Why ETFs? As an investor, the size and volatility of the pharma sector can lead to many profitable trading opportunities. If you feel that your portfolio could benefit from some exposure to this sector, you can invest in this industry in a few different ways. You might consider buying individual pharma company stocks. Perhaps this is an index, or even a mutual fund that targets certain niches or samples the overall sector....
With both types of loans, your lender can sell the asset under some circumstances to recoup its funds in the event you default on the loan. If you need to borrow money, you may be weighing your choices between a portfolio line of credit and a home equity line of credit. Learn more about the differences between a portfolio line of credit and a HELOC. We’ll cover how each loan type works, the pros and cons of each, and whether they make sense for your situation....
POS Charges If you’re trying to figure out what a transaction in your account history means, it probably refers to a purchase you made in-person at a retailer. Point-of-Sale Systems A point-of-sale (POS) system is a combination of devices and software programs that help with processing transactions. They can be as simple as a checkout register, or they may be more complicated programs that integrate with other systems (like card payment networks)....
Learn more about professional portfolios and how they work. What Is a Professional Portfolio? A portfolio is a way to document your professional journey and demonstrate your skills and abilities. It can be a collection of your work and accomplishments in either a physical or digital format. A resume and cover letter are standard requirements for most job applications, but a professional portfolio is something that can help you stand out from other candidates....
What Is the Racial Wealth Gap? The racial wealth gap is larger than most Americans can imagine. In research published in 2017, a sampling of 1,377 White and Black Americans from the top and bottom of the national income distribution revealed that they overestimated progress toward Black–White economic equality by over 25% of the current reality. In fact, a 2018 research report revealed that the median Black household has less than 11 percent the wealth of the median White household....
You can apply for many jobs, hundreds in some cases, and never hear anything about your application. If you’re lucky, you may get a rejection letter or email message. If you’re not, you get no response from the employer. Or, you could interview for a job and get rejected even though it seemed like everything went really well. You can ask a recruiter why you weren’t chosen and occasionally receive some meaningful feedback....
Now the word recession is being thrown around a lot, with some economists putting the odds in the 20% to 35% range within the next year or by the end of 2023. So what exactly is a recession? And what do government officials, pundits and economists mean when they talk about a soft landing and the inverted yield curve? Here’s a guide for translating the jargon. Recession A recession is when activity declines significantly across broad parts of the economy for more than a few months, according to a widely used definition by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the nonprofit research organization that officially calls the shots on recessions....
There are many different types of Social Security benefits. A restricted application tells the Social Security office that you are not applying for all benefits you are eligible for at the same time. This is also known as “restricting the scope” of your application. When using a restricted application, you are asking for only one benefit type. This method is often used by those who hope to get higher-paying benefits than they would receive by using other options....
Below, you’ll find the formula for calculating retained earnings and some of the implications it has for both businesses and investors. What Are Retained Earnings? Retained earnings are any profits that a company decides to keep, as opposed to distributing them among shareholders in the form of dividends. Dividends can be paid out as cash or stock, but either way, they’ll subtract from the company’s total retained earnings. Retained earnings are often used for business reinvestment....
Joining Medicare isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do at 65, though. Here are five choices you’ll need to make if you want to stop working at 65. What Will You Do For Health Care? Choosing a health insurance plan is one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make at 65, whether you retire or not. Medicare benefits begin at 65 for most people. This makes it simpler to retire at 65 than at age 60 or 62....
Your filing status determines which standard deduction amount and which tax rates are used when calculating your federal income tax for the year. Single is just one of five filing status options available. Learn how to choose the right one for your situation. Single Filing When You’re Considered Unmarried Your marital status is defined by your status on the last day of the tax year—December 31. You would claim the single filing status on your tax return if you’re unmarried....
A secured credit card is very much like a regular credit card, but the major difference is that you’re required to make a deposit against the card’s credit limit. Your credit limit will usually be a percentage of your security deposit or it may be the same as your deposit. Many banks place your deposit into an interest-bearing savings account where it stays until you close your account, upgrade to an unsecured credit card or default on your credit card balance....
But we’re betting two out of every three first-time homebuyers do not know they need closing costs. Why should they? If they’ve never bought a home before, they wouldn’t know about closing costs. All of a buyer’s closings are detailed on the Good Faith Estimate, available from the buyer’s lender. They cover everything extra a buyer needs to pay, such as lender fees, prorations, title, and notary, and more. If a buyer is obtaining a minimum-down-payment FHA loan, for example, the buyer’s closings costs can be almost as much or more as the down payment....
Should You Buy a Home During a Divorce? While we wish there was a simple answer to this question, the honest truth is that it’s going to depend on your individual situation. Depending on where you live, any property purchased while you’re still married may become community property. This can mean that your spouse has automatic interest, or ownership, in the property, even if they’re not buying or even living in it themselves....
The Basics of Commodities in a Portfolio There’s a big difference between investing in commodities and speculating in them. You may be thinking of opening a commodity trading account and trading futures contracts if you want to invest in this way. But opening a trading account with no track record, no training, or without a plan is speculation rather than investing. It often takes a bit of time, money, and effort to learn how to trade and to make money over time....
1. Get Your Financial Books in Order The difficulty of getting your books in order will depend on how organized you’ve been throughout the year. But whether you’re one of those solo entrepreneurs with a glovebox full of receipts or an owner with a bookkeeper on payroll, you have to get this step done before you can do anything else. So get the help you need and get on with it....
From France in 1558 to Argentina in 2001, hundreds of countries have either defaulted on or restructured their debt throughout history. The fallout from these defaults has varied from a non-event (such as with a technical default) to a significant drop in their economy with profound long-term effects that are still ongoing to this day. In this article, we will take a look at some famous sovereign defaults, what happened to the countries, and how investors can predict problems in advance....
These state insurance laws protect all drivers on the road. Minimum state car insurance requirements and financial responsibility laws vary by state. You can find the state insurance commissioner’s office or local DMV that handles these issues by doing an internet search for insurance regulation in your state. Understanding the Financial Responsibility Laws All 50 states have financial responsibility laws. They require people to prove that they have assets in reserve to pay for damages that they could be responsible for in a car accident claim....
How Tax Amnesty Works A state will typically waive late filing penalties when past-due tax returns are filed during an amnesty period. Most will also waive late-payment penalties, and sometimes they’ll even waive the interest if the outstanding balance is paid in full during the time period when amnesty is offered. States will typically waive accuracy and fraud penalties as well if a taxpayer files an amended return to report their true and correct tax liability....
Despite a month marked by gains, as of Monday’s close, the S&P 500 stock index was down 19% from its peak on Jan. 1. Retirement accounts, which tend to be heavily invested in stocks, especially for younger workers, are getting trampled. In the second quarter of the year, the average Fidelity 401(k) lost 20% of its value compared to the year before. To make matters worse, there was little safety to be found in bonds, the traditional refuge against stock market volatility, and the preferred asset for those closer to retirement....
