Archives for November 2012

Groupon’s Woes Can’t Be Solved by “Friendly” Hedge Funds

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 JT McGee 11 Comments

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Over the past month, shareholders of famed internet deals site Groupon (GRPN) have encountered a wild ride up and down more than 50% as top-performing hedge funds claimed a stake in the company. One of the best performing funds in the last two years, Tiger Global, disclosed it owned 9.9% of the company. Someone close […]

Why Best Buy Will Fail: They Made Me Showroom

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 12 Comments

I’m written about my terrible Best Buy customer service experience before, and that was just the beginning of their current problems. Now, Best Buy (BBY) has clearly explained that one of the biggest weaknesses with their business model is so-called “showrooming”, where customers simply come to their stores to look at the products, and then […]

Reader Question: What To Do If I Don’t Have Time To Invest

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 3 Comments

I’m loving the great questions. I actually waited a week to post this question because I had a post scheduled earlier in the week that would help answer the question. This week’s question comes from Sean, who is struggling to get started investing because he keeps procrastinating…here’s the question: The Question My name is Sean […]

What is a Spin Off and How Do They Work?

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 JT McGee 4 Comments

Ahead of tax concerns from the fiscal cliff, there is potential that the investing universe will again shift its focus to taxation. One integral method of avoiding corporate and personal taxation is the spin off. What Happens in a Spin Off? A spin off is what happens when a piece of a company is disconnected […]

Ten Ways to Make the Most of Thanksgiving

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Kathleen 6 Comments

Oh, you guys. Thanksgiving is this week! I hope everyone gets to eat a lot, play games, watch Elf, and spend time with your families. Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday. It’s the day that I get my Christmas jammies (that match my sister’s — this has been a tradition forever and ever), the day […]

My Favorite Discount Brokerages 2016

Last Updated On April 7, 2016 Robert Farrington 9 Comments

There have been a lot of changes in the brokerage world since I last wrote about my favorite discount brokerages. Most recently, Sharebuilder was acquired by Captial One. As such, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you my two favorite brokerages, and why I like them, use them myself, and […]

Is College a Good Investment?

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Guest Blogger 14 Comments

This is a guest post from Jon Haver who graduated from college with student loans and now writes about how he paid them off at paymystudentloans.com When is a college education a good investment? Of the 15.6 Million undergraduate students who are in university right now, how many have had a serious look at whether […]

Betting on Crime: Investing in Private Prisons

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 JT McGee 7 Comments

One of my (foreign) economics professors always said that Americans are good at two things: gaining weight and human storage. Human storage was referring to the millions of Americans locked behind bars. More than 2.2 million Americans currently call a jail cell their home, and the industry is booming. Thanks to a favorable legal environment […]

These Schools Offer Their Students Hedge Funds to Run

Last Updated On November 2, 2018 Robert Farrington 14 Comments

Earlier this week I talked about how joining an investment club in college and how that can be a great way to learn about investing. However, some colleges take it to the next level, and offer their students a chance to run an actual hedge fund or investment fund. These funds are managed by the […]

Is Buying a House While In Debt Irresponsible?

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Kathleen 17 Comments

All along, my plan has been this: Get Out of Credit Card Debt Pay Off my Student Loans Pay Off my Car Start Saving for a Down Payment on a House But then, a few things happened to make me change my mind. The first was the end of a relationship. No longer was I […]

Join a College Investment Club

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 6 Comments

If your a college student, you have a wide range of options when it comes to clubs and activities to participate in. But, if you’re interested in personal finance and investing, I strongly urge you to join a college investment club. Very few colleges offer any classes in personal finance and investing, so a college finance club […]

Reader Question: I’m Maxing Out My IRA, Now What?

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 17 Comments

Thank you everyone for continuing to send me great questions to answer each week! This question comes from Suzanne, who is in an awesome financial situation! I hope to be in her shoes very soon, and it’s something that I think everyone should aspire to be in! The Question Robert, I was hoping that you […]

College Budgeting Tips

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 7 Comments

If you’re in college, right now is the probably the most difficult time of the year for your budget. I know it was my most difficult budget time, because I’d already spent the little money my parents gave me, I was working less because I needed to study and take quizzes, and I had already […]

Save Money This Christmas by Making Gifts

Last Updated On October 14, 2017 Kathleen 6 Comments

I heard my first Christmas song over the weekend. That, along with the 75% markdowns on Halloween candy, marks the beginning of the holiday season. I have to say that I happen to adore the holidays. Spending time with family, laughing, meeting up with friends, eating winter food, celebrating traditions, seeing sparkly lights everywhere, what’s not […]

Reader Question: What is the Difference Between a Roth IRA and an ETF?

Last Updated On August 16, 2015 Robert Farrington 2 Comments

As long as you keep sending me questions, I’ll do my best to answer them each week (if you’re comfortable letting me). You can ask a question here. This week’s question comes from Solomon, who was wondering what the difference is between a Roth IRA and an ETF…check it out: The Question I have a […]

Investing in Yourself

Last Updated On November 18, 2015 Guest Blogger 5 Comments

The following is a guest post written by Geof White, author of Lemonade Stand Economics. If someone walked up to me and said, “What do you think of when I say the word investment?” My first thought would be, I have investments. Money I have handed over to someone I trust with the intent […]

6 Tips to Find Safe Insurance Stocks

Last Updated On November 2, 2018 JT McGee 4 Comments

In light of all that is happening on the east coast, it might be time to turn our attention to the insurance industry. Like utilities, insurance companies have been a place of safety for investors. They are big, profitable cash cows that usually pay very good dividends. Why Invest in Insurance Companies Insurance companies are […]