Wealth Blog

Conventional financial wisdom used to champion homeownership as one of the paths to wealth. Owning a piece of the American Dream was considered to be a solid and safe investment in your financial future. It was also a way of diversifying your financial portfolio, acting as a hedge against stock holdings. In previous economic downturns,

During the recession of 2009, even the wealthy held back their discretionary spending on luxury amid fears and uncertainty about the direction of the economy. But the latest data from Mastercard Advisors SpendingPulse shows that sales of luxury items are up 6.1 percent in January from a year ago. Luxury brands are also reporting strong

Despite billionaire Warren Buffett’s philanthropic drumbeat in 2010, the year was not a good one for charitable giving. An article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy says donors and nonprofit officials blame fears of continued economic instability and uncertainty about taxes as the cause. Donations from the Chronicle’s list of the 50 top donors (actually numbering

I’ve heard many people made wiser by wealth say that money by itself doesn’t promise happiness, nor is it the root of all evil. It simply magnifies the qualities already present in a person’s character. It’s the great enabler. That brings us to the heartbreaking, tumultuous life of J. Paul Getty III, the grandson of

Want to invest like a billionaire? You could follow the lead of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man for the second year in a row, according to Bloomberg. Worth about $70 billion, he once again beat out Warren Buffett and Bill Gates for the top spot. Last year, Forbes crowned him the world’s

The stock market is improving and poised to continue its upward trend for at least a year or two, according to many market watchers. So how much of your portfolio should you invest for growth, and how much do you keep liquid? Back in the day, we all felt more secure in our jobs, housing

Hedge funds, the lightly-regulated investments open to those who can meet the high price of entry, appear to be surging in popularity again. The third quarter of 2010 saw the largest-ever quarterly increase of $149 billion in assets, according to Hedge Fund Research (HFR), which tracks and analyzes the funds. Globally, assets grew to $1.917

The wealthy will be emerging from safe investment havens this year, and stretching their risk tolerance levels globally, according to a survey conducted in December. The Institute for Private Investors (IPI), a membership organization for ultra high-net-worth individuals, surveyed 72 of its members, most of whom have more than $50 million in investable assets. Two-thirds

Not many of us can resist playing the game of “what if?” from time to time, perhaps even more so at the beginning of a new year. Those of you who follow my blog might remember my interview with Billy and Akaisha Kaderli, who retired in 1991 at the ripe old age of 38. Recently

The year-end news for stocks looks promising. During the last quarter, we’ve enjoyed a rally of approximately 10 percent (helped by a so-called Santa rally, when the market rises between Christmas and New Year’s). That’s the best stock-market rally during a fourth quarter since 2003. Some experts are still convinced it’s all smoke and mirrors