Top Ten: 10 money stories in 2016 that are still valuable in 2017
MarketWatch rounded up 10 of its most interesting money and investing articles published over the past year that will still be useful to you, or people you care about, in 2017.
1. Listen to the Oracle of Omaha
Yes, you’ve most likely heard about the power of compound interest, but information about good financial practices always can be shared again. As usual, Warren Buffett has explained this concept in a very compelling way. Jeremy C. Miller, the author of “Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules,” shares this and other examples of Buffett’s wisdom.
2. Spot good deals, or how to get a $35,000 electric car for $14,000
A combination of great financing terms, huge government subsidies and excellent timing helped Mr. Money Mustache purchase a brand-new Nissan Leaf for a song. Your circumstances will be different, but the article can open your eyes to all the possibilities for a bargain the next time you shop for a car.
3. Dow 20,000? How about 150,000?
The financial media cannot come up with enough exciting headlines about the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s DJIA, -0.29% climb to the completely arbitrary 20,000 “milestone.” This underlines the logic and importance of Chuck Jaffee‘s explanation that most workers will need the Dow to hit 150,000 for them to retire comfortably. Then again, a 21-year-old forecast for Dow 116,200 in 2040 still makes sense.
4. Mark Hulbert takes on bear markets
Mark Hulbert wrote this article in January 2016, during a down cycle for stocks. But what he said holds true today. Despite all the headlines, bear markets tend to be short, and your best action is often to take no action.
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5. Index strategies have worked well, but what are you really buying?
During the current seven-year bull market, investing in broad stock index funds has worked out quite well, leading to performance most active money managers have been unable to match. But we’re not always in a long-term bull market, and Rob Isbitts shows just how highly concentrated an investment in the S&P 500 SPX, -0.46% is. Thinking about hiring an investment adviser instead? Here’s how money managers are trying to charge you higher fees.
6. Beware of gurus and their forecasts
Do gloomy predictions combined with punchy headlines cause you to lose sleep? If so, Howard Gold’s list of five of the worst investment calls of this century might ease your fear.
7. Still, let’s hold Jeff Reeves’s feet to the fire with his predictions
Predictions have a way of not working out well, but we must credit Jeff Reeves for his courage in making 17 unpopular investing predictions for 2017. Want another 2017 prediction? Ivan Martchev says gold will drop below $1,000. Even if you disagree with these or other calls, it’s good to understand the other side of the argument.
8. Spread the word on this easy way to make a guaranteed 100% return
Americans leave billions of money on the table each year because they fail to contribute enough to their 401(k) or similar plans to take full advantage of employers’ matching contributions. Don’t be part of that mistake. Instead, think of it as a guaranteed 100% return on Day 1 and a big part of your personal road to financial independence. Here are more ways to more than double your retirement savings and how to use time to potentially double your retirement income in five years.
9. Ask yourself these questions and change your financial future
Paul Merriman offers up his list of the 10 most important investment decisions you will make over your lifetime. Now mix in Ben Carlson’s list of his 20 personal-finance rules and these seven ways you could be sabotaging your investment portfolio.
10. One last big-ticket item: When considering college costs, don’t forget this startling statistic
You might be planning on paying for four years of college, but the reality may turn out to be quite different, as Peter Cappeli explains. And do you even need college? Ted Dintersmith and Tony Wagner believe that high school curricula, mainly focused on preparing students for college, are “largely useless in careers, or life.” They favor a more practical approach, which can prepare students for various paths, including trades and higher education.
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