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Do the tax consequences make it worth it for me to hold ESPP stock?
Your gain is $1408. The difference between 32% of your gain and 15% of your gain is $236.36 or $1.60 per share. If you sell now, you have $3957.44 after taxes. Forget about the ESPP for a moment. Are you be willing to wager $4000 on the proposition that your company's stock price won't go down more than $1.60 or so ov...
How to acquire skills required for long-term investing?
Far and away the most valuable skill in investing, in my opinion, is emotional fortitude. You need to have the emotional stability and confidence to trust your decision making and research to hold on down days.
Recourse with Credit Card company after victimized by fraud?
If the business is being investigated by your state's Attorney General's office, then your first call should be to that office. They will be able to help you in a few ways, even if they can't explicitly resolve the situation, and they also would undoubtedly appreciate your information to add to their case as well. Fir...
Is it sensible to keep savings in a foreign currency?
Is it sensible to keep savings in a foreign currency? The answer varies from one country to the next, but in the UK (or any other mature economy), I would advise against it. There are better ways to hedge against currency risks with the funds readily available to you through your ISA. You can keep your money relatively...
Why do consultants or contractors make more money than employees?
The "more money" aspect is only true if you ignore the lack of symmetry between employment and contracting. Consulting is another story altogether. Companies are willing to pay consultants for a number of reasons but the most important is deniability. If a decision is recommended and goes wrong then the consultants c...
Where should my money go next: savings, investments, retirement, or my mortgage?
There's a ton of great advice here. It's very challenging to come up with something that hasn't already been suggested. I'm curious to know how many years you have left to pay down the mortgage at the regular rate of payment. If it's more than 15 years, it might be worthwhile to consider refinancing your mortgage to...
Should I make more conservative investments in my company 401(K) if I'm going to leave the job in a couple of years?
It doesn't make a difference if you will be keeping it in the 401K or transferring it to an IRA, it is still retirement money that you plan on investing for decades. Pre-Enron many employees invested significant amounts of their retirement funds with the employer. One of the risks was that if a single stock was down a...
Learning investing and the stock market
I would recommend getting a used set of Chartered Financial Analyst books. The series is a great broad introduction to the most important aspects of investing and the markets. Combining both day-to-day knowledge and fundamental theory. CFA materials include in depth discussions of: After you have a strong base then s...
How can I save money on a gym / fitness membership? New Year's Resolution is to get in shape - but on the cheap!
If you're determined to save money, find ways to integrate exercise into your daily routine and don't join a gym at all. This makes it more likely you'll keep it up if it is a natural part of your day. You could set aside half the money you would spend on the gym towards some of the options below. I know it's not alway...
Is Amazon's offer of a $50 gift card a scam?
It's not a scam. They just want you to be an Amazon customer for many years and you'll be advertising Amazon to anyone who sees your credit card. $50 is known as the cost of "customer acquisition" and it is a very good deal for someone who may become a Prime member and spend $1000s a year on Amazon.
Why do grocery stores in the U.S. offer cash back so eagerly?
It doesn't cost them anything, they don't pay commission on you taking cash-back. But it brings customers to the stores because these customers would rather buy something and use cash-back to get cash, than go to an ATM and pay the ATM commission.
Why is the volume highest at the beginning and end of a trading day?
While volume per trade is higher at the open and to a lesser extent at the close, the overall volume is actually lower, on average. Bid ask spreads are widest at the open and to a lesser extent at the close. Generally, bid ask spreads are inversely proportional to overall volumes. Why this is the case hasn't been suffi...
How do I buy bundled insurance policies?
You have 3 companies now that you work with. I would start there. Ask one of them to show you what would happen if you bought the other two policies from them. This may not be something that they will show via the quotes generated on the web page. So you would be better off talking to a person who can generate a quote...
Should I always hold short term bonds till maturity?
Risk is reduced but isn't zero The default risk is still there, the issuer can go bankrupt, and you can still loose all or some of your money if restructuring happens. If the bond has a callable option, the issuer can retire them if conditions are favourable for the issuer, you can still loose some of your investment....
Employer no longer withholds, how do I self administer 401k
You can't be doing it yourself. Only your employer can do it. If the employer doesn't provide the option - switch employers. The only way for you to do it yourself is if you're the employer, i.e.: self-employed.
I am looking for software to scan and read receipts
Try the following apps/services: Receipt Bank (paid service, gathers paper receipts, scans them and processes the data), I've tested it, and it recognizing receipts very well, taking picture is very quick and easy, then you can upload the expenses into your accounting software by a click or automatically (e.g. FreeAgen...
Did an additional $32 billion necessarily get invested into Amazon.com stock on October 26th, 2017?
Stock A last traded at $100. Stock A has 1 million shares outstanding. No seller is willing to sell Stock A for less than $110 a share. One buyer is willing to buy 1 share for $110. The order executes. The buyer pays the seller $110. Stock A's new price is $110. An $110 investment increased the market cap by $10 millio...
Uncashed paycheck 13 years old
Under US law, a bank is not obligated to honor a check that is more than six months old. § 4-404. BANK NOT OBLIGED TO PAY CHECK MORE THAN SIX MONTHS OLD. A bank is under no obligation to a customer having a checking account to pay a check, other than a certified check, which is presented more than six months after its ...
Why do investors buy stock that had appreciated?
You seem to prefer to trade like I do: "Buy low, sell high." But there are some people that prefer a different way: "Buy high, sell higher." A stock that has "just appreciated" is "in motion." That is a "promise" (not always kept) that it will continue to go higher. Some people want stocks that not only go higher, but ...
How can I estimate the value of private stock behind employee stock options?
Okay, I'm going to give you my opinion based on experience; not any technical understanding. The options - by themselves - are pretty meaningless in terms of determining their value. The business plan going forward, their growth expectations, the additional options to be authorized, the additional preferred stock offer...
Working on a tax free island to make money?
The Cayman Islands has an income tax enacted, it is just currently 0%. It raises revenues from its tourism, import duties, and business registration. It is part of the UK commonwealth and therefore enjoys the military protection of that federation, but doesn't have to spend on it. But unlike the US, the UK does not h...
International (ex-US) ETFs with low exposure to financial sector?
If you are looking for a European financials ETF to short, you could take a look at the iShares EURO STOXX Banks, which is traded on a a few German stock exchanges (Frankfurt etc.): iShares Euro Stoxx Banks Website You find its current holdings here: holdings.
How do you find out who the investors are in a U.S. stock? e.g. how ownership may be concentrated?
I don't think that you will be able to find a list of every owner for a given stock. There are probably very few people who would know this. One source would be whoever sends out the shareholder meeting mailers. I suspect that the company itself would know this, the exchange to a lesser extent, and possibly the broker...
What is the best way to short the San Francisco real estate market?
The most obvious route is to short the lenders, preferably subprime. Since there are no lenders that operate exclusively in San Francisco, you could look north at Canada. The Canadian real estate market (esp. Vancouver) is just as overheated as the San Francisco market. As a start, famous short seller Marc Cohodes reco...
Why buy stock of a company instead of the holding company who has more than 99% of the stocks
In a situation like this, I presume you'd invest in the child company if you thought that the child company would increase in value at a higher rate than the parent. You'd invest in the parent company if you thought the parent company would perform well as a whole, but you did not want to assume the risk of an individu...
Why do I not see goods and services all change their price when inflation is high?
In most circumstances prices do not change on a daily basis on most goods and services, and just because inflation is high does not mean all prices of every good and service has to increase over the short term. Prices are determined by costs of doing business, manufacturing costs and wage growth, and by competition. ...
Value investing
One aspect of this - no matter which valuation method you choose - is that there are limited shares available to buy. Other people already know those valuation methods and have decided to buy those shares, paying higher than the previous person to notice this and take a risk. So this means that even after you have calc...
How can someone invest in areas that require you to be an accredited investor [without qualifying as an accredited investor]?
Unfortunately it is not possible for an ordinary person to become an accredited investor without a career change. Gaining any legal certification in investments typically require sponsorship from an investment company (which you would be working for). There are reasons why these kinds of investments are not available t...
Effect of country default on house prices?
Some of the factors that will act on house prices are: There will likely be a recession in that country, which will lower incomes and probably lower housing prices. It will likely be harder to get credit in that country so that too will increase demand and depress demand for housing (cf the USA in 2010.) If Greece leav...
Investment time horizon: When is it acceptable to withdraw money from investments?
To summarize your starting situation: You want to: Possible paths: No small business Get a job. Invest the 300K in safe liquid investments then move the maximum amount each year into your retirement accounts. Depending on which company you work for that could include 401K (Regular or Roth), deductible IRA, Roth IRA. Th...
Price graphs: why not percent change?
I am in complete agreement with you. The place i have found with the sort of charts you are looking for is stockcharts.com. To compare the percentage increase of several stocks over a period of 2 market-open days or more, which is quite useful to follow the changes in various stocks… etc., an example: Here the tick...
Are buyouts always for higher than the market value of a stock?
1) Yes, buyouts are always higher than the trading price. 2) ANYTHING can be negotiated. There is no rule saying buyouts have to be higher.
How to pay bills for one month while waiting for new job?
A traditional bank is not likely to give you a loan if you have no source of income. Credit card application forms also ask for your current income level and may reject you based on not having a job. You might want to make a list of income and expenses and look closely at which expenses can be reduced or eliminated. Us...
What is the difference between a scrip dividend and a stock split?
Investopedia has a good definition. Stock dividends are similar to cash dividends; however, instead of cash, a company pays out stock. Stock splits occur when a company perceives that its stock price may be too high. Stock splits are usually done to increase the liquidity of the stock (more shares outstanding) and to m...
How Often Should I Chase a Credit Card Signup Bonus?
An inquiry to your credit report is a slight ding and lasts 2 years. I'd suggest that if you are playing the bonus game you watch your score closely, and if it drops below the level you'd like to maintain, hold off a while. Credit Karma offers a good simulation to show the impact of inquiries, utilization, new accounts...
Is it possible to make money by getting a mortgage?
yes. you can take out 500,000 form your paid of house. you pay back 500,000 at 3.5. percent. you do get a tax break for not owning your house. it is less then 3.5 you are paying back the back. about one forth of that, BUT you take the 500,000 in invest. Now cd low 1 percent, stock is risky. You can do R...
Why is stock dilution legal?
Stock issuing and dilution is legal because there must be some mechanism for small companies to grow into big companies. A company sees a great investment opportunity. It would be a perfect extension of their activities ... but they cannot afford it. To get the necessary money they can either take out a loan or issue ...
Can banks deny that you've paid your loan?
Yes, if their record keeping is faulty or failed. It is best to keep all records of repayment. Incomplete records such as signing for a loan yet no repayment receipt can be at least a headache and at most expensive. The most important document is a record of 0 balance then there is nothing that the courts will allow c...
How can I trade in U.S stock exchange living in India by choosing the broker in U.S?
i have been trading with dollarbird Trading firm for past 1 year there is absolutly no problem everything is fine you can google them to find anything about them.they have provided me with LASER trading platform which requires a bit of training as in to know the software but i can say one thing trading in US Equity mar...
How do I enter Canadian tax info from US form 1042-S and record captial gains from cashing in stock options?
There are two parts in this 1042-S form. The income/dividends go into the Canada T5 form. There will be credit if 1042-S has held money already, so use T2209 to report too.
What effect would sovereign default of a European country have on personal debt or a mortgage?
Patrick, This article points out three likely effects (direct and indirect) sovereign default can have on the individual: http://tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/the-sovereign-default-option-is-costly/ This looks at how a default may not look like a default - even if it is. But again, how defaults can impa...
Should I use my non-tax advantaged investment account to pay off debt?
Paying off debts will reduce your monthly obligation to creditors (less risk) and also remove the possibility of foreclosure / repossession / lawsuit if you ever lost access to income (less risk). Risk is an important part of the equation that can get overlooked. It sounds like pulling that money out of the market wi...
How much power does a CEO have over a public company?
This is a very good question and is at the core of corporate governance. The CEO is a very powerful figure indeed. But always remember that he heads the firm's management only. He is appointed by the board of directors and is accountable to them. The board on the other hand is accountable to the firm's shareholders an...
Put idle savings to use while keeping them liquid
I'd have a look at Capital One's Online account too, they've got 1.35% interest rate with 10% bonus if you have over $15k deposited. It is still low like all interest rates, but at least it is on top (or at least close)!
How to spend more? (AKA, how to avoid being a miser)
here is what I have learned with multiple close encounters with bankruptcies: ask yourself.. what if I save vs what if I spend? say you like a new shirt.. ask yourself what can you do saving $40 vs rewarding yourself/your well wishers right away? you will end up spending. just like you the other person needs money. he/...
What can cause rent prices to fall?
In Memphis, Tn., rents were stabilized from falling in the recession because all the foreclosed on home owners added to the rental market, increasing demand and thus stabilizing pricing.
When does a low PE ratio not indicate a good stock?
Yes, there are situations where a stock is a bad buy in spite of a low PE. PE ratio tells you the current share price divided by the prior 4 quarters earnings per share. It does not consider: Imagine someone walked up to you and said, "Do you want to buy a piece of my business? I'll sell you 1% of it for $1000. Last ye...
Getting (historical) Standard & Poor Stock Guides
I haven't seen one of these in quite some time. Back in the 1970s, maybe the 1980s, stock brokers would occasionally send their retail clients a complimentary copy once in a while. Also, I remember the local newspaper would offer a year-end edition for a few dollars (maybe $3) and that edition would include the newspap...
Which practice to keep finances after getting married: joint, or separate?
We've had everything in one pot almost from day one of marriage. The key ingredients to making that arrangement work is to communicate about the money, and realize that you're in it together. Everything one person does affects the other. Separating finances compartmentalizes the "affecting one another" part and makes ...
Can you buy out a pink sheet listed company by purchasing all of the oustanding shares?
Depends on the structure of the company and what shares are outstanding. If the pink sheet stock has no voting power then buying all that stock doesn't get you any control at all. On the other hand, if the outstanding shares only represent 20% of the company's overall shares, then buying all the shares isn't likely e...
How feasible would it be to retire just maxing out a Roth IRA?
I wouldn't settle for 10%, and I certainly wouldn't settle for a Roth. I'd recommend not retiring. I'd recommend building up a side business in your "free" time while you're working that's closer to your calling that you can "retire into." Don't be complacent.
Can I negotiate a 0% transaction fee with my credit card company?
There is nothing called free lunch. The 2% fee indirectly covers the cost of funds and in effect would be a personal loan. Further the repayment period would typically be 3 months and roughly would translate into 7-9% loan depending of repayment schedule etc. There is no harm in trying to get the fee waived, however on...
Can't the account information on my checks be easily used for fraud?
Yes this is a huge security loophole and many banks will do nothing to refund if you are scammed. For example for business accounts some Wells Fargo branches say you must notify within 24 hours of any check withdrawal or the loss is yours. Basically banks don't care - they are a monopoly system and you are stuck with...
How is the Dow divisor calculated?
The details of the DJIA methodology is outlined in the official methodology document on their website. In addition, you will need their index mathematics document, which gives the nitty-gritty details of any type of adjustments that must be made. Between the two you should have the complete picture in as fine a detail...
To pay off a student loan, should I save up a lump sum payoff payment or pay extra each month?
Just one more thing to consider: a friend of mine had some student loan debt left over from graduate school. Years later, through his employer, he was able to apply for and receive a grant that paid off the remainder of his student loan. It was literally free money, and a significant amount, too. The windfall was a lit...
In a competitive market, why is movie theater popcorn expensive?
It's called extracting consumer surplus. Basically I have a bunch of movie goers (who have paid a lot for their tickets). Some of them don't like popcorn, and some do. Of the people in the latter group, there are some who are willing to pay a lot for it. That's partly because I have a select group (rich movie goers) an...
Do Americans really use checks that often?
I receive checks from my tenant. Also, from our medical reimbursement account. I'm sure there's an option somewhere to get that direct deposited, just haven't yet. My wife will write checks for school functions. Funny, they haven't cashed one since february, and this is the one item to look for every time I reconcile h...
Buying a mortgaged house
Just as a renter doesn't care what the landlord's mortgage is, the buyer of a house shouldn't care what the seller paid, what the current mortgage is, or any other details of the seller's finances. Two identical houses may be worth $400K. One still has a $450K loan, the other is mortgage free. You would qualify for th...
How to evaluate an annuity
Annuities are usually not good deals. Commissions to the salesman can be as high as 9% of the initial premium. They're not scams, just not the best deals for most circumstances. Basically, these things are a combination of an investment vehicle and multiple insurance policies, including permanent insurance. The 8.2% "r...
What are the benefits of opening an IRA in an unstable/uncertain economy?
Even Gold lost 1/2 of it's value between 1980 and 2000. You would not have fared well if you retired during that period heavily invested in Gold. http://www.usagold.com/reference/prices/history.html You said yourself that one can not foresee what the future will bring. At least IRA's force you to into dollar cost ave...
New to investing — I have $20,000 cash saved, what should I do with it?
I have questions for you - As the others have stated, now really isn't the time to do anything to turn short term liquidity into long term investments. I'll contradict that only for matched 401(k) deposits. The answers to these questions will prompt more/better responses.
Options for dummies. Can you explain how puts & calls work, simply?
So, child, your goal is to make money? This is usually achieved by selling goods (say, lemonade) at a price that exceeds their cost (say, sugar, water and, well, lemons). Options, at first, are very much same in that you can buy the right to engage in a specific future trade. You make money in this situation if the eve...
What are the tax implications of lending to my own LLC?
It'll be just like any other loan you make, on your end, and receive, on your LLC's end. You pay taxes on the interest received, and your LLC can deduct the interest paid. Do make sure you set it up properly, however: If you want to loan money to your business, you should have your attorney draw up paperwork to d...
What should I do with my $10K windfall, given these options?
Have you looked at DIY roof repair? Caulking with tar adhesive, and shingle replacement isn't that hard, if you're in good health. Totally depends on how bad your roof is/what the demands on it are going to be. If you can squeak another year out of it, with minimal investment, you'll have a year's worth of, say car...
Looking for a stock market simulation that's as close to the real thing as possible
Thinkorswim's ThinkDesktop platform allows you to replay a previous market day if you wish. You can also use paper money in stocks, options, futures, futures options, forex, etc there. I really can't think of any other platform that allows you to dabble around in so many products fictionally. And honestly, if all that ...
Is there any algorithm to calculate highest possible return on stock market?
You can statistically estimate the maximal loss/gain over a period of time T by the highest loss/gain during any of the same length time intervals in during the life of the stock. Using logarithmic prices to be more accurate.
Where can I buy preferred stocks as opposed to common stocks?
Preferred stock is traded on the market, so you can just buy it like any other. The symbol for a preferred stock is the ticker symbol followed by a dash and a letter for each class of preferred stock. Examples: Generally speaking, you should buy Preferred stock with the intention of holding onto it for at least a coup...
Does an individual share of a stock have some kind of unique identifier?
I agree with the answer by @Michael that this number doesn't exist. It's hard to see what use it would have and it would be difficult to track. I'm writing a separate answer because I also disagree with the premise of your question: Individual shares of stock have never to my knowledge had such a number. Your commen...
60% Downpayment on house?
To answer your precise question, your plans are not at all misguided, and are in fact very reasonable. You are clearly financially very comfortable, and from the tone of your post it sounds like you value security and simplicity over maximizing your investment return over the coming years. If money was the most import...
Is it sensible to redirect retirement contributions from 401(k) towards becoming a landlord?
This is going to seem pretty far off the beaten path, but I hope when you finish reading it you'll see the point... Suppose someone offered you a part time job: Walk their dog once per day for at least 20 minutes, and once per week pick up the dog poo from their lawn. Your compensation is $300/month. Now suppose instea...
Empirical performance data of ETFs and Mutual Funds tracking identical Indexes?
Why don't you look at the actual funds and etfs in question rather than seeking a general conclusion about all pairs of funds and etfs? For example, Vanguard's total stock market index fund (VTSAX) and ETF (VTI). Comparing the two on yahoo finance I find no difference over the last 5 years visually. For a different ...
Company stock listed in multiple exchanges?
If a company's shares trade in multiple exchanges, the prices in every exchange are very near to each other, otherwise you could earn money by doing arbitrage deals (buying in one, selling in the other) - and people do that once it becomes worth it. Which stock exchange you use is more a convenience for the buyer/selle...
How does AMT/state taxes work for stock options in California?
Does this technically mean that she has to pay AMT on $400,000? Yes. Well, not exactly 400,000. She paid $1 per share, so 390,000. And if so, is %28 the AMT for this sum? (0.28 * $400,000 = $112,000)? Or does she have to include her salary on top of that before calculating AMT? (Suppose in the fake example that her...
Free Historical Commodity Prices in txt?
You can find gold historical prices on the kitco site. See the "View Data" button.
Funding an ira or roth ira
And on the last sentence, it doesn't matter when or where the money was earned (money is fungible, so there's generally not even any way to tell), but you do have to have sufficient earned income (that's basically money you earn from working, not from dividends and interest or selling stock and the like) in the contrib...
Are these scenarios considered as taxable income?
For case 1, there is no tax due as you sold the book for less than your cost basis. If you had sold for more than $100, then you would have had a profit. For case 2, that depends on the value of the gift card with respect to the value of your fare. Most likely that gift card is less than the cost of the fare. And in th...
Does a stock really dip in price on the ex-dividend date? And why would it do this?
This effect has much empirical evidence as googling "dividend price effect evidence" will show. As the financial economic schools of thought run the gamut so do the theories. One school goes as far to call it a market inefficiency since the earning power thus the value of an equity that's affected is no different or a...
What are investment options for young married couple with no debt that have maxed out retirement savings?
4.7 is a pretty low rate, especially if you are deducting that from your taxes. If you reduce the number by your marginal tax rate to get the real cost of the money you end up with a number that isn't far off from inflation, and also represents a pretty low 'yield' in terms of paying off the loan early. (e.g. if you...
Is it common in the US not to pay medical bills?
In addition to the good answers already provided, I want to point out that many (most?) providers will handle filing your health insurance claim for you even though it's really your responsibility. So here's how medical bills "you don't have to pay" might come about: * It's possible that your balance is $4, or $20, or ...
What is the true value, i.e. advantages or benefits, of building up equity in your home?
A person can finance housing expenses in one of two ways. You can pay rent to a landlord. Or you can buy a house with a mortgage. In essence, you become your own landlord. That is, insta the "renter" pays an amount equal to the mortgage to insta the "landlord," who pays it to the bank to reduce the mortgage. Ideally, y...
Buying a home without a Real Estate Agent - Who should I get to do the paperwork?
Whether or not you use a real estate agent, at some stage most people use a lawyer to do the actual buying and selling and set up the agreements. If you've never dealt with a lawyer directly before it's probably because your agent has acted as a front-person for the lawyer. If you go to a lawyer and tell them what you ...
18 year old making $60k a year; how should I invest? Traditional or Roth IRA?
With this level of income, you might consider a Solo 401(k). It would allow you a much higher level of contributions and is more appropriate for your savings than the limited IRA deposits. It also offers a considerable number of options not available for IRAs. A loan for example.
How much principal do I get back with a target-maturity ETF?
Adding a couple more assumptions, I'd compute about $18.23 would be that pay out in 2018. This is computed by taking the Current Portfolio's Holdings par values and dividing by the outstanding shares(92987/5100 for those wanting specific figures used). Now, for those assumptions: Something to keep in mind is that bond...
Why isn't money spent on necessities deductible from your taxes?
The answer is simple. You can generally claim a deduction for an expense if that expense was used to derive an income. Of course social policy sometimes gets in the way and allows for deductions where they usually wouldn't be allowed. Your rent is not tax deductible because this expense is not used to derive your incom...
Loan to son - how to get it back
I started a business a few years ago. At one point it wasn't going so well and my father "loaned" me an amount not too dissimilar to what you've done. From a personal perspective, the moment I took that loan there was a strain the relationship. Especially when I was sometimes late on the interest payments... Unfortu...
Tenant wants to pay rent with EFT
Given a routing number / account number, it's easy to print a check with those details. All you need is a MICR font. No EFT needed. I would recommend that instead, you get his account information, and set up a direct withdrawal. Of course, then you could potentially use HIS account fraudulently, but that would be tr...
In NYC is there sales tax on services like computer / cell phone repair?
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, your service would appear to be exempt from taxes. However, if you are charging for tangible items, those would incur a sales tax.
Home Renovations are expensive.. Should I only pay cash for them?
I have a different take on this. If it would only take 3 months to save up to pay for it, line up the work now. Shop with your spouse to find the exact floor you want. By the time you hire the store to do the install, a month will have gone by, by the time the charge bill comes in, you'll be able to pay 2/3 off, and pa...
Buying a house for a shorter term
When on this topic, you'll often hear general rules of thumb. And, similar to the 'only buy stocks if you plan to hold more than X years' there are going to be periods where if you buy at a bottom right before the market turns up, you might be ahead just months after you buy. I'd say that if you buy right, below market...
USA H1B Employee - Capital gains in India from selling selling stocks
My tax preparing agent is suggesting that since the stock brokers in India does not have any US state ITINS, it becomes complicated to file that income along with US taxes Why? Nothing to do with each other. You need to have ITIN (or, SSN more likely, since you're on H1b). What brokers have have nothing to do with ...
What are the typical repayment plans for Credit Cards in the United States?
It is called "Credit card installments" or "Equal pay installments", and I am not aware of them being widely used in the USA. While in other countries they are supported by banks directly (right?), in US you may find this option only in some big stores like home improvement stores, car dealerships, cell phone operators...
Higher auto insurance costs: keep car or switch to public transit?
Looking at your numbers, I would definitively consider selling the car, and use the public transportation instead. You could easily save $450 month, plus gas and maintenance. As you mentioned, public transportation will be only a fraction of this amount, so you might end up saving around $400 monthly. If you decide to ...
What options do I have at 26 years old, with 1.2 million USD?
Until you get some financial education, you will be vulnerable to people wanting your money. Once you are educated, you will be able to live a tidy life off this-- which is exactly why this amount was awarded to you, rather than some other amount. They gave you enough money. This is not a lottery win. I mean "fin...
What do I need to start trading in the NSE (National Stock Exchange)?
Yes, you can open a Trading Account at one place and a Demat Account at another place. Therefore you can open Trading Account at Sharekhan and Demat Account at OBC. However, it would be more convenient for you if both the accounts are opened at the same place which would reduce unnecessary work after every transaction.
Home Valuation in a Dodgy neighborhood
Bad areas are tough to value as a owner-occupied property, because the business model for being a slumlord is to rent apartments in absentia, usually to tenants receiving goverment subsidies such as Section 8 vouchers. The vouchers are based on a prevailing rent, which are often on par with nice suburban apartment comp...
How much time would I have to spend trading to turn a profit?
The high frequency trading you reference has no adverse impact on individual investors - at least not in the "going to take advantage of you" way that many articles imply. If anything, high-frequency trading is generally more helpful than harmful, adding liquidity to the system, although it can cause some volatility an...
Can saving/investing 15% of your income starting age 25, likely make you a millionaire?
Other people have already demonstrated the effect of compound interest to the question. I'd like to add a totally different perspective. Note that the article says if you can follow this simple recipe throughout your working career, you will almost certainly beat out most professional investors [...] you'll likely acc...
How to measure a currencies valuation or devaluation in relevance to itself
The measure of change of value of a currency in relation to itself is inflation (or deflation).
Can one get a house mortgage without buying a house?
First, many banks do not keep the loan. Even if they send you a payment notice and process the monthly payment, there's still a good chance the loan itself was packed up and sold to investors. Collateralizing mortgages, in and of itself, is not inherently dangerous. But the loan definitely needs a house behind it. If y...
Trading when you work for a market participant
Ask someone in Human Resources. I seriously doubt you are the first person to ask this question for their company and they should be more than happy to help.