What Is an Index Fund?
A fund that buys the whole market instead of trying to beat it. What tracking actually means, why the fee matters more than almost anything else, and what an index fund does not protect you from.
Finance
Investing
StocksETFsMutual FundsIndex FundsBondsReal Estate Investing
Investing for Beginners — What Actually Matters
Most beginner investing advice is either terrifying or a sales pitch. Here is the small number of things that decide your outcome, and the much longer list that does not.
The 60-Day IRA Rollover — and the Once-a-Year Rule That Voids It
You have 60 days to put the money back, and you may only do it once in any twelve months across all your IRAs. The exceptions that do not count, and why a direct transfer avoids the whole problem.
Required Minimum Distributions — When They Start and How Much
The age moved to 73 and the penalty dropped sharply, but the rules that catch people did not change. How the amount is worked out, the two-in-one-year trap, and which accounts are exempt.
ETF vs Mutual Fund — Which Should You Actually Buy?
They hold the same things and differ in how you buy them, what they cost and how they are taxed. For most people one is clearly better, and it is not the one their bank offers.