For Mark Roberts' Use: Benjamin Graham, considered by many to be the father of value investing, once said, “The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator”. This quote may be simple, but it's a powerful reminder for individuals who are still developing their investing strategies. Speculating involves large risks, [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: You may already be aware that many businesses offer discounts to senior citizens. These discounts are often well-known and advertised, so you can't really miss them. But you may not know about many of these hidden discounts at common places of business. They aren't advertised, and in many cases you have [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Reverse mortgages are sometimes criticized as being a bad deal for seniors. But for some retirees, a reverse mortgage may be a good idea. The main thing to remember is that a reverse mortgage provide financial relief for some people, in the right situation. So what is a reverse mortgage, and how [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: In September 2014, Home Depot experienced a data breach involving 56 million payment cards. This security attack was larger and lasted longer than the December 2013 hacking of Target’s payment system, involving 40 million credit and debit cards. About one in three people who received data-breach notification letters in 2013 became [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Did you know that until recently, you had to pay to see your credit score? Luckily, as of February, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a new initiative allowing more than 50 million Americans to access their credit scores for free. That access will soon expand to millions more Americans. The [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: Have you ever considered investing in real estate, such as a rental house, vacation home, or apartment building? It may be a good idea to generate income and shelter some of your assets from taxes, but this type of investment typically requires substantial capital. Even if you have the that kind [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: It is often said that we should all reevaluate our retirement plans and life insurance policies every few years, to make sure the measures we're taking are in line with our needs and goals. But what if you discover that your annuity or life insurance policy no longer serves you well, [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: You may have heard that oil prices have dropped in recent months. But what happened to cause prices to plummet? One causal factor was the amount of crude oil produced by the US. In the first quarter of 2014, the United States surpassed Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s largest [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: It has been six years since the official end of the Great Recession. And yet, many of us are still wondering when we'll see a true, dramatic improvement in the economy. Good news: Several key indicators, commonly used as predictors of economic activity, are giving us good reason to feel hopeful about [...]
For Mark Roberts' Use: As you probably know, the deadline for filing your federal income tax return is April 15. But perhaps you don't have time to gather all of your supporting documentation. Or maybe you've been ill, undergoing major career changes, or moving to another state. There are a plethora of different reasons that [...]