Pravasi Herald
MoneyWise
Friday, September 03, 2010

A New Approach to Making Money: Buy and “Know when to sell”

My Title

By Rajiv Hargunani

The oldest adage on Wall Street is “Buy Low, Sell High”. We all are able to do one part very easily i.e. buy. Why do we have such a hard time selling? Why are we so afraid to sell? Why do we rarely see magazine covers or analysts telling you about the investments to sell right now? 



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Posted by ks on 09/01/10 at 10:52 AM
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Health Insurance:  Decisions, Decisions

My Title

By Rajiv Hargunani


These days, medical conditions that previously killed and crippled are being treated and those afflicted, cured.  Americans—and people from other countries who come to this country in search of medical care—pay the increasing costs associated with the improved quality of care.  Physicians, patients, insurance companies, and even the government have sought ways to reduce cost but maintain quality. 


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Posted by ks on 07/01/10 at 12:00 AM
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Common Insurance Mistakes - Are YOU making one?

By Rajiv Hargunani


We all know we need insurance but it’s not usually at the top of our priority list.  Insurance is a valuable tool to protect our families from unforeseen events that can severely damage their financial futures, but it does not often get much of our attention.  I have compiled a list of common insurance mistakes so you can determine if you are currently making any of them and hopefully properly insure you and your family before it is too late.


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Posted by ks on 05/01/10 at 12:09 AM
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Managing Risk in Volatile Markets

By Rajiv Hargunani

image Rajiv Hargunani is an independent Financial Advisor based in Birmingham, AL working at Raymond James Financial Services. Rajiv specializes in wealth management with an emphasis on risk management & asset protection for his clients.

 


Every one who has been investing in the stock market over the past few years has been taken on a wild ride, up and down.  We naturally enjoy the “up” ride more than the “down” ride. Even today, many investors are frightened about investing in the stock market because they neglect to utilize risk management strategies designed for their investments.  While no strategy can be guaranteed to be profitable, nor protect against loss, there are ways to help manage risk.

So how does one manage risk in the portfolio? The answer actually is quite simple. It all comes down to understanding what risk means to you. Each one of us has a different tolerance to risk. Younger people & high income earners tend to be more risk taking where as older folks migrate towards risk aversion.


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Posted by ks on 03/01/10 at 12:16 AM
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PepsiCO’s Nooyi on 2010



Posted by ks on 03/01/10 at 12:13 AM
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Citi’s Pandit on 2010



Posted by ks on 03/01/10 at 12:12 AM
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Foreclosures new hot spots – Birmingham, AL

The new foreclosure plague is tied more to the economy than bad mortgages. According to CNN, Birmingham is one of the ten cities where defaults grew the fastest in 2009.


Foreclosure rate: One in 61 homes
Percent increase: 267%
National rank: 85th
Unemployment rate: 9.5%

The recession did more damage to the Alabama’s economy than it did nationwide, according to University of Alabama economist Sam Addy. The unemployment rate swung from lower than the national average to greater than the national average.

In the Birmingham metro area it went to 9.5% in November from only 5.2, 12 months earlier. Employers laid off many workers in the state’s manufacturing sector.

The big run up in unemployment turned Birmingham from an area relatively free from the foreclosure plague to a foreclosure rate of one for every 61 households. That was still slightly lower than, but much closer to, the national average of one filing for every 45 households.

The rapid rise in foreclosures is almost totally related to the economy; home prices in the area have remained very favorable with a median price of around $130,000 according to the Wells Fargo-National Association of Home Builders figures. With prices so low, few buyers had to rely on exotic loans to get them into homeowners.

Courtesy money.cnn.com


Posted by ks on 02/01/10 at 06:35 AM
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2010 Roth IRA Conversion – To do Or Not to Do

By Rajiv Hargunani

image Rajiv Hargunani is an independent Financial Advisor based in Birmingham, AL working at Raymond James Financial Services. Rajiv specializes in wealth management with an emphasis on risk management & asset protection for his clients. He helps small businesses set up retirement plans such as 401(K), SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs and takes an active role in educating the employees so they can make solid informed retirement planning decisions. His financial planning philosophy is really very simple:  Plan, Communicate & Perform. He can be reached by phone at (205)939-0100, (205)541-7438 (Cell) or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

In a few months something very exciting is about to change the world of retirement planning. I am talking about the Roth IRA Conversion. Roth IRAs have always been an attractive vehicle for retirement savings given their primary benefit of tax free distributions. However, if you were a high-income earner, most likely you were unable to contribute to a Roth IRA. Well, that’s about to change in 2010, thanks to the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act signed in 2006, anyone regardless of their income or filing status will be able to convert their traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.


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Posted by ks on 01/07/10 at 06:08 AM
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Housing: Birmingham Among Best recovery bets

November 9, 2009
The average home price is forecast to plummet over the next two years.  But Birmingham, AL is among 7 cities nationwide predicted to post gains.

Median home price: $152,000
Value lost since 2006: 6%
Forecast gain by 2011*: 0.4%



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Posted by ks on 11/17/09 at 05:56 PM
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Changing Jobs? Don’t let your 401(k) slip away

By Rajiv Hargunani

image Rajiv Hargunani is an independent Financial Advisor based in Birmingham, AL working at Raymond James Financial Services. Rajiv specializes in wealth management with an emphasis on risk management & asset protection for his clients. He helps small businesses set up retirement plans such as 401(K), SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs and takes an active role in educating the employees so they can make solid informed retirement planning decisions. His financial planning philosophy is really very simple:  Plan, Communicate & Perform. He can be reached by phone at (205)939-0100, (205)541-7438 (Cell) or by email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Today’s job market is more transitory than ever. And, as more and more individuals switch jobs, they begin to wonder what they should do with the money they have accumulated in their employer-sponsored retirement plans such as their 401(k) plans. The good news for 401(k) plan participants is that your retirement plan assets are very portable so you may be able to keep your existing 401(k) plan assets in a tax-deferred environment.

The trick is to resist the urge to use the monies. After tucking money away in your 401(k) for quite some time, you may be tempted to use it to treat yourself to a new car or some other indulgence. Because it could literally take years to replace your existing 401(k) funds, you should think carefully before prematurely taking money from your retirement savings.


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Posted by ks on 10/30/09 at 06:47 PM
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