Prosperity Trek by Prosperity Concierge » Investment Vehicles http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek The trek to prosperity, step by step. Improve cash flow, build net worth, enjoy life and give back. To earn, spend, save and invest for happiness and fulfillment. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:20:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ en hourly 1 When You Buy an Annuity What to Look For In the Insurance Company http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/buy-annuity-insurance-company-offers/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/buy-annuity-insurance-company-offers/#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 21:51:25 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=10007 When you buy an annuity you enter into a long-term relationship with the insurance company that offers the product. For this reason, your primary consideration when comparing annuity products is the financial strength of the insurance company behind the product.

An annuity contract can last for decades, and you need a financial partner that will be around

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/buy-annuity-insurance-company-offers/feed/ 0 Get an Annuity to Meet Your Goal and Financial Objective http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/annuity-meet-goal/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/annuity-meet-goal/#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:26 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=10002 When you shop for an annuity look for one that is right for your goal and objective.

High Level of Guaranteed Income Now

If your objective is to generate the highest possible amount of guaranteed monthly income starting now, you will want to look at a single-premium immediate fixed annuity. Single premium means that you are paying for

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/annuity-meet-goal/feed/ 0 Investing Inertia – Overcoming Fear to Reach Your Financial Goals http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inertia-overcoming-fear-reach-financial-goals/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inertia-overcoming-fear-reach-financial-goals/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:41:05 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9806 Investors’ attitudes today are characterized by ambiguity. Investors don’t know even what the possible outcomes may be, let alone the probability that they might occur. Without a familiar context for financial decision making, it’s easy to become emotionally paralyzed.

The difference between uncertainty and ambiguity may sound like little more than semantics. But neuroimaging studies have found that

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inertia-overcoming-fear-reach-financial-goals/feed/ 1 How You Can Increase Your Yield on Cash and Short-Term Investments http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/increase-yield-cash-shortterm-investments/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/increase-yield-cash-shortterm-investments/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:13:02 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9724 There are ways to increase your yield on cash and short-term investments – without taking on excessive risk.

It can be done without committing either to long-term bonds or to the volatility that can come from dropping down too far in credit quality.

First determine how much of your short-term investments are for immediate needs and has to be easily

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/increase-yield-cash-shortterm-investments/feed/ 0 Market Volatility: Your Behavior Decides if it is Good or Bad http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/market-volatility-behavior-decides-good-bad/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/market-volatility-behavior-decides-good-bad/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 00:45:07 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9324 Volatility isn’t bad in itself. It’s your reaction to it that matters most.

Psychological experiments have shown that the stress induced by watching the market heave up and down may lead you to try to lock in your gains by selling your winners, often before you should. The market has always been unpredictable.

There are useful, productive

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/market-volatility-behavior-decides-good-bad/feed/ 0 The Retirement Account Rollover: How to Preserve Your Wealth http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-account-rollover-preserve-wealth/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-account-rollover-preserve-wealth/#comments Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:26:51 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8996 An important retirement concern for many of us that affects our wealth protection and accumulation is on how best to make a rollover decision when changing jobs.

On a recent 401(k) Benchmarking Survey conducted by Deloitte, 22 percent of employers surveyed revealed that their employees find rollovers to be the most confusing part of their retirement plan.

“Rollover” is

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-account-rollover-preserve-wealth/feed/ 0 Investing When You Believe Inflation Is A Risk To Your Portfolio http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inflation-threat/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inflation-threat/#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:24:59 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8708 When you believe inflation is a risk for your portfolio you can move money into some of these investments to protect your wealth.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities

Rising inflation is especially harmful to investors in fixed-income securities, as the purchasing power of a bond’s principal amount, usually $1,000, is lower at maturity when interest rates are higher than

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investing-inflation-threat/feed/ 0 Retirement Accounts – The Benefits of Regular Investing http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-benefits-regular-investing/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-benefits-regular-investing/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:19:59 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8454 These days, many Americans are assuming responsibility for their financial security during retirement. Fortunately, there are different types of retirement accounts — including IRAs and employer-sponsored 401(k) plans — that provide benefits not offered by regular, fully taxable accounts.

Each can help you focus on the future and begin laying the groundwork for a financially secure

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-benefits-regular-investing/feed/ 0 Tax Strategies for Saving and Investing http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/tax-strategies-saving-investing/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/tax-strategies-saving-investing/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:00:32 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8375 There are tax-advantaged ways to save and invest. Here’s how:

1. Create an investment strategy

Instead of basing a tax strategy on something you can’t control, such as future  tax policy, consider building an investing plan around your current tax rate and your general expectations of future marginal tax rates (combined federal, state, and local income rates), particularly

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/tax-strategies-saving-investing/feed/ 0 Q&A: The Roth IRA Conversion – How to Convert to a Roth and Why http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/qa-roth-ira-conversion-convert-roth/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/qa-roth-ira-conversion-convert-roth/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:45:44 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8300 Continue reading Q&A: The Roth IRA Conversion – How to Convert to a Roth and Why

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/qa-roth-ira-conversion-convert-roth/feed/ 0 Index Funds, Tax-Managed Funds and ETFs – Low-Cost, Diversified http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/index-funds-tax-managed-etfs/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/index-funds-tax-managed-etfs/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:42:43 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=6972 If you are maxing out your 401(k), IRA and any tax-deferred or tax-exempt retirement account, or you want to diversify across taxable and non-taxable holdings, you are in luck.

There are investments that can give you a diversified global portfolio at very low cost. If you are diversified, you don’t have to worry about your wealth

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/index-funds-tax-managed-etfs/feed/ 0 Investment Vehicles – Traps to Avoid http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investment-vehicles-traps-to-avoid/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investment-vehicles-traps-to-avoid/#comments Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:26:55 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=4533 Some investment vehicles you must have, some you should have, some are worth considering and some you should run from.

The North American Securities Administrators Association has released its “top 10″ investment traps to avoid. Among their list of investment traps to avoid:

Leveraged Funds

Funds that use futures and options try to amplify their returns. They try

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/investment-vehicles-traps-to-avoid/feed/ 1 Balancing Retirement and College Saving http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/balancing-retirement-college-saving/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/balancing-retirement-college-saving/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:26:34 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=2860 When you’re putting money away for college and retirement simultaneously and both goals are near, you might be tempted to split the savings between a 529 account and an IRA or 401(k).

If you near retirement the retirement account should get the bulk of your saving dollars. Especially when you consider that money withdrawn from

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/balancing-retirement-college-saving/feed/ 0 Timing a Roth Conversion http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/timing-a-roth-conversion/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/timing-a-roth-conversion/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:16:02 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/timing-a-roth-conversion/ The many variations of retirement accounts makes building wealth a bit complicated. Adding to the complexity is the issue that many retirees and retiree-want-to-be’s face: when is it advantageous to convert a non-Roth IRA to a Roth IRA?

The best time to do the conversion is when the market has tanked because when you roll

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/timing-a-roth-conversion/feed/ 0 Immediate Fixed Annuities http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/immediate-fixed-annuities/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/immediate-fixed-annuities/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:48 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/immediate-fixed-annuities/ When households have investment assets and are planning to augment their cash flow with an income stream from those investments annuities offer one option.

To use an annuity typically means to make a one-time payment to an insurer for the promise of receiving regular payments at a defined rate of interest.

Since an annuity is an insurance

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/immediate-fixed-annuities/feed/ 0 Use an ETF to Build Net Worth http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/build-net-worth-with-an-etf/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/build-net-worth-with-an-etf/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:42 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/build-net-worth-with-an-etf/ To build net worth you want most of your investing dollars going to work for you. To do that you want to reduce investment expenses. There are several options that allow you to invest at low cost. One of these is the use of an ETF.

An ETF is an exchange-traded fund.

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/build-net-worth-with-an-etf/feed/ 0 Stocks in Retirement Accounts http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/stocks-in-retirement-accounts/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/stocks-in-retirement-accounts/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:32 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/stocks-in-retirement-accounts/ Whether to keep stocks in retirement accounts is an important question. The answer partly depends on whether the stocks are directly owned or whether you are investing in stocks through a mutual fund.

If the stocks are individually owned then certainly ownership outside of a retirement account makes sense. With direct ownership you are

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/stocks-in-retirement-accounts/feed/ 0 Retirement Accounts – Roth for your IRA or 401(k) – Which Type is Best? http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-how-to-choose/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-how-to-choose/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:20 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/retirement-accounts-how-to-choose/ There are so many retirement accounts to choose from. Which one is the best one?

When comparing how taxes are deducted the Roth version is the opposite of the traditional non-Roth account. With a Roth version of the IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) you get your tax break when you withdraw the funds.

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/retirement-accounts-how-to-choose/feed/ 0 Roth Conversion Tax Calculation http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/calculating-roth-conversion/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/calculating-roth-conversion/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:20 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/calculating-roth-conversion/ To convert a regular IRA or 401(k) to a Roth IRA (assuming 28% tax bracket) use these steps to look ahead at your tax bill:

Step 1: Enter the total value of all of your IRA and 401(k) funds (non-Roth) (Example: $150,000)

Step 2: Enter the total of your nondeductible contributions for the year (Example:

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/calculating-roth-conversion/feed/ 0 Index Funds – All In or All Out http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/index-funds-all-in-or-all-out/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/building-how-to/investment-vehicles-how-to/index-funds-all-in-or-all-out/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:15:12 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/index-funds-all-in-or-all-out/ A strategy for investing for your portfolio is to decide to either use all index funds for your portfolio or to run with a hands-on, managed approach.

Yale University’s endowment’s chief investment officer, David Swenson, in a Wall Street Journal article (1/12/2009) agrees that to find good investment opportunities you either find…

“investment professionals who devote their

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