A reader writes in, asking: “I heard on the radio recently that Obama will be changing IRA rules so that Roth IRAs will require RMDs and so there will be a limit on IRA account size. Do you think this has a big effect on the decision of which …
Fire Engulfs Japan Rocket Test Site
Large plumes of smoke billowed from the launch site at Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, after a malfunction during an engine test. Source link
At least one dead and three injured near Vilnius
At least one person has died and three others have been injured after a cargo plane crashed near Vilnius airport in Lithuania in the early hours of Monday.The Boeing 737, operated for DHL by the Spanish cargo airline Swiftair, crashed near a house as it was on its final approach for landing, local authorities said.All 12 people have been safely evacuated from the property, police said.The cause of the crash is still unclear but the defence minister said there were no initial signs it was sabotage or terrorism. The aircraft departed from DHL's hub at Leipzig Airport in Germany just…
Russia Launches New Intermediate-Range Missile at Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin said the attack was in response to Ukraine’s recent use of American and British weapons to strike deeper into Russia. Source link
Current Positions – January 30, 2014
Much like the way I ran my portfolio for most of 2014, I’m finishing the year without owning any stocks or ETFs. I’m short eight different puts and have a vertical spread using two different calls. I came into the year without wanting to own many stocks so I …
Tax-Efficiency and Qualified Dividend Income Percentages
Dividend distributions from mutual funds and ETFs are either qualified or non-qualified, and the difference could have you paying double the taxes. Qualified dividends are taxed at the lower long-term capital gains rate, which varies from 0{04524d497bea0ade6defd1388b5c9b25998d95475e2938b4fa9d615e63ad1540} to 20{04524d497bea0ade6defd1388b5c9b25998d95475e2938b4fa9d615e63ad1540}. Non-qualified dividends are taxed at ordinary income rates, …
Powell: Changes coming to target-date mutual funds – USA TODAY
Powell: Changes coming to target-date mutual fundsUSA TODAYThe more things change in the world of employer-sponsored retirement plans, the less they remain the same. And that's especially so when it comes to one of the most popular investment options in many 401(k) plans – the target-date …
Stocks to Watch: FedEx, Jabil, Red Hat are stocks to watch
Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Wednesday’s session are FedEx, Jabil Circuit, and Red Hat.
The Wall Street Journal: Bill Gross invested more than $700 million in new Janus fund
Janus Capital Group Inc.’s chief executive confirms on an earnings call that new star manager Bill Gross has invested “more than $700 million” of his own money in his new mutual fund.
Big Wave Trading Update And Top Current Holdings
Ever since QE started in 2008 there have been very rare incidences where we could say with some confidence that the current situation looked bullish or bearish. The lack of prices responding how they normally respond to certain situations has definitely made investing in a post-QE world for Trend Followers …
Libya Oil Output Plunges Amid Heightened Violence
Libya’s oil fields and infrastructure have come under attack multiple times over much of the last two years, but events have recently taken a turn for the worse. Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that a pipeline explosion on February 14 disrupted flows from a major oil field, threatening to further …
Is the oil crash over?
Oil prices have rebounded by $16 a barrel since the low point was reached at $45 a month ago, and investors are already wondering whether the worst is over for the energy sector. The bear market that started in 2011 has seen a peak-to-trough decline in overall commodity prices …
Commodities explained: Oil data watch
Which reports and statistics are being closely followed by the market?
Daily chart: The agony of Greece
GREEK voters want to stay in the euro. They have also elected a government that has made a Greek exit, or “Grexit”, seem much more likely. Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s finance minister, said on February 10th that if Greece’s new Syriza-led government did not seek an extension of its bail-…
Crude Oil Hits 2-Month High, SPX 500 Chart Setup Hints at Pullback
Crude oil prices advanced to a two-month high while SPX 500 technical positioning hints a corrective pullback may be ahead.
GBP/USD’s February Uptrend Holding Even After Weak CPI – Here’s Why
A look beyond the headline data shows that price pressures are actually building in the UK economy.
Tax Anticipation Notes: A Timely Alternative Financing Instrument for Greece
The recent election of an explicitly anti-austerity party in Greece has upset the prevailing policy consensus in the eurozone, and raised a number of issues that have remained ignored or suppressed in policy circles. Expansionary fiscal consolidations have proven largely elusive. The difficulty of achieving GDP growth while reaching …
Gold Rallies as Eurogroup Meeting Comes to Abrupt End
Gold gained on ;Monday and ;continued to ;rise during early Tuesday’s trading. The ;precious metal was in ;demand due to ;concerns about a ;potential exit of ;Greece from …
Here comes Empire State manufacturing … (DIA, SPX, SPY, QQQ, IWM)
The February report on Empire State manufacturing from the New York Federal Reserve is set for release at 8:30 am ET. Expectations are for the report to come in at 8.00, down from 9.95 in January. January’s report was a big bounce back after the reading unexpectedly turned negative in December. We’ll be …
Profit doubles at newcomer bank Aldermore – BBC News
BBC NewsProfit doubles at newcomer bank AldermoreBBC NewsProfit at the British bank Aldermore more than doubled in 2014, as it picked up customers from bigger rivals. Pre-tax profit rose to £56m at the bank, which was set up in 2009 by former Barclays executive Philip Monk. Mr Monk described it …