Free. There may be no better word in the English language. A new breed of exchange-traded fund offers accountholders at one of the world’s biggest discount brokerages free trades for life. Cheap, liquid, and diversified, ETFs are popular investment vehicles. They’ve seen a… Read More

The emergence of China and other developing markets has exponentially and permanently increased the trade of goods across the globe. In the past decade alone, world trade has exploded to a level far beyond what the world has ever known. Then came the financial crisis. Read More

Nearly 1,000 U.S.-listed companies offer Dividend Reinvestment Plans or “DRIPs” as a way for shareholders to accumulate shares without using a broker. These plans allow investors to automatically use their dividends to buy more shares of the company’s… Read More

During the market’s darkest days of fear and uncertainty last October, Warren Buffett wrote a bullish op-ed piece in The New York Times arguing in favor of U.S. stocks. Those reassuring comments helped quell anxiety far more than any government intervention. Buffett was putting his money where his mouth was. Read More

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B) is set to take off. The news that uberinvestor Warren Buffett’s holding company would take over Burlington Northern (NYSE: BNI) in a $44 billion “all-in wager on the economic future of the United States” has made headlines around the world. Everyone says it’s Buffett’s biggest deal. Read More

They came every year like clockwork. They were so usual that most recipients took them for granted. But next year will mark the first time in decades that Social Security payments will see no cost of living adjustment (COLA). You see, the adjustment is tied to increases in the… Read More

Cheap stocks aren’t as plentiful as they were seven months ago. In some ways, of course, that’s a good thing. No one likes it when the market craters. But even though prices have risen from their lows, that doesn’t mean investors can’t find bargains out there — they’re just tougher… Read More

I’m going to tell you how to save some money. It’s an easy fix. You probably won’t notice anything other than the savings. It has to do with your icemaker. If your house is anything like mine, there are certain sounds you’ve learned to ignore. My dishwasher, for example, makes… Read More

Big is in. The question marks lingering about the strength of the recovery has prompted many investors to seek shares in large, stable companies that have weathered the downturn in good shape. The 100 largest public companies in the world have beaten the MSCI… Read More

An often-overlooked industry may just be the best place in the entire market to find steady income. Major players are paying rock-solid yields as high as 7% to 10%. When you think of energy companies, you probably think of oil and natural gas. Or maybe you even… Read More