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Annuity-IRAs-a bad deal

Philosopher George Berkeley famously suggested that, “Truth is the cry of all, but the game of the few.” I suspect he was on to something or he wouldn’t have had a college and a town named after him. I think of this timeless quote whenever I see an annuity contract lurking within an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Tags: Annuity IRA, Tax-deferred annuity, Annuity contract
Is your broker double-dipping?

Once upon a time the commission rates charged to investors for securities trades were fixed by regulation. On May 1st of 1975, however, commission rates were deregulated and the competitive juices within the brokerage industry began to flow.

Tags: broker commission, investment management fee, brokerage firm deregulation
Own bonds? Understand duration

Novice investors typically perceive risk in fairly nebulous terms such as the possibility of losing money. However, professional investors tend to evaluate risk in terms of a variety of specific risk elements. 

Tags: Owning bonds, Bond duration, bond risk load
Investment income: Don't be short-sighted

When choosing among investment alternatives where income is a primary consideration, conventional choices often include money market instruments.

Tags: Investment income, investment alternatives, common stock