How to Make Money in Stocks
The stock market’s average return is a cool 10% annually — better than you can find in a bank account or bonds. So why do so many people fail to earn…
James Royal, Ph.D.
James F. Royal, Ph.D., is a former NerdWallet writer. His work has also been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times and the Associated Press.
Posts by James Royal, Ph.D.:
After ’08 Meltdown, Banks Still Play With Financial Fire
It’s been a decade since the global financial crisis rocked the world. In the years since 2008, the U.S. and other countries put together the pieces of their broken economies, assessing…
What Are Sin Stocks?
Sin stocks sound sexier than the reality — this is finance, after all. These stocks are shares of companies engaged in industries that some people consider unethical or immoral. The…
A European Vacation You Can Afford
I first heard of the Camino de Santiago (translated into the Way of St. James) when I lived in Germany from 2000 to 2003. It was not “a thing” for…
Take the Smart Investor’s Vow: to Buy and to Hold
Did you know the stock market’s average return is about 10% per year? That’s what an investor buying an S&P 500 index fund could expect to earn over the long…
Market Order vs. Limit Order: When to Use Which
When you’re ready to buy or sell a stock or fund, you have two main ways to determine the price you’ll trade at: the market order and the limit order.…
Panic-Proof Your Portfolio for the Next Bank Crisis
The financial crisis a decade ago was rough for many investors, with the market plummeting nearly 57% from October 2007 to its low in March 2009. Although stocks have performed…
What Is Preferred Stock?
Investors looking to buy stock in a company may be able to choose between two main types of stock: preferred stock (aka preferred shares or preferreds) or common stock. Most…
What Is a Bear Market?
The words “bear market” strike fear into the hearts of many investors. But more investors are likely to hear those words in the days ahead: Increased concern that the spread…
What Is Smart Beta, and Can It Give Your Portfolio a Boost?
Smart beta investing strategies have become incredibly popular. From 2012 to 2017, the value of smart beta funds grew at almost 30% annually, and surpassed $1 trillion in assets in…
