What Bad Parenting Can Teach You About Investing
My poor son. As the firstborn, he's had to endure all the rookie mistakes my wife and I have made...
When (And How) To Teach Your Kids About Money
My parents swear they had "the talk" with me. I'm positive they didn't. I learned about the facts of life...
Watch Out For These Financial Scams In Retirement
"Grandma," the voice on the line said desperately. "I need help." My mother rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It...
The Only Two Things You Need To Know About Investing
When you're on the outside looking in, things can appear very different from what they actually are. For example, Hollywood...
Marc Answers: “What Stock Should I Buy?”
My Uber driver asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I write about investing, he...
4 Easy Ways To Save Money On Health Care
“You need to pay $500 today,” the voice on the phone demanded. It was 7:30 in the morning. I was...
3 Not-So-Obvious Events That Will Send Stocks Soaring
There's a big difference between trading and investing. When you invest in a stock, you should be going in with...
Beat the Market With Dividend Aristocrats
"Give me a stock to buy," my friend demanded. "I can't give personal advice," I responded. "Besides, it's not that...
The One Marijuana Stock To Own For “High” Profits
We've come a long way in our approach to marijuana. Twenty-six years ago, then-presidential-candidate Bill Clinton said, "I experimented with...
The Hottest Sectors… And Why You Shouldn’t Care About Them
At a recent conference, the subject of what's "hot" in the industry was brought up. "Crypto," said one expert. "Pot...
How To Manage Risk In Speculative Biotech Stocks
When most companies go public, they are somewhat mature. They typically have earnings and cash flow. Tech company initial public...
Don’t Get Emotional When Investing In Health Care
The health care sector is my favorite sector to invest in, both long and short term. Long term, demographics practically...
The Safe Way To Generate Income
"Life is expensive." That's what I always tell my kids to prepare them for the real world. But even I...
Is Your Broker Ripping You Off?
My wife's eyes filled with tears as she read the note: My father-in-law is a Holocaust survivor who, through extremely...
A 12.5% Yield Tied To The Government
Public opinion about the government is pretty darn bad. The president's approval rating is at 39%. Congress has an even...
3 Secrets To Beating The Odds In A Bear Market
"You'll never make that money back!" the pitchman breathlessly exclaimed. The guy on the radio was selling annuities and warning...
Free Medicine? It Exists
Senior Contributing Editor Rachel Gearhart and I sipped our double espressos while hunkered down in a Starbucks, sheltered from the...
3 Stocks With 7% Or Higher Tax-Deferred Yields
When it comes to taxes, I don't want to give the government a penny more than I'm legally obligated to....
This Is Not The Monster Mouse Market
The scariest roller coaster I've ever ridden was the Monster Mouse at Rye Playland in New York. What made the...
An Improving F-Rated 11% Yielder
A common question I receive from readers of Cashflow For Retirement is "Why are you recommending stocks that are rated...
Top 5 Safest And Highest- Yielding Stocks
Yesterday marked the five-year anniversary of the Safety Net column. On Jan. 23, 2013, The Safety Net premiered with a review of Intel (Nasdaq:...
The Worst Trade I Ever Made…
The worst trades I've ever made all come down to one common element: I let my emotions get in the...
My Takeaways ($$) From The Most Exclusive Health Care Conference Of The Year
All I wanted was for my head to hit my pillow... A delayed flight and a misplaced ticket from the...
Don’t Be Fooled By This 12% Yield
As I read the third quarter earnings release for Consolidated Communications (Nasdaq: CNSL), I wondered why SafetyNet Pro gave the company a low rating....
A 9.8% Yield That Remains Safe
This is my last traditional Safety Net column. Next week, we'll go over some of the dividend cuts that occurred...
How To Make Money Whenever You Want
It's an amazing feeling to know I can make money anytime I want. It's not that I have some super-rare...
Be Careful Of This 9.8% Yield
Like many mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITs), AG Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE: MITT) has a high yield that is attractive to...
Is an Upgrade Coming for This 14% Yielder?
A year ago, I wrote about CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), expressing concern that the company's declining cash flow and mounting debt would put...
Washington Isn’t Lowering Drug Costs… Here’s What You Can Do
One of President Trump's campaign promises was that he would lower the price of drugs. That hasn't happened. And considering...
The Good, Bad And Ugly Of The New Tax Proposal
In the 1966 film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," starring Clint Eastwood, the three main characters are on...
A Dividend Cut Is Likely For This Giant
I tend to like companies that others hate... especially if there is a reason to expect a turnaround. Wall Street...
Better Than Under the Mattress…
Last night, I had a conversation with my father-in-law. He was frustrated because he has to take his required minimum...
You May Not Be Glad About This 7.5% Yield
I’m a fan of business development companies (BDCs) that invest in private businesses and typically pay big dividends to shareholders....
Is This Double-Digit Yielder Safe?
Back in June, I covered one of the most requested stocks in this column, Prospect Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: PSEC). At...
Will Altria’s Dividend Go Up In Smoke?
It’s easy to love and hate Altria (NYSE: MO) at the same time. If you’re a dividend investor, its 4.2%...
Saving For A Rainy Day… With 140 MPH Winds
As Hurricane Irma was storming toward the coast, my family and I evacuated. Two days before it was due to...
If You’re Not Outraged by This, You’re Not Breathing
There’s nothing like government to take an idea that’s working and make it worse for the people who use it....
Is This Billionaire’s Dividend Safe?
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that a share of stock is a piece of ownership of a business... a business...
3 Companies That Are Saving Lives… And Generating Income
I'm a long-term investor. Like Warren Buffett, I'd love to hold a stock forever. Even if that's not likely, I...
A 12% Yield That Just Got A Big Upgrade
Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP) is popular among income seekers because of its rich 12% yield. I've covered the stock several...
Why I Like This F-Rated 10% Yielder
It’s not often that I am bullish on a company whose SafetyNet Pro rating is an F. But that is...
Like Your Dividends? Thank A Foreigner
The Dow 22K hats were on display at the New York Stock Exchange last week. Traders wore them in celebration...
Why This World-Class Economist Is Dead Wrong About Dividends
I had just finished my oatmeal when the economist told me why he didn’t like dividends. "Shouldn’t a company use...
Why This Iconic 5.2% Yielder Is On The Verge Of A Downgrade
Since I reviewed Ford’s (NYSE: F) dividend safety a year ago, the stock has received an upgrade. Last year, the...
Can You Trust This Mining Giant’s Dividend?
Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) is one of the world’s leading miners. It has been in business for 140 years and employs...
Are You Running Out Of Patience?
"Give me a stock to buy," my friend demanded. "I can’t give personal advice," I responded. "Besides, it’s not that...
Warning Signs Your Dividend Is About To Be Cut
Last weekend, I was talking to a buddy who started a new business. I asked him how it was going....
The Best Offense For Your Portfolio? Defense
President Trump requested $603 billion for defense spending in fiscal 2018, a nearly 10% rise over the previous year. The...
A 5% Yield That’s Safe For Widows, Orphans, And Everyone Else
For decades, AT&T (NYSE: T) has been known as a stock that’s suitable for widows and orphans. In other words,...
You Asked… Is This 12.5% Yielder Safe?
Without a doubt, I get more requests to analyze the dividend safety of Prospect Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: PSEC) than I...
