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Bond investing: Riskier than you might think

While many investors focus on stocks and give little thought to investing in bonds, allocating a portion of their portfolios to bonds is usually advisable. These fixed-income investments can provide liquidity and stability to a portfolio, and also create a steady stream of income for retirees or others who need fixed income to meet current […]

Investing in tax-free securities

How would you like an invest­ment that pays interest but where you never have to pay taxes on the income? That’s the attraction of municipal bonds. Municipal bonds, usually referred to as “munis” are issued by state and local governments and the interest they pay is not subject to federal income tax. Certain bonds are […]

A fixed-income primer

Here is a quick overview of bond types, concepts and terminology. Bonds are securities representing a debt. When you buy a bond you are essentially loaning money in ex­change for interest payments. Unlike stocks, bonds have a maturity date, when the loan will be paid off. Treasury securities are issued by the U.S. government and include […]

Market timing for dummies: Tips and techniques

Here’s a hot investment tip: Don’t try to time the markets, because it doesn’t work. No one knows when a market has hit bottom or when it has topped out. Anyone who promises to show you on a consistent basis how to buy low and sell high is peddling snake oil. In fact most people […]

Paying yourself first can work like magic

How “paying themselves first” has resulted in the attainment of financial goals, personal fulfillment and accumulation of wealth.     During the 14 years that Mentor Capital has been in business, we have helped hundreds of people successfully save toward their financial goals. Whether it has been buy­ing a new car or sending a child […]

What is a “Financial Advisor”?

Many people call themselves “financial advisors,” but there can be significant differ­ences among them. No education, experi­ence, or testing requirements are needed to call oneself a financial advisor. Whether you are getting advice from a financial planner, wealth manager, stockbroker, insurance broker, accountant, or other type of advisor, here are several questions that you should […]

Toward financial peace of mind

Most people go through life thinking little about their personal finances. They close their eyes, move ahead and hope for the best. Whether they succeed depends largely on luck. For people who don’t want to pin their hopes for financial success on luck, we have the answer. It’s called comprehensive financial planning, and it works. […]

13 Financial boo-boos and how to avoid them

Life is just as much avoiding mistakes as it is making sound decisions, and it’s no different where personal finance is concerned. We have choices to make (sometimes a dizzying number!), and we must do our best to make the right ones. Here are some financial boo-boos to avoid: Boo-boo #1 – Thinking that you can’t […]

How to get a CLUE

By now, most people who are smart about personal money man­agement are checking their free credit reports three times a year. There’s another free report that consumers will want to check each year, the CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) re­port. The report will list all your automobile and property insurance claims. It’s important that this […]

Client welfare is ‘fiduciary’ campaign focus

Whether they know it or not, consumers have a choice when seeking financial advice: They can work with a fiduciary advisor, whose duty is solely to the client and who works with undivided loyalty to that client; or They can work with a stock broker or insurance agent, whose primary duty is to the firm […]