Finance Corner

 So you need some money for unexpected expenses. The roof took on a leak, the deck rotted through and a new family addition tightened living space. You bought too much Christmas on credit now the bills are overwhelming. Junior got accepted to that Ivy League school. Tapping into your home equity can help ease your financial burden. Before deciding on borrowing ask yourself a few questions first. 1. Do I need a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit? If interest rates are low, a loan is a smarter choice. You can borrow the full amount at once ant get a fixed rate on the entire amount.  The advantage allows you to know how much to budget for monthly payments. On the other hand, a line of credit will let you borrow from a revolving line of credit with variable interest rates. You access the money just like a checking account by writing a check for the purchase. Then the amount used is paid back. If the rates fluctuate, your payments will also. 2. Are there restrictions ...

 Both short term and long term trading can be effective trading strategies, however, long term trading has several significant advantages. These include the effect of compounding, the opportunity to earn from dividends, reduction of the impact of price fluctuations, the ability to make corrections in a more timely manner, less time spent monitoring stocks. 1. Compounding Time can be investor’s best friend because it gives compounding time to work its magic. Compounding is the mathematical process where interest on your money in turn earns interest and is added to your principal. 2. Dividends Holding a stock to take advantage of payouts from dividends is another way to increase the value of an investment. Some companies offer the ability to reinvest dividends with additional share purchases thereby increasing the overall value of your investment. Additionally, dividends are more a reflection of a company’s overall business strategy and success than volatile price fluctuations based ...

 Both short term trading and long term trading can be effective trading strategies, however, long term trading has several significant advantages. These include the effect of compounding, the opportunity to earn from dividends, reduction of the impact of price fluctuations, the ability to make corrections in a more timely manner, less time spent monitoring stocks. 1. Compounding Time can be investor’s best friend because it gives compounding time to work its magic. Compounding is the mathematical process where interest on your money in turn earns interest and is added to your principal.  2. Dividends Holding a stock to take advantage of payouts from dividends is another way to increase the value of an investment. Some companies offer the ability to reinvest dividends with additional share purchases thereby increasing the overall value of your investment. Additionally, dividends are more a reflection of a company's overall business strategy and success than volatile price fluct...