INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS » Investing Money

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?

A new CNN Money report celebrated the fact that the current bull market has reached its 2nd birthday. However, in the same report, experts cautioned investors that this time frame typically signals a downturn in the market.

Stocks Have Been On a 2-Year Rally

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.

We are always encouraged to invest our money as long as we have the funds to do so. There’s no doubt that investing is a good thing and important part of managing money well, especially when great care is taken in making good choices along the way.

But there are times when investing goes drastically wrong, resulting in hundreds or even thousands of dollars lost. To help you avoid becoming the victim of investing gone wrong, let’s look at the following stories of investing that didn’t work out so well and explore ways to help you make the best investments possible.

We all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold-hearted, greedy man who despised Christmas, not only because it brought cheer to others, but because it required doing one thing he hated: Giving.

Over the years, the world has seen millionaires and billionaires who have had the same “Bah humbug” attitude as Scrooge. They love to receive and hate to give. Let’s take a look at some past and current rich people who also happened to have Scrooge’s miser tendencies.

Ever have that feeling that the sun, moon and stars are lining up in a way that is preventing you from good fortune? Do you ever feel that people born around the same time seem to have all the luck when it comes to personal finance?

If you like reading about horoscope signs then you know that astrologers believe that how the planets were lined up when you were born is connected to every aspect of life, including finances. Want to know how your sign fits into the equation? Let’s take a look at each zodiac sign to find out more.

We thought we’d take a look at our favorite, wealthy-of-the-wealthiest cartoon characters and examine what they’d be communicating about their finances through our Facebook friend feed.

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.

Have you ever turned over a couch cushion and found a couple dollars in change or pulled a $10 bill out of the pocket of your jeans while doing laundry? Remember the spark of joy you felt, however small, at finding missing money you didn’t even realize existed? Well, just imagine how you’d feel if you found out the government has been sitting on unclaimed money of yours, too, and all you have to do go get it.

That’s the position thousands of people are in and most don’t even know it. In fact, the government has over $33 billion in missing funds that is waiting on owners to claim. Maybe some of it belongs to you.

Finding a good mutual fund can be a daunting task. After all, there are several thousand actively traded mutual funds to choose from and that does not even begin to include all of the index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) in which a person can invest. So where does an investor, especially a new one, begin his or her search for a good mutual fund? Below are five characteristics to consider when looking for a great mutual fund:

Mutual Fund Must-Have #1: Low Expenses