It's almost fair to believe that a monkey, throwing darts at different asset classes, would have assembled a decent portfolio this year.

Today's Stocks & Topics: 401k Funds, Index Funds, Biggest Money Mistakes, Don’t Buy Last Year’s Winners, LL - Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc., INGR - Ingredion Inc., KNDI - Kandi Technologies Group Inc., KR - Kroger Co., GMCR - Keurig Green Mountain Inc., Roth IRA vs. 529 Plan.

So often we think there's no difference between stock trading and investing. But Warren Buffett wants us to think again.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Dividends, Home Improvements, Greece, 10 things not to buy in 2015, Target Date Funds, Retirement, TCP - TC PipeLines L.P. vs. WPZ - Williams Partners L.P., CAT - Caterpillar Inc.

Bonds can offer capital preservation. Unless the company goes bankrupt, you can be certain you'll get back your orignal investment.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Right Time to Invest, Bad Economy?, Oil Prices & The Stock Market, Year End Taxes, Universal Life Insurance, Early Retirement, Small Caps, Credit Card Debt, Investing, Bonds, The Stock Market.

To understand whether a self-directed IRA is right for you, you must first understand exactly what it is – and isn’t - and how to avoid the pitfalls.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Oil Prices, Airlines ETFs, Retail Sales, Financial Plan for Retirement, U.S. Debt, 529-Plan, Gas Prices, Trading Information, Mutual Funds, Investing at Old Age, Retirement, Economic Value.

Target date funds could be steering some toward a date with disaster.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Index Funds, Panic Selling, Retail Sales in November, U.S. Debt, Fracking, Closed-End Funds, Target-date Funds, Mutual Funds, GNP: Gross National Product, Dividens, I-R-A, Hedge Funds, Warrants, Financial Analysis, Secondary Market.

From investing on emotion to chasing past returns . . . if you follow what feels good you are usually going to do the wrong thing.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Coverdell I-R-A, Avoiding IRA Mistakes, GILD - Gilead Sciences Inc., SAFM - Sanderson Farms Inc., XOM - Exxon Mobil Corp., MNTX - Manitex International Inc., Moving Average, The Stock Market, CFX - Colfax Corp.

There are a million of them out there.  And they'll keep trying to take our money as long as we'll let them.

Today's Stocks & Topics: GILD - Gilead Sciences Inc., Crisis in Russia, The Fed, Worst Mistakes at Any Age, CORE - Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc., RIG - Transocean Ltd., USO - United States Oil Fund LP, Day Trading.

The average investor believes this has been a particularly powerful bull market in stocks this year.

Today's Stocks & Topics: New Investor, Reverse Mortgage & Retirement, Sectors in 2015, AAPL - Apple Inc., DLR - Digital Realty Trust Inc., First Time Investor, MZOR - Mazor Robotics Ltd. ADS, FB - Facebook Inc. Cl A, IEMM - iShares PLC iShares MSCI Emerging Markets.

In the perennial personal finance debate over whether you should pay off your mortgage or invest your savings, some take a firm stand.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Swiss Announce Negative Interest Rates, Reverse Mortgage, 5 Questions to Predict if Your Will Be a Millionaire, SILC - Silicom Ltd., AAPL - Apple Inc., SYK - Stryker Corp., Oil, CERS - Cerus Corp., BA - Boeing Co.

The element of time can nearly always trump all other investing factors, and can dictate the makeup of your portfolio.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Sitting Dollars, 5 Questions to Predict if Your Will Be a Millionaire, Gold, Where is the Big Money?, CHTRX - Invesco Charter Fund, FSLR - First Solar Inc., IBM - International Business Machines Corp., NEWM - New Media Investment Group Inc., WTW - Weight Watchers International Inc., A & B Shares.

It's not exactly exciting, but it's a proven strategy: Hit a lot of 'singles' and 'doubles'.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Limited Partnership, Why Not to Trust Annuities, Fall of Prices, Retirement at 62, ETFs vs. Mutual Funds, UL - Unilever PLC ADS, PG - Procter & Gamble Co., TLT - iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF, RIG - Transocean Ltd., ETFs.

Mutual funds are intended to be mom-and-pop financial products - easy to buy and easy to sell, quickly.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Return on Investment & Real Estate, Empire State Index, Oil Prices, GNRC - Generac Holdings Inc., NGLS - Targa Resources Partners L.P, GOOG - Google Inc. Cl C, Mutual Funds, OKS - ONEOK Partners L.P., CWCO - Consolidated Water Co. Inc.

Bonds can offer capital preservation. Unless the company goes bankrupt, you can be certain you'll get back your orignal investment.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Right Time to Invest, Bad Economy?, Oil Prices & The Stock Market, Year End Taxes, TZA - Direxion Daily Small Cap Bear 3x Shares, Universal Life Insurance, CVX - Chevron Corp., Early Retirement, Small Caps, CEL - Cellcom Israel Ltd.

To understand whether a self-directed IRA is right for you, you must first understand exactly what it is – and isn’t - and how to avoid the pitfalls.
Today's Stocks & Topics: Oil Prices, Airlines ETFs, Retail Sales, Gas Prices, Financial Plan for Retirement, U.S. Debt, Oil & Electric Cars, HES - Hess Corp., EWZ - iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF, 529-Plan.

Target date funds could be steering some toward a date with disaster.
Today's Stocks & Topics: Index Funds, Penicillin, Retail Sales, RIO - Rio Tinto PLC ADS, U.S. Debt, Fracking, GGN - GAMCO Global Gold Natural Resources & Income Trust, Closed-End Funds, TNH - Terra Nitrogen Co. L.P., Target-date Funds, Mutual Funds, GNP: Gross National Product, SDT - SandRidge Mississippian Trust.

There's a whole list of mutual funds offered in your 401(k) plan. Which ones you should trust with your retirement savings?

Today's Stocks & Topics: Retirement, Mortgages, Ideal Budget, Jeffrey Gundlach, Oil & Gold Investments, IRDM - Iridium Communications Inc., Stock Value, WWAV - WhiteWave Foods Co., GILD - Gilead Sciences Inc., ANET - Arista Networks Inc.

Among stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and more, it can be difficult for young investors to decide.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Institutional Ownership, Oil Industry, Tech Sector, Direct Purchase Plan, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Oil & Energy Stocks, CPRT - Copart Inc., Investing, YHOO - Yahoo! Inc., VNR - Vanguard Natural Resources LLC.

Since mid-2009 through today REITs have returned around 214% compared with 151% for the S&P 500 and 149% for the Russell 2000.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Yukos Restitutions, Oil Reserves in the U.S., U.S. Debt, 10 Biggest Risks to the Stock Market in 2015, BCS - Barclays PLC ADS, Stock Exchanges, Profits, TASR - TASER International Inc., GGN - GAMCO Global Gold Natural Resources & Income Trust, BTU - Peabody Energy Corp., SD - SandRidge Energy Inc.

Amid low interest rates and money market reforms, companies seek better returns on their cash.  Should investors be paying attention?

Today's Stocks & Topics: HE - Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., PG - Procter & Gamble Co., 30 Year Mortgage, China Bigger than USA, Deflation, OKE - ONEOK Inc., HYLD - AdvisorShares Peritus High Yield ETF, S - Sprint Corp., SNY - Sanofi ADS, Earnings, Mutual Funds.

Nontraditional or alternative investments are becoming increasingly popular, but are investors sufficiently informed?

Today's Stocks & Topics: Junk Bonds, Worlds Five Most Corrupt Countries, CXW - Corrections Corp. of America, Six Ways to Increase Your retirement Income, Dividends, GE - General Electric Co., VZ - Verizon Communications Inc., APD - Air Products & Chemicals Inc., Year End Investing.

With hyper-diversified portfolios, investors can be lulled into a false sense of security.

Today's Stocks & Topics: Long Term Care Insurance, OPEC, Oil Drillers, Oil Prices, EVEP - EV Energy Partners L.P., TEL - TE Connectivity Ltd., QCOM - Qualcomm Inc.

Not all asset classes or investment vehicles are suitable -- and for good reason.
Today's Stocks & Topics: Oil Prices, Japan, Black Friday, LYB - LyondellBasell Industries N.V. Cl A, GGN - GAMCO Global Gold Natural Resources & Income Trust, CVS - CVS Health Corp., MNST - Monster Beverage Corp., Retirement.