The technology sector has been the finest performer among all of the S&P sectors since last year, increasing almost 9.5% y-o-y, outstripping the S&P500’s 5.3%. After the financial sector surged post the reforms, lag behind. Today investors are turning to companies which will grow as the economy betters, and tech stocks are the best-positioned ones to prosper, being less prone to changes in deregulation or interest rates. This year, while big-cap tech names have surged, it is the lesser-known ETF stocks that are making the news. Listed below are some of the hottest tech ETF stocks to buy in 2017: Ark Innovation ETF Ark is an actively-managed ETF which tracks tech stocks that gain advantages from advancements, improvements and innovation in one of following particulars Web x.0, genomics or industrial innovation, following the investment theme of disruptive innovation. The topmost holdings for this ETF are Amazon, Stratasys, and Tesla, and it isn’t inexpensive the ETF charges 75 bps as operating expenditure. However, it is in line with other niche funds. The ETF also has AUM of just $19 million (assets under management), so it is better suited for investors who have a higher tolerance for risk. The fund has been around 22% up since its commencement two-and-a-half years ago.

Health insurance describes any form of insurance that provides protection against medical service costs. It can cover a variety of medical scenarios. It covers medical and surgical expenses, and provides benefit payments that arise as a result of sickness or injury. It covers any losses from accident, disability, or accidental death. Health insurance refers to any program that helps to pay for medical expenses. This can be privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Health insurance can also be referred to as health coverage and health benefits. Why Get Health Insurance? Health insurance can relieve the financial burden of medical expenses. Having health insurance is important for several reasons. Insured people receive more medical care and timely care, and they have better health outcomes. Health insurance also contributes to a family’s physical, emotional and financial well-being. Knowing you are insured can be a relief in case the worst happens. An Insight Into Health Insurance To determine the cost, a provider estimates medical expenses of the population. They then divide that risk among the group of subscribers. In concept, insurers recognize that one person may incur substantial unexpected expenses, while another may have none.

Like you, several other retirees work extremely hard to earn a decent amount of money. And they have only one aim, to have a reservoir of finances that will help them lead an independent life even after retirement. You might often mull over the thought, “How do I make sure my savings last as long as I do?” For this you need to have a retirement plan to generate revenue, that can last for the rest of your life irrespective of the income that can withstand inflation, market ups and downs, and unexpected expenses. There is no one income strategy that is applicable for you, as your situation and requirements will be distinctive at different stages of life. Firstly, you will need to understand the varied aspects of retirement expenses, so that you can accordingly plan your income investment strategies. The following are some investment strategies that can help you comfortably plan for life post retirement. Regular income for your day to day expenses When you begin with the planning for retirement, you will want to make sure that your day-to-day expenses such as obstinate costs (housing, food, utilities, and health care) are covered by guaranteed sources. The major sources of this assured income are pensions and annuities, so make sure that you have invested in these to enjoy the benefits after retiring.

You might wonder what goes behind the forever’ fluctuating mortgage rates. The answer would be inflation rates of the country and the financial policies set by the treasuries and the Federal Reserve. How? These factors along with few other fiscal factors, directly decide how much investors are willing to pay in order to invest in the mortgage backed securities, popularly known as MBS. Here are a few crucial factors that come into play while determining the mortgage rates. Inflation The most easiest way to explain inflation would be increase in prices over time that significantly diminishes the purchasing power at the macro level of the economy. Literally inflation erodes the profit, which in turn makes the mortgage lenders to react by increasing mortgage lending rates. Why would they do it? To preserve the purchasing power of their returns. Growth in the economy When there is a growth in the consumer’s income, his/her purchasing power increases. Naturally this means that the consumer will incorporate his/her financial reserves in profitable investments. It is quite evident that when the money available at one’s disposal goes up, the economic stability gets strengthened. When the economy is stabilized, it drives consumers to become homeowners, thereby scouting for best mortgage lenders.

Technology has pervaded every aspect of our lives. This includes how we go about conducting banking transactions. If you desire convenience and accessibility to your account at all times, go the online way. It is very simple to open an online bank account. And just as the traditional banking offers you a choice of accounts ”savings account, checking account, money market deposit account and certificate of deposit account, you can hold any of these accounts in the online mode as well. Having an online bank account entitles you to all services and privileges that you would enjoy in a traditional banking system. Over and above, what you gain the most is convenience and saving in time. You can either have an online bank account with any of the brick and mortar banks or choose to hold a bank account with online-only banks. The USP of such online banks is their high interest rates and no fees. They are able to save on overheads, the benefit of which is passed on to the bank’s account holders in the form of higher interest and lower fees. Anytime Anywhere Banking Your online bank account helps you to transact at any time of the day or night.

Investing in the stock market can be rewarding and can be a quite a gamble at the same time, provided you have done your research. There are a number of things you should take into account before outing up that investment. Investing in stock is not just the only option for you, it’s one of the options amongst many other ways to consolidate your funds. You might get easily influenced by people who have been investing, to dump a significant portion of your hard-earned money into stocks. But you will have to take into account the return on your investment before you decide to dump everything in a market which can be very uncertain at times. It is advisable to branch out and spread your investments over a number of sectors instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. The risk factor is prominent in the stock market, this also depends on whether the investment is short term or long term. Short term investment is risky because it is not easy to make a profit in a couple of days or for that matter, just in a day. There are people who invest on a daily basis and cash out at the end of the day before the market closely to make a quick profit.

Retirement calculators reflect contemporary retirement planning where people invest their income in a savings account to enjoy its benefits after retirement. When you search for retirement calculators you will be returned with a lot of hits and you will be confused to choose one among them. There are various organizations offering variety of calculators for financial planning for retirement. Some of them are as below: Ultimate Retirement Calculator Unlike the other calculators, Ultimate Retirement Calculator does the usual forecasting of retirement savings. It is unique as it permits you to plan a retirement with different types of income like part-time income, business income, etc. Retirement Withdrawal Calculator This calculator figures the amount you need to save in order to withdraw money each month after retirement. An advantage is that you will have an option of varying the inflation rates. Simple Retirement Savings Calculator This simple retirement calculator helps determine how long it would take to reach your savings goal based on the following factors: the existing savings, the amount you add to your savings, and your projected annual rate of interest. Retirement Investment Calculator This calculator figures out how much investment is to be made each month to reach the savings goal for a specified date.

Looking to invest your funds in a way that combines security and good returns? Then CDs meet your investment criteria. A CD (Certificate of Deposit) is a savings certificate that has a fixed rate of interest, maturing on a fixed date. Generally issued by commercial banks, they are insured by FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) up to $250,000 per individual. The assured interest, combined with the safety net offered by FDIC, makes CDs an attractive investment opportunity. What Are The Benefits Of Investing In CDs? Security: Investors want security of the principal sum, and CDs meet this requirement. The biggest benefit of investing in CDs is their FDIC security. When you purchase a CD from a bank, they insure to the extent of $250,000. If you hold CDs with more than one bank, then each bank’s account is insured to the cap limit of $250,000. Quantifiable Returns: The best thing about CDs is that you know the returns your investment yields, as the rate of interest is fixed from the time of investment. This enables you to plan your cash flow. You can make a CD investment for a specific purpose, such as paying for your wedding or paying for your child’s education.

As a business owner, you might want a business loan if you are expanding your current business, starting a new chain of business, or when you need to cater to the cash flow. There are many different types of business loans available from some of the top banks or lenders. Along with mentioning why you may need a business loan, this article lists the common types of business loans, some of the best banks to secure one, and a few factors to keep in mind while applying for a business loan.   Types of business loans SBA Loans: The Small Business Administration typically backs loans that are in the range between $5,000 up to $5 million. Primarily, the object of these loans is to help small businesses. However, typically it is the commercial banks or the online lenders who offer this type of loan. So, the government backing ensures that the APR rates are low to guarantee that lenders have higher confidence in getting their money back. Businesses can use SBA loans for all types of business purposes. They have long terms of repayment and low APR rates. However, the only downside of this type of loan is that they are time-consuming, and the process of application is usually long.   Business-Term Loans:

A veterans loan or a VA loan is a loan that is available via a program that was started by the Veterans Administration, which is now called the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The qualifying standards are set according to VA; moreover, it lists out the mortgage terms offered. Furthermore, though VA guarantees a portion of the loan, it doesn’t finance it. So for instance, you can avail of the VA home loan via a private lender, such as a mortgage company or a bank. Different types of VA loans There are different types of VA loans for you to choose from. These include: Cash-out refinance loan With this loan, you can avail of more than 100% of the home equity. So, the veteran mortgage holders can borrow against the home equity amount to clear their debt, make home improvements, or replenish the savings to buy something or fund a grandchild’s schooling. It certainly brings in higher borrowing power as compared to FHA (Federal Housing Administration), USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), or a conventional loan. As stated, it lets you avail of 100% of the equity of the house via VA financing scheme, whereas the conventional loan limit is only 80%, and the FHA gets you to access up to 85% of the home value.

Credit reports are statements that carry information about an individual’s credit score and history, spanning everything from current debts, history of bill payments, and other relevant financial details. Additionally, they can include information about a person’s place of work and residence. Moreover, if they have ever been arrested, filed for insolvency, or sued, that information, too, can be found in their credit report.    What do credit reports do? Credit reports are thoroughly examined by a lender to decide whether a borrower is fit for a loan or credit. Moreover, it is also through these reports that the cost one bears on the loan (interest rate) is decided. Unfortunately, in most cases, there is no clear distinction between the reports that are used by employers or creditors to analyze someone’s creditworthiness. So let us delve a little deeper:   Who prepares and maintains credit reports? There are credit reporting agencies (CRA) that maintain and collect every information that is a part of credit reports. Each CRA has its own set of records. Moreover, they usually do not have all the information relating to all your payments and accounts. There are three essential CRAs in the country, namely Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.