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While markets experienced a significant downturn on Thursday due to continued tension in the Middle East, it was turmoil in Asia that was cause for concern today. Luckily, it appears the impact on U.S. stocks is minimal.

President Obama is also attempting to minimize the damage caused by rising gas prices and is prepared to tap our oil reserves if necessary. While the Obama Administration may save us from pain at the pump, struggling homeowners have still received little assistance as yet another failed HUD program was eliminated in a House vote today.

Stock Market Steady Through Japan Quake

We recently sat down with Thomas E. Jandt, the author of Your Money is Everything. As a seasoned Financial Advisor, Thomas has learned a lot about managing finances intelligently. See what he has to say about attaining wealth and keeping it, the best investments and how Americans are faring in today’s economic climate.

Q: Where did you come up with the idea for Your Money Is Everything?

Despite the growth the economy has seen lately, as evidenced by the unemployment rate falling to 8.9% (lowest since April 2009), the increasing tension in Libya has sent gas prices up by 35 cents per gallon.

Prices are expected to continue rising, too, if problems in the Middle East and North Africa continue.  In fact, this will have a significant impact on stock market investing, as well as the consumer market as a whole.

Congratulations–you’ve got options! You now have an increased stake in the place you work.

However, you also have tax issues, and it’s important to understand those issues before you exercise options or make any other decisions regarding your stock options.

By Casey Bond

Stock market investing is a scary subject for some. It’s common knowledge that in order to make the highest return on an investment, you have to take on some risk–the higher the risk, the greater the potential reward. Savings accounts and CDs are great ways to protect your money while earning a bit of interest, but if you really want to see some gains, you have to dive into the stock market.

January is often used to predict how the stock market will move for the rest of the year–and according to market forecasters, 2011 is looking good. As recently reported by USA Today, based on this month’s indicator numbers, stocks are on the right track. If they continue as they are, we could see increases by the year’s end.

The “Early Warning Signal” Boosts Confidence for 2011

If you’ve ever considered making a charitable contribution to help a good cause or organization you care about, one form of giving that you should look into is donating stocks or securities as opposed to straight cash. There are some benefits that could really help you maximize your generosity.

Charitable contributions through the form of stock donations is one route many people choose to follow because they can enjoy tax benefits if those assets have appreciated in value. The advantage only really applies if you’ve actually made an unrealized profit on your stock purchase, though–there’s no donated stock tax benefit if your investment has depreciated in value since your purchase.

Major stocks are expected to see an average increase of 10 percent in 2011, according to a recent Barron’s report. The study found big-cap shares like Exxon Mobil Corp, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Pfizer Inc. will be among those leading the way in increases this year.

2011 to Mark Another Year of Gains

ETF shares are very often the stepchild of investment portfolios because many investors don’t understand their value or simply don’t know what they are. That’s according to a new survey from Mintel Comperemedia that revealed many investors feel ignorant when it comes to this investment option.

Clueless about ETFs

This is the final installment of our financial myth-busting series. We’ll close by going over the myths associated with investing. Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

When it comes to financial myths, there is no category with more mistaken beliefs than investments. Whether you’re talking about investing for retirement, in the stock market or even more sophisticated assets like real estate, commodities or bonds, there are so many “experts” with varying opinions that it’s hard to grasp just a few that really work for your strategy.