Types of International Mutual Funds

When we hear the term ‘international mutual fund’, we always assume it is equivalent to investing money into stocks and bonds and various portfolios worldwide.  However, in the financial world, this is not entirely accurate.  There are actually several types of international mutual funds and not all deal with investments worldwide.  Awareness of available options may help one come up with an intelligent decision on which type of fund to invest in. Read more

Home Warranty 101: The Basics

When you go a big box retailer and shop for a digital camera, you always ask if there’s a warranty.  When you walk into an Apple Center and purchase the newest MacBook, you ask for the warranty period.  Anything that is way too costly and that you “value,” you always want to feel secure about.  You want to have full use of it!  A house is something you value for sure, as it provides shelter to your family.  Naturally, there is a corresponding warranty for that!

Home warranty is an insurance policy that covers most of the major mechanical composition of a house or a condominium.  It’s like insuring the appliances in your house.  Normally, new homeowners do not buy a home warranty because new homes come with a builder’s warranty and thus one is not needed.  For old houses, it’s imperative that the buyer inspect every minute detail of the house.  If the house is bought without old and ‘pre-existing’ issues being noted, the home warranty company may reject  future claims. Read more

Mutual Fund: Which is the best?

Have you read Blink or have you at least heard of the “Theory of Thin-Slicing?”  According to Malcolm Gladwell, “thin-slicing” is the power of thinking without thinking.  In layman’s term, snap judgment.  During exams, for instance, it’s believed that the first answer that pops into your mind is usually the right answer.  Could this be applicable in choosing the best mutual fund, however?  Could you pick the right one in a split-second?

Top mutual funds are those that are not easily affected by ups and downs of the stock market, and are therefore, inelastic.  “Top” would mean the money invested will most probably multiply. Read more

Divorced – But Your Credit Still Shares a Bed

“To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.”  Most of us will recognize this at the traditional Marriage Vow.

“Tell me the words I never said; show me the tears you never shed.  Give me the touch, that one you promised to be mine. Or has it vanished for all time?  I let you go, I let you fly.  Why do I keep on asking why?”  This is the Broken Vow sung by Josh Groban.

Divorce is a tough life event to go through.  It is the end-all for marriage but is it the end-all for everything?  It may signal the end of romance but it will probably not signal the end for credit ties.  It causes emotional distress and worse, financial anxiety.  Where marriage ends, financial and credit setbacks begin! Read more

“Charge” It to Experience – How to Ruin Your Credit

Checkmate!  One false move and you’re doomed!  It takes a million acts of kindness to build a good reputation but only one mistake to wreck it.  Better ask Michael Jackson about that.

Let the rule of thumb on credit be known.  “A bad credit rating means higher interest rates and ultimately less money saved for you.” Read more

Mortgage Selling: What Is It All About?

If you have an existing mortgage, it could only mean that you borrowed money to finance your new home or to acquire a new property.  In the traditional setup, you are expected to pay your monthly dues to your mortgage provider until such time that you are able to repay everything.  However, what does it mean when your mortgage provider tells you that your mortgage has been sold?  Specifically, what does it mean to you and how will such a move affect you? Read more

The Benefits of a Fixed Annuity Plan

A fixed annuity plan is an annuity that guarantees regular payments whether monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.  If you happen to have a huge amount of money on hand, you may opt to entrust this to an annuity issuer who then provides you with a regular allowance much like a regular monthly compensation income.

The annuity issuer, mostly an insurance company, takes your money and invests it in other financial instruments such as bonds, shares of stocks and the like.  Any gain or profit as a result of investing your money is then credited to your account, minus of course, the company’s share. Read more

Small Business In Focus: Does Location Define Business Success?

Are you currently settled in a state that is small business-friendly?  Or are you thinking of transferring your business to a state that is more supportive of amateur entrepreneurs?  Do you seriously believe that location can really stop your business from growing?

Know the best place to start your business.  Conduct a survey of your target destination.  Location is one of the key ingredients for success, albeit it is not the only one.

Factors to Consider During Location Hunting

Level of taxes on corporate income, personal income and capital gains is one factor to consider in looking for a good business location.  Lowest-leveled states are said to be better soils for start-up entrepreneurs.  The number of bureaucrats (both for state and local), the crime rates, the minimum wage costs, right-to-work status are necessary considerations, not to mention the roles recreation opportunities, business environment and tourism play.  Of course, the population growth factor should be a major consideration when deciding on a location for your business. Read more

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – The Guardian of Your Money

The ongoing global financial crisis which has seen several of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions (especially Lehman Brothers and AIG) declaring bankruptcy has been sending jitters through literally hundreds of thousands of depositors who are thinking, “if such big banks can collapse, what about our bank?”  This leads to even more concerns.  What happens if our neighborhood bank collapses?  What will happen to the monies deposited there?  Would it be safer to pull out my money now and keep it under my mattress? Read more

Insurance Policy: Investment or Expense?

If you own a goose that laid golden eggs, which would you insure, the eggs or the goose?  A tricky question, isn’t it?  Actually, you can just insure anything you want.  A bigger question though is: is it significant to insure that ‘something’?

It’s a basic norm of insurance to cover your big risks in life, which includes your life, your health, your home and your car.  Better safe than sorry, they say!  Your insurance should not only be comprehensive but it should also be geared towards encompassing catastrophic situations that can cause economic hardship.  If it’s not any of these things, then, paying for its insurance may just be a waste of money. Read more

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