You are here:
- Home
- Money
- Investing for Beginners
- Beginner Investing
Beginner Investing/Questions Answered by Expert Gina Boykin
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Correlated Industries | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: I am a beginner in investing. I have read in a book that in order to reduce risk, one can invest in ... A: What they are basically talking about is diversification. It is the reason why many people hold ... | |
| Beginner Investing | 9/6/2009 |
| Q: I am a 23 year old college student with big plans for the future. I am very interested in investing ... A: Accumulating some cash for emergencies maybe the best thing you can do as a first step, before ... | |
| retirement | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: I Am 60 years old and haven't any retirement saved what steps do i take exactly? A: Start by spending less than you make each month. Set aside a portion of your income, which you can ... | |
| what to do? | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: I have an inherited IRA which has approx $31,000 in it. It is just sitting in the bank making ... A: Let's first figure out exactly how much of an emergency fund you need. Since there is no risk of ... | |
| Passive Income | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could tell me more about ''Passive Income'' I was told investing in real ... A: There are three types of income: earned income, passive income, and portfolio income. Earned income ... | |
| current yield & yield to maturity | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: How to distinguish between ‘current yield’ and ‘yield to maturity’ of a fixed income Security? How ... A: Current yield is equal to the annual interest payment divided by the market price. It is the actual ... | |
| Investment | 7/23/2009 |
| Q: I am a 20 year old college student from Rhode Island that is quickly learning how easy money goes. I ... A: It depends on the goal for this money. If you are setting aside money for any short-term goals ... | |
| Investing 101 | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: I've always had an interest in investing because I think its important to plan for the future. This ... A: It's great that you have an interest in learning investing! There is so much information on the ... | |
| how the stock market works | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I dont know anything about stock market and foreign exchange but i want to understand this and start ... A: I can definitely give you some good places to start, since these markets can't be summed up in just ... | |
| Management Fees | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: If an investment company, for example a mutual fund company, takes its management fees from an ... A: Management fees are taken based on the entire fund balance, so the part an individual investor pays ... | |
| lookin up cd's | 6/19/2009 |
| Q: Is there a service online or in the community that can look up cd's? Is it possible to look up a ... A: Are you trying to find money that may have been in account that you have not touched in a while and ... | |
| education saving for our son | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: Our son is 1 year old and we want to start saving money for him when he graduates high school, ... A: Putting money in CDs or money market accounts would either have to be in your name, or in a ... | |
| Invest? | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: I have always heard that you should pay off your credit card debt before you take any money to ... A: The reason many financial advisors say to pay off credit card debt first is that you are very ... | |
| Roth IRA | 6/1/2009 |
| Q: I want to open a Roth IRA to save for retirement. I want to know: 1) Where should I open the Roth ... A: You have several options when it comes to opening a Roth IRA. You can open one using a financial ... | |
| chapter 11 filing | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: If I can't afford to pay my federal taxes, can I file for chapter 11? What assets are protected ... A: Chapter 11 is more for businesses. Instead, you would most likely fall under Chapter 13. Chapter 13 ... | |
| savings account | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: If I put £25.000 in a savings account of 3.50% how much interest could i make? A: The answer depends on how long you keep the money in your savings account, and how often interest is ... | |
| Unmanageable Debt | 5/1/2009 |
| Q: I am 67 yr old retired and disabled teacher. I have had several knee/foot surgeries past few years ... A: Before a creditor can try to get any of your assets, they will have to sue you, and the court/judge ... | |
| what is the BEST way to save money | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I wanted to know what is the best way to save money other than a savings accunt and 401k plan. Is it ... A: There aren't a lot of options when it comes to saving (as opposed to investing). There are money ... | |
| Weak Dollar | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a currency trading question. If one U.S. dollar buys or exchanges for a fractional part of ... A: Again, this would depend on what you can buy with that 1 Euro compared to what you can purchase with ... | |
| Weak Dollar | 4/27/2009 |
| Q: I have a currency trading question. If one U.S. dollar buys or exchanges for a fractional part of ... A: In summary, this ratio does not determine a country's strength or weakness. "Strength" of a ... | |
| Best Way to Invest Law Suit Award for my Minor | 4/26/2009 |
| Q: My 10 year old daughter was awarded 129,000 as a result of a dog bite injury - less legal fees, ... A: Whatever amount you plan to use for college can be placed in a 529 plan. This type of account ... | |
| Weak Dollar | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: I have a currency trading question. If one U.S. dollar buys or exchanges for a fractional part of ... A: The strength of a country's currency is based on the relationship with other countries' currencies, ... | |
| Get to money | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: I have $6000 setting in my savings acct. so I can get to it quick if needed. Work is slowing down ... A: Based on what you've told me, it sounds like it is more important to have the money safe and sound. ... | |
| Stocks Bonds | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: I am on disability and received my settlement. I would like to invest the money I received in the ... A: The ssa.gov provides information on what types of earnings are included in the income test, and ... | |
| investing in oil | 3/2/2009 |
| Q: I am 43yr old single mother of 4 + one grandchild, supporting all 5. I feel relative job security, ... A: The first place to start is education. You should ALWAYS understand any investment you are planning ... | |
| saving money | 2/26/2009 |
| Q: which brings back a better return on investments. CD OR US Savings bond? A: It depends. There are different CD rates depending on the time period you select (for example, a 24 ... | |
| Investments-Switching From Stocks/Bonds to C.D.s/Treasury Notes | 2/11/2009 |
| Q: I talk to my Mom once per week. She lives 3 hrs. away & is 89 years old. She has around three ... A: In general, any money that is expected to be used within a short time-frame (less than 10 years), ... | |
| Saving and Invest for College | 2/9/2009 |
| Q: Boykin, I have a 2-year-old son and my goal is to save up and invest the money for my son when he ... A: If you want absolutely no risk whatsoever, you are really only left with savings, certificates of ... | |
| hello | 2/4/2009 |
| Q: this is a bit off topic, but I am a sophomore in college and trying to decide if I should keep ... A: I really don't think you have to love accounting to get a degree in finance. There are some basic ... | |
| INVESTING,ETC.. | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: . im a 21 yr old male.. i want to invest and make my money grow.. instead of putting it in my bank.. ... A: Start with a goal. What do you want to accomplish first? Do you want to save up $1,000 to put away ... | |
| Corporate Bonds | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: I live in Canada, but sometimes invest in US securities. I got clobbered in common shares last year! ... A: Try investinginbonds.com for bond rates as well as other helpful information about bonds. For ... | |
| Par Value | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: Did all stocks use to have a par value, or do all stocks still have a par value; if so, what does ... A: Yes, stocks do have par value, but it doesn't have any relationship to market price. The par value ... | |
| Bad Credit , Invest or Payoff Loan? | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: I have recently come up on S11, 000 and I am still making payments for an auto loan (in which I ... A: I have one other question for you that will help determine the answer to your question. Do you have ... | |
| Technical Vs. Fundamental Anaysis | 1/14/2009 |
| Q: I am set on doing my own future investing & read where evaluating stocks using both technical & ... A: I can't think of a really good book that discusses this topic; however, I do have another ... | |
| Young 19 yrs old investor | 1/6/2009 |
| Q: I would like to buy some of the 50 shares from ABC Company at $45 per share which will make it total ... A: Once you purchase a stock, there are ONLY two ways to make money from that purchase. The first way ... | |
| Like to start it from now | 12/16/2008 |
| Q: I am 19 years old boy and i would like to know the game of STOCK Market, i want to become very ... A: What exactly do you want to know? I can tell you where to start. The first place I'd start is with ... | |
| ford motor co. stock | 12/9/2008 |
| Q: today is 12/07/09 and ford closed around 3.60 a share up about 25 percent from friday. with the ... A: A government bail out in itself is not reason enough to purchase a stock. You have to believe in ... | |
| investing | 12/6/2008 |
| Q: I only have $4,000. to invest. How should I invest it? A: Actually, you are the best person to decide where to invest your money, and that is because the ... | |
| credit card | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: I would like to obtain a credit card for the first time. This would mostly be used for small online ... A: When you apply for a credit card, the company will check your credit score. The only way you'll ... | |
| Grain Future Prices | 11/27/2008 |
| Q: This question my be outside of your expertise, but perhaps you may have the answer. What do the ... A: I'm definitely not an expert on this subject, but I'll share what I do know. The prices are cents ... | |
| Money for the new iPod | 11/26/2008 |
| Q: This Christmas I want to buy myself the new iPod nano in purple, which is $150. I have a friend that ... A: When saving toward a goal, the first step is to set the goal, which means you need a specific amount ... | |
| import and export | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: I wonder what will happen to the country if a country export is less? Like the milk scandal crisis, ... A: In general, countries thrive when people buy the products they produce. This can be people within ... | |
| Small amount to start, want pre-set structure | 10/20/2008 |
| Q: My husband and I have never invested beyond my employer’s 401k, and at almost 40 years old we feel ... A: It sounds like you're trying to start small and diversify at the same time, without having to spend ... | |
| Currency Exchange | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: I am a student with the minimal income is their anyway I could profit through investing in currency? A: Investing in forex can be done with as little as $500. If you are interested in forex investing, ... | |
| Pip Values | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: I read that to determine the value of one pip, divide 0.0001 by the exchange rate. For example, If ... A: I don't think I can explain why the formula is the way it is, but it does work. In your example, ... | |
| Issue price and Demomination | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: Could you please explain me the difference between issue price and denomination ? Many thanks A: Demonination is simply the unit of measurement (dollar, quarter, yen, etc) Issue price is the price ... | |
| Equity VS Investment | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: I am part of the US Army located in South Korea. I currently live off base and receive a 3,200,000 ... A: www.oanda.com has real-time exchange rates. As far as the indicators, a great place to go to ... | |
| Why Invest Now? | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I do not understand why it makes sense to Keep investing in my childrens' college saving's plans ... A: The reason that some people suggest to continue the contributions is that you're getting your stocks ... | |
| Equity VS Investment | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: I am part of the US Army located in South Korea. I currently live off base and receive a 3,200,000 ... A: If you believe that the exchange rate will go back to the average, then it would make sense to ... | |
| Currency exchange | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: I have been thinking that if and when the US dollar gains any substantial strength against the Euro, ... A: I have actually never heard of purchasing foreign currency in this manner. In fact, any true ... | |
| What to do with my settlement money? | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: I have a debt of approximately $40,000 or so. I will be receiving approximately $50,000-$60,000 left ... A: Unless your debt is a student loan with a very low rate (2-3 percent), then it makes more sense to ... | |
| Bonds for Education | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I have some EE bonds I have saved for my son's education. When cashing them out,will I have to pay ... A: It depends. There are certain rules you have to meet to be able to use the bonds for education and ... | |
| investing | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: Hello mrs boykin whos is the best company t6o invest with im 31 and i havent started saving for ... A: Are you asking what company you should use to hold your investment account? If so, any of the major ... | |
| stock- Washington Mutual. | 9/18/2008 |
| Q: I am using WAMU as an example.same can be done for LEH. q1. I have WAMU shares.What happens if wamu ... A: I'll start with Lehman Brothers. When a company files Chapter 11, they submit a plan to the ... | |
| EE savings bonds | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I have about 11 savings bonds that I had planned to use for my daughter's education. However,these ... A: Bonds must be registered in the name of the parent(s) to get the tax exclusion. The children cannot ... | |
| savings bonds | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: With all the financial difficulties in our country,I have not heard any mention of savings bonds. ... A: I'm sure you've heard about all of the government bailouts - that is because the government is the ... | |
| Bail Out | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: RE: TSP Will the bail out of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac have an affect on the G Fund Thanks A: Since US Treasuries are backed by the Federal Government, there is virtually zero risk of default. ... | |
| series ee bonds | 9/2/2008 |
| Q: We have several series EE bonds that was just in the filing cabinet. I intend to cash them now but ... A: At this point, I don't believe you can get an exclusion, because the qualified higher education ... | |
| Where to invest $50K | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to invest $50K in the near term. My risk tolerance is low to medium. Could you ... A: You have a lot of options and your decision will be based on your time frame (when you need the ... | |
| Which is best for me? | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I am 50 years old and due to various personal issues have no retirement savings at all. I have $5000 ... A: Usually, the rule for investing is that if you will need the money within the next 5-10 years, it ... | |
| "Annuity" periodic payments? | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I are retired and have good incomes and get social securty. I have a TIAA annuity and ... A: Annuities can be very confusing. That's because there are different types, and different ways to be ... | |
| investing for a stay at home mom | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: I currently am married, have one child, work part time, and I would like to start saving for ... A: You actually have several options, while you are working and when you stay at home. Option 1 - ... | |
| Investing in Dinars | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: I'm from Puerto Rico and there is a bank here called "BAnco Popular", and they are promoting dinars ... A: I went to the Banco Popular website and do not see anything about foreign currency investments on ... | |
| Stock Purchase/Sell | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: Although I am not actually purchasing stock at this time, I am sure that this is a fairly common ... A: It's actually not that hard at all if you chose a discount broker. The only fees you should have ... | |
| Where to start? | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: Hey, First off i'd like to say that Im from australia, so this might be different for you guys. But ... A: You definitely can start now! In fact, it's the best time to start. The best way to begin ... | |
| Retirement | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: I am 28 yrs. old, female/R.N, engaged. Me and my fiance are big into the idea of NOT working our ... A: It definitely doesn't sound like a bad idea! Who wouldn't want to have a plan to retire early? ... | |
| Understanding ROE | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: I have a very basic query regarding ROE. Why is ROE = ROA * Assets/Shareholders Equity and not ... A: Actually ROE, return on equity, just equals net income / shareholder's equity, which shows you what ... | |
| !st time investing | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: I am a single mother of 3 with 2 jobs-full-time pays 12.60hr and part-time pays 8.50hr @ 20 hrs/wk. ... A: It's great that you want to start investing now, but as a first step, do you have an emergency fund? ... | |
| investing | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: im bad with money. A: If you have any credit card debt, the best return on your money will come from paying this debt ... | |
| Currency Markets | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: I recently saw an article online entitled: "US Dollar Hits Record Low". The article was comparing ... A: Are you sure the rates were not the Euro/USD? That is usually the way this pair is described. In ... | |
| Margin & Currency Trading | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: Can you explain the following regarding margin regarding a currency account: With an account balance ... A: The margin is actually determined by your lot size, not your account balance. Since you did not ... | |
| Investing | 7/8/2008 |
| Q: My na me is Vasilis and i want to answer about forex.I searched a little and saw that forex is ... A: The best place to start to learn more about developing your own trading strategy (which you will ... | |
| investing | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: Gina. I am an ignorant nonprofessional when it comes to the subject of investments. For the last 4 ... A: Your options are based on the type of account you currently have. I'll start with the money market. ... | |
| Recent Graduate | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: I am a recent graduate with a Manufacturing Engineering Degree. I have been spending money stupidly ... A: It would save you money over the long-term to pay down your student loan. Consider that ... | |
| Investing Guidance | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: I have about 25,000. that I received and have had in a 90 day CD for like a year. What I'd like to ... A: I know it is tempting to try to "make it big" in the market, but in your situation, I would not ... | |
| Recent Graduate | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: I am a recent graduate with a Manufacturing Engineering Degree. I have been spending money stupidly ... A: I think you are doing very well. Your excel table did not show up very well, but I think I get the ... | |
| investing in income property | 5/27/2008 |
| Q: I want to know of the prudence of purchasing a second home as income property in this economic ... A: •Money that is in a 401K account is there for retirement, and really should not be taken out for any ... | |
| long term investing and debt | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: I'm a 30 year old graduate student who's beginning to think about retirement. I'll try to sketch out ... A: Mutual funds usually have one or more of the following fees: loads (a fee for buying or selling the ... | |
| Investments | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: my late uncle left me 7 million dollars which was a solid transfer from his bank to my bank. At the ... A: Although it may be easy to select a firm based on the "top 10" list, or through recommendations of a ... | |
| Small windfall | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: I recently received a decent sum of money, $25,000. I am 24 years old, and this is the most amount ... A: Actually, one of the best things you can do, when you come into a large amount of money suddenly, is ... | |
| merger | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: Would it is possible to form a company profitable company by merging two companies, both of which ... A: It depends on the reason. If the companies can, for example, become more efficient when they ... | |
| Advise | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: I am currently undergrad in business. Really interested in learning how to invest in the market as a ... A: The internet is a great resource. A good place to start is yougmoney.com. Young Money also has a ... | |
| Currency Trading | 3/31/2008 |
| Q: Is it safe to use a currency broker outside of the United States? What do you recommend? I thank ... A: The NFA (National Futures Association) regulates foreign and commodity dealers. Make sure the ... | |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: The formula i have for ROIC (return on invested capital) is Net Operating Profit after Tax/(Total ... A: When you record a liability, the other side is usually an expense. However, that does not mean that ... | |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: The formula i have for ROIC (return on invested capital) is Net Operating Profit after Tax/(Total ... A: ROIC is somewhere between ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity). In ROE, the ... | |
| Total Assets - total liabities | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to calculate the Return on Equity for various stocks i am in interested in by looking at ... A: Your formula is correct. Equity is not a liability. Liabilities are amounts owed (like debt, ... | |
| Business Start Up | 3/21/2008 |
| Q: I hope im not wasting your time with this question but i cant find any answers online. My question ... A: The simplest way for them to contribute to your business is to loan you the money. You can use a ... | |
| interested in investing | 3/16/2008 |
| Q: I do not have much money to invest 500-1000 and would like to invest this in order to get quick ... A: Anything you invest in to get "quick returns" could possibly result in you losing most or all of ... | |
| buying bonds on disability | 3/7/2008 |
| Q: I am on disability.I owe a large sum on credit cards.I want to make income to pay off this ... A: The best way to pay off credit cards is to pay as much as you can toward the balance each month. ... | |
| 403B rollover to Traditional IRA | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: I recently rolled over a 403B to a Traditional IRA. I have two questions. 1. How will the taxation ... A: There is no tax effect of a rollover to an IRA. If you do another rollover, though, into a Roth ... | |
| Novice wants to set up low-cost investing account. | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: Novice wants to set up low-cost investing account. --- I'd like to start investing, but have no ... A: It's actually very easy to set up an account with a broker. Here are the steps: 1. Educate ... | |
| figuring Basis for spinn offs | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: I bought stock in a company in 1996. In 2004 it spun off a subsidiary and I recieved stock in the ... A: The basis for the spin off should be the price on the date you received the stock, while the basis ... | |
| Mutual fund tax | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: To help pay for our wedding, my wife sold mutual funds she had received as a kid from her parents. ... A: Any stocks/mutual funds held over 1 year are taxed at the long-term capital gains tax rate of 15%, ... | |
| SHORT TERM INVESTING | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE $40,000 THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INVEST SOMEWHERE FOR 5 YEARS. OTHER THAN A CD, ... A: If you'd like a better return than a CD, you can look into purchasing bonds. Bonds provide income ... | |
| Currency Trading | 1/24/2008 |
| Q: I have a currency trading question. My question is as follows: If the yen is up against the dollar, ... A: It would be correct to say that the YEN is getting stronger (or the USD is getting weaker) against ... | |
| Change 529 Investment Option? | 1/21/2008 |
| Q: I currently live in NC and have three 529 College Savings accounts for my three boys--ages 3, 5, and ... A: Because I am not a very risk tolerant person, and because I actually like bonds, I would go with ... | |
| Change 529 Investment Option? | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: I currently live in NC and have three 529 College Savings accounts for my three boys--ages 3, 5, and ... A: Age-based funds are usually invested in stock mutual funds, bond funds and some lower-risk things ... | |
| $2000 to invest | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: I go to college full time and have a part time job but expenses are rolling in and I just want to ... A: If this money is your emergency fund, or is money you plan to use in the next few years, you should ... | |
| help | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: i really want to have a job in acting because its who i am. i cant go to an acting school cos ots ... A: This isn't really an investing question, but I will try to help as much as I can. Everyone has a ... | |
| Investment | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: are systematic and unsystematic risks affected by increasing the number of stocks in a protfolio. If ... A: No. Systematic risk is market risk. There are certain things, like war or a recession, that affect ... | |
| options in silver and gold | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: Me and my husband have never invested. We are thinking about buying options in silver and gold. Any ... A: Options is an advanced trading strategy (NOT for beginners), and one that should be only done with ... | |
| savings bonds (EE) | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: I am currently purchasing Series EE bonds for my grandchild who is 10 months old. My plan is for ... A: To qualify for the tax exclusion for EE bonds, you must be 24 years old when you buy the bonds, so ... | |
| Investing wisely | 12/31/2007 |
| Q: Quick demographics: 23 yrs. old, single, plan on living at home for another year or so, have $53k in ... A: If you have a plan for your money that is longer than 5 years, you do have some other options. If ... | |
| Online Brokering | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: Ms. Boykin, What are some good sites for beginners who want to invest online? Specifically, can you ... A: For beginners, I would suggest starting with mutual funds instead of individual stocks. If you ... | |
| Student loans or IRA | 12/19/2007 |
| Q: I'm a junior in college and have relatives that are going to give me some money when I graduate ... A: The answer depends on what is more valuable to you - being debt free or investing for retirement. ... | |
| Investing an inheritance | 12/17/2007 |
| Q: Sometime around July of 2008 I will receive a large inheritance. I am planning on investing a ... A: The Roth IRA is a good idea, and you will be able to place $4K in this year and $5K in January for ... | |
| beginning investing | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I have been wanting to invest in stocks (starting small, as you advise) for a while ... A: Discount brokers are best for most people. If you have questions about anything on the website, ... | |
| investment vehicle decision | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: I am fully vested (and invested) in a company sponsored 401K. I am 50 years old. My 401K balance ... A: It is more likely that your contributions to the Roth will gain more over 12-15 years than you'll ... | |
| selling and moving money to CD | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: I realize that brokers have to make money but is almost $95 a trade normal?? I want to leave the ... A: $95 is not the norm for discount brokers, but you didn't specify that this was a discount broker ... | |
| money management | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: As a 23 year old I just graduated and started my first job out of college several months ago. I have ... A: Whether you use a financial advisor or not, you should have some financial education. Knowledge ... | |
| INVESTMENTS | 12/5/2007 |
| Q: I HAVE SOME INVESTMENTS , EX LOCAL BANK, CD AND MONEY MARKET. 5 % INTEREST. FOR 1 YR. 50,000.00 ... A: If you plan to use the money within the next 5 years, it's fine where it is. If you are trying to ... | |
| Late investing | 11/20/2007 |
| Q: We recently lost my father to a heart attack. My mother (age 62) who works as a teacher's aide ... A: If you want something safe and easy to liquidate, you can stick with a plain money-market or savings ... | |
| Stock | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: I am a junior biochemistry major in college If I wanted to invest in the stock market what kind of ... A: When people are just starting out, I usually suggest to start with a mutual fund. However, if you ... | |
| Stocks | 11/15/2007 |
| Q: how are you doing? I have a friend that uses a stock broker to buy his stocks. He puts a lot of ... A: The best place to invest is with a discount online broker. The major ones are Vanguard, Fidelity, ... | |
| limit orders | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: When trading stocks, what is the difference between “sell limit”, and “sell stop limit” order? Could ... A: There are stop orders, stop limit orders, and limit orders, which can be for buying or selling. A ... | |
| hello | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: I am in the 10th grade. I've been investing and reading about it for about 1 1/2 year.First question ... A: There are many options if you want to follow a career in the stock market. You could become a stock ... | |
| hello | 10/31/2007 |
| Q: I am in the 10th grade. I've been investing and reading about it for about 1 1/2 year.First question ... A: Actually, people who get paid to invest other people's money usually only get between 12-18 percent ... | |
| Management Accounts | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: How much money should someone have in an IRA before considering having a managed account (paying an ... A: I can't say that there is a hard and fast rule on this. It is really up to you on what you're ... | |
| CD | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: I was thinking of investing in a CD, but I'm confused as to the difference between the APY and the ... A: The interest rate is the rate that the bank uses to calculate interest each period (day, week, ... | |
| Selling stocks acquired through employment and spinoffs | 10/17/2007 |
| Q: I have a question regarding stock I recieved through other means than direct purchase. First, I ... A: If you received actual shares of stock without any cost to you, they may be vested or restricted. ... | |
| ETF and Mutual Funds | 10/7/2007 |
| Q: I am 32 and have began to invest for retirement. I have a couple questions if you don’t mind: 1) I ... A: You are correct! It is better to buy a mutual fund directly from the company that manages the fund. ... | |
| investment banking | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: I have been thinking about it and I think I should choose Investment Banking as my career.However do ... A: So you want to work on Wall Street? The major investment banks and firms are in NY - Morgan ... | |
| Mutual Fund Investing | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: I heard the following excerpt on a television program. Can you explain the meaning of the following ... A: Perception, which is basically what people think about the company, is one of the primary things ... | |
| E Trade | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: Boykin, My question is I would like to start investing money and I though E Trade would be a ... A: Before you start investing, you may want to get some general investing education. Some great ... | |
| Mutual Fund Investing | 9/20/2007 |
| Q: I heard the following excerpt on a television program. Can you explain the meaning of the following ... A: I think the wording is actually a little confusing, but I believe they are referring to the fact ... | |
| delisting | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: I've come across a new term - delisting. I have a few shares of an equity that is doing poorly but ... A: If a stock is delisted, it means that it will be taken off the stock exchange listing. This can ... | |
| Investing short term in order to pay for college | 9/18/2007 |
| Q: I've been delaying college for the past year while working in order to save money so that I can ... A: To be honest, investing in something with higher returns (like bonds or stocks) is usually for time ... | |
| investing | 9/14/2007 |
| Q: im a 22 yr old, and i would like an input into investing and ideas because i know its the way ... A: The best place to start investing, since you're working, is at your place of employment. Ask your ... | |
| Money market calulator | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: I have been trying to find the right calculator all over the net with no luck. I am in a money ... A: I am unaware of a calculator that is that detailed. You can set up a spreadsheet, though, in excel. ... | |
| hedge fund | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: what is a hedge fund, and why is it called that? What are the risks and rewards of them. How do you ... A: To hedge means to attempt to limit your risk in a business or investment and still maintain a ... | |
| money to invest | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: I have a friend who has $20,000 to invest. He has a saftey net as well, so this $20,000 is money ... A: Cash flow can be made in the following ways: capital gains (increase in value), rental income, ... | |
| starting investment | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: I am 20 years old male who currently working to collect money to enrol university.I understand only ... A: If you are trying to raise money for school, and will be going in less than 5 years, you may want to ... | |
| stocks | 8/26/2007 |
| Q: I have been looking at stocks like Yahoo, Walmart, Coca Cola etc. And it seems to good to be ... A: The "buy and hold" strategy is one that Warren Buffet uses, and you see that he is the 2nd richest ... | |
| Bonds | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: It seems to me that a good bond yields about 5 to 6 percent. I now see "high yield" savings ... A: There are two advantages to investing in bonds. #1 - Tax benefits for certain bonds. The interest ... | |
| foreign currency | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: If things get progressively worse in the next year or two and the dollar slids quite a bit what ... A: Investing in a foreign currency usually is done by investing in a currency pair, and would involve ... | |
| new start on life | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: im currently im going to school to get my commercial driver lincence.ill only be working part-tme ... A: Antoine! IT's great that you are going to school to improve your career! I commend you on that ... | |
| bank liquidity | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: this past week the Fed Reserve pumped $35B into the banking system because of liquidity issues with ... A: Before I explain, let me start at the basics of banks and the FED. The FED is made up of the Board ... | |
| What do banks do with our money? | 8/10/2007 |
| Q: I am referring to savings/checking accounts. In addition to lending out the money on deposit, Do ... A: Banks are required to keep a certain percent of the money they have in deposits ... | |
| compounding interest | 8/6/2007 |
| Q: and also get federally insured. Thanks Mike A: The only products that are "federally insured" are those offered by a bank that is FDIC (which ... | |
| what next? | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: i want to know what the best option is for me to invest about $30,000. i lost my job two years ago ... A: Tyler, you are in GREAT shape! There are many options. However, there is no "one size fits all" so ... | |
| College student looking to invest | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: I will be entering my junior year at college this coming fall, and I am looking for some investment ... A: It is great that you have this much money saved up. You are one of a rare bunch. Did you know that ... | |
| Foreign Exchange Trading | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Do you have any foreign exchange trading strategies that are useful and reliable? I would like to ... A: If you have not visited www.babypips.com, I would highly suggest it. It's the best forex education ... | |
| Stocks & Bonds | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Here is myIs it better to buy a bond or a stock at a premium or at a discount and why? I thank you ... A: That depends. I'll explain why. Bonds have a face value, typically some multiple of $1000, which ... | |
| Is this a good idea? | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I am 25 and am just starting my financial journey. I have saved about $3,500. I want to know what ... A: It sounds like a good plan! It is very important to have an emergency fund. It is usually ... | |
Beginner Investing
Answers by Expert:
Gina Boykin
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Financial planning, debt management & credit cards, stock investments, mutual funds, bonds, foreign exchange(forex), and saving money tips. If I don't know something I will do my best to research and give you objective and relevant answers.
Experience
Investing, financial advising/planning, saving money
Organizations
Atlanta Youth Empowerment Series
Education/Credentials
B.S. Degree and 10 years of experience in Accounting and Audit. 10 years experience investing in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, real estate, options, and forex
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.