Merger can lift a stock, but don’t bank on it
The nation's banks are changing names faster than Britney Spears switches costumes at one of her concerts. More than 3,000 banks have merged in the past decade, involving a total...
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Principal protection comes at a cost
Q. I'm 71 years old and considering a principal-protection fund. What are the pros and cons of these investments? K.M., via the Internet A. You will not lose what you...
Diversification should be focus for all investors
People can get carried away with tattoos, body piercing, buying shoes or even accumulating investments. I recently received a letter from a reader who owns a retirement account containing 13...
P-E just one of multiple measures
Q. What exactly is a stock's P-E ratio? Does it mean the same thing as a stock's multiple? N.G., via the Internet A. A concept that's been around for a...
Drug stocks aren’t exactly in robust health
In 2003 Congress passed a bill that said every third message sent on the Internet was required to be an advertisement for Viagra. The President dutifully signed it into law....
Sticking with 401(k) has pros, cons
Q. After I retired, I stayed with my employer's 401(k) retirement plan. I'm satisfied with the choices, and I'll probably leave my money there until I die. Why does everyone...
No penalty to withdraw a losing Roth
Q. My Roth individual retirement account has gone down 50 percent in value since I started it. I want to withdraw all the money. Is there a penalty for doing...
Shareholders direct focus to firms’ boards
Out with the old, in with the new. Call it the Arnold Schwarzenegger effect. There's as much dissatisfaction with many company boards of directors as there ever was with ousted...
A most hesitant 401(k) borrower be
Q. I'm 28 years old and thinking of borrowing money from my 401(k) retirement account at work for part of the down payment for a 30-year fixed-rate home mortgage loan....
Gold? Japan? 3rd quarter was befuddling
Logic has proven to be unreliable in the 2003 world of investments. For example, gold is unlikely to increase in price during periods of low inflation and a rising stock...