Investing News

Many consumers have little understanding of finances, how credit works, and the potential hit to financial well-being that poor financial decisions can create for many, many years. In fact, a lack of financial understanding has been signaled as one of the main reasons many Americans struggle with saving and investing. Every few years, the Financial Industry

You know a health savings account (HSA) helps pay for out-of-pocket medical costs, but it may surprise you to learn that this tax-advantaged account could be a superior retirement savings vehicle, too. It has become ingrained in us that we should max out our 401(k) or other workplace-defined contribution plan as the best way to

On March 11, 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) entered a bear market for the first time in 11 years, falling from all-time highs—approaching 30,000 a few weeks prior—to under 19,000 a few days later, amid the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq followed suit shortly after. Throughout

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is gearing up to place the same type of stringent protections it places on credit card companies on the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) industry, following the release of a recent study on the practice. Officials said their findings revealed an exploding industry that not only had few consumer

What Is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)? One of the major features of digital currencies is that they are decentralized. This means they are not controlled by a single institution like a government or central bank, but instead are divided among a variety of computers, networks, and nodes. In many cases, virtual currencies make use

The fact is that there are scammers galore out there. They can seem innocent at first, but they’re playing on your emotions from the start. Before long, they’ll try to sucker you into giving up your personal information and money.  They might pose as long-lost relatives or call about pretend problems with your internet connection

Investors worldwide have swarmed on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, lured by the promise of quick riches regardless of the risks. Bitcoin’s success has fueled legions of follow-on projects, imitators, and fans. Thieves, not to be left out, discovered opportunities as well—because where there is a promise of riches, there is an opportunity to steal it.

(Click here to subscribe to the Delivering Alpha newsletter.) According to Deloitte, global ESG assets under professional management could be worth $80 trillion by 2024. But this growth in popularity combined with a global energy crisis has the sector facing increasing polarization. Critics worry that capital dedicated to ESG investments will further one value system at the

Mortgage rates are back on a dramatic ascent, after retreating for just a single day. The 30-year average shot up more than two-tenths of a point Thursday, rising to its fifth 14-year high in just a week and a half. Today’s National Mortgage Rate Averages Rates on 30-year mortgages bolted higher again Thursday, climbing 21

FedEx outlined plans to park planes, suspend some Sunday deliveries, and shut corporate offices after falling demand impacted its first-quarter profits and prompted the company to withdraw its forecast last week.  FedEx also said it plans to raise shipping rates by an average of 6.9% across most of its services starting in January to cope

Yield to maturity (YTM) is an important metric used in bond markets that describes the total rate of return that is expected from a bond once it has made all of its future interest payments and repays the original principal amount. Zero-coupon bonds (z-bonds), however, do not have reoccurring interest payments, which distinguishes YTM calculations

As one of the largest economies in the world, the United Kingdom has long been a major focus of American investors. The nation’s economy contracted sharply in 2020 due to the disruption stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. But the U.K. economy is beginning to recover as the vaccine rollout reaches more citizens. Investors looking to

Oil and gas exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer investors more direct and easier access to the often-volatile energy market than many other alternatives. While there is the potential for significant returns by investing in the oil and gas sector, the risks can be high. Oil futures, for example, tend to be volatile and often require a

Platinum is regarded as an important precious metal by many investors, though it’s less commonly talked about than gold and silver. Many investors use platinum as either a hedge against inflation or a safe haven in troubling economic times. Platinum is also valuable as an industrial metal, used in the manufacturing of products such as

Precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are valued by many investors as a hedge against inflation or a safe haven in times of economic turmoil. They also are valued for their rarity and their use in a broad range of industrial applications. Precious metals exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a popular way to invest

Real estate exchange-traded funds (ETFs) hold baskets of securities in the real estate sector, providing investors with a less expensive way to invest in the industry compared to other options. These funds often focus specifically on real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are securitized portfolios of real estate properties. REITs offer investors income potential as well as the liquidity of

You may find it hard to believe, but voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) has been around well before the new millennium. VOIP is a technology that allows users to make voice and video calls through the internet. The technology takes a voice signal and converts it into a digital one using traditional phone technology. This signal travels across

Fidelity and Vanguard are two of the largest investment companies in the world. Fidelity boasts 40 million individual investors and $11.8 trillion in total customer assets. Meanwhile, Vanguard has more than 30 million investors and $8.1 trillion in global assets under management. Both brokers have solid industry reputations and offer a large selection of low-cost

Welcome to the Green Investor, powered by Investopedia. I’m Caleb Silver, the Editor-in-Chief of Investopedia, and your guide and fellow traveler on our journey into what it means to be a green investor today, and where this investing theme is headed in the future. We’re going to break format this week and get straight to

Tracking interest rates over time shows us significant volatility over long-enough time periods. Typically, the rates will be lowest on mortgages, highest on credit cards, and somewhere in the middle on auto loans. We can predict only one thing about interest rates with reasonable surety: that rates will change significantly over most 10-year periods. Key