Although men and women are both reluctant to talk about Medicare and health care planning with their financial advisors, women are more likely to be worried about it, a survey released Wednesday by Allsup found.
Allsup surveyed 1,000 people over 65 for the report and found women are much less confident about their ability to pay for health care in retirement. Just 55% of women say they’re confident about how much they’ve saved, compared with 70% of men.
“Women are more likely to live longer, have fewer financial resources and rely on Social Security as their primary source of income in retirement, so their financial risks are greater as they age,” Mary Dale Walters, senior vice president of Allsup Medicare Advisor, Allsup’s Medicare selection service, said in a statement. “Living longer usually means greater health care expenses in retirement, such as more premiums.”
When asked to name specific retirement concerns, 63% of women said they were concerned about the future of Medicare coverage, compared with 59% of men. Paying for long-term care (46%) and health care (43%), and outliving their retirement funds (40%) were other major concerns.
Top Computer Hardware Stocks To Watch Right Now: iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM)
iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performances of the small capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes approximately 8% of the market capitalization of all publicly traded United States equity securities.
The Index is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index, and serves as the underlying index for the Russell 2000 Growth and Value Index series. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index of the approximately 2000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index. iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA), a rather unusual and innovative small cap stock,�soared some 23.26%���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with its performance verses the performance of small cap benchmarks like the iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWM), the�iShares Russell 2000 Value Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWN) or the iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWO).
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC)
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property & Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident & Health, U.S. Surety & Credit, and International. The U.S. Property & Casualty segment provides aviation, small account errors and omissions liability (E&O), public risk, contingency, disability, residual value, employment practices liability (EPLI), technical property, primary and excess casualty, and brown water marine insurance products, as well as title and mortgage reinsurance products in the United States. The Professional Liability segment offers directors� and officers� (D&O) liability, large account E&O liability, fiduciary liability, fidelity and bankers blanket bonds, and EPLI for the United States and International-based policyholders. The Accident & Health segment provides medical stop-loss, short-term domestic and international medical, HMO reinsurance, and medical excess coverages in the United States. The U.S. Surety & Credit segment offers contract surety bonds, commercial surety bonds, and bail bonds; credit insurance policies for export trade transactions and structured trade transactions; and political risk and letters of credit insurance products. The International segment provides energy, property treaty, liability, surety, credit, direct and facultative property, ocean marine, accident and health, and other smaller product lines for international customers. The company markets its products directly to consumers, as well as through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, and managing general agents. HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC) underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property and Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident and Health, U.S. Aug. 21, the company increased its quarterly dividend 36% to $0.225 per share. The dividend is payable October 1, 2013 and will be paid on or about Oct. 15, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.1%.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of American International Group have dropped 1.7% to $49.67 at 1:19 p.m. today, while American Financial Group (AFG) has, dropped 0.2% to $57.23, HCC Insurance (HCC) is little changed at $45.12,�Travelers (TRV) has dipped 0.1% to $83.52 and Chubb (CB) is off 0.1% at $86.58.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
For the past several years, Berkshire has contrasted its own cost-free float provided by profitable underwriting against the industry�� (unimpressive) tendency to lose money on underwriting while generating net returns from investment income. So far, so good. Less edifying, though, is the repeated contrast of Berkshire�� track record of profitability to State Farm��…even though, as a mutual company, State Farm�� profitability goals are inherently different from for-profit insurers like Berkshire. It�� true that through year-end 2013, Berkshire�� underwriters have ��ow operated at an underwriting profit for eleven consecutive years,��but so have ACE (ACE), American Financial (AFG),� AmTrust Financial (AFSI), Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), HCC (HCC), Progressive (PGR), RLI (RLI), and W.R. Berkley (WRB), any or all of whom provide a more meaningful comparison than contrasting Berkshire�� results to a company that�� not out to produce a profit in the first place.
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Home Bancorp Inc.(HBCP)
Home Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Home Bank that provides various banking services in Louisiana. The company offers various deposit products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing checking, money market, savings, and negotiable order of withdrawal accounts; and demand deposit and certificates of deposit. It also provides various loan products, such as single-family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, commercial loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, construction and land loans, and other loans. In addition, the company offers online banking, bank cards, and ATM services. As of December 31, 2010, it had 18 full-service banking offices in the Greater Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and Northshore regions of south Louisiana. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
The credit crisis slowed the pace of deals temporarily, but there are plenty of former thrifts trading at low valuations that have the potential for large long-term returns.
Home Bancorp (HBCP)Home Bancorp (HBCP) is a 22-branch bank located in Lafayette, La. The bank has almost $1 billion in assets and the balance sheet is in excellent condition. Also, its equity-to-asset ratio is 14.5 — well above my preferred minimum of 10. Meanwhile, Home Bancorp’s nonperforming assets are just 2.09% of the total.
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vanguard Idx Fund (VTI)
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (the Fund), formerly known as Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERs, seeks to track the performance of an index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market. The Fund seeks to track the performance of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) US Broad Market Index (the Index), which includes large, mid and small-cap equity stocks diversified across growth and value styles.
The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach in seeking to track the Index. The Index represents 99.5% or more of the capitalization of the United States common stocks regularly traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges, and the NASDAQ over-the-counter market. The Fund invests all, or substantially all, of its assets in a representative sample of the stocks that make up the Index.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
That last option can actually work well with a diversified portfolio. For instance, Vanguard Total Stock (NYSEMKT: VTI ) , iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEMKT: EFA ) , and other high-growth-potential investments can produce the most tax savings in a Roth, while iShares Core Bond (NYSEMKT: AGG ) , Vanguard Total Bond (NYSEMKT: BND ) , and other taxable income-oriented investments can fit well in a traditional retirement account.
- [By Chuck Saletta]
Where to invest?
Domestic stocks. The Vanguard Total Market (NYSEMKT: VTI ) ETF is a one-stop-shop that gives you access to around 99.5% by market cap of the publicly held U.S. stocks traded on major exchanges. A mere 3% turnover and microscopically low 0.05% expense ratio makes this a low-cost way to invest in the overall stock market. Investment-grade bonds. The iShares iBoxx $Invest Grade Corp Bond � (NYSEMKT: LQD ) ETF owns nearly $24 billion worth of investment-grade corporate bonds. A small 4% turnover and low 0.15% expense ratio make this a low-cost way to get bond exposure. Real estate. The SPDR Dow Jones REIT (NYSEMKT: RWR ) ETF has a bit over $2 billion invested in real estate investment trusts, attempting to match the Dow Jones Select REIT index. With a reasonable 7% turnover and a still pretty low 0.25% expense ratio, this is a reasonable way to get real estate exposure without turning yourself into a landlord. Foreign stocks. Vanguard's Total International Stock Index (NASDAQ: VXUS ) ETF has nearly $90 billion in foreign stocks under its control, owning pieces of more than 6,100 stocks from 45 countries. With a mere 3% turnover and low 0.16% expense ratio, it's one of the lowest-cost ways to get your hands on foreign companies without being an international accounting expert. Inflation-protected government bonds. The iShares Barclays TIPS Bond (NYSEMKT: TIP ) ETF has around $20 billion invested in U.S. Treasury inflation-protected bonds. With a low expense ratio of 0.2% and a reasonable 10% turnover rate, it's a decent way to get exposure to inflation-protected bonds. Note, though, that
There are countless possibilities for building your retirement portfolio to cover Social Security's gap, depending on your personal risk tolerance, timeline, and need for cash. Here are decent index-style ETFs across various asset types to consider when building your plan: - [By Chuck Saletta]
The authors of the study that inspired that rule presumed a balanced portfolio between stocks and bonds. So if you're looking to follow its teachings, one of the simplest ways to do so is with a couple of exchange-traded funds. Two ETFs that could get you that balanced portfolio are the stock market-tracking ETF Vanguard Total Stock Market (NYSEMKT: VTI ) and its bond counterpart, the Vanguard Total Bond Market (NYSEMKT: BND ) .
- [By Mark Hulbert]
Even if you get smarter at selling, though, you can�� overcome a bad buying decision. As Odean points out, there is no evidence the average individual can pick stocks that outperform the market. That is why he recommends investing in a broad-based index fund. One of the very cheapest and most diversified is the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) �, with an expense ratio of 0.05%, or $5 per $10,000 invested.
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Kabe Exploration Inc (KABX)
Kabe Exploration Inc., incorporated on December 15, 2005, is an exploration stage company. The Company focuses to drill shallow wells 3300-6000 feet. on a turnkey basis.
On February 21, 2013, Kabe purchased 320 Mineral lease acres in Butler County Kansas representing a 81% Net Revenue Interest. As of December 31, 2012, the Company did not generate any revenues.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Last Friday, KABX previously surged (+4.93%) up +0.0007 at $.0149 with 220,466 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance July 12, 2013 ��Close).
Kabe Exploration, Inc. previously reported it has secured a bridge loan with Phoenix Group Capital Markets, a UK holding company, through its wholly owned micro-cap investment fund. The bridge loan was secured with restricted stock for operating capital purposes. The company had previously entered into a $5,000,000 Reserve Equity Financing Agreement with Phoenix Group in a term sheet announced in May. ��his bridge loan affirms the level of investment confidence we are seeing from the professional investment community,��said Erik Ulsteen, the company�� CE
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Growth Portfolio (PWB)
PowerShares Dynamic Large Cap Growth Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Large Cap Growth Intellidex Index (the Intellidex). The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its assets in common stocks of large-cap companies. A company is considered to be a large-cap company if it falls within the Intellidex model. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Intellidex. The Intellidex consists of 50 United States large-cap growth stocks selected principally on the basis of their capital appreciation potential as identified by the AMEX (the Intellidex Provider) pursuant to its Intellidex methodology.
The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Intellidex. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Intellidex in proportion to their weightings in the Intellidex. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Paul Ausick]
Two ETFs to watch are Guggenheim Solar (NYSEMKT: TAN), which is up more than 80% so far this year, and PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSEMKT: PWB), up more than 40%. Both are less liquid than the company shares and their gains have been smaller, but both should do well if the solar stocks keep running up.
10 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ishares Trust Dow Jones United States Real Estate (IYR)
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the real estate sector of the United States equity market.
The Index includes companies in sub sectors, such as real estate holding and development, and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Markos Kaminis]
As the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) has gained 18.1% this year, Annaly Capital shares sank approximately 17.6%; American Capital Agency and Two Harbors are down 22% and 12%, respectively. The whole real estate stock sector has been under pressure, as evidenced by the iShares US Real Estate (IYR) drop of 1.3% year-to-date. Despite a steadily improving actual real estate market, the mREIT group has faced criticism about what damage could ensue to held asset portfolio values in a rapidly rising rate environment. Also, the mortgage REITs' abilities to manage their businesses would become complicated by a rising cost of borrowing matched against longer duration income streams at low relative yields. Reduced dividends result from less income, and lower security values are priced in.
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