Not all brokerage and fund fees are disclosed in easy to find places. They can end up costing you a lot more than you would think. This posting by Niels Holch, Executive Director, Coalition of Mutual Fund Investors gives some idea of what you are really paying for and how to find the true costs:http://www.cnbc.com/id/100695474Just remember that every additional fee the brokerage or mutual fund receives comes out of your pocket, so make sure you know what you are paying and why!For financial, accounting and tax musings,You can count on us to count for you! email bstonercpa@sbcglobal.net phone 818-317-6035 Website www.briantstonercpa.com Follow me on Twitter! @bstonercpa
Should you pay off your mortgage?
This posting in Marketwatch of The Wall Street Journal by Robert Powell takes a look at the age old question of paying off your mortgage or investing instead? See it here:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/should-you-pay-off-your-mortgage-2013-08-14The advice here is sound: each case is different and no general advice will cover all of the possible situations. Sometimes the homeowners peace of mind of having a paid off home will be the tipping point item. Regardless, you need to take a hard look at your own situation, then decide for yourself!For financial, accounting and tax musings,You can count on us to count for you! email bstonercpa@sbcglobal.net phone 818-317-6035 Website www.briantstonercpa.com Follow me on Twitter! @bstonercpa
Do You Know Your Small Business Vitals?
On a doctor’s visit, the first thing the nurse does is take your vitals: your temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration rate. These basic measurements are the first place doctors look to see if something is wrong with our health. Knowing your vital signs, and especially when they are out of whack, is good for your health. In the same way, knowing your business’s vital signs, and especially when they are out of whack, is good for the financial health of your business. Vital Measures If you’ve been in business a while, you might already know the “vitals” you like to track. Here are some common ones for a small or new business: Checking account balance(s) Amounts owed (bills, payroll, and loans) Revenue for the month and year-to-date Sales by customer so you can see the top five to ten largest customers As time goes on and your business grows, you may want to add some of the following: Revenue for the month and year-to-date compared to last year Net income for the month and year-to-date compared to last year Days Sales Outstanding which is a measure of how long it take to collect on an invoice from a [...]