This article offers a basic introduction to mutual funds. It can help you decide if a mutual fund might be a good choice for you as an investment. If you visit a big fund company’s web site (e.g., www.vanguard.com), they’ll tell you that a mutual fund is a pool of money from many investors that
Variable universal life (VUL) is a form of life insurance, specifically it’s a type of cash-value insurance policy. (The other types of cash value life insurance are whole, universal, and variable life.) Like any life insurance policy, there is a payout in case of death (also called the death benefit). Like whole-life insurance, the insurance
A viatical settlement is a lump sump of cash given to terminally ill people (viators) in exchange for the death benefits of their life insurance. Along with so much of the English language, the name has its origins in a Latin word, viaticum, which means provisions for a journey. These settlements are attractive to a viator (seller)
A structured settlement annuity is a financial vehicle or arrangement that a person (claimant) accepts to resolve a tort case such as a personal injury lawsuit. This arrangement provides periodic payments to the individual for a set period of time, instead of a one-time lump-sum payout. In general the arrangement is established by the lawsuit
This article explains long-term care insurance and offers opinions on who should buy this insurance. People’s increasing life span has lead to an increase in people’s use of long-term care in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and their own homes. This type of care can be expensive. The Metlife Mature Market Institute says that the
This is my standard reply to life insurance queries. And, I think many insurance agents will disagree with these comments. First of all, decide WHY you want insurance. Think of insurance as income-protection, i.e., if the insured passes away, the beneficiary receives the proceeds to offset that lost income. With that comment behind us, I
Disability insurance protects a person’s ability to earn an income in case of injury or sickness that prevents the person from performing basic occupational functions. Disability insurance isn’t always on the list of priorities, but it’s a crucial part of planning for the future. While most people invest in a life insurance policy, many fail
An annuity is an investment vehicle sold primarily by insurance companies. Several types of annuities exist. Every annuity has two basic properties: whether the payout is immediate or deferred, and whether the returns are fixed (guaranteed) or variable. An annuity with immediate payout begins payments to the investor immediately after it is purchased, while deferred
The Value Line Investment Survey is the grand-daddy of published information about stocks of large companies (primarily U.S. companies plus a few leading ADRs). It is a weekly, three-part publication, but it takes 3 months to cycle through the full list of stocks covered. The main document reviews one firm per page (over 100 per
Here is a list of different investment associations that will help you stay informed and make better investment decisions. AAIIContents American Association of Individual Investors 625 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611-3110 +1 312-280-0170 Web: http://www.aaii.org/ A summary from their brochure: AAII believes that individuals would do better if they invest in “shadow” stocks which are