March 28, 2024
Funds

This Top International Fund Is Snapping Up Japan Stocks

A well-articulated sell strategy—and the discipline to stick with it—are among the most important qualities a patient investor can have, but they’re often overlooked. Most investors can explain why they bought a stock, but few can say, before they buy a stock, what would cause them to sell it. The managers of the MFS International

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Funds

The Fed’s High Interest Rates Are Helping Pension Funds Close the Gap

This is commentary by Allan Sloan, an independent business journalist and seven-time winner of the Loeb Award, business journalism’s highest honor. We hear lots of talk about the problems that high interest rates have been causing since the Federal Reserve began jacking up rates two years ago. We also hear endless talk from people waiting

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Investment

5 Ways to Cut Your Taxes on Income Investments

Tax day is almost here, and, thanks to higher interest rates, many investors are finding they earned a lot more income from their portfolios in 2023—and now they owe the government a piece of it. “That’s a good thing,” says Mary Ellen Stanek, co-chief investment officer at Baird Asset Management. “But it means investors need

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Investors

Should Investors Buy Bitcoin ETFs? Financial Advisors Weigh In.

How are financial advisors feeling about Bitcoin these days? In years past, many have expressed deep skepticism, citing price volatility, regulatory uncertainties, and even cryptocurrencies’ use in criminal activities. While plenty of doubts remain, the landscape has changed. In January, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs. Two of the biggest, BlackRock’s

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Funds

These Mutual Funds Target Seniors Worried About Outliving Their Savings

Figuring out how much you can safely spend each year is an especially fraught question for retirees worried about outliving their savings. Life span and health status are variables no one can plan for. Despite saving consistently and investing diligently over a lifetime, retiring into a market downturn or unexpectedly needing expensive medical treatment can

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Finance

New Bitcoin ETFs Are Raking in Cash But Not From Financial Advisors. Here’s Why.

The new crop of exchange-traded funds offering direct exposure to Bitcoin may have accumulated billions in new assets in the two months since they hit the market, but experts say that’s not because advisors have suddenly jumped on the crypto bandwagon. Most advisors aren’t permitted to talk to clients about the so-called spot Bitcoin funds,

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Funds

Retired Investors Can Benefit From Actively Managed Funds. It’s All in the Timing.

Many advisors are turning away from mutual funds in favor of exchange-traded funds and separately managed accounts to build client portfolios. But not Jeff Leonard, founder and managing partner of Leonard & Martens, a 25-year-old Anchorage, Alaska, practice under the Raymond James umbrella with $1.2 billion in assets under management. Leonard has tried SMAs and

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Loans

Assumable mortgages are easier to find in these cities — but there’s a catch

Assumable mortgages, or home loans that pass on their mortgage rate from a home seller to a buyer, are considered an attractive option these days: They effectively allow buyers to inherit a far lower interest rate at a time when mortgage rates are higher than 7%. And while these loans are relatively hard to find

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Mortgage

My $550K home has a 2.5% mortgage rate, but I don’t like the area. Do I sell?

My husband and I can’t decide between selling our house or renting it out. We live in Northern California in an area that we don’t like. The house is cute, we have a 2.5% interest rate and $262,000 left on our mortgage. The Redfin estimate for our home right now is $550,000.  We welcomed a

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Finance

Two years on, Ukraine’s economy has stabilised, but Western finance firms are finding their Russia exit tricky

Two years on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and global finance firms are still feeling the impact of the fallout, with many still scrambling to untangle their businesses from the region. The outlook for international finance giants in Russia remains on a knife-edge, as the country continues to face a host of challenges. These range

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