Money & Investing – Banks.com

Many people are wondering how they can take advantage of the future, positioning themselves to enjoy gains using investing. The book, Three Paths to Profitable Investing: Using ETFs in Healthcare, Infrastructure, and the Environment to Grow Your Assets offers some insight into building a portfolio that could mean big gains in the future. Authors Jeffrey Feldman and Andrew Hyman provide an argument for building your own portfolio using exchange traded funds (ETFs).

ETFs are funds that trade like stocks on the exchange. They are low cost, and they provide a measure of diversity, since you are investing in more than one company at a time. The book starts out with an argument about why ETFs could be better than mutual funds, and a basic overview of ETFs, how they work, and how you can use them to cut out the middleman and invest successfully on your own.

The authors then delve into the reasons why healthcare, infrastructure and the environment are three areas to concentrate. Three Paths looks the future prospects for each of these industries, and addresses the advancements likely to take place. The biggest focus is on healthcare, since it encompasses a wide range of opportunities, from biotechnology to health services and equipment. The authors also spend time talking about the risks involved in investing in these sectors, and how you can understand them.

Overall, Feldman and Hyman lay out their case fairly well. They offer examples and analysis, and show you how it is possible to seize your own destiny when it comes to investing. If you are interested in the future, and how you can do well in that future, you might consider Three Paths to Profitable Investing.

Disclaimer: I am not an investment professional. Nothing in this piece or on this Web site should be construed as investment advice. Before making investment decisions, do your own research and/or consult with an investment professional. All investment comes with the risk of loss. You are responsible for your own investment decisions and any loss that may result from your decisions.

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Yesterday, the stock market showed a large rally, heading higher as investors showed relief that China didn’t plan on dumping European debt after all. Additionally, investors have been looking at positive economic indicators in the U.S. with optimism. Today’s economic news, though, didn’t sit well with investors.

Economic reports showed that personal income increased in the month of April. However, instead of spending that increase, most people just saved that money. Personal spending data showed that April remained steady. While increased personal income is a good thing for individuals, it doesn’t really help our consumer-spending economy unless folks take that money and then spend it.

Since individuals decided to do the smart thing with it, investors are a little disgruntled. This is just another instance of the disconnect that is sometimes seen between Wall Street and Main Street. What’s good for an economy whose growth is based on debt-fueled consumer spending is not necessarily what’s good for personal finances. And people are starting to see that.

Other factors contributing to a decline on Wall Street include lower oil prices and dropping energy stocks. News that more regulation may be placed on drilling has some concerned about oil producers and oil servicers. It looks to be an interesting fight ahead, with the public beginning to feel real outrage over the environmental destruction associated with the biggest oil spill ever happening in the Gulf of Mexico.

It looks like the U.S. stock market will log a down end to a volatile month. With U.S. markets closed on Monday for Memorial Day, this is it for May. However, some are taking heart in the fact that the Dow is likely to end the month above 10,000.

Disclaimer: I am not an investment professional. Nothing in this piece or on this Web site should be construed as investment advice. Before making investment decisions, do your own research and/or consult with an investment professional. All investment comes with the risk of loss. You are responsible for your own investment decisions and any loss that may result from your decisions.

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Yesterday’s stock market rally evaporated late in the session as rumors swirled that China would begin selling euro zone debt. Speculation that China would try to limit its exposure to European debt sent investors into an uncertainty spiral yesterday, and resulted in a down day for a stock market that started out the day rallying above 10,000.

Today, though, the outlook is much better. China has denied the rumors, insisting that it still supports the euro zone, and that has helped stabilize markets, and prop up the euro in forex trading. Not only has the news out of China been encouraging and helpful, but the news that Spain has voted to adopt austerity measures is providing some help for the stock market. The Dow is more than 200 points higher in early afternoon trading, and there is hope that European stability could help the global economy.

Today, reports that the U.S. GDP for Quarter 1 was revised downward are doing little to disrupt the rise. However, the news is likely to serve as a restraint on some of the gains that could be made by the U.S. stock market. The fact that consumer spending didn’t gain as much as hoped, and that the economy didn’t grow as much as expected, is sure to affect investors. However, they are choosing to focus on news from overseas for now.

Additionally, it is encouraging that the jobs situation continues to show signs of stability. Unemployment claims dropped again, and that has been encouraging. However, they did not drop as much as hoped, and that has resulted in the continued concerns about a jobless recovery. But it is still evidence that the situation is no longer getting significantly worse.

Disclaimer: I am not an investment professional. Nothing in this piece or on this Web site should be construed as investment advice. Before making investment decisions, do your own research and/or consult with an investment professional. All investment comes with the risk of loss. You are responsible for your own investment decisions and any loss that may result from your decisions.