The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Of course, before investing, you should probably create an emergency fund (in a bank account, CD, or other easily accessible but super safe account) with three to six months of living expenses in it. Probably the best-known option here is a mutual fund , but most mutual funds require more than $500 to get in the door.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Bonus offer: unlock best-in-class perks with this brokerage account Read more: best online stock brokers for beginners 1. Self-directed brokerage account This option is for billionaires who want to do all of their investing themselves. There's usually no minimum amount of money needed to open a self-directed brokerage account.

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Hedge Funds High Net Worth Individuals Mutual Funds Mergers and Acquisitions 239

The Motley Fool

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Indeed, the 401(k) retirement account has been hailed as a game-changer since its inception over 40 years ago, establishing an effective means of saving for retirement once pension plans were no longer up to the task. Such employer-sponsored plans aren't necessarily your best first choice for building a retirement fund, however.

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The Motley Fool

APRIL 25, 2024

The Vanguard 500 Index ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is one of the most popular ETFs (exchange-traded funds) , and for good reason. Vanguard made a name for itself by offering low-cost index mutual funds and later expanded its popular offerings to ETFs. Its top-10 holdings account for 57.6% of its portfolio.

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Mutual Funds Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Portfolios 246

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 25, 2024

of Americans managed to save at least $1 million in their retirement accounts by the end of last decade, according to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances. While there are some cases where target-date funds use index funds and keep costs low, that's not always true.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Accounting Funds 246

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 13, 2023

And younger investors showed a clear preference for holding individual stocks rather than mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bitcoin now accounts for 52% of the entire value of the crypto market, so as a general rule of thumb, Bitcoin should account for at least half of any crypto portfolio.

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Assets Mutual Funds Investors Exchange-Traded Funds 245

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 7, 2024

If you fell short on your plans to beef up your retirement account in 2023, it's OK. Record the balances of all your retirement accounts. This includes 401(k)s, IRAs, and health savings accounts (HSAs) if you use these for long-term savings. for every dollar you put into the account, up to a certain percentage of your income.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Taxes Accounting 264

The Motley Fool

APRIL 22, 2024

The big money is coming The approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January not only marked another milestone for the cryptocurrency but also opened the doors for a new set of buyers. Image source: Getty Images.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Pension Funds Assets 246

The Motley Fool

AUGUST 14, 2024

Money market funds A money market fund is a mutual fund that invests in low-risk securities. For example, a money market fund might invest in municipal debt, corporate bonds, or Treasury bills. In exchange for the high rates, you agree to leave your money in the account for that specified period.

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Returns Investing Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds 241

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 31, 2024

The richest, who got richer First, though, here are those five richest people and their recent gains (which account for inflation): Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla , saw his wealth surge to $245.5 It's smart to make good use of tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs. Image source: Getty Images. Why stocks?

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Accounting Taxes 246

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 31, 2024

Image source: Getty Images People usually don't make changes to their investment accounts too often. If any of the following are true, you should consider opening a new investment account this year. Bonus offer: unlock best-in-class perks with this brokerage account Read more: best online stock brokers for beginners 1.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 25, 2023

Investing in certain types of accounts can not only help you build wealth, but can save you money on taxes right now. Here are two of those types of accounts that millions of Americans can use to invest thousands of dollars and get a bigger tax refund in 2024 and beyond. HSAs have a triple tax benefit that no other account does.

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The Motley Fool

JULY 19, 2024

That year, the average retirement account balance among Americans with a pension, IRA, 401(k), Thrift savings plan, or other employer-sponsored plan was $333,940. The median balance is a better reflection of the average retirement account balance. of American households didn't have anything saved in retirement accounts.

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Taxes Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Accounting 243

The Motley Fool

AUGUST 20, 2024

Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will buy and sell stocks right after each rebalancing announcement, keeping their investment portfolios equally fresh -- with no extra effort required by the funds' shareholders. That's why I tend to prefer Vanguard's funds over other fund managers.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Funds Return On Investment 237

The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 2, 2023

For decades, it has been the go-to retirement account, used by millions to help secure their financial future. Despite how revered the 401(k) seems to be, crowning it the ultimate one-stop shop retirement account might be a stretch. The 401(k) is a cornerstone of retirement planning -- it's tax-friendly, hands-off, and convenient.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 14, 2024

However, it mainly stems from the fallout following a well-known short-seller's allegations of accounting manipulations and other items of concern to investors. A Nasdaq-100 index membership means mutual funds , exchange-traded funds (ETFs) , and other financial products based on this index will have to buy shares of Palantir.

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The Motley Fool

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

Index funds The best one-size-fits-almost-all suggestion is to invest most or all of your long-term dollars in the stock market, via a simple, low-fee stock index fund -- in mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) form. Each will aim to deliver roughly the same return as a specified index of stocks.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Stock Market Stock Market 246

The Motley Fool

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

Two common choices are the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and the employer-sponsored 401(k). Most 401(k) plans limit investment choices to mutual funds and exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ), but you can own individual stocks and other assets in an IRA. The decision isn't always easy.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Taxes Assets 246

The Motley Fool

JUNE 17, 2023

What to do once you've made your contributions It's likely that your 401(k) will only offer a limited number of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds for you to invest in (though many do make their company match in company stock). The S&P 500 has produced real total returns of about 6.5% per year since 1928.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Accounting Assets 242

The Motley Fool

MARCH 20, 2024

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved 11 applications for Bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January. So the new spot-market Bitcoin ETFs are as close as you can get to owning Bitcoin in an old-school stock brokerage account. Now, Grayscale's value has backed down to $25.3 billion.

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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Assets 246

The Motley Fool

MAY 27, 2024

There's no seed money to start that portfolio, no contribution increases over time, and you're sticking with that S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) index tracker, automatically reinvesting its dividends in more shares of the exchange-traded fund (ETF) along the way. million in your retirement account.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Portfolios Stock Market 246

The Motley Fool

JANUARY 4, 2024

With IRAs, investors can choose from a vast array of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles. Consider a scenario where you have a specific investment strategy, such as focusing on growth stocks or diversifying through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

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The Motley Fool

JANUARY 8, 2024

And having three to six months of living expenses socked away in a savings account can help you leave your investments alone. They built their wealth by consistently investing in index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). For example, a fund that tracks the S&P 500 gives you a very small piece of the top 500 U.S.

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The Motley Fool

MAY 24, 2024

It's an exchange-traded fund (ETF) -- which is very much like a mutual fund but which trades like a stock, allowing you to buy one or many shares through your brokerage account. Specifically, it's the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). How can this ETF help you get rich in 2025 and beyond?

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Prospects Shareholders 242

The Motley Fool

MARCH 2, 2024

The following two exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) can be the foundation of your long-term investment portfolio. A bedrock index fund The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) lies at the core of many astute investors' retirement portfolios. Moreover, Vanguard's fees are often among the lowest in the mutual fund industry.

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The Motley Fool

JULY 14, 2024

Step 1: Open a Roth IRA Various investment accounts can help you save for retirement, but I'm going to skip right to opening a Roth IRA. You can own individual stocks, mutual funds, bonds, exchange-traded funds, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts inside a Roth IRA.

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Exchange-Traded Funds Mutual Funds Taxes Accounting 189

The Motley Fool

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Even worse, those concerns have coincided with a decline in the number of households that expect to have their own assets in retirement accounts. Others can benefit by splitting direct deposits into separate checking and savings accounts, ensuring a predetermined fraction of each paycheck is automatically retained.

Mutual Funds 246

Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Assets Taxes 246

The Motley Fool

MAY 12, 2024

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are compelling investments well worth considering for your portfolio. But all ETFs aren't equal, of course.

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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Leveraging Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds 246

The Big Picture

DECEMBER 14, 2023

At the Money: Mutual Funds vs. ETFs with Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist for Vetta Fi (December 13, 2023) What’s the best instrument for your investments? Mutual funds or ETFs? But over the past few decades the mutual fund has been losing the battle for investors attention. Dave Nadig : Absolutely not!

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Mutual Funds Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Taxes 72

The Motley Fool

MARCH 1, 2024

An S&P 500 index fund An S&P 500 index fund isn't going to provide market-beating returns, but it will ensure that you don't fall behind the average. Over 90% of actively managed mutual funds fail to outperform the S&P 500 (after accounting for fees) over the long run. per year.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Funds Shareholders 236

The Motley Fool

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

If you use the flawed (but still insightful) " 4% rule ," it would have you withdraw 4% of your nest egg in your first year of retirement, adjusting your withdrawals upward in the years that follow to account for inflation. And 4% of $1 million is just $40,000. The average annual Social Security retirement benefit is around $22,000.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Stock Market Stock Market 237

The Motley Fool

MAY 26, 2024

First and foremost, it's an exchange-traded fund (ETF). Rather than achieving the diversity you would by owning a variety of individual companies, with an exchange-traded fund you own a piece of all the stocks held within the ETF with a single trade. large-cap funds trailed the S&P 500 index.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Funds Investing 130

The Motley Fool

APRIL 1, 2024

Image source: The Motley Fool/Upsplash There are many ways you can invest your money, from traditional options like stocks and mutual funds to more recent options like cryptocurrency. While some millennials may be investing more than they should in crypto, the biggest issue is that only 47% are using retirement accounts.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Investing Taxes 130

The Motley Fool

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

XRP rose as a familiar fund manager announced the formation of a mutual fund focused on owning XRP tokens. Grayscale's history with crypto funds The fund manager in question is Grayscale, a veteran of running mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the cryptocurrency sector.

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Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Funds 130

The Motley Fool

AUGUST 17, 2024

Sometimes, you may not even realize how much you're losing, especially if you're primarily focused on an investment's nominal return -- that is, its return before accounting for taxes, inflation, and investment fees. Here's a closer look at how you might be hurting your savings' growth without even knowing it. Image source: Getty Images.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Assets Taxes 173

The Motley Fool

AUGUST 6, 2024

Just pick a broad market-tracking index fund with low fees, open a brokerage account, and you're good to go. There are lots of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) available to manage your first investment. A single fund lets you invest in dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of stocks via a single ticker.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Funds Investing 130

The Motley Fool

MARCH 3, 2024

For one thing, it's easy to fund a 401(k). All you have to do is tell your employer what percentage of your wages you want to contribute, and voilà -- funds get routed into your account automatically each month. Some of those mutual funds, such as target date funds, can carry relatively high fees.

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Mutual Funds Exchange-Traded Funds Taxes Accounting 130