3 Reasons Why Target Date Funds May be Off Target

Target Date Funds

Target Date Funds Are Popular, But Then Again, So Was Smoking The use of Target Date Funds has become one of the most popular 401(k) options for retirement savers.   According to this article, 71% of 401(k) plans offered a Target Date Fund option by the end of 2013 and 15% of all 401(k) assets are…

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5 Steps to Getting Started in Investing

how to invest

I follow a number of online discussion boards and a question that I see come up over and over again is, “How do I start investing?” It’s a complex question not only in terms of your money mindsets, but also dependent upon your personal financial goals and the myriad of options available in terms of…

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When Safe Investments Aren’t Very Safe

Investments Rowan Financial

  Investors had a rough start to 2016.  Stocks plummeted in January and February, then completely reversed course in March, promptly erasing all their losses and finishing the first quarter right about where they started the year. As I monitored various online discussion boards during that period, I saw time and again people looking for…

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Use Patience to “Guarantee” Investment Returns

Rowan Financial Investment Guarantee

  This year’s markets have been characterized by high levels of volatility.  Couple this with last year’s lackluster returns and you may be asking, “How can I get a guaranteed positive return on my investments?” Here’s How Not to Do It Many people opt for the guaranteed return associated with annuities.  Over $200 billion is…

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How Do Employee Stock Options Work?

Employee Stock Options

Employee stock options (or ESO’s) have long been a means to lure senior executives to corporations.  However, more and more companies are granting these options to rank and file employees as well.  As a result, the question, “How do employee stock options work?” is coming up more and more frequently in the online financial discussion…

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Should I Sell My Bonds Now?

Should I Sell My Bonds Now

Bonds Go Down When Interest Rates Go Up, Right? With the Fed’s decision in December to raise interest rates 0.25%, I’m seeing the question, “Should I sell my bonds now?” pop up in online discussion forums and other conversations among investors. On the surface, you would think that the answer would definitely be “Yes!” given…

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