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Switch from DINK to SIWK: How do people afford kids?
With your wife's income, you're not doing to see a net difference if she stops working that job. You may actually yield a little more. At the end of the day, it's doable, but you're going to have to rationalize your spending and one or both of you should pick up a part-time job. Do you remember the last time you bought...
Are there cons to paying monthly bills with a rewards card and then paying it off monthly?
Some accounts, such as my electric, and payments to the tax collector charge a significant enough fee that is counter productive to use a rewards card. One example of this is Alligent Air. They give you a $6 discount if you pay with a debit card which was about 5% of the ticket price. Anytime you borrow money, even a...
Why do people buy stocks that pay no dividend?
Instead of giving part of their profits back as dividends, management puts it back into the company so the company can grow and produce higher profits. When these companies do well, there is high demand for them as in the long term higher profits equates to a higher share price. So if a company invests in itself to gro...
When is the best time to put a large amount of assets in the stock market?
The one thing we know for certain is that holding large amounts of cash isn't ideal - inflation will eat away at your wealth. It's understandable that you're hesitant to put all your wealth in common stock. The S&P 500's price/earnings is 18.7 right now - a little high by historical standards. But consider that the S&P...
Making an offer on a property - go in at market price?
First piece of advice: fire your agent. A pushy agent is a bad agent. From what you've told us, he's actually given you poor advice regarding mortgage interest rates. Rates are already at historic lows. That and the precarious state of the world economy mean that further rate cuts are more likely in the near term....
Recommendation for learning fundamental analysis?
Below is just a little information on this topic from my small unique book "The small stock trader": The most significant non-company-specific factor affecting stock price is the market sentiment, while the most significant company-specific factor is the earning power of the company. Perhaps it would be safe to say th...
What can I do when the trading price of a stock or ETF I want to buy is too high?
If you find a particular stock to be overvalued at $200 for example and a reasonable value at $175, you can place a limit order at the price you want to pay. If/when the stock price falls to your desired purchase price, the transaction takes place. Your broker can explain how long a limit order can stay open. This meth...
Why do stock exchanges close at night?
Here are some plausible reasons why markets might continue to close:
What is the best source of funding to pay off debt?
Thirty thousand in credit card debt is a "big elephant to eat" so to speak. But you do it by taking a bite at a time. One positive is that you do not want to borrow from your 401K. Doing so is a horrible idea. The first question you have to ask yourself and understand, is how you accumulated 30K in credit card debt ...
Should I set a stop loss for long term investments?
Do not use a stop loss order as a long-term investor. The arguments in favor of stop losses being presented by a few users here rely on a faulty premise, namely, that there is some kind of formula that will let you set your stop such that it won't trigger on day-to-day fluctuations but will trigger in time to protect ...
How to model fees from trades on online platforms?
Assuming cell A1 contains the number of trades: will price up to A1=100 at 17 each, and the rest at 14 each. The key is the MAX and MIN. They keep an item from being counted twice. If X would end up negative, MAX(0,x) clamps it to 0. By extension, if X-100 would be negative, MAX(0, X-100) would be 0 -- ie: that number ...
What are the tax implications if I do some work for a company for trade, rather than pay?
Yes, the business can count that as an expense but you will need to count that as income because a computer = money.
Is it ever logical to not deposit to a matched 401(k) account?
If your plan permits loans, deposit enough through the year to maximize the match and then take a loan from the plan. Use the loan portion to pay your student loan. Essentially you have refinanced your debt at a (presumably) lower rate and recieved the match. You pay yourself back (with interest) through your payroll. ...
How to acquire assets without buying them?
You don't start out buying a shopping mall, you have to work up to it. You can start with any amount and work up to a larger amount. For me, I saved 30% of my salary(net), investing in stocks for 8 years. It was tough to live on less, but I had a goal to buy passive income. I put down this money to buy 3 houses, put...
Saving up for an expensive car
This seems really simple to me.
Why do some online stores not ask for the 3-digit code on the back of my credit card?
There are different ways of credit card purchase authorizations. if some choose less secure method it's their problem. Merchants are charged back if a stolen card is used.
Can signing up at optoutprescreen.com improve my credit score?
If I had a business and was able to claim a feature, I would. It's simple marketing. If in fact, opting out helped your score, the site would promote that feature. Soft pulls for prescreened offers are not counted. No more than my constant peek at my score through Credit Karma. Opt out, if you wish. The benefit of co...
Buying a house. I have the cash for the whole thing. Should I still get a mortgage to get the homeowner tax break?
Not for the tax break, no; as others have said that still costs you money. However, with rates being low right now and brought a bit lower by the tax break, this is an opportunity for the safest form of leveraged investing you will ever find. If you invest that money, the returns on investment will probably be better t...
If I had no income due to a net operating loss, will I be refunded the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld?
If you have a CPA working for you already - this is a question you should be asking that CPA. Generally, NOL only affects the tax stemming from the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26 Subtitle A of the US Code). Social Security and Medicare, while based on income, are not "income tax", these are different taxes stemming fr...
Why aren't bond mutual funds seeing huge selloffs now?
Since 1971, mortgage interest rates have never been more than .25% below current rates (3.6%). Even restricting just to the last four years, rates have been as much as .89% higher. Overall, we're much closer to the record low interest rate than any type of high. We're currently at a three-year low. Yes, we should ...
Bonds vs equities: crash theory
Diversify into leveraged short/bear ETFs and then you can quit your job and yell at your boss "F you I'm short your house!" edit: this is a quote from Greg Lippmann and mentioned in the book "The Big Short"
Looking for good investment vehicle for seasonal work and savings
In the short-term, a savings account with an online bank can net you ~1% interest, while many banks/credit unions with local branches are 0.05%. Most of the online savings accounts allow 6 withdrawals per month (they'll let you do more, but charge a fee), if you pair it with a checking account, you can transfer your ex...
What are the alternatives to compound interest for a Muslim?
Invest in growth stocks which do not pay any dividends (Note that some part of the dividends issued by a corporation might be from interest received by the company and passed on to you as a dividend); Buy a house from a bank that practices Islamic Banking. See this question which you yourself answered a few weeks ago t...
What am I actually buying when trading in CFDs
CFDs (Contracts for Difference) are basically a contract between you and the broker on the difference in price of the underlying between the time you open a position and close a position. You are not actually buying the underlying. With share CFDs, the outcome is a bit like buying the underlying shares on margin. You p...
Can zero-coupon bonds go down in price?
Let's say today you buy the bond issued by StateX at 18$. Let's say tommorow morning the TV says that StateX is going towards default (if it happens it won't give you back not even the 18$ you invested). You (and others that bought the same bond like you) will get scared and try to sell the bond, but a potential buyer ...
Moving Coin Collection to Stapled Coin Pockets
I would be wary of having coins in containers with cardboard. Ideally you want the coins to be in an airtight envelope made of plastic to minimize any chance of oxidation or reaction with chemicals in the air. Cheap, retail coins like you would find in a Whitman collection are not generally going to hold value well. So...
Is is possible to dispute IRS underpayment penalties?
The underpayment "penalty" is just interest on the late payments--willful or not has nothing to do with it. When they feel it's willful there will be additional penalties.
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...
What are some sources of information on dividend schedules and amounts?
I have 3 favorite sites that I use. http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/mcd/dividend-history - lists the entire history of dividends and what dates they were paid so you can predict when future dividends will be paid. http://www.dividend.com/dividend-stocks/services/restaurants/mcd-mcdonalds/ - this site lists key stats like ...
How does start-up equity end up paying off?
Read the book, "Slicing Pie: Fund Your Company Without Funds". You can be given 5% over four years and in four years, they hire someone and give him twice as much as you, for working a month and not sacrificing his salary at all. Over the four years, the idiot who offered you the deal will waste investors money on obv...
Can a company donate to a non-profit to pay for services arranged for before hand?
Can a company say "StackExchange" donate to a non-profit company say $5,000 in agreement that they will spend that on paying a designer for a new website? And most importantly is this donation still tax deductible? A non-profit would have to typically create a bucket for IT Services or Website design. As long as "Stack...
Help: Being charged interest on a loan for which I received no statements telling me of this debt for the past 15 years. Surprise!
There is a ten year statue of limitations on debt collection, bankruptcy, etc. The problem is, if you start paying, even say, $1, you "acknowledge" the debt and the clock starts again. Debt claims fall under the "he said, she said," rubric. In debt restructuring situations, the debtor is taught to write all their credi...
How Should I Start my Finance Life and Invest?
I'd suggest looking at something like the Dummies series of books for this. Something like: Sometimes the books are combined into one big book. This would be the best bet. It's were I started. Every time I wondered something I just looked it up and learned. They are perfectly fine for the novice. Hope this helps.
Why would a company with a bad balance sheet be paying dividends?
While Ford and the other auto makers have a bad few years, some companies want to have a cash dividend. It appeals to certain investors. Others have tried to avoid dividends: Microsoft didn't start until ~2003; Apple only from mid 80's until mid 90's.; Google never has had a cash dividend. The desire to keep the divide...
Are the guaranteed returns of regulated utilities really what they sound like?
Typically a private company is hit by demand supply issues and cost of inputs. In effect at times the cost of input may go up, it cannot raise the prices, because this will reduce demand. However certain public sectors companies, typically in Oil & Engery segements the services are offered by Public sector companies, a...
ESPP advantages and disadvantages
It would be difficult to answer without knowing specifics about a particular offer. In certain cases, it's definitely great and one could become a millionaire [Google for example]. In other cases one could lose money. In most cases one makes a decent return. As the specifics are not available, in general look out for: ...
Can used books bought off Amazon be claimed as a tax deduction in Australia?
Yes, you can. That the books were purchased from abroad is irrelevant: you incurred an expense in the course of earning your income. If the books are expensive (>$300 per set iirc) you will need to deprecate them over a reasonable life time rather than claiming the entire amount up front. It doesn't matter whether wha...
When the market crashes, should I sell bonds and buy equities for the inevitable recovery?
The problem with the proposed plan is the word "inevitable". There is no such thing as a recovery that is guaranteed (though we may wish it to be so), and even if there was there is no telling how long it will take for a recovery to occur to a sufficient degree. There are also no foolproof ways to determine when you ha...
Questioning my Realtor
A mortgage lender will not usually lend more than they could get if they had to repossess the property and sell it to recover their investment (in the U.S. it is generally accepted that 80% of market value is the golden number that makes the mortgage work). That's why an appraisal is required. Even with 50% down, the ...
Repaying Debt and Saving - Difficult Situation
Given the listed expenses, this problem will not have a nice solutions. So lets quickly go through them and see when the most pressing ones can be dealt with: Solved within 1 year: 900 Solved within a few years: 1300: 900+400 You may be able to save a couple of hundred on the rest, but just take a minute to look at the...
What sort of tax treatment does a charitable micro-lending loan incur?
When lending through Kiva you are not making a "charitable contribution" it's a loan so you cannot deduct the amount you loaned out. If you do lose money from your loan you can write off your entire loss same as you would with any other investment. However you should be careful because in the event of a tax audit you ...
Capital gains tax when I sell my home if I use a portion of it for an AirBnB
Getting the first year right for any rental property is key. It is even more complex when you rent a room, or rent via a service like AirBnB. Get professional tax advice. For you the IRS rules are covered in Tax Topic 415 Renting Residential and Vacation Property and IRS pub 527 Residential Rental Property There is a s...
Determining current value for real estate for inheritance purposes
There are multiple ways of determining the value of an inherited property. If you aren't planning on selling it, then the best way would be to have a real estate agent do a comp on the property (or multiple real estate agents).
why do I need an emergency fund if I already have investments?
You're absolutely correct. If you have maxed out your retirement investment vehicles and have some additional investments in a regular taxable account, you can certainly use that as an emergency source of funds without much downside. (You can borrow from many retirement account but there are downsides.) Sure, you risk ...
Calculating return on a series of stock positions with multiple uneven transactions
Generally if you are using FIFO (first in, first out) accounting, you will need to match the transactions based on the number of shares. In your example, at the beginning of day 6, you had two lots of shares, 100 @ 50 and 10 @ 52. On that day you sold 50 shares, and using FIFO, you sold 50 shares of the first lot. Th...
Why Are Credit Card Rates Increasing / Credit Limits Falling?
Of course your situation is very hurtful at a personal level, and I sympathize. I just don't get your point about being driven further into debt? It would seem that with a lower credit score you are prevented from taking on more debt. That can absolutely be hurtful especially to someone who runs a business that relies ...
The doctor didn't charge the health insurance in time, am I liable?
The hospital likely has a contract with your insurance company which makes them obligated to bill the insurance before billing you! I had a similar occurrence that was thrown out when my insurance company provided a copy of a contract with the hospital to the judge. So if there is an agreement they must file with the i...
Should I wait to save up 20% downpayment on a 500k condo?
As I've crunched numbers towards what my family could afford for a down payment (in an area with similar housing costs - don't you hate that high cost of living?), I've come up with the following numbers: We may be missing some area of expenses, but in general I think we are being fairly conservative. You should consi...
Can I sell a stock immediately?
You can always trade at bid or ask price (depending if you are selling or buying). Market price is the price the last transaction was executed at so you may not be able to get that. If your order is large then you may not even be able to get bid/ask but should look at the depth of the order book (ie what prices are oth...
hardship withdrawal
Gaining traction is your first priority. WARNING: as @JosephZambrano explains in his answer the tax penalty for withdrawing from a 401(k) can easily exceed the APR of the credit card making it a very bad strategy. Consult in-depth with a financial advisor to see before taking that path. As @JoeTaxpayer has noted a loa...
How to calculate interest payments without EBIT
The actual financial statements should always be referenced first before opening or closing a position. For US companies, they are freely available on EDGAR. Annual reports are called 10-Ks, and quarterly reports are called 10-Qs. YHOO and GOOG do a great job of posting financials that are quickly available, but money...
Should I open a credit card when I turn 18 just to start a credit score?
I will disagree with the other answers. The idea that there is some to establish a "credit history" is largely a myth propagated by loaners who see it as positive propaganda to increase the numbers of their prospective customers. You will find some people who claim they were rejected for a card because they had no "cre...
Adding a 180 day expiration to checks
Your bank has discretion to honor checks after 6 months, so you should talk to your bank about their specific policy. In general, banks won't accept "large" stale checks. The meaning of "large" varies -- $25,000 in NYC, as little as $2k in other places. Banks that service high-volume check issuers (like rebate companie...
College student interested in starting a stock portfolio, how much should I invest?
You should invest a trivial (<500$USD) amount of money in a stock portfolio. If you aren't able to make more on the market than the interest rates of your loans, you are losing money. This question has discussed this topic as well.
Fringe Benefits (Lodging) for single member S-Corp
None whatsoever, no. Moreover, trying something like that would very likely trigger a full audit.
Has anyone compared an in-person Tax Advisor to software like Turbo Tax?
It depends on the person. i will take turbo tax over any mediocre or poor accountant ANY DAY. You get consistent, accurate tax preparation with the software (desktop - not the online version) I was in a housing rental partnership with my brothers and one of them insisted on using his accountant... what a mistake. ...
Put Option Pricing
Standard options are contracts for 100 shares. If the option is for $0.75/share and you are buying the contract for 100 shares the price would be $75 plus commission. Some brokers have mini options available which is a contract for 10 shares. I don't know if all brokers offer this option and it is not available on all ...
Bank statements - should I retain hardcopies for tax or other official purposes (or keep digital scanned copies)?
In the UK Directgov don't specify anything more than "records", which leads me to think that a digital copy might be acceptable. With regards to bank statements, individuals (i.e. not self-employed, or owning a business) need to keep them for between 12 and 15 months after your tax return, depending on when you filed i...
As an investor what are side effects of Quantitative Easing in US and in EU?
Well if your looking to explain inflation to children, I would use this example. Take two fruits they like IE: Apples and Oranges. Give them both 2 of each. Ask them how many of your apples would you give for 1 orange and how many apples would you want to get 1 orange(most likely they will say 1). Now give them 5 more ...
Do altcoin trades count as like-kind exchanges? (Deferred capital gains tax)
Just a thought because this is a really good question: Would the buying and selling of blockchain based digital currency, using other blockchain based digital currencies, be subject to like kind treatment and exempt from capital gains until exchanged for a non-blockchain based good or service (or national currenc...
What is best investment which is full recession proof?
I don't think there is a recession proof investment.Every investment is bound to their ups and downs. If you buy land, a change in law can change the whole situation it may become worthless, same applies for home as well. Gold - dependent on world economy. Stock - dependent on world economy Best way is to stay ever ...
Can the risk of investing in an asset be different for different investors?
In a perfect market, share prices are by definition a perfect reflection of the true value of a share. Hence, you always get $10 for a share that's worth that much. In reality, the market is imperfect. Prices are somewhat of an average of all different estimates, and there's a cost-of-trading margin between sales and b...
What is an effective way to invest in electric car industry?
At this time I would say that the electric car industry as a whole is too new to be able to invest in it as a sector. There are only a handful of companies that focus solely on electric cars to create a moderately diverse portfolio, let alone a mutual fund. You can invest in mutual funds that include EV stocks as par...
How exactly does dealing in stock make me money?
You can make money via stocks in two primary ways: Note that there's no guarantee of either. So it may very well not make you money.
Disputing Items to Improve Credit Report
Disputing the remark seems unlikely to move your score, since it is just that -- a remark. It's hard to say whether the scoring models can/do read the remarks and incorporate them (somehow) into the scoring metric itself. Disputing the revolving account that should be reported as closed is a different matter. The que...
Events that cause major movement in forex?
currency's central bank or treasury/finance department speeches that can announce a significant change in policy. That includes: Particularly when it is a high level figure within the department such as the President or Prime Minister making the announcement. Macroeconomic stats: GeoPolitical considerations, such as:...
Term loan overpayment options: applied to principal, or…?
It may have been the standard practice for a long time, and indeed it still is the common practice for my credit union to apply all excess payment directly to the principal. At the risk of sounding a little cynical, I will suggest that there is a profit motive in the move to not applying excess payments to principal un...
Is it better to buy this used car from Craigslist or from a dealership?
You seem to be on the right track. I feel, though, that it's worth addressing your maintenance budget. Even if both cars described in your question are from the same model year, one has been in service 2x more; one car has been on the road, in weather, twice as much as the other. I'm not sure what's being represente...
Meanings of “price of the derivative”
@Tim - in this case, a futures contract isn't like an options contract. It's simply a method of entering into an agreement for delivery at a future date. While the speculators appear to have taken over, there are practical examples of use of the futures market. I am a gold miner and I see that my cost is $1200/oz giv...
How do I calculate the actual dividend amount for a monthly dividend payout mutual fund?
In the absence of a country designation where the mutual fund is registered, the question cannot be fully answered. For US mutual funds, the N.A.V per share is calculated each day after the close of the stock exchanges and all purchase and redemption requests received that day are transacted at this share price. So, t...
Gift Tax and LLC with foreign partners
The LLC portion is completely irrelevant. Don't know why you want it. You can create a joint/partnership trading account without the additional complexity of having LLC. What liability are you trying to limit here? Her sisters will file tax returns in the us using the form 1040NR, and only reporting the dividends they ...
The Benefits/Disadvantages of using a credit card
never carry a balance on a credit card. there is almost always a cheaper way to borrow money. the exception to that rule is when you are offered a 0% promotion on a credit card, but even then watch out for cash advance fees and how payments are applied (typically to promotional balances first). paying interest on daily...
Understanding the Nasdaq insider trading information
Usually insiders are in a better position than you to understand their business, but that doesn't mean they will know the future with perfect accuracy. Sometimes they are wrong, sometimes life events force them to liquidate an otherwise promising investment, sometimes their minds change. So while it is indeed valuable ...
Is the stock market a zero-sum game?
No, the stock market and investing in general is not a zero sum game. Some types of trades are zero sum because of the nature of the trade. But someone isn't necessarily losing when you gain in the sale of a stock or other security. I'm not going to type out a technical thesis for your question. But the main failur...
Why is financial data of some public companies not available on Yahoo Finance?
In general, the short answer is to use SEDAR, the Canadian database that compiles financial statements for Canadian companies. The financial statements for Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp can be found here. The long answer is that the data might be missing because in Canada, each province has their own agency to regulate...
Buying and selling the same stock
Sorry, no, any time you sell for a profit you owe tax.
If something is coming into my account will it be debit or credit in my account?
Most bank registers (where you write down entries) show deposits (+) to account as a CREDIT. Payments, fees, and withdrawals are DEBITs to your bank accounnt. On loans such as credit card accounts, a credit to your loan account is a payment or other reductions of the amount you owe. A charge to your account is a DEBIT ...
Creating S-Corp: Should I Name My Wife as a Director/Shareholder?
There are many aspects to consider in deciding what sort of company you want to form. Instead of an S-corporation, you should determine whether it would be better to form a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Limited Partnership (LP) or even a professional company (PC). Littleadv is correct: There is minimal benefit in fo...
I'm 20 and starting to build up for my mortgage downpayment, where should I put my money for optimal growth?
You should never take advice from someone else in relation to a question like this. Who would you blame if things go wrong and you lose money or make less than your savings account. For this reason I will give you the same answer I gave to one of your previous similar questions: If you want higher returns you may have ...
What does “Yield Curve” mean?
Great question! A Yield Curve is a plot of the yields for different maturities of debt. This can be for any debt, but the most common used when discussing yield curves is the debt of the Federal Government. The yield curve is observed by its slope. A curve with a positive slope (up and to the right) or a steepening c...
Is there a standard or best practice way to handle money from an expiring UTMA account?
I'd first put it in CDs or other short term account. Get through school first, then see where you land. If you have income that allows you to start a Roth IRA, I'd go for that, but keep it safe in case you actually need it back soon. After school, if you don't land a decent job fast, this money might be needed to live...
How much life insurance do I need?
After some thought, I follow Dave Ramsey's advice because it's simple and I can do the math in my head - no online calculator needed. :) You need Life Insurance if someone depends on your income. You can replace your income with a single lump sum of 8-10 times your current income where those who need your income, can...
Identity theft?
Assuming you live in the US, it is quite normal when you are applying for a loan that the application will ask you to confirm your identity. One of these methods is to ask you which of the following addresses you have lived at, with some of them being very similar (i.e. same city, or maybe even the same street). Someti...
Most effective Fundamental Analysis indicators for market entry
The three places you want to focus on are the income statement, the balance sheet, and cash flow statement. The standard measure for multiple of income is the P/E or price earnings ratio For the balance sheet, the debt to equity or debt to capital (debt+equity) ratio. For cash generation, price to cash flow, or price ...
Is there a good rule of thumb for how much I should have set aside as emergency cash?
6 to 9 months worth of expenses is recommended. You should also consider having long-term disability insurance in place, in case of serious illness or accident.
Do altcoin trades count as like-kind exchanges? (Deferred capital gains tax)
Like-kind of exchanges have a list of requirements. The IRS has not issued formal guidance in the matter. I recommend to be aggressive and claim the exchange, while justifying it with a good analogy to prove good faith (and persuade the IRS official reading it the risk of losing in tax court would be to high). Worst ca...
Got a “personal” bonus from my boss. Do I have to pay taxes and if so, how do I go about that?
Yes, it's taxable. If anyone suggests it's a gift, they are mistaken. There's a line on the 1040 for "other" and as long as you claim it, you're fine with the IRS. It's 2012 income as you already got it. Edit - mhoran makes two good points I'm not really able to address. (a) does a late bonus such as this effect one's...
What happens to my savings if my country defaults or restructures its debt?
My 0,02€ - I probably live in the same country as you. Stop worrying. The Euro zone has a 100.000€ guaranty deposit. So if any bank should fail, that's the amount you'll receive back. This applies to all bank accounts and deposits. Not to any investments. You should not have more than 100.000€ in any bank. So, lucky yo...
Why does short selling require borrowing?
A simple way to ask the question might be to say "why can't I just use the same trick with my own shares to make money on the way down? Why is borrowing someone else's shares necessary to make the concept a viable one? Why isn't it just the inverse of 'going long'?" A simple way to think about it is this: to make money...
Is there a good book that talks about all the type of products to invest?
There is no magical book that talks about the thousands of investment instrument types that are available ranging from brown fields land up to CDS futures and beyond. In addition to the huge number the depth of understanding ranges from knowing that a security type exists all the way up to being able to mark the instru...
Is the Swiss stock market inversely correlated with the Swiss Franc like Japan today?
Roughly about 1 of 2 Swiss francs is won abroad. So, yes it is easier for Swiss companies to export when the Swiss franc is not "too high" as it has been those last years. The main export market for Switzerland is the UE. Some companies are doing most or all of their business on the Swiss market. Others are much more e...
How can one get their FICO/credit scores for free? (really free)
I've seen credit cards that provide you your credit score for free, updated once a month and even charted over the last year. Unfortunately the bank I used to have this card with was bought and the purchasing bank discontinued the feature. Perhaps someone out there knows of some cards that still offer a feature like t...
Why would you ever turn down a raise in salary?
In Australia there are cases for the argument. 1) We have laws against unfair dismissal that do not apply above certain thresholds. Your position is more secure with the lower salary. 2) Tax benefits for families are unfairly structured such that take home pay may actually be less, again due to a threshold. This tends ...
Should I buy a house with a friend?
A real life experience. A friend of mine did that with his housemates. They bought a house together as students and it worked for them. The tricky bit is to have a very good contract with your housemates as to how the venture should work. What if? Somebody can't pay, somebody can't enjoy the house (on an extended trip...
Intrinsic value of non-voting shares which don't pay dividends
Even with non-voting shares, you own a portion of the company including all of its assets and its future profits. If the company is sold, goes out of business and liquidates, etc., those with non-voting shares still stand collect their share of the funds generated. There's also the possibility, as one of the comments...
Can I withdraw from my Roth IRA retirement account to fund a startup?
There are two methods of doing this Pulling out the money and paying the penalty if any, and going on your way. Having the Roth IRA own the business, and being an employee. If you go with the second choice, you should read more about it on this question.
Apartment lease renewal - is this rate increase normal?
There could be a number of reasons for a rent increase. The only information I can offer is how I calculate what rent I will charge. The minimum I would ever charge per unit (Mortgage payment + Water) / Number of units This number is the minimum because it's what I need to keep afloat. Keep in mind these are ballpark ...
As a Canadian, what should I invest in if I'm betting that the Canadian real estate will crash?
If you believe you can time the crash, then We all know what comes after a crash… just as we know what comes after the doom, we just don’t know when….
Would you withdraw your money from your bank if you thought it was going under?
I probably would not take it out, since I have enough layers of backstops: Maybe if I could find a better rate. :)
Alternative to Jumbo Mortgage
Yes, banks still offer combo loans, but it is going to depend on the appraised value of your home. Typically lenders will allow you to finance up to 80% loan to value on the first mortgage (conforming loan amount) and 95% combined loan to value on a HELOC. I would start by checking with your local credit union or ban...