Ask Us - General Investing

What is long-term care? (view answer)

What is the difference between an acquisition and a takeover? (view answer)

What is an absolute rate? (view answer)

How did corporate ownership almost lead to the ruin of Adelphia in 2002? (view answer)

What are some cheaper alternatives to sending children to summer camp? (view answer)

What would happen to a company's external fund requirements if it reduces the payout ratio, or if it suffers a decline in its profit margin? (view answer)

Why does the IRS withhold income taxes from employee paychecks? (view answer)

Do nonprofit organizations pay taxes? (view answer)

Why are credit cards able to charge such high interest rates compared to other lenders? (view answer)

What do people mean when they mention real estate gazunders or gazumps? (view answer)

What is meant when advertisers say that "financing is available"? (view answer)

What is the history behind today's bankruptcy laws? (view answer)

What is the difference between inflation and stagflation? (view answer)

What is "hot money"? (view answer)

How did Joseph Jett cause Kidder, Peabody & Co. to lose over $350 million? (view answer)

What business processes were used to establish the Chevrolet motor company? (view answer)

What was the first company to issue stock? (view answer)

What is a wild-card play? (view answer)

What's the difference between a golden handshake and a golden parachute? (view answer)

What options do I have to save for my child's education? (view answer)

What is the difference between asset-based lending and asset financing? (view answer)

When is the dividend payment recognized in the shareholders equity portion of the balance sheet? (view answer)

What recognized CEO earned the moniker "Neutron Jack"? (view answer)

How do I use the IRS Free File tax forms? (view answer)

What is comparative advantage? (view answer)

When am I considered "married" for tax purposes? (view answer)

To whom was the term "corporate kleptocracy" first applied? (view answer)

How can I use an "airbag swap"? (view answer)

How are stock warrants different from stock options? (view answer)

What is meant by "full disclosure"? (view answer)

What is dead money? (view answer)

What is the Razor/Razorblade model? (view answer)

Why should I bother creating a budget? (view answer)

What is the best way to budget for holiday and special event spending? (view answer)

What is evergreen funding? (view answer)

What is an earnings conference call? (view answer)

What does CHIPS UID mean? (view answer)

How can I buy oil as an investment? (view answer)

What are the benefits of an assumable mortgage? (view answer)

Who coined the term "entrepreneur"? (view answer)

What is a blank-check company? (view answer)

Who was Parker Dozhier and why was he called a "bag man"? (view answer)

What does it mean to be "above water"? (view answer)

Can I match a fund to my religion? (view answer)

What is an entrepreneur's elevator pitch? (view answer)

What is a "dog and pony" show? (view answer)

How does someone commit featherbedding? (view answer)

How is something "brought over the wall" in an investment bank? (view answer)

What is a back door listing? (view answer)

What is a rainmaker? (view answer)

What does it mean to have "dry powder"? (view answer)

Are oil prices and interest rates correlated? (view answer)

What is an alienation clause? (view answer)

What was the Whitewater scandal? (view answer)

What is the difference between a non-recourse loan and a recourse loan? (view answer)

What is Black Monday? (view answer)

Why was Microsoft subject to antitrust charges in 1998? (view answer)

What is foreclosure investing? (view answer)

What is a tuck-in acquisition? (view answer)

What is estate planning? (view answer)

What is financial double-dipping? (view answer)

What is the Ricardian vice? (view answer)

What are elves? (view answer)

What's the difference between a bank guarantee and a letter of credit? (view answer)

What is the put-call ratio and why should I pay attention to it? (view answer)

Is there any time I would want to have a zero-principal mortgage? (view answer)

What do people mean when they say there is a "bubble" going on in the market? (view answer)

How does the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 affect first-time home buyers? (view answer)

What are the economic implications of government subsidies on fuel costs? (view answer)

How can a trust lower federal transfer tax liability? (view answer)

What is the candle maker's petition? (view answer)

What is the broken window fallacy? (view answer)

Where can I get a company's prospectus and/or financial statements? (view answer)

What are soft dollars? (view answer)

What does the saying "What's good for Wall Street is bad for Main Street" mean? (view answer)

What is the highest achievable FICO score? (view answer)

What economic indicators are especially important to oil traders? (view answer)

What happens to the fines collected by the Securities and Exchange Commission? (view answer)

I've heard some "market gurus" claim returns of up to 400% annually. Is this possible? (view answer)

Does the seller of an option determine the details of the option contract? (view answer)

Which is better for tax deductions, itemization or a standard deduction? (view answer)

Does everyone have to file a federal tax return? (view answer)

What are the components of the risk premium for investments? (view answer)

What is the difference between bad credit and no credit? (view answer)

Which is better, a fixed or variable rate loan? (view answer)

Why do companies report earnings at different times? (view answer)

Who determines interest rates? (view answer)

How should I estimate my income from fixed sources? (view answer)

How can I budget for both short-term expenses and long-term goals? (view answer)

How does online banking assist with budgeting? (view answer)

How can I improve my credit score? (view answer)

Who is responsible for protecting and managing shareholders' interests? (view answer)

What is Black Friday? (view answer)

What is the carbon trade? (view answer)

What is socially responsible investing? (view answer)

What are green investments? (view answer)

Is there a difference between socially responsible investing (SRI) and green investing? (view answer)

How is the value of the S&P 500 calculated? (view answer)

What should I consider financially when choosing to work abroad? (view answer)

I've come into a large amount of money. Should I invest it or pay off my mortgage? (view answer)

How does a mortgage payment go from interest to principal? (view answer)

I have a short period to invest. What investments should I look at? (view answer)

Are mortgage-backed securities backed by any guarantees? (view answer)

What is GDP and why is it so important? (view answer)

What is a liquidity squeeze? (view answer)

What is securitization? (view answer)

How can I find an investment club in my area? (view answer)

What is a boiler room operation? (view answer)

What is the difference between a 2/28 and a 3/27 ARM? (view answer)

What is a subprime mortgage? (view answer)

How do central banks inject money into the economy? (view answer)

How does a credit crunch occur? (view answer)

What number of shares determines adequate liquidity for a stock? (view answer)

If my mortgage lender goes bankrupt, do I still have to pay my mortgage? (view answer)

What is happening during a risk repricing? (view answer)

What is a wrap account and what are the advantages of using one? (view answer)

How do I find historical prices for stocks? (view answer)

Why would a stock have no par value? (view answer)

What are the differences between chapter 7 and chapter 11 bankruptcy? (view answer)

Who or what is Dow Jones? (view answer)

Where does the name "Wall Street" come from? (view answer)

What does deflation mean to investors? (view answer)

When is a takeover bid legally canceled? (view answer)

Why do executives make so much money selling their options? (view answer)

How can I stop duplicate mailings from companies that my spouse, children and I all own? (view answer)

Are professionals, such as financial planners and brokers, liable for the advice they give? (view answer)

What is a trade deficit and what effect will it have on the stock market? (view answer)

What is an Islamic investment policy? (view answer)

How can I easily get ready for next year's tax season? (view answer)

When am I not required to submit a social security number on my tax return? (view answer)

What is the difference between IAS and GAAP? (view answer)

How do I file taxes for income from foreign sources? (view answer)

Are there special benefits for U.S. armed forces personnel? (view answer)

What is the difference between a buy-side and a sell-side analyst? (view answer)

I sold my house. Can I exclude the gain from my income? (view answer)

How can I tell if I'm eligible for an EITC? (view answer)

How can I use a child tax credit? (view answer)

Where can I find the P/E ratios for the Dow and S&P 500? (view answer)

How do I get credit for my retirement plan contributions? (view answer)

Does a company have to notify its investors when it faces legal proceedings? (view answer)

What are some commonly missed deductions for business owners? (view answer)

How can I make sure I get all my eligible deductions? (view answer)

How can I reduce the taxes on my inherited retirement assets? (view answer)

What is a CUSIP number? (view answer)

What is the difference between a president and a chief executive officer? (view answer)

What aids will help me file my own tax return? (view answer)

Which is a better measure for capital budgeting, IRR or NPV? (view answer)

How do I avoid paying excess taxes on securities I have sold? (view answer)

What's the difference between net present value and internal rate of return? (view answer)

How can I make sure I'm ready to file my taxes? (view answer)

What is the difference between arithmetic and geometric averages? (view answer)

What does it mean to have orphan drug status? (view answer)

Why do options with the same underlying stock and strike prices trade for different amounts? (view answer)

How do businesses decide whether to do FDI via green field investments or acquisitions? (view answer)

If an employee is paid by commission, who is responsible for withholding taxes? (view answer)

What effect does a company's dividend reinvestment plan have on its stock price? (view answer)

Why do brokers ask for personal information before they make any trades? (view answer)

How does the ISIN numbering system work? (view answer)

How are futures used to hedge a position? (view answer)

Are credit cards and debit cards considered debt instruments? (view answer)

How are realized profits different from unrealized profits? (view answer)

What are the disadvantages of using NPV as an investment criterion? (view answer)

What is the relationship between oil prices and inflation? (view answer)

What does 'froth' mean in terms of the real estate market? (view answer)

What is the difference between investment banks and merchant banks? (view answer)

What is an efficient market and how does it affect individual investors? (view answer)

What are the generally accepted accounting principles for inventory reserves? (view answer)

Is it possible for a company to have a positive cash flow and a negative net income? (view answer)

What does the acronym 'GmbH' mean in English? (view answer)

Why do accountants use debits & credits instead of simple pluses & minuses? Why is the notation for a debit "DR"? (view answer)

What does 'going public' mean? (view answer)

Who employs the specialists at the New York Stock Exchange? (view answer)

What are these points that the Dow is always gaining or losing? (view answer)

What does a Chief Financial Officer do? (view answer)

Why is membership in the NYSE known as "owning a seat"? (view answer)