Ricardo Ceppi/Contributor/Getty Images Bitcoin gets all the headlines when people talk about cryptocurrencies, but there are literally thousands of other options when it comes to these digital currencies. In fact, cryptos that aren’t Bitcoin are usually considered an “also ran” – what are called “altcoins,” or alternatives to Bitcoin. While Bitcoin may have been the … Read more
Xinhua News Agency/Contributor/Getty Images Stocks are volatile. That much is understood by most investors, but what exactly is volatility and how is it measured for the overall stock market? You may have seen references to something called the VIX, an index that measures volatility, during times of extreme financial stress. Understanding it all can be … Read more
When economic times get tough or international conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine War throw the markets for a loop, investors often turn to gold as a safe haven. With inflation spiking and the stock market trading well below its highs, some investors are looking for a safe asset that has a proven track record of … Read more
Dividend Aristocrats are a special category of dividend-paying stocks with a long track record of making – and increasing – their payouts. Because of their stable and rising payouts, a collection of these dividend dynamos can form the basis of a lucrative income-paying portfolio. Here’s what Dividend Aristocrats are and why they may be just … Read more
You can’t predict the future, but you can try to predict — or hedge against — how much certain goods will cost when they arrive. A futures contract obligates a buyer to take delivery of a good, or commodity, on a specific date. On the other end of the contract is a seller who is … Read more
A certified financial planner, or CFP, is a specialized type of financial planner who has met the certification requirements of the CFP Board. A CFP must keep up with continuing education, pass an exam and adhere to the CFP Board code of ethics. CFPs are bound by a fiduciary duty, meaning they must meet the … Read more
Thomas Trutschel/Getty Images One of the most interesting — and potentially most useful — benefits of many cryptocurrencies is the ability to have smart contracts built into them. A smart contract automatically executes once its conditions have been met. The potential uses for smart contracts could be immense, and they offer another interesting use case … Read more
Cryptocurrency is a kind of digital currency that is intended to act as a medium of exchange. Cryptocurrency has become popular in the last decade, in particular, with Bitcoin becoming the most widely tracked alternative currency. Typically, cryptocurrency is electronic-only and does not have a physical form – that graphic at the top of the … Read more
DeFi — short for decentralized finance — is a new vision of banking and financial services that is based on peer-to-peer payments through blockchain technology. Via blockchain, DeFi allows “trust-less” banking, sidestepping traditional financial middlemen such as banks or brokers. What’s in it for investors? DeFi promises to allow investors to “become the bank” by … Read more
A margin call occurs when the value of securities in a brokerage account falls below a certain level, known as the maintenance margin, requiring the account holder to deposit additional cash or securities to meet the margin requirements. Margin calls only happen in accounts that have borrowed money to purchase securities, and they usually occur in … Read more