Smart401k Blog

In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• Dubai’s government-controlled investment company Dubai World shook world markets by asking for a stay on its debt payments
• Spending on “Black Friday” edged up from 2008
• Standard & Poor’s cautioned about capital adequacy at the world’s banks
• The National Association for Business Economists boosted its growth forecast for 2010

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There has been some discussion on our forum lately on the topic of reverse mortgages and it sounds like most people are confused when it comes to the details of these complex arrangements. After observing this discussion, I decided to address this topic to provide some clarity on how a reverse mortgage works and how it can affect your retirement.

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• GM has started making plans to pay back its loans to the U.S. government
• Bristol-Myers Squibb is planning to spin off the rest of its ownership stake in Mead Johnson Nutrition
• Japan’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter
• The CEO of struggling lender GMAC was asked to resign

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• The healthcare reform bill was passed in the House and is on its way to the Senate
• The Conference Board’s Employment Trends Index was a hopeful note for the jobs outlook
• Google paid $750 million in stock for advertiser AdMob
• AIG CEO Robert Benmosche made waves by reportedly threatening to resign and then publicly commenting that he’s committed to the embattled insurer

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The average Generation X or Y employee will work seven jobs over the course of their lifetime.  For most of these jobs some type of a retirement plan such as a 401(k) plan will be involved.  Intrigued by this fact, I decided to do a little more research to see what these investors have been doing with their retirement plan balance when they leave their employer.

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In the headlines

A look at some of the market movers over the past week:

• CIT Group officially filed for bankruptcy
• Goldman Sachs is trying to snatch up some of Fannie Mae’s tax credits
• Comcast and GE are getting near a deal that would put NBC in Comcast’s hands
• A Wall Street Journal reports showed that U.S. companies are betting big on cash

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Masking my true identity, I ventured into the Halloween night to admire the costumes of others as we took a night off from being our everyday selves.  From Michael Jackson and Octomom, to Big Bird and The Muppet Babies, some of the costumes were brilliant. Seeing all these people dressed up, I started thinking of the different ways people try to “dress up” obscure investing ideas and pass them off as legitimate, money-making strategies. As the thought became more persistent, I decided to look into the world of market superstitions, and find out what types of wild strategies people are using to try and gain an edge over the market. A few of my favorites are below.

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