While physical metal can be a valuable asset for investors, it is not without risks. If physical metals are stolen or taken, owners have little recourse in recouping their lost asset. On the other hand, stock certificates can provide investors with a means for investing in metals without the risks associated with a physical metal asset. 
If there’s one thing that I’ve discovered in my careers as a hedge-fund manager, investment advisor and financial columnist, it’s this: Whenever you pitch a stock that has something to do with mining or metals, you’ll always hear the argument that “physical metal is better.” As my experience has demonstrated, however, that’s not necessarily true. Wealth protection in hard economic times is driven by asset diversification. In good times, an investor should concentrate their investment bets on profitable enterprises, in hard times you want to diversify your assets across different asset classes. Read more…
Earlier this week, an anonymous student at Boston College wrote a letter to interim Dean George Brown of Boston COllege Law School to request his two and a half years of tuition back. He was facing financial difficulty (pregnant wife, weak job prospects, and an even weaker desire to be saddled with massive student loans) and so offered up a deal – return his two and a half years of tuition and he’ll leave without his degree. In fairness, the school does get to bolster its image because it wouldn’t have to report his unemployment upon graduation to magazine rankings.
I’d like to propose a solution to this problem: I am willing to leave law school, without a degree, at the end of this semester. In return, I would like a full refund of the tuition I’ve paid over the last two and a half years.
It’s hard to say how serious the letter is (it’s probably not) but it’s a clever idea, even if it’s just to get some publicity. Sadly, it’ll neve
Hiring and managing employees is one of the most demanding and challenging aspects of business ownership. From the recruitment process, to “on-boarding” a new employee, and all the while ensuring you are compliant with a whole range of employment law – the responsibilities can seem overwhelming.
This guide consolidates many aspects of finding, hiring and managing employees, and offers suggestions for keeping your team motivated and collectively focused on the success of your business.
Building your Team – Finding and Recruiting the Right Talent
Navigating the recruitment process – which includes creating a job description, building a realistic compensation package, advertising your job, interviewing and making your decision – is a tricky business for all companies, big or small. To guide you
It is never too early to teach your children the basics when it comes to good money management. Teaching your children good habits is always wise, and money management is definitely a set of good habits that is better taught sooner instead of later. If you teach your children how to value and manage their money very young, then it will be helpful for them in the future. In order to make kids learn the value of their money and money management, parents and guardians can practice a few very simple activities, including the following:
- Parents can involve their children whenever they are talking about activities relating to money. They can include their children when they sit down to discuss family budgets and other similar money related subjects, so that they can teach their children what activities involve money and what elements of the household require money in order to run smoothly.
Example Debt Snowball
Let’s say you have five loans:
- Student loan: $25,000 @ 6% APR
- Mortgage: $100,000 @ 5% APR
- Credit card A: $9,000 @ 19.99% APR
- Credit card B: $8,000 @ 19.99% APR
- Car loan: $5,000 @ 6% APR
First, you list all of your debts starting with the smallest balance to the largest:
- Car loan: $5,000 @ 6% APR
- Credit card B: $8,000 @ 19.99% APR
- Credit card A: $9,000 @ 19.99% APR
- Student loan: $25,000 @ 6% APR
- Mortgage: $100,000 @ 5% APR
First, you make minimum payments on every debt so you are current and suffer no penalties, fees, or other adverse effects. If you have an extra $100 each month left over for debt repayment, you put it towards the Car loan because it’s the smallest debt. Onc
Little fish in a big pond can still make waves. The same is true of individual investors who take the plunge in socially responsible investments.
Socially responsible investing, or SRI, refers to the attempt by investment firms to effect positive change from corporations or institutions. Also known as ESG, for environmental, social and governance issues, socially responsible investing involves various investment vehicles and approaches for steering corporations toward sustainable business practices.
Shareholder advocacy
One of those approaches is shareholder advocacy. In general, stock ownership comes with rights, such as the right to vote in proxy elections on shareholder resolutions.
“Shareholder advocacy is the act of using your shares in companies or your equity in companies to engage them on environmental, social and corporate governance issues, to ask them to reform or engage in better conduct,” says Peter DeSimone, director of programs at the Social Investment Forum, an association for professionals and organizations dedicated to socially responsible investing.
However, most individual investors eschew individual stocks in favor of mutual funds to diversify their portfolio.