Finance Globe

Think things through before you panic out of the market at a loss.These days, the market's been taking investors on a pretty scary ride. Many of us watch helplessly as the value of our investments fall, recover a little, and then drop some more. Times like these can really test those nerves and bring doubt to any one's well thought-out investment strategy. And though many of us probably wish we had the insight to cash out...

Are you a homeowner who fears that you won't be able to keep up with your ARM payments once they reset? Or are you already struggling with your mortgage payments? The HOPE for Homeowners Program may be able to help you refinance into an affordable FHA loan so you can avoid foreclosure and keep your home.The HOPE for Homeowners Program, also known as H4H, launched on October 1, 2008 and will be available through September 30,...

CDs are a low-risk investment that offers a slightly better return on your deposit than a traditional savings account. CDs are protected from loss, up to $100,000, as long as the issuing financial institution is a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), or a credit union insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Brokerage houses may offer CDs, and these are also FDIC-insured if the issuing bank is FDIC-insured. The return you'll...

An emergency fund helps to get you through...an emergency.According to a Bankrate.com poll, only 4 in 10 Americans have an adequate emergency fund to fall back on. With three to six months of living expenses being the recommended savings, it's easy to see why. Putting away enough money in an emergency fund can take a typical family several years to build up. And all the while, there's the possibility that an emergency will come up, requiring...

The size of your emergency fund depends on your personal situation.Just as there's a lot of conflicting advice on many money issues, there are different recommendations on how much to save in your emergency fund depending on who you get the advice from. Though the commonly accepted advice states you should save three to six months' worth of living expenses, some financial advisors feel that to be totally safe you should save a year's worth of...

The recent volatility in the stock market has given investors a scary ride; there's no doubt about that. But does it provide investors with an opportunity to get in on some stocks at cheap prices, so they can sell at a higher price later? That's the basic rule of investing; buy low and sell high. The thing is, you never know just when those stock prices will actually hit their bottom. It's possible that you buy...

There are thousands of mutual funds to choose from, with different investment styles, risk factors, and expenses. How do you choose the one that's right for you? There's no one size fits all with investing, that's why we have so many choices. Choosing a mutual fund is similar to buying a vehicle; you need to know what your vehicle should be able to do for you and what you're using it for, and you research until...

What is a bond?We’re all familiar with debt; many of us have taken out a loan to buy something that we want to pay for later. We borrow the money, and promise to pay back the amount of the loan, plus interest. We agree to a specific interest rate and agree to pay on a set schedule. Corporations and government entities also need to borrow money for improvements or day-to-day operations. When a company or the...

Stockholders Share in the Profits and the LossesStocks are the smallest unit of ownership in a company. The more shares of stock you have, the more ownership you have in the company. Companies issue stock as a way to raise money for improvements or expansion. If they took out a loan, it would have to be paid back. To raise capital without incurring debt, they offer shares of their company’s stock to the public. If the...

Before making any investment, consider the fees and expenses that will take a cut out of your profits. Some mutual fund fees are completely avoidable, and some fees are necessary. Some types of mutual funds will require higher fees and maintenance costs than others; it’s important to compare similar funds with the same objectives from different fund families. A fee table can be found in the prospectus of any fund you’re considering, request this important reading...