If Your Investment Plan Includes Stocks You’ve Got To See This

March 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment
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One of the most important elements of an investment plan is to have an awareness of market cycles. We all know that the cashmere coats are going on that last clearance rack as soon as we head into spring. You know, the fun rack with the multiple or red stickers. In the world of shopping, market pricing is tied to the seasons or trends. In the world of investing, market prices are usually tied to trends in the economy. Many investment courses don’t expand on market cycles due to the potential complexity of the topic, but I think that’s really holding back on one of the most basic … [Read more...]

Pools and Tools

June 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
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For me, summertime brings thoughts of swimming pools and gardening tools. Yesterday I spent almost the entire day happily utilizing one or the other. In today’s post, I want to address other types of pools and tools that can be used as part of an overall financial strategy. While this may not sound as fun, having enough money to live a life you love certainly sounds appealing! One of the most practical and simplest tools for an investment plan is an index funds. A stock index is a pool, or basket of stocks that represents a market or a segment of that market. Common stock indexes that you … [Read more...]

Only Orchids and Chardonnay?

April 26, 2012 By 2 Comments
Orchids and Wine

Have you noticed how much more efficient your trip to the grocery store is with a list? Without one, it’s easy to end up spending half the time you allotted for your trip browsing in the floral or wine department. Prioritized lists help us get the right things done in less time, whatever the task at hand, plain and simple. Have you created a list outlining your financial priorities? Because money issues can be so all encompassing, it’s easy to get side tracked and spend time on the less important tasks if you haven’t.  This can lead to creating a spending plan for your home remodel … [Read more...]

Does This Make Any Sense To You?

March 21, 2012 By 1 Comment
World profits

Financially empowered women take note: the stock market has been on a tear! Here are some very recent numbers from the three major stock indices: The S&P 500 index rose to 1400 for the first time in almost four years The NASDAQ closed at its highest level since December 2000!! The Dow Jones Industrial Average had its best close last week since December 2007 As always, I promise no unnecessary jargon, but every investor should be comfortable with the concept of indices. I know the S&P, NASDAQ and Dow Jones are familiar terms to regular readers of Financial Woman, since I’ve … [Read more...]

Cashmere Sweaters in July

March 15, 2012 By 1 Comment
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Have you ever noticed how cashmere sweaters cost the most when you don’t need them? The price for these luxurious wardrobe staples is the highest in the July catalog that arrives in the midst of sweltering 100 degree heat; anticipation drives the pricing. This is the perfect analogy for how the prices work in the financial markets. The markets move in trends that are related to the economy, but the timing is not the same. Investors anticipate the moves in the financial markets, and they buy or sell ahead of those moves. All investors know the pain of buying high and selling low; I … [Read more...]

Does Risk Hold You Back?

March 6, 2012 By 1 Comment
Risk and Uncertainty Are Everywhere

Step four in the Financial Woman Grow Your Money process is putting your money to work for you. One of the biggest challenges with this step is to accept the risk that comes with growing your money. If you stop to think about it, you’ll find that risk is inherent in everything you buy or do.  This post is part of Women’s Money Week 2012.  For more posts on this Sunday's featured-topic, Goals and Taking Action Roundup, see Goals and Taking Action Roundup. Risk is everywhere. There is the potential risk that comes with the loss of love in a relationship, or worse, losing that person due … [Read more...]

What’s Your Next Step?

February 21, 2012 By 4 Comments
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Sometimes the thought of creating a savings and investment plan to reach your financial goals can seem completely overwhelming. There are five steps to Make a Rich Life at Financial Woman. Your money is just like other areas in your life; the best way to create the outcome you want is to focus your energy on one step at a time. Victory from that one step propels you to take the next step as you see improvements in your financial health. Before you know it, you are making significant moves toward your financial goals. Think about the next step for you to take to have the life you really … [Read more...]

Wednesday Wealth Art

February 8, 2012 By 1 Comment
Own Your Financial Health!

Sometimes it can seem as though your money is someone else's responsibility, especially if you outsource your wealth management, or another family member oversees your investment plan. While you may be hiring someone with expertise that can help you make smarter investment decisions, it's your job to evaluate the results you are getting; be sure to become familiar with some simple tools that will enable you to easily monitor and evaluate your investments, just as you would in other areas of your life. What happens if an investment is made that looses money? You are the one that will be hurt … [Read more...]

This Is One Money Tool You Have to Use!

February 6, 2012 By 1 Comment
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The S&P is up 7% thus far for the year as I type this post for Financial Woman. If it were December, that return may seem pretty boring, but in early February, that number sounds rather remarkable. However, shorter term monthly returns are not the point that I want to make in this article, especially since that number will probably change by the time you read this. Instead, I want to focus on the more important notion of what the S&P being up 7% really means; this is a super important concept for anyone wishing to grow their money and reach their financial goals. The S&P, one of … [Read more...]

Are You On Track?

August 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

After over a decade of turmoil in the financial markets and the accompanying drop in the value of real estate, many women are finding that they are just not on track to reach their financial goals by the previously expected time frame. If you see that your current investment plan falls short of where you want to be, brainstorm steps to get to where you want to be.  The longer you have to enhance your financial plan, the better. There are so many options to increase your wealth, including: Creating a second income stream from a small business, while creating a legitimate tax deduction at … [Read more...]