Be Wealthy & Smart

Learn the world's most affordable housing markets (8 out of 10 are in the US). Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Looked at "affordability in 92 major housing markets in nine countries found 11 affordable areas - all in the US." "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home price to median pretax income." Ratio of med...

Learn the least affordable housing markets in the world. Investor's Business Daily report, week of 2/6/17. "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home price to median pretax income." Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Ratio of median home price to median pretax income, with 3.0 or below being "affordable." Ratio of...

Learn the most affordable housing markets in the U.S. Graph printed in Investor's Business Daily report, week of 2/6/17. Source: 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey Looked at "affordability in 92 major housing markets in nine countries found 11 affordable areas - all in the US." "The survey used Q3 2016 data to gauge the 'median multiple', the ratio of median home pr...

Learn how to run your family finances like a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Interview with author of Family Inc., Doug McCormick.

Learn how much the Dow Jones Industrial Average has changed and why it is a poor indicator to gauge stock performance. I decided to research changes in the DJIA. How many companies from the last 20 years are the same and how many have changed? I researched the companies in the DJIA from 1997 - 2017. In the last 18 years, the Dow doubled from 10,000 to 20,000. That's an average of a 4% return. How...

Learn about ETFs and mutual funds Listener question - Are ETFs or mutual funds better? What they are: ETF's: Fixed basket Trades like a stock, continuously priced throughout the day Transparency Low fees Broad index or sector Long or short Mutual funds: Funds pooled together Professionally managed Priced at the end of the day Decisions made for you Only know what stocks are in it quarterly Don't n...

Learn the 3 secrets about financial education that most financial experts don't tell you. This show is all about financial education! Specifically, how to make it understandable and interesting, even if you're usually bored by financial topics! 1. Financial management is very doable on your own. It takes a bit of learning a few concepts and terminology, but it can be done. The truth is, most advis...

Learn if the economy can get to 5% GDP growth quickly or not. Weakest GDP since 2011 - went from 3.5% to 1.9% in one quarter! Lower earnings reported by Chevon, other energy companies, Google, Colgate-Palmolive and Starbucks. Even with some disappointing corporate results, fourth-quarter earnings are expected to show growth of 6.8 percent, which would mark the biggest increase in two years and sec...

Learn key economic signs to follow. For the election, GDP grew over 3%. FED raised interest rates, now GDP is 1.9%, markedly lower. Where do we go from here? FED wants to raise rates 3 times next year. Housing prices are in a bubble - inventory is at a 17 year low! Housing moves in an 18 year cycle. Trump has policies to grow the economy, jobs, cut regulations and cut excess spending. Will have ma...

  Learn if it's smart to contribute to a 401k if you're not getting a match. Should we contribute to our 401k, even though there is no match? Benefits of a 401k are that: 1. Your income is not taxed when deposited into a 401k 2. Your money grows without tax 3. Some people think it's a forced discipline to save, that otherwise the money wouldn't be saved, but…there are: 1. Limited investment option...

Learn what the challenges are for the stock market going forward. It's a new record; the Dow made history! DJIA is only 30 companies, but been around over 100 years. S & P 65% of all stocks 1966 was the first time above 1,000 11/21/95 above 5,000 3/29/99 above 10,000 5/3/13 above 15,000 1/25/17 above 20,000 Hmmm, is that at 4 year cycle for every 5,000 points? Will Dow 25,000 happen in 2021? Still...

Learn 11 financial moves to make in 2017 1. Identify any mistakes made in 2016 - Stocks to sell, trim losses 2. Review & rebalance portfolio - Make sure you own some small caps 3. Consider strategic investments in high growth areas - Spice up your portfolio with India, silver, China, tech, etc. - What can you buy low? Commodities? Uranium? Miners? 4. Reduce debt - Refi or pay off 5. Avoid long-ter...

Learn what 2016's Top Stock Funds are according to Investor's Business Daily. Hard copy of the numbers are posted on my website at www.lindapjones.com, podcast 217. While you're there, get my free report, "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth" to move your net worth forward in 2017 and beyond! www.lindapjones.com

Learn the Best and Worst Performing ETF's in 2016 according to Investor's Business Daily. Get the information in print form at my website, www.lindapjones.com, podcast 216. While you're there, pick up the free report, "11 Quick Tips to Boost Your Wealth" and get your net worth moving in the right direction in 2017 and beyond. www.lindapjones.com.

Learn which companies have been paying rising dividends for 25 straight years. Many people are looking for higher interest rates because bonds are paying low interest rates, for example, .88% on a 1 year Treasury bill and 2.4% for 10 year Treasuries. To help you find some substitutes for bonds, I'm sharing dividend paying stocks with you. They are companies that have steadily and consistently rais...

Learn why contrarian indicators move opposite to the crowd. British economist, John Maynard Keynes identified features of financial markets that subject prices to herd-like behavior. "The herd-like nature and influence of animal spirits in financial exchanges, and its potential to shift independently of changes in objective facts, is, according to Keynes, a primary, ineradicable source of economic...

Learn from a listener question: Will the Dow Go to 50,000 Without a Rest? Listener question: Dear Linda, My friend say the market is off and running and will go to 50,000 from here. Will the Dow shoot to 50,000 without a rest? Raoul The Dow is only 30 companies large companies like American Express, Caterpillar, Chevron, McDonald's and Walt Disney, and some tech like Apple, Cisco Systems, Microsof...

You've heard me talk about following cycles. We are in the midst of several cycles happening simultaneously. Bonds lost over $1.7 trillion in November. The FED was talking about raising rates and bond market anticipated FED raising rates. Five year Treasury note went from .91% in July to 1.87% recently - a double! Thirty year yields went from 2.1% to 3.06% or a 50% move. Enormous! A 30 year mortga...

Learn The Leading ETF's of 2016 To get "11 Quick Financial Tips to Boost Your Wealth", go to www.lindapjones.com.

Top holdings are Apple, Amazon, Facebook - poor performers this month. There's been a rotation of leadership in the S & P 500 since the election. These have been strong: Financial Medical Energy Construction-related materials Those are up 10% since the election (total 80 companies); 30 are banks and financial firms. About 50 financials are up at least 5%. In the S & P makeup: 14% financial sector...

I love talking about the importance of mindset in wealth building. We haven't visited mindset for a long-time, so I thought we would today. Recently I was reading about Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos. He was a successful investment banker who quit his job. Left in the middle of the year and left his big bonus. Talked to his boss about it, who said great idea, but better for someone else who does this...

4 Choices for a Former Employers' 401(k) Hi Linda, I would like your opinion on the following; my wife is beginning a new chapter in her career and starting a new job after 11 years.  She has a 401k with a significant amount of funds and now we have to make the decision on what to do?  The one decision that has been made is that we will not withdraw any money from the account, but we are not sure...

Q. Linda, I bought a 2002 Porsche Boxster in 2013 for $13,000, low mileage, not much to repair until this year, I think my repair cost became 4K. I guess my car still worth about $8000, do you think I should trade in for another car? or drive to the ground? The engine is still very good, no problem in driving, but a little here and there problems are annoying. First, good for you for buying a used...

Learn about stock market seasonality and cycles in this interview with Garrett Jones from Peter Eliades Stock Market Cycles Management, Inc. Get 11 quick tips to boost your wealth at www.lindapjones.com.

According to Nat'l Association of Realtors, who is buying homes in 2016? Let's take a look at who is buying homes, by marital status: Married 66% Single females 17% Unmarried couples 8% Single males 7% Interesting because from 2005 - 2010, 20% were single females, but only 15% in 2015. Homebuyers' median income: Married couples $99,200 Unmarried couples $84,800 Single males $69,600 Other $69,100 S...