Investing News

(Click here to subscribe to the Delivering Alpha newsletter.) When Peter Kraus founded Aperture Investors, he deviated from the traditional active management model. Rather than raking in fixed fees, Kraus’ $3.8 billion firm operates on a fee structure linked to performance, charging 30 percent of alpha. That’s higher than the industry standard but since inception, about half

Before you buy a home, one of the things you should do is to have it checked out by a professional home inspector. Yes, we can hear your objection: “Buying a home is expensive enough as it is! Why would I choose to fork over hundreds more if I’m not required to?” In this article,

The Department of Energy, the 12th Cabinet-level department, was established in 1977 during the Carter administration. The department’s mission was to oversee the development and testing of the country’s nuclear weapons and coordinate the various, loosely organized energy programs established by the federal government. Today, the position also manages the nation’s energy infrastructure and funds scientific

The 30-year mortgage average bolted higher Wednesday, adding more than two-tenths of a percentage point to reach its highest mark since mid-July. Today’s National Mortgage Rate Averages Thirty-year mortgage rates rose for a second day, with a big Wednesday bump that’s moved the 30-year average to its most expensive level in four weeks. Wednesday’s 21-basis-point

IKEA is a Swedish multinational company that was founded in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad. It is one of the world’s largest privately-held companies and has been the world’s largest furniture retailer since 2008. The majority of IKEA outlets are controlled by the holding company INGKA Holding, which is owned by the Stichting INGKA Foundation. The

Of all the asset classes online brokers typically support, options are one of the easier ones to differentiate because, unlike stocks or ETFs, many options trading platforms still charge for options trades. The growing interest in options as a way to leverage investment dollars has led to an increase in the number of brokers focusing

Dividend-paying exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been growing in popularity, especially among investors looking for high yields and more stability from their portfolios. As with stocks and many mutual funds, most ETFs pay their dividends quarterly—once every three months. However, ETFs that offer monthly dividend returns are also available. While there are many ETFs that pay

Today, the 401(k) is a standard way that Americans save for retirement. Because these plans provide tax benefits and a potential employer match, many investors aim to “max out” their contributions, or contribute up to the IRS annual limit. For 2022, the contribution limit is $20,500 per year for workers under age 50, and $27,000

While U.K. left the EU, an event known as Brexit, on January 31, 2020, the parties agreed on an 11-month transition period for the purpose of crafting a new trade deal, during which the U.K. operated under EU rules. After months of negotiation, the EU and U.K. agreed on a trade deal with just days

You can have a pension and still contribute to a 401(k)—and an IRA—to take charge of your retirement. If you have a defined benefit pension plan at work, you have nothing to worry about, right? Maybe not. While pensions used to be a staple ingredient in the recipe of retirement planning, fewer companies today offer

Square vs. Stripe: An Overview Square (SQ) and Stripe have emerged as two popular payment processing services for small and growing businesses. As the services have become widely used, their simple fixed-rate payment processing fees have drawn in big-name supporters, such as Starbucks (SBUX), to use and promote their systems. For investors and business owners, it’s

Marijuana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide investors with exposure to equities of companies that engage in the cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana and related products. Products of marijuana companies include dried flowers, oils, seeds, edibles, and more. Still prohibited as an illegal substance in many parts of the world, marijuana is gaining wider acceptance for

Medtronic (MDT) is a billion-dollar, global leader in medical technology, offering medical devices and therapies to more than 72 million people across 150+ countries. Medtronic—derived from combining terms medical electronics—was formed in a Minneapolis garage by Earl Bakken, who later created the battery-powered pacemaker, and accomplished engineer Palmer Hermundslie. As of 2021, Medtronic has a

Founded in 2003, NinjaTrader offers software and brokerage services for active traders. With a funded account, the NinjaTrader platform is free to use for charting, market analysis, and live trading (the SIM version is free even without a funded account). To access the platform’s premium features—such as advanced order types, automated trading, and backtesting—you’ll need

Large oil companies in the United States have been paying taxes at a significantly lower rate than most other corporations. The chief reason is that there are provisions in the U.S. tax code that allow energy companies to defer and avoid federal income tax payments. The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act also slashed the

In 2021, a little over seven million acres were burned by nearly 59,000 wildfires. Last year, about the same number of wildfires burned over 10 million acres, constituting the second most acreage affected by wildfires in a single year since 1960. Since 2000, an annual average of seven million acres has burned, reflecting the rapid

Blockchain exchange-traded funds (ETFs) own stocks in companies that have business operations in blockchain technology or profit from it in some way. Blockchain is made up of complex blocks of digital information and is increasingly used in banking, investing, cryptocurrency, and other sectors. Although blockchain is a relatively new technology, many of the companies that

The impact of unemployment has far-reaching consequences. Even those who don’t suffer layoffs in an office may find that their jobs (as well as their personal lives) have been negatively impacted. And for those who have lost their jobs, hopes for a timely retirement may be dramatically altered. Employees Work Harder but Earn Less Labor

When planning your retirement, one of the most important decisions you’ll make involves where to live. Moving to a retirement community can offer advantages when it comes to amenities, recreation, and being able to connect with other seniors. However, it’s important to consider what you’ll pay for senior living and how it compares to other

On Tuesday, August 16, the United States Department of Education issued a press release stating its intent to discharge all federal student loans that borrowers received to attend ITT Technical Institute from Jan. 1, 2005, through its closure in September 2016, amounting to $3.9 billion in full loan discharges between 208,000 borrowers. This is the