By Jason Zweig | 1:38 pm ET Jan. 23, 2015 Image Credit: Christophe Vorlet When you use margin, there is no margin for error. In an account that permits the use of margin, you can borrow against the market value of most stocks, bonds, mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. That enables you to leverage a smaller position into a bigger one. If your holdings...
Read MoreStill Want to Trade Currencies?
By Jason Zweig | 5:49 pm ET Jan. 16, 2015 Image Credit: Museum of American Finance In the financial markets, it is the oldest story ever told. Speculators who think they are investors almost always end up broke sooner or later. The more money they borrow to speculate with, the more certain they are to go broke. After the Swiss National Bank wreaked havoc...
Read MoreCredit Counselor Has Ties to High-Interest Lenders
By Jason Zweig and Rachel Louise Ensign Jan. 12, 2015 10:33 p.m. ET One of the most prominent advocates for consumer debt relief has ties to firms that can leave people deeper in debt. Howard S. Dvorkin is the founder and former president of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services Inc., a nonprofit that says it has helped more than five million...
Read MoreHere’s a Tip: Buy More TIPS
By Jason Zweig | Jan. 9, 2015 5:51 pm ET Image Credit: Christophe Vorlet Energy stocks aren’t the only investment taking a beating from the collapse in oil prices. Treasury inflation-protected securities have suffered as crude’s 50% decline erodes the chances of a meaningful pickup in the cost of living. That creates an opportunity for investors who...
Read MoreLessons From a Year of Market Surprises
By Jason Zweig | Dec. 30, 2014 12:11 p.m. ET Image Credit: Christophe Vorlet It was the year that wasn’t—and another lesson in the limits of market forecasts. In 2014, a number of experts predicted, bond prices would finally fall and interest rates would spike upward. Oil prices would rise. The stock-market stumble in September and October would turn into...
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