Narrowly defined, investing is a process by which individuals and institutions endeavor to make gains on the money they have saved. The basic purpose of investing is to make money with money, while taking as little risk as possible. There are many reasons, beyond the basics, for holding an investment portfolio.
Read MoreDepending on your tax bracket and the type of gains realized, the IRS can chew up to 43.8% of it in taxes.Simply put, tax efficiency is a measure of how much of an investment’s return is left over after taxes are paid. Tax efficiency shouldn’t become so much of the focus that it degrades your portfolio performance; rather it should help preserve gains as much as possible.
Read MoreNot long ago, the prescription for investing for retirement was simple. Save as much as possible while working, and gradually become more conservative with your investments as retirement approaches. This strategy was frequently implemented in the past by converting growth oriented portfolios, which were comprised mainly of stocks, into income oriented portfolios, which focused more on fixed income or bonds.
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