This is a scenario I've put a lot of thought in, because frankly, this is my situation. Attempting to time the market is really hard for a number of reasons that I'm not going to get into here (google it, there's plenty out there on it). But I also don't go to the other extreme where you stick to your asset allocation strategy 100% regardless of what the market is doing. I think there's room for some nuance, and maybe some marginal tactical changes if kept simple enough. Let's see if we can … [Read More...] about Case study: I’m in accumulation mode and nervous about how high the stock market is, but I don’t really believe in market timing. What should I be doing?
Next Level Finance seeks to discuss more advanced financial and investing topics beyond the basics of personal finance. If you’re looking to go from good to great with regards to your finances, we hope you’ll follow along.
Credit card churning guide: How to maximize bonuses and rewards
Credit card churning is a unique strategy in which individuals attempt to maximize credit card signup bonuses and other credit card related rewards through opening and closing multiple credit cards over time. This guide will explain how to execute a credit card churning strategy, explain the risks and provide some specific examples based on the author's personal situation. What is credit card churning? Credit card churning is the process of opening multiple credit cards on an ongoing basis … [Read More...] about Credit card churning guide: How to maximize bonuses and rewards
How much to save for college?
For parents considering the future costs of college for their children, the question of how much to save for college is a common one. While the headlines scream about ever-increasing costs for higher education, for all but those with high incomes, saving for 100% of college for all of their children might be impossible. Moreover, there is such a thing as saving too much for college. While the more common problem is not saving enough, it's important to recognize that putting unlimited amounts … [Read More...] about How much to save for college?
Market Brief (Feb. 19, 2019): Is Walmart catching up to Amazon?
Walmart delivered another great quarter which saw two of the main indicators that move the stock get reported in a positive fashion. Those numbers are US comp sales and ecommerce sales. In simple terms, revenue at US stores is up, and Walmart continues to deliver gains in ecommerce showing that Walmart, at a minimum, isn't getting crushed by Amazon. It's worth noting that a few years ago, both of these indicators weren't positive. Walmart was struggling to get organic growth out of its … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Feb. 19, 2019): Is Walmart catching up to Amazon?
Understanding the tax cost ratio
The tax cost ratio measures how much a fund's annual return is impacted by taxes that the investors must pay on dividends, distributions and capital gains returned during the year. Like the expense ratio, the tax cost ratio is a variable that investors must consider when choosing which funds to invest in and what types of accounts should hold such investments. It can be helpful in understanding tax cost ratio by comparing the tax ramifications of a mutual fund to, say, a single stock. … [Read More...] about Understanding the tax cost ratio
Medishare Reviews: A guide to choosing the right health sharing ministry
Health sharing ministries, commonly referred to as medishare plans, have grown in increasing popularity in recent years as traditional healthcare insurance plans have seen their costs rise dramatically. The Affordable Care Act (ACA, also referred to as ObamaCare) also led to an increase in medishare participation for a number of reasons. Regardless of political affiliation, the majority of people joining health sharing plans are typically just looking for a more affordable way to pay for health … [Read More...] about Medishare Reviews: A guide to choosing the right health sharing ministry
Market Brief (Jan. 31, 2019): Facebook pops, again proving that investors should ignore most of the press
Back in mid December, I wrote the market brief talking about how tech is on sale, and asked the question if you should be buying at these levels. Specifically, about Facebook, I wrote the following: Now, with that out of the way, it’s definitely a great time to buy these stocks. Recently I filtered through stock data and discovered that there are only four US non-energy companies that have a market cap of at least $100 billion and are growing revenues at 25% or more each year. They are … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Jan. 31, 2019): Facebook pops, again proving that investors should ignore most of the press
Market Brief (Jan. 24, 2019): Ford (F) as an example of a downtrodden, dividend play
Ford announced its earnings after market close last night, and there wasn't much to note. The company is in the midst of a massive restructuring after years of pretty mediocre execution in the auto sector. In the summer of 2018, the stock took a big hit. Ford has struggling businesses around the globe, while its North American business remains really strong - driven mostly by its success with the dominant F-truck line. When the stock hit the $10 level, it got on my radar. At $10, the … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Jan. 24, 2019): Ford (F) as an example of a downtrodden, dividend play
How to increase net worth: 25 tips to start doing today
No matter if your net worth is negative or you’re worth millions of dollars, anyone can begin taking steps today to increase his or her net worth. Whether you’re already motivated, or you’re looking for somebody to give you a nudge, anyone can make progress in this area. That’s why we’ve created this list of 25 ways to show you how to increase net worth. While perhaps not every item on this list will apply to you and your circumstances, browse the list and find a few options that work for you … [Read More...] about How to increase net worth: 25 tips to start doing today
Market Brief (Jan. 18, 2019): Netflix growth accelerates
The reaction to Netflix's latest quarter announcements has been odd. Headlines range from "Netflix beats" to "Netflix misses" and everywhere in between. But, I guess this is what you should expect in today's world where nobody really does any research. The bottom line is that Netflix is incredibly dominant, and this quarter just further cements this opinion. Netflix is transitioning to reporting only net paid subscriber additions (how many new paying subscribers there are) versus reporting on … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Jan. 18, 2019): Netflix growth accelerates
Market Brief (Jan. 4, 2019): Selling into this rally
The Dow closed down over 600 points yesterday on news of Apple's pre-announced revenue miss. Today, the market is up over 700 points. What's the correct trend? To me, the trend is lower, and today gives you an opportunity to unload some equities exposure. A few reasons why: The jobs report that was very good today is a lagging indicator. Jobs will often continue to power higher as we enter into a slowing growth scenario.There are going to be bounces as the market heads lower. Economic data … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Jan. 4, 2019): Selling into this rally
Stock market for kids: Tips and resources for teaching your children about stocks
Is the stock market for kids? Yes! Sure, it’s unlikely that your kids are going to be managing money and trading actual stocks (at least at a young age), the stock market can be an incredible tool for teaching your kids about math, finance, personal finance and investing. If your kids are older, you can even touch on subjects such as psychology and economics. For quick reference, you can jump to specific sections regarding various ages groups and what might be an appropriate depth of study … [Read More...] about Stock market for kids: Tips and resources for teaching your children about stocks
Market Brief (Dec. 19, 2018): Tech is on sale, should you buy?
The big tech names such as Facebook, Amazon and Netflix have been down big from its highs a few months ago. Few people disagree that these aren't great companies. High growth with massive revenues and varying levels of profitability depending on the company. These stocks were at wild valuations not long ago, and there was near unanimous support for buying and owning these stocks in the financial community. Now that they're down 25-35%, the tone has changed. Note: This is basically how it … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Dec. 19, 2018): Tech is on sale, should you buy?
Market Brief (Dec. 7, 2018): What’s causing the volatility?
I've had a number of people ask, what's causing the market volatility? The economy is good! Why would the market be going lower if the economy is good? Unemployment is low, consumer sentiment is still good, corporate earnings are still great, so what gives? For new investors, it's important to always remember that the stock market is a forward looking vehicle. A company might have just reported record profits, but if the market believes that the future is murky, the stock is going to tank. … [Read More...] about Market Brief (Dec. 7, 2018): What’s causing the volatility?
Why the shift to streaming is my favorite trend, and why I’m long Netflix (NFLX)
As with any article which discusses stock-picking, I want to give my overall investing disclaimer. So, here it is... Investing Disclaimer: I think marketing timing and picking stocks is very difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. I do very little (almost none) trading in short time horizons. Roughly 80% of my portfolio is in a few, simple index funds. I withhold about 20% of my portfolio in either cash or a small group of stocks that I spend a lot of time reading about or researching. The … [Read More...] about Why the shift to streaming is my favorite trend, and why I’m long Netflix (NFLX)