How Do I Structure My Bond Portfolio?
There are three major ways to structure a bond portfolio: a ladder strategy, a barbell strategy, and a bullet strategy. A ladder strategy is structured by purchasing bonds of varying maturity dates, all at the same time. This means there will be several opportunities to make decisions at different dates in the future, so the owner of this portfolio keeps his or her options open to some extent, and has some liquidity over the course of the duration. A ladder might be used when rates are expected to stay about the same. Continue reading...
What is a time spread?
A ‘Time Spread,’ also called a Calendar Spread or a Horizontal Spread, involves the use of multiple options of the same type (either all calls or all puts), with the same strike price but different expiration dates. Generally traders will sell a near-term option (take a short position) and buy a far-term option (take a long position). The strategy is virtually identical whether calls or puts are used. Continue reading...
What is a Lump-Sum Distribution from a 401(k)?
Lump sum distributions are when the entire balance of an account is paid out at once. After you retire, you can elect to receive your money in a lump sum. Of course, you will end up paying income taxes on the entire distributed amount that year. There is also what’s called the mandatory 20% withholding, which requires custodians to withhold 20% from retirement plan distributions if they are not part of a trustee-to-trustee transfer (such as funding an IRA). Continue reading...
What is a Profit?
In its simplest form, a profit is the revenue or income gained from an entity after all expenses/overhead is accounted for. In business, a company deals with a number of expenses - operating expenses (the cost of doing business), fixed costs (overhead), salaries and benefits, legal fees, and so on. If a company’s revenues exceed all of these costs combined, the company is considered profitable. A profit is also known as a company’s bottom line, net earnings, or net profit. Continue reading...
What does price to tangible book value (PTBV) mean?
Price to Tangible Book Value serves as a conservative estimation of the value inherent in a share, without Goodwill and other intangibles (opposite of tangibles) factored in. Price to Tangible Book Value (PTBV) is a ratio of the share price over the Tangible Book Value of a company and helps investors see what inherent value is present on a company's books. The Tangible Value does not include goodwill, patents, and other intangible values. Continue reading...
What is a foreign tax deduction?
Workers who earn income in foreign countries will frequently pay taxes on the income in the country in which the wages were earned. In such cases the worker may be eligible to take deductions for the amount of taxes paid so that their entire income is not subject to taxes again in their country of citizenship. Ex-patriot workers who earn income overseas are generally eligible for tax deductions, credits, or exclusions to account for the taxes that they have already paid on their income in the foreign country. Continue reading...
What is a Dividend Rate?
The dividend rate is basically just the value of the annual dividend of a company, stated as the monetary value. Not to be confused with the dividend yield, or the dividend growth rate, both of which are percentages. Dividend yield and dividend rate are slightly different from one another. The dividend yield is the size of a dividend in relation to the share price, and is stated as a percentage. The dividend rate is actually the amount of money paid out per share, per year, stated as a dollar amount. Continue reading...
What Health Insurance Do I Need if I Don't Have a Job?
Unemployed people are still required to have health insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you will likely qualify for a federal subsidy to help you pay for it. Younger people can buy a catastrophic policy, which offers minimal coverage but can still help prevent eroding all of your savings in the event of a major accident. How Much Will Individual Health Coverage Cost? What is Medicare Part D? Continue reading...
What is Form 4563: Exclusion of Income for Bona-Fide Residents of American Samoa?
IRS Link to Form — Found Here Residents of US Territories will sometimes have to file their taxes with their resident territory as well as the US Department of Revenue. For those who are bona-fide citizens, they are more likely to be able to exclude their income from US taxation. Bona-fide residency of a territory is most easily defined by the 183-day rule: if the person is physically present and living in the territory for 183 days out of the year, he or she is a bona-fide resident of the territory (in most cases). Beginning or ending bona-fide residency requires form 8898. American Samoa is the only place that can exercise the “possession exclusion,” as defined in IRC Section 931. Continue reading...
What is the Falling Pennant (Bearish) Pattern?
The Falling Pennant (or Bearish Pennant) pattern looks like a pennant turned upside down (the mast points up). It forms when falling prices experience a consolidation period, and the price moves within a narrow range defined by the converging lines through points (2, 4) and (3, 5). After the consolidation, the previous trend resumes. This type of formation happens when anticipation of downtrend is high, and when the price of a security consolidates during a declining trend. It may indicate growing investor concern of an impending downtrend. Continue reading...