Investment and Finance

A closed end fund issues a fixed number of shares that trade similarly to shares of publically held corporations listed on the stock exchange.The daily price of a closed end mutual fund may be below or above the net value of its investment portfolio. This is different than a open end fund. An open end fund characteristic is the value of and the number of shares in your portfolio change daily as investors purchase and redeem shares.

Stocks when sold result in capital losses or capital gains. Short term capital gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. Long term gains, that is stocks which are held for at least one year, are taxed at a maximum federal bracket of 15%. Some lower income individuals will not pay on the long term gains. Speak to a CPA in your area to find out how this applies to you.

A gift made pursuant to the Federal Estate and Gift Tax exclusion for gifts of $14,000 per year per person does create a period of ineligibility for Medicaid. You may make a gift of $14,000 or less per year to any person without creating a gift tax but the gift would still create a period of ineligibility for Medicaid which will be determined by utilizing the following formula. The dollar value of the asset transferred and dividing it by the average monthly cost of a nursing home as determined by the Department of Social Services for your area. This is not the actual average monthly cost of a nursing home in your area but the rate as established by the Department of Social Services. The actual cost is probable significantly higher. Speak to your local CPA or elder law attorney for more information on a gift or transfer and Medicaid.

Any transfer of assets to an Inter Vivos Irrevocable Trust will not automatically create a 60 month period of ineligibility for Medicaid. When a transfer to a trust is made the period of ineligibility will be calculated by taking the dollar value of the asset transferred and dividing it by the average monthly cost of a nursing home as determined by the Department of Social Services in your area. Not all transfers to a trust will automatically create a 60 month period. There can be transfers made to a trust which create periods of ineligibility of less than 36 months. Speak to your local CPA or an elder law attorney for more information on trust transfers and Medicaid.

You can sell a stock on December 31 and still take the loss, even though the settlement date is in the following year. Of course, if December 31 is a Sunday, you better sell that stock on December 29th since the market is closed!

A money market fund is a kind of mutual fund that invests only in short term securities such as bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and government bills.

A money market fund is a kind of mutual fund that invests only in short term securities such as bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and government bills.

Yes. You can check risk ratings and portfolio allocations in Morningstar Mutual Funds at http://www.morningstar.com

As of January 1, 2012, paper savings bonds will no longer be sold at financial institutions. This action supports Treasury’s goal to increase the number of electronic transactions with citizens and businesses.EE Bonds are reliable, low-risk government-backed savings products that you can use toward financing education, supplemental retirement income, birthday and graduation gifts, and other special events. Series EE Bonds purchased on or after May 1, 2005, earn a fixed rate of return, letting you know what the bonds are worth at all times. EE Bonds purchased between May 1997 and April 30, 2005, are based on 5-year Treasury security yields and earn a variable market-based rate of return.