I have several EE bonds and am not sure if I should keep them or cash them in. NO, I have not been paying the interest on them, so if I cash them, I know I have to pay for the interest. If they have reached their maturity, should I cash them in? What is the point of hanging onto them, if any? They are dated 1989 - 1992. Would appreciate any info on bonds that you can provide.
Answer:
Interest on EE savings bonds is not taxable at the State level. But the Feds tax the accumulated interest the year you redeem them.
Your bonds stop paying interest 30 years after issuance. Right now the interest is probably about 3.5% - something you will never get from a bank. And banks are not likely to be offering anywhere close to this figure for some time yet, probably not until 2014.
Apple Stock Question?
I’m soon going to be 18 and my parents own stock and are telling me that it would be a wise idea for me to also look in to it. i feel that maybe they are right so i looked around a little and thought maybe i would like to invest the $500 or so in to Apple Stock. I’m kind of new at this and would like to know where i can find some good information about this and also if there are any other look things to invest a little money in that I can make a profit from.
Answer:
I would not suggest investing in anything until you analyze it for awhile. Apple is a little high right now so you should wait until it drops some if thats what you got your mind set on. I would suggest you start with some lower price stocks that have a history of strong divedend payouts, then even if you do not ever sell your stocks you are still earning a income that can be cashed out or reinvested.
Answer:
I would not suggest investing in anything until you analyze it for awhile. Apple is a little high right now so you should wait until it drops some if thats what you got your mind set on. I would suggest you start with some lower price stocks that have a history of strong divedend payouts, then even if you do not ever sell your stocks you are still earning a income that can be cashed out or reinvested.
Is it good to have a 401k and Roth IRA?
Somebody suggested a few days ago to contribute what my company matches in my 401k and then open a roth account my company has it with prudential and they match 100% the first 3% and 50% the next 2% and I'm putting in 7% and I was on prudential website and I can also select what percent I want to contribute to a roth 401k so I thought maybe instead of putting 7 in my 401 drop it to 5 and put 2% in a roth I just don't really know much about it any advice would be appreciated.
Answer:
The difference between a ROTH and a regular 401k is when you pay the taxes.
With a regular 401k, contributions are tax deductible up front. Since you don't have to pay taxes on these contributions that means you can put more in. However when you retire you will have to pay taxes on each withdrawal at your ordinary income rate.
With a ROTH 401k contributions are not tax deductible. However once the money is in a ROTH account you will never have to pay taxes on the money again (assuming you wait until you retire to withdraw it).
Generally if you are making a lot of money right now and are currently in a very high tax bracket AND you expect to be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, then the traditional 401k makes the most sense.
However if you are currently not in a high tax bracket and you expect to save a lot of money for retirement, then the ROTH makes more sense because you will pay no taxes in later years when you have a higher income.
The most important thing above all is to match your employer's contributions and maximize the amount of money you put in. Whichever path allows you to get the highest contributions from your employer is the way you should go. If either direction gets you the same amount, then consider the tax implications I talked about.
Answer:
The difference between a ROTH and a regular 401k is when you pay the taxes.
With a regular 401k, contributions are tax deductible up front. Since you don't have to pay taxes on these contributions that means you can put more in. However when you retire you will have to pay taxes on each withdrawal at your ordinary income rate.
With a ROTH 401k contributions are not tax deductible. However once the money is in a ROTH account you will never have to pay taxes on the money again (assuming you wait until you retire to withdraw it).
Generally if you are making a lot of money right now and are currently in a very high tax bracket AND you expect to be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, then the traditional 401k makes the most sense.
However if you are currently not in a high tax bracket and you expect to save a lot of money for retirement, then the ROTH makes more sense because you will pay no taxes in later years when you have a higher income.
The most important thing above all is to match your employer's contributions and maximize the amount of money you put in. Whichever path allows you to get the highest contributions from your employer is the way you should go. If either direction gets you the same amount, then consider the tax implications I talked about.
What happened to my WAMUQ stocks?
Hi, I made a post about a month ago and I
Essentially, I asked about WAMUQ stocks and what the future held for them. I bought 7500+ shares of WAMUQ for $0.03 per share. JoeyV stated that my shares would survive after the bankruptcy process was completed and they re-emerged as a new company. This does not seem to be the case. In my Scottrade Account, it still says I have the shares of WAMUQ and it says the market value is $0.00.
I have checked around and it seems that Washington Mutual is now trading as WMIH. Does this mean I am out of luck and my 7500 shares go in the toilet? Will my shares be converted eventually, or am I just stuck with them?
Answer:
You will get something for your shares which I believe is new shares. The WAMUQ stock is old stock and it is cancelled. But you should still get something which is some number of shares in the newly reorganized company. How much that will be worth is anyone's guess.
Frankly, I thought you would get something by now as the reorg plan became effective on 3/19.
Edit: I guess you had a ballot which you were supposed to send in to receive the settlement. I can't tell what happens if you did nothing on that as you received a settlement if you sent back the ballot unmarked. It's possible that if you did nothing you "opted out" of the settlement. You need to call your broker and see what's what.
This is a problem with buying bankrupt stock - even if you win you may lose because you got this arcane ballot in the mail and you ignored it. Ouch.
Essentially, I asked about WAMUQ stocks and what the future held for them. I bought 7500+ shares of WAMUQ for $0.03 per share. JoeyV stated that my shares would survive after the bankruptcy process was completed and they re-emerged as a new company. This does not seem to be the case. In my Scottrade Account, it still says I have the shares of WAMUQ and it says the market value is $0.00.
I have checked around and it seems that Washington Mutual is now trading as WMIH. Does this mean I am out of luck and my 7500 shares go in the toilet? Will my shares be converted eventually, or am I just stuck with them?
Answer:
You will get something for your shares which I believe is new shares. The WAMUQ stock is old stock and it is cancelled. But you should still get something which is some number of shares in the newly reorganized company. How much that will be worth is anyone's guess.
Frankly, I thought you would get something by now as the reorg plan became effective on 3/19.
Edit: I guess you had a ballot which you were supposed to send in to receive the settlement. I can't tell what happens if you did nothing on that as you received a settlement if you sent back the ballot unmarked. It's possible that if you did nothing you "opted out" of the settlement. You need to call your broker and see what's what.
This is a problem with buying bankrupt stock - even if you win you may lose because you got this arcane ballot in the mail and you ignored it. Ouch.
Buying and Selling Stocks?
I am a Forex trader for the last two years and never traded stocks...I am so used to simple buy and sell in forex with target profit and stop loss...It is not the same thing stock trading....I recently opened an account with cheap broker name zecco to test drive how stocks work...I am really frustrated at how to close my trades as there is no such option in stock brokers....I got two trades opened when I first traded it was in positive gain the first time i bought time now it stands at -75% loss...how the f***k do i close this mother f998908king trade....I need to get the hell away from stocks...
please any body with the knowledge help me out cause I am thinking about suicide its soo depressing when you can't figure things out....
Answer:
errrrr I don't know what you do in Forex but with stocks:
You issue and order to buy them (say 100 shares of ABC at a limit price of $1/share or a market order where the shares will be bought at the cheapest price available at the time)
When you are ready you issue an order to sell them (place a sell order of 100 shares of ABC at a limit price of eg. $1.25/share or a market order where they will be sold at the best price at that moment)
please any body with the knowledge help me out cause I am thinking about suicide its soo depressing when you can't figure things out....
Answer:
errrrr I don't know what you do in Forex but with stocks:
You issue and order to buy them (say 100 shares of ABC at a limit price of $1/share or a market order where the shares will be bought at the cheapest price available at the time)
When you are ready you issue an order to sell them (place a sell order of 100 shares of ABC at a limit price of eg. $1.25/share or a market order where they will be sold at the best price at that moment)
Stocks? if i want to invest a little money in some stocks how easy is it? how do i start?
Answer:
It's not hard but you should be aware of a few things. You say you are looking to invest "a little" money in stocks. How much that refers to affects my advise for you. If it's less $25,000 then i suggest using a broker or even better, a financial advisor who can help you invest and teach you things along the way. A financial advisor isn't there to take large cuts of what is made with your money, but rather to help you. Typically they make their money from the companies that they are in association with (not percentage cuts your money). But, if you can do enough research and possibly read up on investing enough to feel comfortable to do it on your own, and you have more than $25,000 then you may be ready to start on your own. In which case i suggest using an online broker such as Scottrade, E-trade, etc. You can learn more about investing by reading investment books as i said, but look for ones that have been written by a current or former investor who has experienced the pros and cons to investing. You can also check out www.morningstar.com which may be helpful to you for learning more about investing. And you might ask why i refer to the figure of $25,000. This is because there are regulations to trading and this is one you should be aware of. You can't make any more than 3 trades in a five day trading period with less than $25,000. Hope this helps.
It's not hard but you should be aware of a few things. You say you are looking to invest "a little" money in stocks. How much that refers to affects my advise for you. If it's less $25,000 then i suggest using a broker or even better, a financial advisor who can help you invest and teach you things along the way. A financial advisor isn't there to take large cuts of what is made with your money, but rather to help you. Typically they make their money from the companies that they are in association with (not percentage cuts your money). But, if you can do enough research and possibly read up on investing enough to feel comfortable to do it on your own, and you have more than $25,000 then you may be ready to start on your own. In which case i suggest using an online broker such as Scottrade, E-trade, etc. You can learn more about investing by reading investment books as i said, but look for ones that have been written by a current or former investor who has experienced the pros and cons to investing. You can also check out www.morningstar.com which may be helpful to you for learning more about investing. And you might ask why i refer to the figure of $25,000. This is because there are regulations to trading and this is one you should be aware of. You can't make any more than 3 trades in a five day trading period with less than $25,000. Hope this helps.
When you buy and sell stocks, who buys and sells them?
On the stock market when you buys shares I'm guessing it's from the company. However, when you want to buy or sell shares can you always do this? Do you need to wait for someone to buy them in the stock exchange or are the company obliged to sell them back to you?
Answer:
In the old days, you had to give your order to a broker who was typically a member of a stock exchange like the NYSE. It was a membership that only allowed members to trade. Trading took place on the floor physically at a trading post, which was run by a specialist or dealer. The specialist would have special rights and obligations that allowed them to control the trading of the trade book, where all the orders were aggregated.
If you wanted to purchase, say 1000 shares of GM stock, you would call in an order for a $5.00 bid for 1000 shares. Your order would in some way make it to a clerk in a booth on the edge of the floor. The clerk would relay the order to the floor broker, either physically on paper, by telephone, or with hand signals(which were similar to sign language, and rather complex). The broker would then enter the trading crowd in front of the specialist...
Let's say there were 2 other brokers and the spec in the crowd. Each broker was offering 400 shares at $5.00, for a total of 800. Your broker would go in and ask where he could purchase 1000k shares. The dealer would say there're 800 shares at $5, and that he'd clean you up on the balance, meaning sell you 200 shares that he owned(the other brokers would likely be representing other customers, not their own accounts). Your broker would pay $5.00 for 1000 shares. To do this all parties would exchange badge numbers and give-ups. All members on the floor had a badge number to match them to their trades, as there were many transactions per day, perhaps thousands, performed by most members. Your give-up would be the symbol assigned to the clearing broker, of which there were many, such as Credit Suisse, BofA, JPM, Morgan Stanley, etc. So, your broker would say "giving up NFS" for example. The other guys would be familiar with him and his badge # and not have to ask. He would get the give-up of the 2 brokers and specialist and write that info along with the quantity each, and price, on the ticket. He would phone in a trade confirmation to the booth, which would eventually make it back to the original buyer. For example, it could go from broker on the floor to clerk in the booth to NFS office in downtown Manhattan to regional office from where you placed the trade back to you in your kitchen, more or less. A runner would take the tickets to the booth, and at the end of the day all trades were matched and confirmed in the DK room(Don't Know) to identify and correct potential errors.
The trades you do are not with the company that issues the stock, but with 3rd parties who own shares. That could mean institutional holders like a mutual fund, or individuals like yourself. As I mentioned before, dealers had special rights as well as obligations. One of those obligations is to provide liquidity. So, if you want to buy or sell and there is no one to trade with, you can always trade with the specialist. However, they don't have to meet you on price. In the GM example, let's say you wanted to buy 1000 shares, and there were no orders to sell on the floor. The dealer would say, "I'll sell you 1k at 5 1/4, or $5.25 (trading was in fractions until 2000, I think). Then, if you wanted them, you'd have to pay $5.25. If you didn't want to pay that much, you would have to wait for a seller to come in who wanted to buy them, which may or may not happen by the end of the day. Most stock orders are day orders, where they are good all day long, but canceled at the close of the market. If you want to place the order again, you have to do it the next day.
It's mostly the same today, except now that's it's computerized. Your broker is a computer that trades with other computers, which makes it much faster and less expensive.
Answer:
In the old days, you had to give your order to a broker who was typically a member of a stock exchange like the NYSE. It was a membership that only allowed members to trade. Trading took place on the floor physically at a trading post, which was run by a specialist or dealer. The specialist would have special rights and obligations that allowed them to control the trading of the trade book, where all the orders were aggregated.
If you wanted to purchase, say 1000 shares of GM stock, you would call in an order for a $5.00 bid for 1000 shares. Your order would in some way make it to a clerk in a booth on the edge of the floor. The clerk would relay the order to the floor broker, either physically on paper, by telephone, or with hand signals(which were similar to sign language, and rather complex). The broker would then enter the trading crowd in front of the specialist...
Let's say there were 2 other brokers and the spec in the crowd. Each broker was offering 400 shares at $5.00, for a total of 800. Your broker would go in and ask where he could purchase 1000k shares. The dealer would say there're 800 shares at $5, and that he'd clean you up on the balance, meaning sell you 200 shares that he owned(the other brokers would likely be representing other customers, not their own accounts). Your broker would pay $5.00 for 1000 shares. To do this all parties would exchange badge numbers and give-ups. All members on the floor had a badge number to match them to their trades, as there were many transactions per day, perhaps thousands, performed by most members. Your give-up would be the symbol assigned to the clearing broker, of which there were many, such as Credit Suisse, BofA, JPM, Morgan Stanley, etc. So, your broker would say "giving up NFS" for example. The other guys would be familiar with him and his badge # and not have to ask. He would get the give-up of the 2 brokers and specialist and write that info along with the quantity each, and price, on the ticket. He would phone in a trade confirmation to the booth, which would eventually make it back to the original buyer. For example, it could go from broker on the floor to clerk in the booth to NFS office in downtown Manhattan to regional office from where you placed the trade back to you in your kitchen, more or less. A runner would take the tickets to the booth, and at the end of the day all trades were matched and confirmed in the DK room(Don't Know) to identify and correct potential errors.
The trades you do are not with the company that issues the stock, but with 3rd parties who own shares. That could mean institutional holders like a mutual fund, or individuals like yourself. As I mentioned before, dealers had special rights as well as obligations. One of those obligations is to provide liquidity. So, if you want to buy or sell and there is no one to trade with, you can always trade with the specialist. However, they don't have to meet you on price. In the GM example, let's say you wanted to buy 1000 shares, and there were no orders to sell on the floor. The dealer would say, "I'll sell you 1k at 5 1/4, or $5.25 (trading was in fractions until 2000, I think). Then, if you wanted them, you'd have to pay $5.25. If you didn't want to pay that much, you would have to wait for a seller to come in who wanted to buy them, which may or may not happen by the end of the day. Most stock orders are day orders, where they are good all day long, but canceled at the close of the market. If you want to place the order again, you have to do it the next day.
It's mostly the same today, except now that's it's computerized. Your broker is a computer that trades with other computers, which makes it much faster and less expensive.
What happens in stock split?
Answer:
Lets say you own 10 shares in a company that has a total of 100 shares outstanding. You own ten percent of that company. If the company were to decide to do a 10 for 1 stock split there would then be 1,000 shares outstanding. You would then own 100 shares. The percentage of the company wich you own is still 10% but now you own more shares which make up that same 10%.
One reason a company splits its stock is to give investors a chance to buy the shares at a lower price thus making it easier for them to invest in that company. Some people see a lower price as being more affordable.
It's sort of like taking a pie and cutting it into smaller peices. The pie is the same size only now there are more peices of it. It didn't change anything about the pie except the number of peices that are in existence.
The reverse of a stock split would be a reverse stock split. Sometimes when a company is trading below a certain dollar amount they do a reverse stock split so that it brings the price of stock up to a higher level. Once again if the company had 1,000 shares outstanding and you owned 100 of them and they did a reverse 10 for 1 split then you would go from having 100 shares to having 10. The percentage of the company you own would still be 10% but there would be fewer shares.
Lets say you own 10 shares in a company that has a total of 100 shares outstanding. You own ten percent of that company. If the company were to decide to do a 10 for 1 stock split there would then be 1,000 shares outstanding. You would then own 100 shares. The percentage of the company wich you own is still 10% but now you own more shares which make up that same 10%.
One reason a company splits its stock is to give investors a chance to buy the shares at a lower price thus making it easier for them to invest in that company. Some people see a lower price as being more affordable.
It's sort of like taking a pie and cutting it into smaller peices. The pie is the same size only now there are more peices of it. It didn't change anything about the pie except the number of peices that are in existence.
The reverse of a stock split would be a reverse stock split. Sometimes when a company is trading below a certain dollar amount they do a reverse stock split so that it brings the price of stock up to a higher level. Once again if the company had 1,000 shares outstanding and you owned 100 of them and they did a reverse 10 for 1 split then you would go from having 100 shares to having 10. The percentage of the company you own would still be 10% but there would be fewer shares.
Are Dividends the same as a stock? I know what they do but lets say if i buy 500 dividends directly from?
That would give me 500 shares correct?
so if the day came id be able to sell those 500?
Answer:
Dividends are not the same as stock. You must a stock in a company that offers a dividend. So if you own 500 shares of stock in a company then they may pay you a dividend for each share you own. Not all companies pay a dividend though.
so if the day came id be able to sell those 500?
Answer:
Dividends are not the same as stock. You must a stock in a company that offers a dividend. So if you own 500 shares of stock in a company then they may pay you a dividend for each share you own. Not all companies pay a dividend though.
What are "wash trades"? And why are they created?
Answer:
A wash trade is something else. A wash trade is an illegal activity wherein someone will use two different brokers to both buy and sell a stock at the same time. Basically just passing shares from one hand to the other, to make it look like there is a sudden increase in activity. Sucking in unsuspecting buyers in the hopes of driving the price of the stock up, so that they can then sell at a premium.
Basically an illegal pump and dump designed to suck in buyers so the perpetrator can sell at a higher price.
A wash trade is something else. A wash trade is an illegal activity wherein someone will use two different brokers to both buy and sell a stock at the same time. Basically just passing shares from one hand to the other, to make it look like there is a sudden increase in activity. Sucking in unsuspecting buyers in the hopes of driving the price of the stock up, so that they can then sell at a premium.
Basically an illegal pump and dump designed to suck in buyers so the perpetrator can sell at a higher price.
What are primary and secondary markets?
Answer:
Basically when a company first issues shares in the market, it is called Primary Market, The shares may be issued on the face value or with a premium. Once they are issued and listed in the stock market, they are traded and is known as Secondary market.
Basically when a company first issues shares in the market, it is called Primary Market, The shares may be issued on the face value or with a premium. Once they are issued and listed in the stock market, they are traded and is known as Secondary market.
Will Bank Of America give a car loan to a first time buyer? (I barely have any credit but its positive credit)?
I am in the military and have a steady income and was wondering if bank of america will give out car loans to first time buyers if so
WHat is the maximum they will give? Interest?
I have barely any credit as I do not own anything.
Answer:
For car loans they are fairly lenient and as long as you do not have have any bad credit and you have a job I do not think you will have any problems getting the Car loan you seek. I think you will get competetive interest rates just like I said before if you do not have any bad credit.
WHat is the maximum they will give? Interest?
I have barely any credit as I do not own anything.
Answer:
For car loans they are fairly lenient and as long as you do not have have any bad credit and you have a job I do not think you will have any problems getting the Car loan you seek. I think you will get competetive interest rates just like I said before if you do not have any bad credit.
What percentage of your income should you invest in mutual funds and IRA?
Answer:
If you do not have an employer sponsored 401k where they match money that you put in and the IRA is your main source of retirement savings I would do at least 10% of my yearly salary or the max of $5,000. Then if you still have a good bit of investing money left over and I would look into stocks that pay good dividends and start collecting some of them as well because they will pay you back over and over, I would just make sure you collect good solid companies stocks and get a wide variety in many different sectors if you go with this strategy. Here are a some good blogs I would join to help you learn more about investing.
If you do not have an employer sponsored 401k where they match money that you put in and the IRA is your main source of retirement savings I would do at least 10% of my yearly salary or the max of $5,000. Then if you still have a good bit of investing money left over and I would look into stocks that pay good dividends and start collecting some of them as well because they will pay you back over and over, I would just make sure you collect good solid companies stocks and get a wide variety in many different sectors if you go with this strategy. Here are a some good blogs I would join to help you learn more about investing.
How should I invest in my 401K to get the most out of it?
I have no idea what how to distribute? However, I do like to play it somewhat safe. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Ready Assets Prime Money Fund
Invesco Van Kampen Equity and Income Fund - Class R
BlackRock S&P 500 Index Fund - Investor A Class
BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc. - Investor A Class
Fidelity Advisor Small Cap Fund - Class T 15
Ivy Asset Strategy Fund - Class Y
Delaware Diversified Income Fund - Class A
Victory Established Value Fund - Class A
BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio - Investor A Class
Thornburg International Value Fund - Class R4
BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund - Investor A Class 35-40
Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund - Class A
Invesco Van Kampen Comstock Fund - Class A
MainStay Large Cap Growth Fund - Class A
BlackRock Large Cap Core Fund - Investor A Class
Ivy International Balanced Fund - Class Y
Victory Special Value Fund - Class
BlackRock Large Cap Growth Fund - Investor A Class
Aberdeen Global Natural Resources Fund - Class A
Answer:
If you are looking to invest safely I would start by putting 25% in the Ready Asset Prime Money Fund. If the market drops about 20% then you can move that into your other choices.
Fidelity Small Cap Fund has not been a good fund. Avoid that one.
Victory Established Value Fund. The name is somewhat misleading. This is not actually a value fund but it is a good fund. 25%
Invesco Van Kampen Equity and Income. Not a great fund. About average but relatively safe. 25%
Aberdeen Global Natural Resources Fund. This one should be a no brainer but its record is very poor. Must be poor management. Avoid it.
Black Rock Large Cap Core Fund. Another dog. Avoid it. Holding are not what I would call core holdings and its performance is poor.
Ivy Asset Strategy Fund. Not a bad fund. It is better than it appears. Holds some gold. Holds some international stocks. 25%
Delaware Diversified Income Fund. This has been a real good fund, but it is a bond fund and bonds are due for a fall. Avoid it.
Those are the best of the bunch that you were presented with in my opinion. One of the problems with 401k accounts is many times the selection is not great.
Ready Assets Prime Money Fund
Invesco Van Kampen Equity and Income Fund - Class R
BlackRock S&P 500 Index Fund - Investor A Class
BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc. - Investor A Class
Fidelity Advisor Small Cap Fund - Class T 15
Ivy Asset Strategy Fund - Class Y
Delaware Diversified Income Fund - Class A
Victory Established Value Fund - Class A
BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio - Investor A Class
Thornburg International Value Fund - Class R4
BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund - Investor A Class 35-40
Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund - Class A
Invesco Van Kampen Comstock Fund - Class A
MainStay Large Cap Growth Fund - Class A
BlackRock Large Cap Core Fund - Investor A Class
Ivy International Balanced Fund - Class Y
Victory Special Value Fund - Class
BlackRock Large Cap Growth Fund - Investor A Class
Aberdeen Global Natural Resources Fund - Class A
Answer:
If you are looking to invest safely I would start by putting 25% in the Ready Asset Prime Money Fund. If the market drops about 20% then you can move that into your other choices.
Fidelity Small Cap Fund has not been a good fund. Avoid that one.
Victory Established Value Fund. The name is somewhat misleading. This is not actually a value fund but it is a good fund. 25%
Invesco Van Kampen Equity and Income. Not a great fund. About average but relatively safe. 25%
Aberdeen Global Natural Resources Fund. This one should be a no brainer but its record is very poor. Must be poor management. Avoid it.
Black Rock Large Cap Core Fund. Another dog. Avoid it. Holding are not what I would call core holdings and its performance is poor.
Ivy Asset Strategy Fund. Not a bad fund. It is better than it appears. Holds some gold. Holds some international stocks. 25%
Delaware Diversified Income Fund. This has been a real good fund, but it is a bond fund and bonds are due for a fall. Avoid it.
Those are the best of the bunch that you were presented with in my opinion. One of the problems with 401k accounts is many times the selection is not great.
Question about stock market?
I need help finding a good website that does all of the Ratios and Margins for Fundamental analysis.
Answer:
I prefer MSN Finance for technical info and then from there I also check out the articles down towards the bottom as they are always related to the stock I am checking out and you can find some more in depth stock analaysis this way.
Answer:
I prefer MSN Finance for technical info and then from there I also check out the articles down towards the bottom as they are always related to the stock I am checking out and you can find some more in depth stock analaysis this way.
Should I bother applying for a FHA or is it a waste of effort?
I currently hold a score of 665.
Is a score of 665 too low to be considered for a home mortgage? Should I apply or should I wait?
Additional information: debt-to income ratio is 18%. Score 98% on time payments. 3 derogatory credit remarks, one of which is payed off. total debt of 62K with 53K belonging to student loans. Average yearly income of 49k.
Answer:
Short answer: You are not wasting your time applying for an FHA loan now. Interest rates are attractive, and there are many properties to choose from today.
Longer answer: Because your credit score is greater than 580, you may qualify for an FHA mortgage that requires a 3.5% down payment. You mentioned a couple of key factors in qualifying for a loan, including:
* Your credit score. 665 is fine for an FHA loan. Today, the FHA requires a 580 minimum score
* Your low DTI. An 18% DTI is a good starting place.
But lenders look for several other factors, including:
* Your income history. Typically, lenders want you to work in a field for 2 years.
* Your reserves. Savings, retirement plans, investments, and so on.
You mentioned a $150,000 loan. The FHA requires a 3.5% down payment. Do you have $5,250 set aside for a down payment? To learn more about qualifying for an FHA loan, see the Source(s) below.
Is a score of 665 too low to be considered for a home mortgage? Should I apply or should I wait?
Additional information: debt-to income ratio is 18%. Score 98% on time payments. 3 derogatory credit remarks, one of which is payed off. total debt of 62K with 53K belonging to student loans. Average yearly income of 49k.
Answer:
Short answer: You are not wasting your time applying for an FHA loan now. Interest rates are attractive, and there are many properties to choose from today.
Longer answer: Because your credit score is greater than 580, you may qualify for an FHA mortgage that requires a 3.5% down payment. You mentioned a couple of key factors in qualifying for a loan, including:
* Your credit score. 665 is fine for an FHA loan. Today, the FHA requires a 580 minimum score
* Your low DTI. An 18% DTI is a good starting place.
But lenders look for several other factors, including:
* Your income history. Typically, lenders want you to work in a field for 2 years.
* Your reserves. Savings, retirement plans, investments, and so on.
You mentioned a $150,000 loan. The FHA requires a 3.5% down payment. Do you have $5,250 set aside for a down payment? To learn more about qualifying for an FHA loan, see the Source(s) below.
Should I contact debt collectors or wait for them to contact me?
A couple of years ago i got myself in trouble with a credit card with barclaycard (i'm an idiot I know). However I now have enough money to clear the account (though ideally I would like to make an offer to pay a bit less as I know this could be accepted). I've moved house since the debt and they haven't been able to trace me yet. According to my credit report which I checked today the Barclaycard is closed but there is a new debt for the same amount with a debt collection agency. Should I write to the debt collection agency and try and clear the debt (if so what should I say), or should I just keep the money to one side and wait for them to contact me?
Answer:
I would suggest you do try to track down who owns your debt now and see if they will offer to let you get rid of it at a lower rate. They will eventually find you anyways and if you want to clear your name and your debt, it will be better to do it faster and get it off your mind.
Answer:
I would suggest you do try to track down who owns your debt now and see if they will offer to let you get rid of it at a lower rate. They will eventually find you anyways and if you want to clear your name and your debt, it will be better to do it faster and get it off your mind.
If someone paid me with paypal on ebay and I only have a debit card on my account, will it go to my card?
I don't have a paypal but that's how someone paid me. Does it just got to my debit card, or did I just lose money?
Answer:
If you don't have a Paypal account, then you have not been paid. The person may attempt to send money to your e-mail address, but you'll need a Paypal account in order to receive that money.
It won't go to your debit card.
Answer:
If you don't have a Paypal account, then you have not been paid. The person may attempt to send money to your e-mail address, but you'll need a Paypal account in order to receive that money.
It won't go to your debit card.
Which is a better financial scenario?
I want to buy a new car. Should I:
1-Take a loan now from the bank. (I don't have any savings)
2-Save 15000$ before taking the loan, and put them in a savings account to offset the car loan interest.
3-Save 15000$ and buy the car in cash
Answer:
I would suggest that you do #3 and pay cash for your car, cars lose value very fast and are not very good investments so I would not want to pay any interest if I had that option.
1-Take a loan now from the bank. (I don't have any savings)
2-Save 15000$ before taking the loan, and put them in a savings account to offset the car loan interest.
3-Save 15000$ and buy the car in cash
Answer:
I would suggest that you do #3 and pay cash for your car, cars lose value very fast and are not very good investments so I would not want to pay any interest if I had that option.
How much house can we buy?
We are trying to move house.Bank agrees to lend us £170,000 (based on salary)providing 10% deposit.We may make £10,000 from existing house and we have £40,000 savings.My understanding is we can buy a house worth 170,000+10,000+40,000=220,000.But sb said we actually need to deduct 17,000 which is the 10% of 170,000.Sb else said we need to deduct 22000 which is 10% of house price.I am well confused. Please anybody can explain to me how it works or simply tell me how much house we can afford. Thanks a lot.
Answer:
The bank is saying if you borrow £170000 you must put at least £19,000 into your new house.
How much money can you put into your new house. Profit from selling your old house after paying off the old mortgage £10,000 plus savings £40,000. So you are well within the minimum requirements of the bank. In theory you could buy a house costing £220,000.
There are however costs to consider, estate agent, legal fees buying and selling, surveyors charges, mortgage application charges, removal van. There may be others but I cant think what they are.
Next remember mortgage interest rates are low at the moment, so expect your mortgage repayments to go up over the next few years. Could you afford an 8 to 10% mortgage rate?
Just because the bank will lend you the money does not mean you can afford it.
Answer:
The bank is saying if you borrow £170000 you must put at least £19,000 into your new house.
How much money can you put into your new house. Profit from selling your old house after paying off the old mortgage £10,000 plus savings £40,000. So you are well within the minimum requirements of the bank. In theory you could buy a house costing £220,000.
There are however costs to consider, estate agent, legal fees buying and selling, surveyors charges, mortgage application charges, removal van. There may be others but I cant think what they are.
Next remember mortgage interest rates are low at the moment, so expect your mortgage repayments to go up over the next few years. Could you afford an 8 to 10% mortgage rate?
Just because the bank will lend you the money does not mean you can afford it.
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