The federal government is one of the nation’s largest employers. It employs millions of people; you may even be one of them. One of the largest perks of government employment is access to retirement security. Millions of employees participate in some sort of federal retirement savings or investment plan. The…
If you’re smart, you are planning for your financial future. Retirement investing is one of the surest methods for building a nest-egg. Most likely, you’re familiar with the concept of retirement investing. Typically, you can direct funds from your personal income into tax-sheltered or tax-deferred accounts. This is known as…
Maybe you want to make it big as an investor. Maybe you just want a nest egg for retirement or financial security for your family. Whatever the reasons, thousands of Americans everyday make their first steps to becoming active investors. Before hitting the market though, there’s a lot would-be investors…
You’ve probably heard the term “diversified portfolio” before. The term brings to mind the image of a robust, varied assortment of assets and securities that not only generate generous returns, but act as a cushion against any one stock or security’s downturn. Everyone wants a diversified portfolio, from fledgling investors…
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) recently reached a settlement sum of $5.5 billion with the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in the agency’s lawsuit. One down, one to go This settles at least one of the the two mortgage-baked securities lawsuits against RBS in U.S. courts. Another lawsuit…
Amid the fallout of 2008, when the nation’s banking giants toppled and our economy was sent reeling, Federal legislators and regulators decided that changes were needed. Most of these changes took shape as the Dodd-Frank Act, which provide the framework for much of our current banking regulation and oversight. You’re…
There’s a new wild west. The internet age has brought bank robbers from the prairie plains to the world wide web. As investors and brokerage firms increasingly rely on computers for processing trades and managing portfolios, the risk of your investment data increases too. One of the biggest threats to…
Nowadays, online trading has become a preferred method for many investors. From casual, at-home investors to more seasoned investors, online trading provides an accessible and efficient platform for securities trading. While online trading has grown in popularity, there are still some common misconceptions about it. You may have heard someone…
We’ve all seen bad actors in movies and T.V., but did you know that bad actors can be found on Wall Street and other financial industry institutions? The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently released a statement outlining the need for checks-and-balances against bad actors. What are bad actors? FINRA…
A 2016 study by the Tax Policy Center comparing Trump’s then-stated plan and the current tax ratesOne of the big platforms that boosted Trump to the Oval Office was his promise to let business operate unencumbered. Throughout his campaign, he promised a hands-off approach to business, including wide-scale financial deregulation…