Many professional financial planners will tell you that it's almost impossible to handle retirement planning on your own. But the simple truth is that by understanding a few basic principles, you can plan for your retirement without letting yourself get sidetracked by all the potential complications that could derail your finances.
The basics of retirement planning
At its core, retirement planning involves just a few basic goals:
From there, of course, it's easy to go into incredible depth in covering each of these basic goals. For instance, saving for retirement can get extremely complex, as you navigate through tax-favored accounts like 401(k) plans and various types of IRAs. Different investment strategies can produce very different results, leading to large disparities in long-term returns that can produce nest eggs of much different sizes. Your own unique reactions to changing market conditions can lead you to take different actions than another person with exactly the same financial circumstances, also resulting in much different outcomes.
Best Semiconductor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Veeco Instruments Inc.(VECO)
Veeco Instruments Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets various equipments to make light emitting diodes (LEDs) and hard-disk drives worldwide. The company?s LED and Solar segment designs and manufactures metal organic chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy systems and components for the manufacturers of LEDs, wireless devices, power semiconductors, and concentrator photovoltaics, as well as to research and development applications. Its Data Storage segment designs and manufactures various technologies, including ion beam etch, ion beam deposition, diamond-like carbon, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and slicing, dicing, and lapping systems to create thin film magnetic heads that read and write data on hard disk drives. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Plainview, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jason Shubnell]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Technology stocks gained Friday, with Parametric Sound (NASDAQ: PAMT) leading advancers after the company provided post merger update and outlook. Among the leading sector stocks, gains came from 21Vianet Group (NASDAQ: VNET), BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY), Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), and Veeco Instruments (NASDAQ: VECO).
In trading on Friday, utilities shares rose by just 0.06 percent. Among the sector stocks, Exterran Partners LP (NASDAQ: EXLP) was down more than 4.8 percent, while PG&E (NYSE: PCG) tumbled around 3.75 percent.
Top Headline
BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) posted a narrower-than-expected fourth-quarter loss.
BlackBerry posted a quarterly net loss of $423 million, or $0.80 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $98 million, or $0.19 per share. Its loss from continuing operations came in at $423 million, or $0.80 per share, compared to a year-ago profit of $94 million, or $0.18 per share. BlackBerry�� adjusted loss from continuing operations came in at $0.08 per share.
Its revenue slipped 64% to $976 million. However, analysts were estimating a loss of $0.56 per share on revenue of $1.17 billion. BlackBerry sold around 3.4 million smartphones in the quarter.
Equities Trading UP
Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) shares shot up 3.64 percent to $27.44 after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. - [By Victor Selva]
On Nov. 21, Robert Karr bought Veeco Instruments Inc. (VECO), a company that designs, manufactures and markets equipment to make light emitting diodes (LEDs), solar panels, hard-disk drives and other devices.
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Aspen Technology Inc.(AZPN)
Aspen Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated process optimization software solutions for manufacturers in process industries, and engineering and construction firms. It designs and develops aspenONE suite software applications for use in the engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain business areas. The company?s aspenONE engineering software includes Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS, which are process modeling software products for conceptual design, optimization, and performance monitoring; Aspen Basic Engineering, a workflow tool that allows engineers to build, re-use, and share process models and data; Aspen Economic Evaluation, an economic evaluation software for estimating costs of conceptual process designs; and Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating, a software used to design, simulate, and optimize the performance of heat exchangers. Its aspenONE manufacturing software comprises Aspen InfoPlus.21, a data historian software that collects and stores data for analysis and reporting; and Aspen DMCplus, a multi-variable controller software capable of processing multiple constraints. The company?s aspenONE supply chain software products comprise Aspen Collaborative Demand Manager, Aspen Petroleum Scheduler, Aspen PIMS, Aspen Plant Scheduler, Aspen supply chain planner, Aspen Inventory Management & Operations Scheduling, Aspen Petroleum Supply Chain Planner, and Aspen Fleet Optimizer that are designed to enable process manufacturers to reduce inventory levels, increase asset efficiency, and optimize supply chain decisions. It also offers customer support, professional, and training services. The company serves manufacturers in process industries, such as energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, power, metals and mining, pulp and paper, and bio-fuels, as well as engineering and construction firms. Aspen Technology, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
AspenTech (NASDAQ: AZPN ) will be led by a new individual starting this autumn. The company announced that it has tapped Antonio Pietri to be its president and CEO, effective Oct. 1. He will replace Mark Fusco, who according to the firm is retiring to spend more time with his family.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Aspen Technology (Nasdaq: AZPN ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Micron Technology Inc.(MU)
Micron Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of semiconductor devices worldwide. Its products include dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products that provide data storage and retrieval, which include DDR2 and DDR3; and other specialty DRAM memory products, including DDR, SDRAM, DDR and DDR2 mobile low power DRAM, pseudo-static RAM, and reduced latency DRAM. The company also offers NAND flash memory products, which are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor devices that retain content when power is turned off. In addition, it provides NOR flash memory products that are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor memory devices; phase change memory products; and image sensor products. Micron Technology?s products are used in a range of electronic applications, including personal computers, workstations, network servers, mobile phones, flash memory cards, USB storage devices, digital still c ameras, MP3/4 players, and in automotive applications. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and retailers through internal sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors, as well as through a Web-based customer direct sales channel. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) reported a weaker-than-expected FQ4 net profit. Micron shares fell 1.68% to $18.12 in the after-hours trading session.
- [By Selena Maranjian]
Finally, Renaissance's biggest closed positions included Apple�and Cisco Systems. Other closed positions of interest include Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU ) , which is trading near its 52-week high and has a forward P/E ratio near 20. The struggling PC market has hurt the company, but bulls are hopeful about growth in tablets and smartphones�driving demand�for memory chips. Its second-quarter earnings report featured lower costs and rising margins that hinted at a return to profitability soon. Micron's purchase of Japanese manufacturer Elpida also seems promising, boosting its capacity and its relationship with�Apple. Micron has been losing market share, though, and some worry about the commoditization of memory, recent net losses, and Micron's debt levels.
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Cape Bancorp Inc.(CBNJ)
Cape Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for the Cape Bank that provides a line of business and personal banking products to retail customers and small and mid-sized businesses primarily in Cape May and Atlantic Counties, New Jersey. Its deposit products include non-interest-bearing demand deposits, such as checking accounts; interest-bearing demand accounts, including NOW and money market accounts; savings accounts; and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises commercial mortgage loans, one-to-four family residential mortgage loans, commercial business loans, construction loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, and other consumer loans. It operates through its 16 full service branch offices located in Atlantic and Cape May counties in southern New Jersey; and a loan production office in Burlington County. The company was founded in 1923 and is based in Cape May Court House, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
Right now I know that silver miners like Pan American Silver (PAAS) and Coeur Mining (CDE) are very cheap on an asset basis. I know that oil and gas producers like Swift Energy (SFY) and WPX Energy (WPX) are priced as if no one will ever use the stuff again. I know that small banks like Cape Bancorp (CBNJ) and Essa Bancorp (ESSA) are crazy-cheap — and if the world does not end, those stocks will be a lot higher in a few years.
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Nintendo Co Ltd (NTDOY.PK)
Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the leisure machine business. The Company operates in two business segments. The Leisure Machine segment is engaged in the development, manufacturing and sale of portable and console game machines as well as game software. The Others segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of poker cards and karuta (Japanese-style playing cards), the sale of Pokemon (a Japanese animation character) goods, the management of intellectual property rights and the provision of electronic registration services of home use console machines, among others.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Philip Saglimbeni]
The good news for Microsoft is that consumers are a fickle bunch and can be swayed rather quickly. The upcoming E3 conference in June is a perfect time for Microsoft to announce a barrage of new games for Xbox One and to provide potential customers with a better understanding of what they can expect at launch for the new system. With Nintendo Co. Ltd. (NTDOY.PK) having backed out of the premiere game conference, it will be Microsoft and Sony facing off directly. In an atmosphere filled with nothing but gamers, big expectations and the potential for even bigger headlines, it won't be much of a competition unless Microsoft chooses to battle Sony in the actual video game department. I expect Microsoft will soon come out swinging with popular blockbuster series announcements but as of right now the console is not effectively convincing the gaming masses and is losing valuable time in its increasingly short release window. Microsoft, you're on notice, put your game face on!
- [By Sneha Shah]
6) Xbox 720 - Microsoft will announce the new version of its blockbuster Xbox game console next month. Its main competitors, Sony (SNE) and Nintendo (NTDOY.PK), have already announced their new game consoles. Xbox has been a tremendous success for Microsoft and has allowed it to gain millions of subscribers for its Xbox LIVE service.
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: UGI Corporation (UGI)
UGI Corporation distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. It distributes propane to approximately 2.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers in 50 states through 2,100 propane distribution locations; and sells, installs, and services propane appliances, including heating systems. The company also distributes liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and automobile fuel customers for space and water heating, cooking, process heat, forklifts, transportation, construction work, manufacturing, crop drying, power generation, and irrigation; and provides logistic and storage services to third-party LPG distributors. In addition, it distributes natural gas to approximately 600,000 customers primarily in the portions of 46 eastern and central Pennsylvania counties through its distribution system of 12,000 mi les of gas mains; and supplies electricity to approximately 60,000 customers in northeastern Pennsylvania through 2,100 miles of transmission and distribution lines, and 13 transmission substations. Further, the company is involved in the retail sale of natural gas, liquid fuels, and electricity to approximately 18,000 commercial and industrial customers at approximately 43,000 locations. Additionally, it operates electric generation facilities, which include solar and landfill gas facilities; a natural gas liquefaction, storage, and vaporization facility; propane storage and propane-air mixing stations; and rail transshipment terminals. The company also manages natural gas pipeline and storage contracts; and develops, owns, and operates pipelines, gathering infrastructure, and gas storage facilities. In addition, it provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and electrical contracting services. The company was founded in 1882 and is based in King of Pru ssia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Monday
Earnings Releases Expected: Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI), Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE: CRM Economic Releases Expected: Hong Kong unemployment rate, eurozone current account, Spanish current accountTuesday
- [By Rich Smith]
AmeriGas Propane, the general partner of AmeriGas Partners (NYSE: APU ) and subsidiary of propane distributor UGI (NYSE: UGI ) , announced Monday that it has promoted its treasurer, Hugh J. Gallagher, to the position of company vice president for finance, and chief financial officer.
- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Monday
Earnings Releases Expected: UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI), Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), First Bancorp. (NYSE: FBP) Economic Releases Expected: �Indian services PMI, Spanish services PMI, Italian services PMI, German services PMI, eurozone services PMI, British services PMI, German CPI, US ISM non-manufacturing PMITuesday
Top Diversified Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Mapfre SA (MAP)
Mapfre SA is a Spain-based holding company active in the insurance industry. It provides insurance services to businesses, professionals and individuals. The range of the Company�� products and services includes insurance policies of direct life, property and casualty, health, automotive and third party liability, among others. In addition, Mapfre SA is active in the management of pension funds, retirement plans and investment funds, as well as the provision of healthcare services in Spain. The Company is a parent of Grupo Mapfre, which comprises a number of entities active in the insurance, reinsurance, financial and real estate sectors with operations established worldwide. The Company operates such subsidiaries as Mapfre Familiar, Mapfre Vida, Mapfre Emperesas, MSG Portugal, Mapfre America, Mapfre Internatcional, Mapfre Re, Mapfre Global Risks and Mapfre Asistencia, among others. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Stoukas]
Mapfre SA (MAP) slid 3.1 percent to 2.67 euros. Bankia SA sold a 12 percent stake, or 369.6 million shares, in Spain�� biggest insurer.
Centrica SlidesCentrica Plc (CNA), the largest energy supplier to U.K. homes, lost 2.3 percent to 366.9 pence. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the shares to neutral from overweight, citing proposals from Britain�� Labour Party to freeze energy bills and break up the country�� six biggest power suppliers.
- [By Ruth David]
Bankia, a Valencia-based bank that took state aid, did the third-biggest placing last quarter, when it dumped a 979 million-euro stake in Mapfre (MAP), Spain�� largest insurer. Bankia said the sale was a step in implementing its parent company�� strategy for the three years through 2015.
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