How Do You Value a Commercial Real Estate Property?

When you invest in commercial real estate, it’s vital to know the value of your assets. This statement seems logical since the value is essential information for buying, selling, financing, and paying taxes. However, it isn’t always simple to determine a fair price for a property unless you want or need to sell it (since, ultimately, how much a buyer will pay is one bottom line approach to valuation). Also, keep in mind that land value differs from a developed parcel's value.
What Is Replacing The 60/40 Portfolio?

The 60/40 portfolio, also known as the 60/40 asset allocation, has been typically understood in financial planning and investment circles as a method to balance risk while promoting growth. The strategy is that stock investments make up 60%, while bonds make up the remaining portion. With this combination, it’s been thought that stock holdings could grow, over time, while bonds might provide a cushion during economic downturns.
How Can I Diversify My Retirement Portfolio?

Planning for retirement is a necessary, if potentially intimidating, part of being financially savvy. Retirement preparedness varies widely among people, depending on their age, education level, and gender. Still, some recent research indicates that the status of aging Americans isn't as dire as previously thought. An interesting piece from the RAND Corporation looked at retirement readiness by taking into account expected consumption patterns rather than strictly considering income replacement and found that 71 percent of Americans aged 66 to 69 are prepared. The study did note a high disparity in preparation between married and single individuals and a distinction according to educational level.1
What is the Average Return of a 60/40 Portfolio?

A 60/40 portfolio traditionally offers a balance of growth opportunities and managing risk. The 60 refers to a sixty percent composition of stocks in the portfolio, balanced by forty percent bonds. The theory is that the stocks would increase reliably over time, allowing the investor to increase their holdings, while the bonds would provide a hedge for the times when the stocks declined. Generally speaking, this strategy has paid off for patient investors, with long-term average returns of nine percent.
What is a Letter of Instruction?

Planning for the transfer of your assets following death involves more than writing a will or establishing a trust (or both). A will often called the last testament—is a legal document describing how a person's assets will be distributed following their death. Everyone needs a will, but not everyone has the assets to warrant a trust. Those who do have trusts also need wills, which can provide detail about the distribution of personal effects and can also include the grantor’s wishes about certain things.
How Do I Find Who Owns Mineral Rights to My Property?

To the surprise of many, mineral rights and property rights are two separate things. Mineral rights can be sold or conveyed independently of property rights, so owning a piece of property does not always mean you also own the rights to the minerals under it. We’ll explain how to determine who owns your property's mineral rights.
What Is An 80/20 Asset Allocation?

Investment portfolios may rely on more than placing different capital asset types at random into a single financial bucket. When seeking to improve performance, these portfolios may require allocation strategies involving splits between traditional capital assets (like stocks and bonds).
Why is Budgeting Important for Financial Planning?

Creating an effective financial plan for your future requires that you make a comprehensive budget that takes all of your monthly income and expenses into account. If you want to gain financial security, having a budget can help you achieve your goals in a more structured manner. This article takes a closer look at why budgeting may be important for your financial plan.
What Is A 75/25 Asset Allocation?

Investment portfolios aren’t just put together from bits and pieces of income-producing assets. Depending on an investor’s goals or objectives, these portfolios are based on asset allocations. Asset allocation describes the process an investor uses to divide capital among different asset classes such as stocks, bonds, and alternative assets. Asset allocation can be useful in diversifying risk and exposure to various investments.
Who Pays Capital Gains Tax on Gifted Stock?

Over the next 25 years, the biggest transfer of wealth in human history will take place. Some $68.4 trillion will be transferred to younger generations through gifts and estate plans. And some of that wealth will be in the form of stocks. Which leads to the question, who pays capital gains tax on gifted stock? We’ll explain in this article.