5/14/12 - What are the advantages and disadvantages in owning mutual funds?05/14/12 What are the advantages and disadvantages in owning mutual funds?
> Advantages of investing in Mutual Funds
* Actively managed portfolio.
* Portfolios may be more diversified.
* Some funds have no loads and... More
5/7/12 - What are the advantages/disadvantages of in investing in Exchanged Traded Funds?05/07/12 What are the advantages/disadvantages of investing in Exchanged Traded Funds?
> Advantages of investing in ETFs:
o ETFs are traded daily similar to stocks and can
be sold anytime during normal trading hours
... More
4/30/12 - Should you Sell in May and Go Away? Maybe not this year!04/30/12
Should you Sell in May and Go Away? Maybe not this year!
> A popular investment strategy among the advisory community is to sell in May and go away because between June and September the market is usually the most... More
April 23, 2012 - Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Leave Your 401k or 403b Plan With Your Former Employer.04/23/12 Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Leave Your 401k or 403b Plan With Your Former Employer.
> Most people don't actively monitor it once they leave their employment.
> Plans often drop or add mutual funds that are offered and if... More
April 16, 2012 - Do investors benefit from stock splits?04/16/12
Do investors benefit from stock splits?
> A stock split is declared by the Board of Directors of a company; the most common stock split is 2 shares are given for 1 share of stock owned
> Google announced last week that it... More
4/9/12 - The Alternative Mininum Tax Trap04/09/12 The Alternative Mininum Tax Trap.
> The AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) was originally designed so that individuals with substantial incomes, the one percenters, could not avoid paying taxes.
> An individual's taxes are... More
4/2/12 - Don't Fall For These "Foolish" Mistakes.04/02/12 Investing isn't easy. Pros and amateurs alike make mistakes - that just comes with the territory. Some mistakes are easier to identify and avoid so, this being April Fools (close enough), today might be a good time to review some... More
3/26/12 - Low interest rates are a benefit for individuals who are eligible to take a lump sum from a company pension plan.03/26/12 Low interest rates are a benefit for individuals who are eligible to take a lump sum from a company pension plan.
> Traditional pension plans accrue a large lump sum over the working life of each of their employees.
> Most... More
3/19/12 - What are the implications for Apple stock now that the company has announced a dividend?03/19/12 What are the implications for Apple stock now that the company has announced a dividend?
> The dividend put a floor under the stock price because the stock price isn't based just on projected earnings.
> Game changer which... More
3/12/12 - Can retail sales stay strong with higher gas prices?03/12/12
Can retail sales stay strong with higher gas prices?
> Retail sales were reported last week for February and indicated that the consumer is spending; sales increased by 6.3% from the same period last year.
> Many of the... More
3/5/12 - There is an old adage in the investment world and that is that trees don't grow through the sky.03/05/12
There is an old adage in the investment world and that is that trees don't grow through the sky.
> Momentum plays a part when prices increase rapidly for a specific stock or a specific industry.
> Momentum can be described... More
2/27/12 - Monitoring weight in your portfolio may be as healthy to it as monitoring your own weight.02/27/12 Monitoring weight in your portfolio may be as healthy to it as monitoring your own weight.
> Everyone talks about asset allocation as a key to a successful portfolio, i.e. the amount of stocks, bonds, cash in it.
> Another... More
2/20/12 - Points to consider when investing in a 401k/403b.02/20/12 Points to consider when investing in a 401k/403b
> New rules that go into effect this year will disclose fees associated with both plans for employers and employees.
> Fees can affect performance by reducing the fund's... More
2/13/12 - New 401k/403b rules help employers and employees make better investment choices.02/13/12 New 401k/403b rules help employers and employees make better investment choices
> Many 401k plans have very high fees but these fees are not required to be disclosed to either the employer and the employer.
> All sponsors of... More
2/6/12 - Does the capital gain tax hurt or help investors?02/07/12 Does the capital gain tax hurt or help investors?
> Tax rates influence investors behavior
> Capital gain rates became permanent in 1913 and have been increased, eliminated, or decreased over the years; the current capital... More
1/30/12-Will Apple turn into the next Wal-Mart?01/30/12 Will Apple turn into the next Wal-Mart?
> Wal-Mart's business model was to offer the consumer the best price so they negotiated with the company directly and eliminated their suppliers middle man
> Apple dominates the phone... More
01/23/12-do cruise stocks offer good investment potential at this time?01/23/12 Do cruise stocks offer good investment potential at this time?
> The stock prices of these stocks have been hit hard by the recent cruise tragedy.
> The cruise industry is consolidating.
> Carnival and Royal Caribbean... More
01/16/12-Can the penny give us clues about inflation in our economy?01/16/12
**The penny is made up of 97.5 Zinc and 2.5 Copper
**The cost of making a penny constantly fluctuations based on the cost of these commodities
**In 2008, 1.26 cent to make a penny; in 2010 it cost 1.67 cents to make one... More
01/09/2012 - 2012 Predictions01/09/12 **During the month of January you will hear predictions for all of 2012; however, there is no guarantee that how the year begins predicts that it will end the same way; 2011 was a very up and down year and 2012 will probably be the... More
12/19/11-Tax tips to maximize your tax refund and reduce the taxes owed.12/19/11 Tax tips that will help you maximize your tax refund or reduce the taxes owed.
> If you always receive a large refund, adjust your withholdings; nationally the average refund is $3000
> If you have received unexpected... More
12/12/11- Run The Numbers Before Selling For A Loss - You May Be Pleasantly Surprised12/13/11 As we draw closer to the end of the year investors often look at their portfolios to determine whether or not they would benefit from tax-loss selling.
Simply put, tax-loss selling is selling an investment for a loss to offset an... More
12/05/11-Internet Purchasing Growing12/05/11 Internet purchases are rapidly growing. Does that mean that FedEx and UPS are good stocks to own?
> Cyber Monday began in 2005 and has grown from approximately $600 million in sales to over $1 billion in 2010
> Internet sales... More
11/28/11-Holiday Spending11/28/11 Retailers enjoyed a great Black Friday but will consumers continue to spend this holiday season?
**Holiday shopping includes both Hanukkah and Christmas.
**Consumers spending was up 6.6% from last year thanks to stores opening... More
11/21/2011-Challenging Holiday Season11/21/11 How are retailers enticing consumers this challenging holiday season?
> Retailers have added one more day to the pre-holiday shopping season by opening on Thanksgiving day
> Now more than ever retailers are offering layaway... More
11/14/2011-401k The Best Retirement Option!11/14/11 Is the 401k the best retirement option in the current job environment?
> Factors to consider:
o If you are a new employee do you think you have job
security and/or is this a temporary position for you
o Does... More
11/07/2011-Stock market is in a trading range?11/07/11 What does it mean when you hear that the stock market is in a trading range?
> A correction is when enough events converge so that the market goes to extreme bearishness.
> A trading range usually occurs following a... More
10/31/11-Social Security Recipients will get COLA in 201210/31/11 > Social Security payments were not increased for 2010/2011 based upon the government's formula to determine inflation
> The government formula is based upon the Consumer Price Index and when it exceeds a certain level, social... More
10/24/2011-Staying the Course10/24/11 Staying the course is the best medicine for the investor
> Between July and the end of September the DOW Jones was down over 16%
> Since the end of September the DOW Jones is up almost 10%
> Volatile market swings are... More
10/17/11 - New bank charges10/17/11 New bank charges should not be a surprise to customers following the reduction in debit fees.
**Banks are businesses that want to make a profit for their shareholders
**The reduction in debit card fees have significantly... More
10/5/11-Cynthia Scott will appear on WCNY's Financial Fitness Thursday, October 6, 201110/05/11 On Thursday, October 6th at 8pm, Cynthia will return as the guest panelist on WCNY-TV’s Financial Fitness.
The show will be broadcast live on Thursday, and re-broadcast on Friday and Sunday, 11am & 7pm each day, on WCNY2-TV.
... More
10/3/11-Any way to predict a correction in the Market?10/03/11 Is there any way to predict a correction in the market?
> Not entirely, but there is an indicator known as the VIX
> The VIX is the Volatility Index and measures how bearish or bullish traders and investors feel about the... More
9/26/11 - Federal Reserve's decision09/26/11 Why the market didn't like the Federal Reserve's decision to sell short term treasuries and buy long term ones.
> The Federal Reserve will sell $400 billion in short terms bonds that mature in 3 years or less and buy $400... More
9/19/11 - Regional Banks09/26/11 Investing in banks has seemed to be a losing strategy but regional banks offer investing opportunities
> A definition of a regional bank is based upon it size, usually it is valued at $10 billion or less
> Big banks such as... More
9/12/11-Caution is the word of the day for investors.09/12/11 Governments' have shown an inability to manage debt
European has ignored its debt problems which now is estimated at 3 trillion euro from the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain)
The U.S. has not addressed its $14... More
8/22/11 - Dividend Paying Stocks.08/22/11 From Greg Jennings of OMC Financial Services:
In light of recent market and economic events, now may be the perfect time to take a look at dividend paying stocks.
**Attractive yield compared to bank accounts, CDs and bonds ... More
08/17/11-Cynthia Scott will appear on WCNY's Financial Fitness Thursday, August 18, 201108/17/11 On Thursday, August 18th at 8pm, Cynthia will return as the guest host on WCNY-TV’s Financial Fitness, with Greg Jennings as one of her guests. She will lead the discussion on should investors reposition their portfolios in response... More
08/15/11 - Rule of 72.08/15/11 Can the Rule of 72 help you plan your investment needs?
**What is it? The Rule of 72 is a simplified way to determine how long it will take your investment to double.
**The formula is take your initial investment and determine... More
8/03/11-Cynthia will return as the guest host on WCNY-TV's Financial Fitness08/03/11 On Thursday, August 4th at 8pm, Cynthia will return as the guest host on WCNY-TV's Financial Fitness. She will lead the discussion on retirement plans and are they are track? The show will be broadcast live on Thursday, and... More
8/01/11-Debt Solution?08/01/11 >Lift threat of default
>Uncertainty about lower credit rating still exist.
>Treasury bills have both credit risk and interest rate risk.
>Economic growth is very slow and nothing has changed by raising the debt... More
7/27/11-Cynthia will return as the guest host on WCNY-TV's Financial Fitness07/27/11 On Thursday, July 28 at 8pm, Cynthia will return as the guest host on WCNY-TV's Financial Fitness. She will lead the discussion on the stock and bond markets. Are they really as fragile as the media makes them out to be? The show... More
7/25/11-Why raising the debt limit may be negative for interest rates and the economy.07/25/11 >The U.S. is already 93% in debt of its GDP (gross domestic products).
>Foreigners already own a great deal of U.S. debt and may demand higher interest rates to be induced to our bonds.
>Europe is heavily in debt and already... More
7/18/2011- Tips you should consider before purchasing a fixed annuity in an uncertain stock market.07/19/11 >Fixed annuities become popular when there is uncertainty in the stock market.
>Fixed annuities guarantee a specific interest rate for a specific time.
>Fixed annuities may not keep up with future inflation.
>Money invested... More
7/11/2011- Is the U.S. economy posed for a double dip after Friday's job report?07/14/11 >The jobs report caught investors off guard because only 18,000 private sector jobs were added in June; since March 545,000 additional people were laid off
>Many of the newly unemployed are from lay offs from the government sector... More
6/27/2011- Debit card tips to reduce or eliminate fees06/28/11 Some tips to reduce or eliminate the 'swipe fee' you are charged when you make a purchase:
> Use your debit card as a credit card; most debit cards can be used as a credit card as well. Check with your bank.
> Credit cards... More
6/13/2011-Debit card 'swipe fees'06/13/11 Will debit cards such as MasterCard and Visa continue to be profitable investments from the new legislation that limits 'swipe fees' to banks?
> Congress has passed legislation to regulate interchange fees for debit cards and it... More
6/6/2011-Traget Date Funds06/06/11 If you have a retirement plan such as a 401(k) chances are you've come across 'Target-Date funds'. Also known as 'Age-Based funds' or 'Lifecycle funds', these funds are often marketed as a 'one-stop shop'.
Basically, these funds... More
5/31/2011-Are 401k Changes coming?06/01/11 There is proposed legislation--the Seal 401k Savings Account - that would change the way loans are done from your retirement savings account, with a 'seal' on current leaks.
> The proposal would allow an employee to continue... More
5/23/2011-Regulation of Loans from 401k Plans05/24/11 New legislation is proposed to regulate loans from 401k plans
> The proposed legislation is referred to as the Seal 401k Savings Accounts
> There four major changes, two will be discussed today and two on May 31.
*... More
5/9/2011-Technical Corrections05/10/11 Investors need to understand the difference between technical corrections and fundamental corrections so they don't sell at the wrong time.
* A technical correction usually occurs when the value of the security becomes extreme... More
5/2/2010-Decline in Value of US Dollar05/03/11 Why the decline in the value of the US dollars is important to US and foreign investors:
> A decrease in the US dollar affects:
* US consumers who pay more for products that are imported from another country such as imported... More
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