Careers, Finance and Investing : Money-zine.com

On February 20, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that individuals have a right to recover 401k losses based on what were considered fiduciary breaches.  This landmark decision means that the 50 million Americans participating in a 401k plan now have a right to recover their loss if plan administrators don't fulfill what's considered their obligation to participants to manage their plans wisely.

If you're thinking about buying a new home, then you may have considered working with a mortgage broker.  Many borrowers believe mortgage brokers can lend a helping hand when it comes to finding the best deal on a mortgage.  But as we'll see, a mortgage broker may not always have the borrower's best interests in mind.

The term short-selling stock refers to the practice of selling securities that you do not own.  Investors will short-stocks when they believe a stock's market price is going to decline.  The process of short selling involves borrowing stock from a brokerage house to sell in the stock market.  At a future date, you repurchase the borrowed stock and that step in the process is called a "short cover."

Investing in the stock market is both a rewarding and a risky proposition.  Many investors are quite comfortable knowing their mutual funds are professionally managed, and the diversification of those portfolios has kept risk to a minimum.  But for other investors, selecting individual stocks provides both a sense of control and satisfaction.

This calculator can help you figure out the future value of a retirement account, as well as three possible annuities that could be funded using this money.  Specifically, this calculator takes into consideration a fund's current balance, the size, and the duration over which payments will be placed into this fund.  The resulting future value of this fund is then converted into three annuity terms: 20, 25, and 30 years.

One of the more interesting developments in the world of credit derivatives is the credit default swap, or CDS.  First used by bond investors as protection against default by the issuer of a bond; today these instruments are used by investors to fine tune their overall exposure to corporate credit, as well as for speculation.

This present value of an annuity calculator can help you figure out the worth of a stream of payments extending into the future.  By taking the annual payment, number of payment periods, and the interest rate (or discount rate) of the annuity, this tool can calculate the value of that annuity stated in terms of today's dollars.

Everyone realizes that home ownership is a very big financial step.  And if you need to borrow money to buy a home, you should also understand the serious financial commitment you've made to your mortgage company.  But to really appreciate the total cost of owning a home you need to look beyond your mortgage.

This immediate annuity calculator can help you figure out the fixed payments you'll receive from this type of retirement investment over time.  An immediate annuity is a retirement income investment option typically offered by insurance companies.  With this type of annuity, a large sum of money, or premium, is paid in exchange for a stream of income that continues for as long as you live. This calculator provides the user with monthly, quarterly, as well as annual payments.

Only July 26, 2007, the Treasury Department in conjunction with the IRS released a finalized set of 403b regulations.  With a history dating back to the 1950's this rulemaking effort was nearly 50 years in the making, and provides 403b participants with some long-awaited guidance.

This annuity calculator can help you figure out the fixed payments you'll receive from this type of retirement investment over time.  The calculator uses the starting principal balance, the interest rate received on the annuity, and the payment period to calculate annual annuity payments.  The calculator also displays the declining balance of the investment over time.

First authorized in 1997, Treasury-Inflation Protected Securities, or TIPS, are securities issued by the U.S. Treasury whose principal is linked to the Consumer Price Index.  TIPS offer investors the opportunity to buy bonds, while at the same time protect themselves against inflation.

In this publication we're going to discuss the topic of tax-friendly states.  That point of view will be from both a residential standpoint, as well as a business perspective.  When we pay taxes we're providing sources of income to those that are providing the essential services we all enjoy.  But there is no doubt that some states are more tax-friendly than others.

In January of 2008, the Treasury Department announced plans to offer prepaid debit cards for recipients of Social Security.  Coamerica Bank was chosen as the debit card issuer, and the Direct Express card should provide users with safer, and more convenient, access to their Social Security benefits compared to today's paper checks.