A Wealth of Common Sense
JUNE 23, 2024
I posted the following on Twitter this week: It’s turning into another banner year for the U.S. stock market (so far). Here’s a good follow-up question on these numbers: This is a legitimate concern. Since 2020 the S&P 500 has compounded at more than 14% per year. That’s not just a pandemic phenomenon either. Since the start of 2009, the S&P 500 has seen returns of 14.5% per year.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Professional fund managers are in charge of investing billions of dollars for investors. They're often highly educated, have years of investment experience, and get paid well for their skills and expertise. But the truth is most aren't worth the fees they charge. It doesn't take an advanced degree or special insider knowledge to do better than the vast majority of actively-managed mutual funds.
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The Motley Fool
JUNE 3, 2024
Image source: Getty Images Even though some companies are requiring employees to go back to the office, many Americans still want to work from home. If you have the right in-demand professional skills and can make good use of a flexible schedule, finding a work-from-home side hustle is a great way to boost your income. According to recent survey data from FlexJobs , some of the best side hustles let you work from home -- and pay $30 to $60 per hour on average.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) has emerged as one of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical world thanks to its robust line of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines. The Danish drugmaker develops Ozempic, Rybelsus, Saxenda, and Wegovy. While Ozempic is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat diabetes patients, its sibling medicine Wegovy is prescribed for obesity care.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
There is quite a race going on in terms of market cap. Microsoft , Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) , and Nvidia are battling to find out which company is the largest in the world. Although the lead can change daily, Microsoft currently holds it by about $100 billion over Apple. While that's a massive figure, if Apple's market share increases by $100 billion in a single day, that actually equates to a 3.1% rise in its stock price, which is hard to grasp.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Social Security is an essential lifeline for many retirees. About half of households with someone age 65 or older receive at least 50% of their income from the program, according to data collected by the Social Security Administration. Without Social Security, millions of seniors would be living in poverty. Since many seniors are reliant on Social Security for their living expenses, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is an important part of their benefits.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
I'm being facetious when I tell you to forget Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). After all, how can you ignore a stock that soared nearly tenfold in just 18 months and now has a $3.1 trillion market cap, which accounts for 6.7% of the entire S&P 500 index? Not to mention, the company's chips are the driving force behind artificial intelligence (AI). However, the incredible run in Nvidia stock made it quite expensive , even relative to its expected earnings a couple of years from now.
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The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) advanced 14.5% in the first half of 2024. That momentum was initially driven by rate-cut hopes. Investors entered the year thinking the Federal Reserve would cut its benchmark interest rate six times. But sticky inflation reset those expectations. The market now anticipates just two cuts later this year, according to CME Group 's FedWatch Tool.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Stocks have been on the rise this year, with the S&P 500 up 15% year to date. The index is on track to outperform last year's growth, as the S&P 500 rose 13% over the same period (January to June) in 2023. Wall Street has grown particularly bullish about tech stocks thanks to advances in fields like artificial intelligence (AI). The same was true this time last year.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Investors can own as many stocks as they want whenever they want, and thankfully so. After all, more stocks mean more diversification. In this vein, The Motley Fool suggests holding at least 25 different stocks at any given time. Sometimes, though, it's eye-opening to think about which stocks you would buy if you could only buy a small number of them.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Earlier this year, finance researcher Stewart Brown published a paper that featured a startling introduction: There is a large financial anomaly hiding in plain sight. In 2021, investors paid almost $90 billion in total fees on about $14 trillion of actively managed mutual funds to an industry flogging a product demonstrably inferior to index funds.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
The artificial intelligence (AI) boom has lifted Nvidia to new heights. The "Magnificent Seven" stock has soared 27,310% in the past 10 years, making it one of the world's most valuable companies. But there's a much smaller business that has performed even better. I'm talking about Celsius (NASDAQ: CELH). This beverage stock has skyrocketed 27,360% in the past decade (as of June 25), turning a $10,000 investment into a jaw-dropping $2.7 million.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Before I started writing about retirement planning for a living, I was under the impression that Medicare was a low-cost health insurance program for older Americans. I was correct in that Medicare enrollees are generally 65 or older, and that the program is supposed to be affordable in theory. But now that I've done my research, I see that in practice, it's anything but.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Social Security's 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2024 was the third-highest in the last decade, but it hasn't provided the relief many seniors were hoping for. Average checks are just $1,917 per month as of May 2024. More than 3 in 5 seniors feel the bump in their benefits was insufficient, according to The Motley Fool's 2024 Social Security Cost-of-Living Survey.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Retirement accounts like a 401(k) and IRA come with a lot of advantages. Incentives like matching contributions , tax deductions and credits, and tax-free growth can help supercharge your retirement savings. You can't avoid taxes on your retirement savings indefinitely, though. Eventually, the government will want you to start withdrawing money from those accounts, which may come with a hefty tax bill.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
In May, a little over 51 million retired workers took home an average Social Security benefit of $1,916.63 , which works out to about $23,000 on an annualized basis. While Social Security payouts aren't going to make anyone rich, they've historically played a key role in laying a financial foundation for America's aging workforce. According to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this leading program lifted 22.7 million people above the federal poverty line in 2022 -- 16.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Choosing what age to retire is a highly personal decision. Some people are eager to retire as early as possible, while others prefer to continue working late into life. Regardless of when you retire, it's a decision to take seriously. Retiring before you're ready can wreak havoc on your finances, making it much more challenging to enjoy your senior years comfortably.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Recent research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute finds that couples enrolled in Medicare could need as much as $413,000 in savings to cover their senior healthcare costs in full. Ouch. But don't panic just yet. While that's clearly a large amount of money, there are steps you can take to save big on Medicare costs. Here are four you should incorporate into your strategy.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Retail investors have clamored to invest in SpaceX, the leading rocket launch company owned by Elon Musk that has remained private despite having an estimated valuation of $200 billion. The company dominates the private rocket launch market, which is growing like gangbusters and is the key backbone of the burgeoning space economy. It also has the Starlink satellite internet business to boot.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has soared over the past few years, and the stock added to gains in recent times when it announced something a lot of investors had been waiting for: a stock split. The company decided to launch a 10-for-1 split to bring its shares down to a level that would make it easier for a broader range of investors to buy. These operations involve the issuance of more shares to current holders to make that happen.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) were both initially created as parodies of other coins. Dogecoin was launched as a parody of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) in 2013, and Shiba Inu was created to poke fun at Dogecoin in 2020. Dogecoin and Shiba Inu were both dubbed " meme coins " because they were both named after the popular "Doge" meme which featured a Shiba Inu dog.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) is having a great year. Shares are up over 50% through the first half of the year on the heels of emerging blockbusters in the diabetes and obesity-care markets. While sales of Mounjaro and Zepbound are becoming increasingly scrutinized, I'd encourage investors to get up to speed on what else Lilly is working on.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
A resurgence in the popularity of stock splits has been front and center in 2024 as a number of high-profile stocks have taken the plunge. Companies will typically go down this path after years or even decades of robust operating and financial results have pushed the stock price out of reach of some investors. While a stock split doesn't change anything about the underlying value of the business, it does make shares more affordable for employees and everyday investors, a reason that is often giv
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
It's not just one of the world's best-known brand names. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has also been -- and continues to be -- one of the world's more rewarding investments. Plenty of buy-and-hold investors have become millionaires while sitting on a long-term stake in Coca-Cola stock, well-rewarded for their patience. The biggest name in the beverage business, however, isn't the company behind the industry's most rewarding stock.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool If you've noticed that your auto insurance cost has spiked higher over the past year or two, you aren't alone. According to one report, full coverage auto insurance rose by 26% in 2024 for the average driver. Even U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data found that car insurance rates increased by 21% in the 12-month period that ended in February.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 30, 2024
Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) is one of several automakers that have announced scaled-back production or delayed deployment of Electric Vehicles (EV). The stock market has reacted with skepticism, with Ford shares down nearly 22% in the last year. Previous to the past 12 months, Ford was among a crowd of automakers announcing ambitious goals for EV production.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 28, 2024
When it comes to retirement savings, Roth IRAs are among the most popular accounts. Many savers are familiar with the basic perks, such as tax-free growth and withdrawal benefits. However, there's one overlooked feature that might ease your anxiety about locking money away in a retirement account for decades. Image source: Getty Images. Recapping Roth IRA benefits Before we dive into an overlooked feature of the Roth IRA , let's take a look at the benefits that appeal to many retirement savers.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 28, 2024
There's no secret to it. The market was awash with speculation over a potential takeover bid from German industrial giant Bosch following a Reuters article on the matter. The German company is reportedly looking at bidding for Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR). The speculation highlights the value case for the stock Investors and industry management can look at companies differently.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 28, 2024
The S&P 500 has advanced 15% year to date and 42% since the beginning of 2023. Those gains have made it difficult to find bargains in the stock market, but certain Wall Street analysts see plenty of upside in UiPath (NYSE: PATH) and Block (NYSE: SQ). Keith Weiss at Morgan Stanley has outlined a bull-case scenario that puts UiPath at $35 per share by May 2025.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Fintech company and digital bank SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) can't catch a break. The stock has tumbled and is near a 52-week low and is a whopping 75% off its all-time high. Stocks can go up or down for whatever reason in the short term but tend to follow the direction of the underlying business over time. So, do SoFi's business fundamentals indicate an eventual winner, or should investors avoid this troubled name?
The Motley Fool
JUNE 28, 2024
Image source: Getty Images There are different guidelines out there when saving for retirement. But generally speaking, experts say you should aim to save 15% or more of your income annually for your senior years. Social Security will only replace about 40% of a typical wage in retirement, and that's without benefit cuts, which might happen if lawmakers can't fix the program's financial problems.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 27, 2024
Several factors determine how much you collect in Social Security benefits every month, and you might have more control over them than you think. One of the biggest factors impacting your benefit is when you claim Social Security because the earlier you claim, the smaller your benefit. The difference between claiming as early as possible at age 62 and waiting until your benefits max out at 70 can be as much as 77%.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 27, 2024
More than 5,700 companies are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, the two largest trading platforms for U.S. securities. Some of those companies are grouped into indexes that measure different aspects of the domestic stock market. Certain indexes are quite broad, while others are rather niche. The three most popular U.S. stock indexes are in the black this year.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 27, 2024
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the hottest company on the planet right now -- and it's not even close. Indeed, the chip specialist is at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, and investors can't seem to get enough. Just days ago, Nvidia's market cap rocketed past $3.3 trillion and briefly overtook Microsoft as the most valuable company in the world.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 28, 2024
Believe it or not, we're nearly halfway through this decade. The healthcare sector could be in store for monumental changes over the next few years. These changes should present great opportunities for investors to make money. But where should they put their money? I predict these could be the best-performing healthcare stocks through 2030 (listed by descending market cap). 1.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
Investing in artificial intelligence (AI) seems to have become more challenging over the last few months. More than one year after generative AI stoked excitement for tech investors, specific stocks such as Nvidia , Super Micro , and CrowdStrike seem to have drawn most of the interest and have risen to nosebleed valuations. Fortunately for investors who feel they missed out on these stocks, AI will likely be more than a flash in the pan.
The Motley Fool
JUNE 29, 2024
You could have made a ton of money over the years by following Warren Buffett's stock picks. He invested early in many iconic companies, including American Express and Coca-Cola. But he also has shown an ability to profit from already massive companies, like his more recent investment in Apple. What are Buffett's best ideas right now? Three stocks in particular stick out.
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