Where do I Get Started in Saving for Retirement?
Your employer is usually the best place to start, but you can also open your own retirement account (an IRA or Roth IRA, for instance) at your bank or a major custodian (like Charles Schwab or Fidelity). In some cases, there are income limits for contributing to a retirement account, which a financial advisor can discuss with you. A smart idea is to set up an automatic contribution to your retirement account, such as 10% of your monthly income. That way you’re automatically saving, and saving regularly. Continue reading...
What is Earnings Season?
Earnings season describes not one, but four times in a year, when corporations release their quarterly earnings reports. Investors look forward to this time because they are able to get an update about how the year is going, compared to projections. After each fiscal quarter ends, there are a few weeks in which companies file their quarterly reports with the SEC and announce their current earnings and sales numbers. Each of these periods is known as earnings season. Continue reading...
What is Form 2106-EZ: Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses?
IRS Link to Form — Found Here Some necessary expenses paid in the course of performing the duties of a job will go unreimbursed by an employer but are eligible for tax deduction. These can be filed by the employee on a 2106 or a 2106-EZ. The 2106-EZ is, of course, the simpler of the two, and allows for standard mileage deductions and most of the common types of related deductions. Unreimbursed business expenses are expenses that can be considered necessary to performing a job, such as paying for business-related insurance or professional organization dues, that aren’t paid for by an employer. These can be used to file for tax deductions on a 2106 or 2106-EZ. Continue reading...
What is the Symmetrical Triangle Bottom (Bearish) Pattern?
The Symmetrical Triangle Bottom pattern forms when the price of a pair fails to retest a high or a low and ultimately forms two narrowing trend lines. Points 1 5 form the triangle patterns. The price is expected to move up or down past the triangle depending on which line is broken first. This pattern is commonly associated with directionless markets, since the contraction (narrowing) of the market range signals that neither bulls nor bears are in control. However, there is a distinct possibility that market participants will either pour in or sell out, and the price can move up or down with big volumes (leading up to the breakout). Continue reading...
What are Federal Tax Brackets?
Income taxation in the United States is done by assigning different tax rates to each specific range of income. Generally the lower income amounts will correspond to lower percentage toward federal income tax than higher income amounts. This is called a progressive tax and is frequently misunderstood. Many people mistakenly think that if they “fall into” a specific tax bracket based on their income that they will owe that higher tax rate that corresponds to the bracket on all of their income. Continue reading...
What is the foreign corrupt practices act?
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act attempts to reduce the possibility that a corporation with American affiliations will engage in the bribery of foreign officials. The act was created in 1977 and has since been amended and expanded several times. The SEC and the Department of Justice are both responsible for enforcing the FCPA, which is a law designed to prevent US-based companies from engaging in corrupt practices abroad. Continue reading...
What is an Investment Bank?
An investment bank is a financial institution that typically specializes in large, complex transactions, such as underwriting an Initial Public Offering (IPO), mergers and acquisitions, direct investment into start-up firms, or advising large institutional clients on investments/transactions. In short, investment banks help create the bridge between large enterprises and the investor. In that sense, IPOs are one way to accomplish this, but they also help businesses secure financing in other ways, such as through bond issues or derivative products. Continue reading...
What is a Credit Spread?
Credit Spread is an indication of the default risk perceived in corporate bonds at the current time. The credit spread is the difference between the yield on the safest bonds and the riskiest bonds. How much does it cost corporations to issue bonds, in terms of the yield expected by investors in the current market? Typically, a higher spread indicates a more unstable economy. Buyers of large quantities of bonds tend to insure their purchases, and the cost of the insurance is usually reflected in so-called CDS's (Credit Default Swaps). The more expensive the CDS's are, the more risky it is to purchase the bond. Continue reading...
Paper Trade Exchange
Tickeron's Paper Trades are the best way to start trading on paper without losing money. Paper Trades can be used to test ideas generated using other products. You can review your gains or losses and adjust your trading style risk-free. To access from the menu bar, simply click on the marketplace and then select Paper trade exchange marketplace. The Paper trade module is one of the first things people should use on our website. This allows our users to trade with simulation and test with our... Continue reading...
What is the DAX?
The DAX is an index tracking performance of German stocks. The DAX is an index that tracks the 30 largest capitalization stocks that trade on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Germany. The index is capitalization weighted, but since it is so narrow it is more comparable to the Dow Jones than the S&P 500. It does not necessarily give a thorough indication of how the German economy is performing. What is the CAC 40 Index? What is the EURO STOXX 50? Continue reading...