Stock Secrets

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

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

Healthcare exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invest in a basket of stocks of companies that provide medical services, develop medical equipment or drugs, offer medical insurance, or facilitate the provision of healthcare to patients. Some notable companies in the healthcare sector include UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), Pfizer Inc. (PFE), and Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK). Because the

Banks and credit unions offer certificates of deposit (CD) for savers who want to earn interest on money they don’t plan to spend right away. CDs can offer different maturity terms designed to fit both short- and long-term financial goals. Deciding at what age it makes sense to open a CD can depend on where