Recent Articles from Julie Stone
The century’s most important commodity?
The most important commodity story of this century? Water, says Edward Kerschner, CFA and Senior Strategy Consultant with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. “Current global water-usage levels are unsustainable,” says Kerschner, who spoke in Denver recently. “Scarcity of freshwater is most acute in Africa and western Asia, scarcity also has become an economic constraint in major […]
The financial facts of life
By default, parents are usually the primary source of a financial education. However, many young people may receive allowances—or even sizable inheritances—without a sound base of knowledge in saving, budgeting, investing and financial planning. To help the children in your life develop a responsible attitude about money, it might help to consider these points: Be […]
FAQs about 401(k) plans
Because your retirement planning is so important to your future well-being, you should ask questions about the retirement plans available to you and how they work, as well as how to best use your retirement dollars. Below are answers to several commonly asked questions about 401(k) plans. Q. How do my 401(k) contributions lower my […]
Getting to know foreign investments
Foreign investments can play an important role in helping to diversify a domestic equity portfolio. But before plunging into international waters, it’s important to understand the differences between developed and emerging markets and the risks inherent to each. Emerging Trends Once upon a time, the United States was considered an emerging market. In the late […]
Doing a better job of saving for retirement
Over the past 20 years, the 401(k) plan has gradually replaced the traditional pension plan as a primary source of retirement income for many American workers. This trend has shifted the responsibility for accumulating a source of retirement income from the employer to the employee. Unfortunately, not all American workers with access to a 401(k) […]
A pay-for-college primer
College-bound students go through a long process of researching colleges and deciding where they would like to continue their education. Shouldn’t parents do the same when looking at how to pay for their children’s college experience? In tough times, the thought of paying your children’s way through college can sound daunting but it’s something most […]
Time = $$$
One of the few things you can control about Social Security is when to start collecting it. Should you take it when you become eligible at age 62, wait until “normal” retirement age (a function of your birth date) or consider delaying your benefits past normal retirement age? To help you make this decision, consider […]
How to live your lifestyle for a lifetime: Part 2
(Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts. Read Part 1.) Most people are referred to investment advisors by friends or financial professionals. One thing to always consider is your friend’s investment goals may be very different than yours, so remember to ask a lot of questions about your specific level of wealth and […]