Correlation

Having a pet can bring great joy, laughter and comfort to all around. Unfortunately, they can also mean additional, even unexpected, expenses in today’s already tough economy. According to the ASPCA, approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 cats and dogs are currently in danger of abandonment due to the economic downturn. While caring for a pet is [...]

One of my favorite financial websites is Credit Karma. I love the ability to get and track my credit score for free. Now they are expanding their services to provide you with credit report information. The new feature is called Credit Report Cards, and it is also free. I checked it out today and I [...]

In this Ask the Expert with Larry Swedroe article, Thomas is wondering why his iShares Barclays TIPS Bond TIP ETF hasn’t paid dividend since last October and if he should switch to individual TIPS through Treasury Direct instead. Here’s the question from Thomas:

I own the TIP ETF (iShares Barclays TIPS Bond). It has not paid [...]

I am thrilled with the announcement made by the New York’s 529 College Savings Program today. They finally decided to add an international investment option to their 529 Direct Plan. This new investment is called the Developed Markets Index Portfolio, which invest 100% in Vanguard Institutional Developed Markets Index Fund.
I think this is a really good [...]

In this Ask the Expert with Larry Swedroe article, Rob observed that none of the alternative investments provided sufficient risk reduction to soften the impact of the current Bear Market. Diversification doesn’t seem to be working. What went wrong? Here’s the question from Randy:
Dear Larry,
I’m reading your book, The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You’ll [...]

In this Ask The Expert With Larry Swedroe article, the reader, Murali, is wondering if she could use the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) to simplify and diversify her investment portfolio.  Vanguard is known for its high quality and low cost investment products, and the Total World Stock ETF should provide most of the [...]

In this Ask The Expert With Larry Swedroe article, the reader (Edward) is wondering what’s the best way to rebalance his investment portfolio and increase his fixed asset allocation.  Due to the stock market crash, he is reluctant to sell his beaten down stocks to increase his bonds allocation.  Is it better just to allocate [...]

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) is a type of Treasury securities that provides protection against inflation and real return.  I don’t know if TIPS is the best bond to buy or not, but I am beginning to think that it is after reading articles and books by Larry Swedroe over the years.  At the very least, [...]

This is the 12th issue of the Ask The Expert column by Larry Swedroe. You can see Larry’s full biography and important disclaimer below. If you are interested in having your question answered by Larry, please send me an email via the contact page.
Now, let’s get to the questions and answers (please note that the [...]

The financial terms below are commonly used throughout this web site.  Clicking on a term will send you to the term page with a brief definition and a list of articles related to the term.

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A
B

401(k)
529 Plan

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)
Alternative Income
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
Annuity
Arbitrage
Asset Allocation
Asset Location

Bond
Bond Fund
Budgeting

C
D
E

Capital Gains
Certificate of Deposit (CD)
Commodities
Contribution Limit
Correlation
Credit Report
Credit [...]