Recently I wrote a post with 6 tips for getting good investment advice from financial experts and media. For every financial expert opinion, there’s an opposite opinion, commonly within the same business news segment. This can be very confusing, even to someone who is proactive with her personal finances. The first tip I shared is realizing that projected investment returns are based on probability. As an empowered financial woman, you need to be able to measure that probability with some degree of accuracy and satisfaction. Any investment you choose to make, other than cash, is based … [Read more...]
Feast or Famine?
August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The annual fig feast is one of my favorite things about going to see my mom. I have wonderful memories of picking hundreds of figs with my sons when they were young, and then making fig preserves. This week while visiting Mom in Mississippi, I was more than a little disappointed about the fig crop. My conclusion is that figs are feast or famine. And, again, here we are, with a life lesson that can relate to money, beyond the fact that figs are crazily expensive in the grocery stores and are both fresher and free on trees in our friend’s and family’s yards! Does your money feel like feast … [Read more...]
Tips from Vanguard on Bubbles (NOT the fun kind!)
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Vanguard published a great article on investment bubbles. As a provider of financial education, I constantly hear from women that they have fear around losing their money. Research shows that financial security is a top priority when it comes to women and investing; not that we need the research to know that, right, girlfriends? Understanding bubbles helps you to avoid them, and thus, lower your investment risk. Remember, knowledge is what makes you feel more financially secure. When you know about something, it just feels safer, and you make better choices. This is true for investment … [Read more...]
It’s Not Realized Until You Realize It!
March 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Short & Simple Investing Lesson this week is about more investing lingo. While realized and unrealized gains and losses are not investment performance terms, they are common related terms that you will hear in becoming involved with your money. It is important to be aware of the difference between the two. A realized gain or loss occurs when an asset is sold; on the other hand, an unrealized gain or loss occurs while still owning an asset. Unrealized gains and losses occur due to value changes or fluctuations in the price of securities. Let’s look at an example. You buy … [Read more...]
What is your ROI on those black boots on the sale rack?
March 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Last week the Short & Simple Investment Lesson was about the different types of performance measurement terms. You may recall that this is just lingo for measuring the different ways that your money works for you, and the names given to each of those methods. Today let’s look at how a pair of new black boots relates to Return on Investment, or ROI, one of the most common investment performance terms. You can apply this handy little tool to anything in your life, as well as your investments and your business. You know I like clothes, so let’s use a pair of black boots that are on sale … [Read more...]
Indexing is Like your Wardrobe
March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Recently I have been writing about an important term for financial women; stock market indexes. Before you convince yourself this is just another boring topic, let’s take a look at why indexes are important and how they are similar to wardrobes. Indexes measure the performance of almost every traditional investment, so they have to be important. An expansion of this statement is for another day, but for now, trust me, indexes help you evaluate the results you are getting form your investments. Measuring performance lets you know if you are accomplishing your financial goals. Having … [Read more...]
Indexing is a Forest Concept
March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Do you ever miss the forest for the trees? I do this a lot. For example, I will plan on cleaning out my email in box in half an hour and I will end up focusing the entire time on one email response that is time intensive. Similarly, it is easy to get caught up in learning the smaller aspects of investing instead of first focusing on the forest. An index is one of the most important terms for a financial woman to understand. It is a “forest” concept. Once you understand the concept of an index, you have the ability to measure performance, and also to invest your own money if you choose. … [Read more...]
What is Security for You?
March 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Do you ever miss the forest for the trees? I do this a lot. For example, I will plan on cleaning out my email inbox in half an hour and I will end up focusing the entire time on one email response that is time intensive. Similarly, it is easy to get caught up in learning the smaller aspects of investing instead of first focusing on the forest. An index is one of the most important terms for a financial woman to understand. It is a “forest” concept. Once you understand the concept of an index, you have the ability to measure performance, and also to invest your own money if you choose. … [Read more...]
