by Jackie Beck

It’s common to believe that there’s no point in investing unless you have a lot of money available to work with, but that’s not true at all.

It IS possible to successfully invest small amounts of money, especially if you can commit to doing so on a regular basis. In fact, that’s one way that small amounts can eventually become large amounts. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

I’m going to do it: I’m going to dive in to a self-directed IRA — one I can use to invest in real estate. Truth be told, I’m still a little nervous about the process, but that’s probably because it’s new to me. (Kinda like eating a new food, or traveling to a new country where I don’t speak the language.) Except this time, it involves investing in real estate while making sure to comply with IRS rules and regulations regarding retirement accounts. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

I’ve been itching to invest in real estate for a while now, but have been holding off because I intend to pay cash. It occurred to me recently that I might be able to do so faster through a self-directed IRA.

What’s a self-directed IRA, you may ask? As the phrase implies, it’s an IRA that you’re the decision-maker on. (As opposed to having a broker or bank manage your IRA investments for you.)

So could it be a good idea to invest in real estate within self-directed IRA? Maybe. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

Do you know the difference between savings and investments? Of course, you invest money into the stock market or other things, and you deposit money into a savings account.

But there is in important difference beyond the terminology and where you put your money. Knowing and understanding what that is can have a huge impact on your money. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

Investing in stocks can be a great thing, especially if you do so with a well-thought out plan that ensures you don’t have all of your eggs in one basket. But many folks jump into buying stocks for the wrong reasons. Here are nine good reasons NOT to buy a stock.

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by Jackie Beck

The investing process is filled with terms that you don’t hear every day. Terms like asset allocation, diversification, and rebalancing your portfolio pop up, and it’s almost like listening to a foreign language. But, there’s a trick to learning foreign languages, and it works with learning about investing too. It helps if you listen to native speakers, ask questions, practice, and try to understand.

With that in mind, I’d like to share some thoughts from Robert Stammers, who is a Chartered Financial Analyst and the director of Investor Education at the CFA Institute. My comments & “translations” are in brackets.
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