured using the property asset as collateral. So "no", there is no such thing as a mortgage contract without a property to act as collateral. Is it a good idea? In the current low interest rate environment, people with ...
What are my chances at getting a mortgage with Terrible credit but High income
The bottom line, is that you are doing the right thing now: correcting your past indiscretions. Get those collections taken care of, then start saving for a down payment. Of course, during this time, you should pay your bills early or on time. During that time your credit will improve dramatically. I bet that this w...
How does a high share price benefit a company when it is raising funds?
Share price is based on demand. Assuming the same amount of shares are made available for trade then stocks with a higher demand will have a higher price. So say a company has 1000 shares in total and that company needs to raise $100. They decide to sell 100 shares for $1 to raise their $100. If there is demand for 1...
Previous owner of my home wants to buy it back but the property's value is less than my loan… what to do?
I would tell the former owner that you will sell him the house for you current loan balance. He wants the home, he may be willing to pay what you owe. You can't really do a short sale unless you are behind on your payments. Banks only agree to a short sale when they think they are going to have to foreclose on the prop...
Investments other than CDs?
You're losing money. And a lot of it. Consider this: the inflation is 2-4% a year (officially, depending on your spending pattern your own rate might be quite higher). You earn about 1/2%. I.e.: You're losing 3% a year. Guaranteed. You can do much better without any additional risk. 0.1% on savings account? Why not 0.9...
I'm getting gouged on prices for medical services when using my HSA plan. How to be billed fairly?
First, as noted in the comments, you need to pay attention to your network providers. If you are unable to pay exorbitant prices out of pocket, then find an in-network medical provider. if you are unhappy with the in-network provider list (e.g. too distant or not specialists), then discuss switching to another plan o...
Do companies that get taken-over have to honour the old gift card/certificate?
I know this is old, but Joe Taxpayer is wrong. When you dissolve a corporation in selling it, all liabilities go with the old owners and the new owners, smartly starting with a new corporation and taxpayer ID, start with a clean slate. The only way this is not true is if the new owners did not change a thing legally ...
Pros & cons in Hungary of investing retirement savings exclusively in silver? What better alternatives, given my concerns?
Like Jeremy T said above, silver is a value store and is to be used as a hedge against sovereign currency revaluations. Since every single currency in the world right now is a free-floating fiat currency, you need silver (or some other firm, easily store-able, protect-able, transportable asset class; e.g. gold, platin...
Is a currency “hedged” ETF actually a more speculative instrument than an unhedged version?
The risk of any investment is measured by its incremental effect on the volatility of your overall personal wealth, including your other investments. The usual example is that adding a volatile stock to your portfolio may actually reduce the risk of your portfolio if it is negatively correlated with the other stuff in...
GnuCash register reimbursements
You should be recording the reimbursement as a negative expense on the original account the expense was recorded. Let's assume you have a $100 expense and $100 salary. Total $200 paycheck. You will have something like this In the reports, it will show that the expense account will have $0 ($100 + ($100)), while income ...
why is the money withdrawn from traditional IRA taxed at the ordinary income tax rate?
The simplest explanation is that a traditional IRA is a method of deferring taxes. That is, normally you pay taxes on money you earn at the ordinary rate then invest the rest and only pay the capital gains rate. However, with a traditional IRA you don't pay taxes on the money when you earn it, you defer the payment of...
How does owning a home and paying on a mortgage fit into family savings and investment?
Have you ever tried adding up all your mortgage payments over the years? That sum, plus all the money that you put as a down payment (including various fees paid at closing) plus all the repair and maintenance work etc) is the amount that you have "invested" in your house. (Yes, you can account for mortgage interest de...
Why don't banks allow more control over credit/debit card charges?
quid has expressed some of the disadvantages with this approach, but there is another. Vendors will not want to give you any goods you buy with your credit card until they are sure they will get the money. With your suggested approach buying something with a credit card now looks like: No vendor is going to stand for t...
How to protect yourself from fraud when selling on eBay UK
Paypal UK has a page here: https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/seller-protection Basically they don't just take the seller's word for it, there is a resolution process. The biggest thing you can do is make sure that you deliver it in a way that requires signature.
What happens to internal stock when a company goes public?
You'd likely be subject to a lock-up period before you could sell the shares along with possibly having other rules about how you could sell your shares as you'd likely be seen as an insider that may have information that gives you an unfair advantage for selling the stock possibly. Depending on how far in advance you ...
If I put a large down payment (over 50%) towards a car loan, can I reduce my interest rate and is it smart to even put that much down?
The real answer is to talk to the bank. In the case of the last car loan I got, the answer is "no". When I asked them about rates, they gave me a printed sheet that listed the loan rates they offered based on how old the car was, period. I forget the exact numbers but it was like: New car: 4%, 1 year old: 4.5%, 2-3 yea...
Should I pay a company who failed to collect VAT from me over 6 months ago?
It looks like businesses selling services (like software downloads) from outside the EU to the UK have to register for VAT if the amount of such sales goes over the UK VAT registration threshold: [If] the value of the taxable supplies you make is over a specified threshold [then] you must register for VAT So it seems...
Is stock in a company considered a good or a service, or something else?
Facebook the company is probably better understood as a capital good - it is a collection of software and servers and a well-known brand name with a snazzy network effect under reasonably competent corporate governance that can produce final goods and services (mostly services) that actually have value. A share of Face...
Are there any investment strategies which take advantage of an in-the-money option price that incorporates no “time value”?
Options can have a negligible time premium. For American1 calls the time premium is never negative. If it had a negative premium it would be profitable to exercise it immediately. A deep in the money call has a delta of exactly one. That is, it's price movements completely mirror the price movements of the underlying s...
What economic growth rate is required to halve U.S. unemployment?
I'm reminded of Say's Law (developed by Jean-Baptiste Say) which can best be reduced to: The market clears (i.e. there is always some price at which an item will sell in a market). Full employment can always be obtained in any free market economy. People may not be pleased, however, with their wage rate. There are, h...
How can rebuilding a city/large area be considered an economic boost?
The problem here is that the metrics that are used to track the economy are looking for things like growth and change. In a perfect world, everyone would have exactly what they need and there would no need for economists because the economy would be static.
How can I tell if this internet sales manager is telling me the real “true cost” of a new car to the dealer
Consumer Reports offers a service that can tell you detailed actual cost to a dealer for a specific model and accessories -- real cost after rebates, not just invoice price. It costs a bit to order these reports, but if you are serious about buying a new car they are a highly recommended tool -- cu is independent and w...
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...
How can my friend send $3K to me without using Paypal?
If wire transfer through your bank does not work then perhaps one of the more popular money transfer services may be what you are looking for such as MoneyGram or Western Union. Now these rely on a trusted "registered" third party to do the money transfer so you need to make sure that you are working with a legitimate ...
Why use accounting software like Quickbooks instead of Excel spreadsheets?
I think your reasons are good. Fundamentally accounting software is built to ensure you record your accounting data effectively with minimal mistakes and good auditing. But you still need to use the tool properly to get the benefit. One other advantage is that many accountants are familiar with, say QuickBooks, and can...
I can make a budget, but how can I get myself to consistently follow my budget?
Do a monthly budget, unique to each month, before the month begins, spend all of your money on paper. Use envelopes to help you keep track of how much you have left for things you buy throughout the month. Have separate envelopes for things like groceries, restaurants, clothing, entertainment. Put the amount of money f...
What's the difference between Term and Whole Life insurance?
For most people Term is the way to go. I consider life insurance a necessity not an investment. See this article on SmartMoney.
How do you save money on clothes and shoes for your family?
I look ahead for sizes. I was at the thrift store and saw a good condition, good brand winter coat that will likely fit my daughter next year, so I bought it. I also bought a snowsuit my baby can wear when he's 6 months (~5 months pregnant now). When it starts getting cold next fall, I'll be set, rather than wasting...
Offshore bank account with online International wire-transfer facility for Indians
India does allow Resident Indians to open USD accounts. Most leading National and Private Banks offer this. You can receive funds and send funds subject to some norms.
How can I legally and efficiently help my girlfriend build equity by helping with a mortgage?
A 30-yr mortgage IS a committment. So, you are willing to commit to a place, but not your long-term girlfriend??? Either you don't do this "cheap" scheme idea, or you set up as a business arrangement, or you get married. This is quite a laissez-faire statement you make... "Maybe we will eventually get married, maybe we...
How can I legally and efficiently help my girlfriend build equity by helping with a mortgage?
There is no simple, legally reasonable, way for her to build equity by helping out with your mortgage, without her having a claim to your mortgage. The only 'equitable' thing she can do is rent from you. If you want her to be building equity, have her start and fund a brokerage account for herself. If you have an affi...
GnuCash: expense tracking/amounts left under limits
Yes. The simplest option to track your spending over time is to familiarize yourself with the "Reports" menu on the toolbar. Take a look specifically at the "Reports > Income/Expense > Income Statement" report, which will sum up your income and spending over a time frame (defaults to the current year). In each report...
How are dividends for shareholders of banks paid?
Why? Balance sheet is balance sheet, why is it complicated? Bank shareholders get dividends in exactly the same way as any other company shareholders do: the company ends up with net profits, which the board of directors decides to distribute to shareholders based on certain amount per share. If at all. Not all the pro...
Buying a building with two flats, can I rent one out and still get a residential mortgage?
I'd talk to a solicitor and see if you can structure the purchase in a way that breaks the property into three pieces. One would be the freehold of the whole building, one would be a long lease on the downstairs part (on which you would get a residential mortgage) and one would be a long lease on the upstairs flat (on ...
Understanding highly compensated employees within 401ks
HCE is defined as being above 120k$ or in the top 20 % of the company. The exact cutoff point might be different for each company. Typically, only the base salary is considered for that, but it's the company's (and 401(k)-plan's) decision. The IRS does not require HCE treatment; the IRS requires that 401(k) plans have ...
How to explain quick price changes early in the morning
You may simply be asking why stocks 'gap up' or 'gap down' when the stock market opens. This is because the price adjusts to news that occurred while the exchanges were closed overnight. Perhaps Asian stocks crashed, or perhaps a news story was released in the New York Times about some major company. There are thousand...
How does historical data get adjusted for dividends, exactly?
According to Active Equity Management by Zhou and Jain: When a stock pays dividend, the adjusted price in Yahoo makes the following adjustment: Let T be the ex-dividend date (the first date that the buyers of a stock will not receive the dividend) and T-1 be the last trading day before T. All prices before T are adjust...
I spend too much money. How can I get on the path to a frugal lifestyle?
For the most part, saving money usually depends upon having a budget and being able to stick to it. The toughest part of budgeting is usually setting it up (how much do I need for X) and sticking to it each month. In regards to sticking to it, there is software that you can use that helps figure out how much you are sp...
When should I walk away from my mortgage?
I'm in a similar situation, but I live in a state that doesn't allow mortgagees to "walk away" without recourse. I would consider a short sale or otherwise abandoning the property if: At the end of the day, real estate is an investment, and you don't realize gains or losses until you close the position. The "ra, ra" cr...
When (if) I should consider cashing in (selling) shares to realize capital gains?
How about this rule? Sell 10% of your shares every time they double in price. (of course, only buy stocks that repeatedly double in price)
Why deep in the money options have very low liquidity
One reason might be the 100% margin requirement on long options. Suppose I want to go long AAPL. I could get a deep ITM call or buy shares. $12,700 for 100 shares, with it's 25% margin requirement is like around $3200 locked up cash. Combine with a deep OTM Jan 2017 $70 strike put for $188, would give a $3400 margi...
Finding Debt/Equity Ratio with Market Value of Equity
In order to calculate the ratio you are looking for, just divide total debt by the market capitalization of the stock. Both values can be found on the link you provided. The market capitalization is the market value of equity.
I have about 20 000 usd. How can invest them to do good in the world?
Shariah compliant investments attempt to achieve your "ethical investing" ideals. Many countries around the world have a long list of shariah compliant investments and lots of journalists will go great lengths to reveal when a company is not really shariah compliant. Standard & Poors (S&P), an American financial servic...
Possible replacement for Quicken
I would investigate mint.com further. Plenty of people have written off using them because Intuit purchased them, but that seems like cutting of your nose to spite your face. I think mint.com is worth it for its Trends functionality alone, not to mention its automatic categorization of your purchases, reminders when b...
In the UK, could low-income pensioners (or those near a low-income retirement) find a student loan useful for boosting their finances?
In theory - Yes. So as long as someone will accept you as a (very) mature student, you plan to never earn over 21k a year for the next 30 years (no longer wiped out at 65), you could get a loan, slightly unethically (unless you fancy doing the course). Also if you did have to start paying it back - since interest rates...
Why would you not want to rollover a previous employer's 401(k) when changing jobs?
I've changed jobs several times and I chose to rollover my 401k from the previous employer into an IRA instead of the new employer's 401k plan. The biggest reason not to rollover the 401k into the new employer's 401k plan was due to the limited investments offered by 401k plans. I found it better to roll the 401k int...
Income tax on my online drop-shipping business (India)
Please consult a tax advisor. You may be voilating the FEMA [Foreign Exchange Management Act] and can land into trouble. Further what you are doing can land up into various other acts as illegal including AML. Further if there is income generated by Indian citizen in India, he is still liable to pay tax, irrespect...
Best steps to start saving money for a fresh grad in Singapore?
This is assuming that you are now making some amount X per month which is more than the income you used to have as a student. (Otherwise, the question seems rather moot.) All figures should be net amounts (after taxes). First, figure out what the difference in your cost of living is. That is, housing, electricity, util...
Can I contribute to an IRA from investment income?
Traditional IRA contributions can be made if you have compensation and the amount of the contribution is limited to the smaller of your compensation and $5500 ($6000 if age 50 or more). Note that compensation (which generally means earnings form working) is not just what appears on a W-2 form as salary or wages; it ca...
Limits and taxation of receiving gift money, in India, from a friend in Italy?
He wants to send me money, as a gift. Do you know this friend? It could easily be a scam. What I don't know is that how much money can he send and what are the taxes that would be applicable in this case? There is no limit; you have to pay taxes as per your tax brackets. This will be added as "income from other sources...
How detailed do itemized deductions have to be? (source needed)
When you do your taxes, you have two choices for your deductions. You can take the standard deduction, or you can choose to itemize your deductions. If you itemize your deductions, you use Form 1040 Schedule A. By looking at Schedule A, you can see the list of deductions that are itemized: On Schedule A itself, you on...
Get free option quotes
A number of sites provide delayed option chains online. Yahoo Finance is one example: I linked to Apple's chain, but to get one yourself, put the ticker you want in the search box, then click the "options" link in the sidebar that I called out in the image.
What should I invest in to hedge against a serious crash or calamity?
Different risks require different hedges. You won't find a single hedge that will protect you against any risk. The best way to think about this is who would benefit if those events occurred? Those are the people you want to invest in. So if a war broke out, who would benefit? Defense contractors. Security compan...
Risk and reward of a synthetic option position
But if underlying goes to 103 at expiration, both the call and the put expire worthless If the stock closes at 103 on expiration, the 105 put is worth $2, not worthless.
Are there any risks from using mint.com?
With Mint you are without a doubt telling a third party your username and password. If mint gets compromised, or hires a bad actor, technically there isn't anything to stop shenanigans. You simply must be vigilant and be aware of your rights and the legal protections you have against fraud. For all the technical expe...
Are there Investable Real Estate Indices which track Geographical Locations?
Not to my knowledge. Often the specific location is diversified out of the fund because each major building company or real estate company attempts to diversify risk by spreading it over multiple geographical locations. Also, buyers of these smaller portfolios will again diversify by creating a larger fund to sell to ...
Any problem if I continuously spend my credit card more than normal people?
Sometimes when you are trying to qualify for a loan, the lender will ask for proof of your account balances and costs. Your scheme here could be cause for some questions: "why are you paying $20-30k to your credit card each month, is there a large debt you haven't disclosed?". Or perhaps "if you lost your job, would yo...
Why do gas stations charge different amounts in the same local area?
This is known as "Zone Pricing" or "Geographical Pricing". http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/19/business/fi-calprice19 Such price variations may seem odd, but they are not unique to Anaheim. On any given day, in any major U.S. city, a single brand of gasoline will sell for a wide range of prices even when the cost t...
Why so much noise about USA's credit rating being lowered?
Because the USA is the world's biggest economy - everybody in the world works with the USA (even if the american companies are not direct suppliers, they are surely somewhere in the supply chain). If USA credit rating is lower, that means american companies will find it harder to get loans to finance their business (i....
Why does a ETN that is supposed to track Crude Oil like UWTI show constant decline every year? And am I an idiot for investing in it?
After looking at both S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index Excess Return (INDEXSP:SPGSCLP) and CS VS 3x LC ETN NYSEARCA: UWTI they seem to track well (using Google Finance). I'm not seeing where your statement this ETN loses whether oil is gaining or not holds true. Both have posted a year-over-year loss. In the past year the ...
Oversimplify it for me: the correct order of investing
All of the provided advice is great, but a slightly different viewpoint on debt is worth mentioning. Here are the areas that you should concentrate your efforts and the (rough) order you should proceed. Much of the following is predicated upon your having a situation where you need to get out of debt, and learn to bett...
understanding the process/payment of short sale dividends
I would suggest the following rationale : This appears to be a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, however, you can bet that this is how things are handled. As to who receives the dividend you have payed, this will be whoever the counter-party (or counter-parties) are that were assigned the exercise. EDIT Looking at ...
To pay off a student loan, should I save up a lump sum payoff payment or pay extra each month?
There are a few ways you can go about paying this off quickly (and safely): You could start paying $386 monthly (ie, double what you're paying now). You'll pay less interest in the long run because they can only charge you for the amount outstanding. Remember, 6.8% of $12k is more than 6.8% of $6k. However, your plan s...
Is the very long-term growth of the stock market bound by aggregate net income?
I am a believer in that theory. My opinion is that over the long term, we can expect 25% of income to reflect the payment on one's mortgage, and if you drew a line over time reflecting the mortgage this represents plus the downpayment, you'd be very close to a median home price. The bubble that occurred was real, but n...
How can one protect oneself from a dividend stock with decreasing price?
An alternative options strategy to minimize loss of investment capital is to buy a put, near the money around your original buy price, with a premium less than the total dividend. The value of the put will increase if the stock price falls quickly. Likely, a large portion of your dividend will go towards paying the opt...
Why can't house prices be out of tune with salaries
Your friends are overlooking a couple of problems with house prices and salaries being out of whack: Home 'equity' is a paper gain unless you realize it by selling the house. If you don't, but use the 'home ATM', all you're doing is piling up more debt that's secured on an asset that has downside risk. Ask anybody who'...
Why do so many NFL (pro football) players have charities?
BobbyScon's answer really covers this, but perhaps isn't sufficiently explicit. Reason 1 of the quotation is the largest, by far: Get an Immediate Tax Deduction, but Give Later: You get the tax deduction when the foundation is funded, then make your charitable gifts over time. Having a "personal" foundation means that...
Funneling money from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA using Options: Is my method possible and tax legal?
I am not a lawyer but I do not see a legal problem here. However, if the puts in the Roth IRA are not purchased at fair market value that could be a problem. For example, if your traditional IRA sold puts to the Roth IRA below fair market value that would not be allowed. However, from your post, it appears that you wil...
Does revenue equal gross profit for info product business?
What about web-hosting fees? Cost of Internet service? Cost of computer equipment to do the work? Amortized cost of development? Time for support calls/email? Phone service used for sales? Advertising/marketing expenses? Look hard--I bet there are some costs.
What is needed to be a “broker”?
You must understand that: So, if you -- the prospective buyer -- are in Waukegan, do you take the train all the way to New York City just to buy 100 shares of stock? No. That would be absurdly expensive. So, you hire an agent in NYC who will broker a deal for you in the exchange. Fast forward 100 years, to the time ...
I spend too much money. How can I get on the path to a frugal lifestyle?
Use software that calculates your net worth and track it over time. I track my personal finances in Mint, and I love checking my net worth every week. It's turned into a kind of competition with myself... It's like keeping track of how fast you run a 5k, or how many pounds of weight you've lost. It helps you determine...
Company wants to sell all of its assets, worth more than share price?
Why is the stock trading at only $5 per share? The share price is the perceived value of the company by people buying and selling the stock. Not the actual value of the company and all its assets. Generally if the company is not doing well, there is a perceived risk that it will burn out the money fast. There is a diff...
If the housing market is recovering, why would a REIT index ETF (e.g. VNQ) not be performing well?
VNQ only holds ~16% residential REITs. The rest are industrial, office, retail (e.g. shopping malls), specialized (hotels perhaps?) etc. Thus, VNQ isn't as correlated towards housing as you might have assumed just based on it being about "real estate." Second of all, if by "housing" you mean that actual houses have go...
What is a typical investment portfolio made up of?
Paying off the high-interest debt is a good first start. Paying interest, or compound interest on debt is like paying somebody to make you poor. As for your 401k, you want to contribute enough to get the full match from your employer. You might also consider checking out the fees associated with your 401k with an onlin...
What does cryptocurrency mean for governments?
Government's tax citizens and businesses in their currency. Earnings (even earnings in cryptocurrencies) are taxable income.
What are the downsides that prevent more people from working in high-income countries, and then retiring in low-income (and cost of living) ones?
At retirement age, your life priorities are somewhat different, and two key items come to mind. Your social circle, community and extended family contacts are highly related with your lifespan at retirement age. Loneliness kills, literally. Long distance relocation would weaken those ties exactly at the time when you ...
what are the benefits of setting up an education trust fund for children?
Well, first off, if your children are NZ citizens, they can borrow money at 0% interest for tertiary education and I don't see any benefit to not taking free money. A saving account is your money, and will accrue a little bit of interest and you will pay tax on that. A family trust (I hope this is what you mean by trus...
Best way to start investing, for a young person just starting their career?
The most important thing is to start. Don't waste months and years trying to figure out the "optimal" strategy or trying to read all the best books before you start. Pick a solid, simple choice, like investing in your company sponsored 401(k), and do it today. This I Will Teach You To Be Rich post on barriers has s...
A stock just dropped 8% in minutes and now all of a sudden the only way to buy is on the ask, what does this mean?
It doesn't sound fishy at all to me. Just seems like you may be dealing with a company that has relatively light trading volume to begin with, meaning that small trades could easily make the price drop 8% (which isn't much if you're talking about a stocks in the $5 or less range. If someone sells at the bid and the bid...
How can I investigate historical effect of Rebalancing on Return and Standard Deviation?
Doesn't "no rebalancing" mean "start with a portfolio and let it fly?" Seems like incorporation of rebalancing is more sophisticated than not. Just "buy" your portfolio at the start and see where it ends up with no buying/selling, as compared with where it ends up if you do rebalance. Or is it not that simple?
What are good games to play to teach young children about saving money?
I know this question is closed now, but I just found this site that people might be interested in... http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/games/
Are mutual funds a good choice for a medium to low risk investment with a two year horizon?
First, you don't state where you are and this is a rather global site. There are people from Canada, US, and many other countries here so "mutual funds" that mean one thing to you may be a bit different for someone in a foreign country for one point. Thanks for stating that point in a tag. Second, mutual funds are me...
Rental Properties: Is it good or bad that I can't find rental listings on that street?
Finding Zero is the expected result of your Craigslist check. You will have to do a lot more research. A local agent can help you determine the number of days they stay on the market before they are rented. They can also help determine the spread between purchase costs and rental cost. You will also have to figure in t...
Got charged ridiculous amount for doctor's walk in visit. What are my options?
If you are disputing the size of the charge for specific services, like you think that they overcharged for lab work, you can try disputing it with the business office staff at the doctor's office. If, on the other hand, you just think that the overall bill is too expensive then you really only have one option. You can...
What is the future of 401(k) in terms of stability and reliability?
My guess is that the point is that yields on bonds and cash equivalents is so low that inflation will cause the inflation-adjusted returns to be negative. There is something to be said for how much inflation can eat out of investment returns. At the same time, I would note the occupation of the person making that post ...
Is investing into real estate a good move for a risk-averse person at the moment
I'll add this to what the other answers said: if you are a renter now, and the real estate you want to buy is a house to live in, then it may be worth it - in a currency devaluation, rent may increase faster than your income. If you pay cash for the home, you also have the added benefit of considerably reducing your m...
Is insurance worth it if you can afford to replace the item? If not, when is it?
The key point to answer the question is to consider risk aversion. Assume I suggest a game to you: Throw a coin and if you win, you get $5, if you lose nothing happens. Will you play the game? Of course, you will - you have nothing to lose! What if I suggest this: If you win, you get $10,000,005 and if you lose you mus...
Can we estimate the impact of a large buy order on the share price?
If you look at a trade grid you can see how this happens. If there are enough bids to cover all shares currently on the sell side at a certain price, those shares will be bought and increased price quotes will be shown for the bids and ask. If there are enough bids to cover this price, those will get bought and higher ...
Recent college grad. Down payment on a house or car?
As a car guy, I wouldn't spend 27 large on anything that wasn't "special" - you'll be looking at for at least the duration of the loan and for me it'll better be very special lest I get bored with it during that time. But that's just me. If you want a transport appliance - spend around $5k-$7k on a decent used vehicle,...
Is it legal if I'm managing my family's entire wealth?
All the other answers posted thus far discuss matters from the perspective of US tax laws and are unanimous in declaring that what the OP wants to do is indeed a very bad idea. I fully agree: it is a bad idea from the perspective of US tax laws, and is likely a bad idea from the perspective of Indian tax laws too, but ...