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.:
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.…
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. What…
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…
How Do I Fund an IRA?
Individual retirement accounts are a great way to save for your retirement tax-free. What’s not so great is figuring out how you can scrape the money together to take full…
Should You Auto-Reinvest IRA Dividends?
Dividend reinvestment can be a real boon to investors, especially within an individual retirement account, where you’re protected from certain tax consequences. Inside an IRA, you can reinvest your full…
Do Rising Rates Predict a Market Meltdown?
The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds touched 3% Tuesday for the first time since 2014, after flirting with that level for a few months. As the benchmark neared, many investors worried…
