Recently, high-yield bonds, otherwise known as junk bonds, have been in the news following the collapse of the Third Avenue Focused Credit Fund. This mutual fund invested in some of the riskiest and least liquid bonds and corporate bank loans. The fund was already down 27% in 2015. As investors tried to get their money […]
Investment Ideas
My mutual funds are down. How can I have capital gains?
It’s that time of year when mutual funds make their capital gains distributions. As of Nov 23, the S&P 500 is up a little over 1% for the year. The Dow (DJIA) is actually fractionally down for the year. However, many mutual funds will be paying out large taxable distributions in the coming weeks. How is this […]
A Financial Lesson for the New College Grad
It’s that time of year again when college seniors head into the real world. First of all, we would like to congratulate all the new grads on their achievement. Luckily, the job hiring environment is better this year than it’s been in a long time, with the unemployment rate around 5.5%. New grads are often bombarded […]
Are You Your Own Worst Enemy
I am often asked my prediction for the market. I typically tell people the truth: I don’t know what the market will do, especially for the short term. Good news doesn’t necessarily translate into higher stock prices, and conversely, bad news doesn’t always translate into lower prices. Honestly, I don’t believe anyone can predict the […]
Help! My Restricted Stock Units Just Vested. What Do I Do?
Many employees in the Bay Area, especially in Silicon Valley, have restricted stock units (RSUs) that have been granted to them by their employer. These RSUs are one method that your company uses to retain talent. Back in the 1990s, many companies used stock options for this purpose, but these have largely been replaced by […]