NapkinFinance-IncomeTax-Napkin-07-14-20-v03 – Napkin Finance
MENUMENU
  • College
  • Credit
  • Economics
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Insurance
  • Investing
  • Real Estate
  • Retirement
  • Taxes
  • See All...
  • Courses
  • Book
  • Partner With Us
  • Resources
Napkin Finance
MENUMENU
  • Browse Topics

        • Subjects

          • College
          • Investing
          • Credit
          • Real Estate
          • Economics
          • Retirement
          • Entrepreneurship
          • Taxes
          • Insurance
          • See All…

        • Life Events

          • Leaving The Nest
          • Getting Married
          • Buying A House
          • Starting A Family
          • Getting Ahead
          • Reaching Retirement
  • Courses
  • Book
  • Partner With Us
  • Resources
Search Login Join

Napkin notes

Our latest insights.

November 5, 2020

NapkinFinance-IncomeTax-Napkin-07-14-20-v03

Read more

Stay in touch

Sign up for the Napkin Finance newsletter to receive our exclusive insights (with a touch of humor) delivered to your inbox.

Amortization is a way of paying off a debt by spre Amortization is a way of paying off a debt by spreading payments over a period of time. Your lender divides payments into equal amounts for the duration of the loan. So-called “amortizing” loans typically include: ✅ Mortgages ✅ Car loans ✅ Personal loans When you borrow money with an amortizing loan, you’ll pay the same amount at each agreed upon period (typically monthly) throughout the lifetime of your loan. These payments are also called installments. Each installment of an amortizing loan is made up of two parts: ➡️ Principal: how much you owe on your loan ➡️ Interest: the extra money your lender charges so that it can earn a profit on the loan So, for example, if your mortgage payment is $2,000 a month, one chunk of each payment is going to pay off the mortgage balance, while the remainder is covering interest on the loan. With a loan that amortizes, you (or the borrower) pay back the principal amount you borrowed gradually over time. But not all loans work this way. With some types of loans, the borrower pays interest over time but doesn’t repay the principal amount until the end of the loan, when they pay it back as a lump sum. How much of your payment goes toward principal and how much goes toward interest shifts over time. Why? Because your lender calculates the interest you pay based on your principal. As you owe less on your loan, the interest also decreases. At the start of your repayment period, a lot of your payment will go toward interest. By the end, most goes toward principal. Do you have experience with Amortization? Sound off below! And click the link in our bio to learn more - including LOTS of other fast Finance facts & topic breakdowns.
There is no one perfect investment choice for ever There is no one perfect investment choice for everyone. But whether you're a beginner or a pro, as you evaluate each option, here are 6 helpful questions to ask yourself: ➡️ How much does it cost to invest? ➡️ What is the expected return? ➡️ How much risk does this investment carry, and what’s my risk comfort level? ➡️ How easy is it to sell this investment (known as liquidity)? ➡️ Are there any tax advantages? ➡️ Does it serve my investment goals and help me diversify? What other questions do you think are helpful before you take the investment leap? Share below! And visit napkinfinance.com for more fast finance facts and helpful tips. 😎💸
A futures contract is an agreement to buy a specif A futures contract is an agreement to buy a specific investment at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon future date. Unlike an option—which gives the buyer a choice of whether or not to actually use the option—a futures contract is an obligation. If you enter into a futures contract, you have to hold up your end of the deal. For example, suppose you enter into a futures contract to buy one ounce of gold in three months for $1,500. And suppose that when you enter into the contract gold is trading at $1,400 per ounce. After you enter the contract, the price of gold will rise or fall from day to day. If the price of gold is higher than $1,500 when the futures contract expires, then you’ve earned a profit. If the price of gold is lower than $1,500 when it expires, then you’ve suffered a loss. Some futures contracts are made with what’s called “physical delivery,” in which case you would actually receive that ounce of gold at the end of the three months. But often the two sides of the trade instead settle up with cash—in which case you would receive or pay a cash amount equal to your gain (or loss) on the contract at the end of the three months. Like options, you can buy futures contracts on a range of underlying investments, including: ✅ Commodities, such as wheat or corn ✅ Precious metals, such as gold or silver ✅ Stock market indexes ✅ Currencies ✅ Bonds Two of futures main uses are for: ➡️ Hedging: If you’re a farmer and you know that in six months you’re going to need to sell several tons of corn, then you may buy corn futures today. That way you’re protected if the price of corn takes a sudden plunge. ➡️ Speculating: If you just want to make a bet on whether corn will rise or fall in price, then you’re said to be speculating in the market. 👉 Fun fact: did you know that there have been futures traded on snow and rainfall amounts, box office ticket sales, and even election results? 🧐 Click our link in bio to learn more!
According to a recent article by @cbsnews, "The Na According to a recent article by @cbsnews, "The Nasdaq is already in a bear market, down 31% from its peak of 16,057.44 on November 19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is more than 16% below its most recent peak. The most recent bear market for the S&P 500 ran from February 19, 2020 through March 23, 2020." If you're not sure what a "bear market" means, a bear market is a period when stocks are generally falling—or, more specifically, a time when major stock indexes have fallen at least 20% (a fall of less than that would be called a “correction” but not a bear market). Bear markets tend to correspond with: ➡️ A shrinking, or “contracting,” economy ➡️ Rising unemployment ➡️ Falling corporate profits ➡️ Deflation or unstable inflation ➡️ And experts can also be “bearish” on a particular stock or asset class. Conversely, a "bull market" is when stocks are generally rising. Bull markets tend to correspond with: ➡️ A growing, or “expanding,” economy ➡️ Falling or stable unemployment ➡️ Rising corporate profits ➡️ Stable or modestly rising inflation ➡️ Sometimes, you might also hear that an expert is “bullish” on the market or “bullish” on some particular stock. That just means that person thinks the market or that particular stock is likely to go up. What are your thoughts on the current market? Share with us below! And click the link in our bio to learn more about what a bear market means for you in the future. 🧐
Active and index investing are two different ways Active and index investing are two different ways of choosing individual investments. 👉 With active investing, investors try to pick and choose only the best investments to buy—like the stocks that they think will rise the most in value. 👉 With index investing, investors build a portfolio that’s designed to match the performance of an index, like the S&P 500. Investors might choose between active and index investing when they’re investing in: ✅ Stocks ✅ Bonds ✅ Some types of alternatives, like commodities Most mutual funds can be categorized as either active funds or index funds. Most exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, follow index investing, but some follow active management. Although either approach can help you build a diversified portfolio, there are some key trade-offs that investors typically face with the two investing styles. 👍 Active Investing Pros: • Possibility of amazing returns • Can use with any asset class • Chance for more control and customization ‼️ AI Cons: • Typically more expensive • Chance of terrible returns • Often performs worse than indexing on average • Often less tax efficient 👍 Index Investing Pros: • Lower cost • Often performs better than active management on average • Can be more tax efficient ‼️ II Cons: • Never do better than the market • Can’t use with all investment types (like hedge funds) • If the market goes down, you go down with it ➡️ Which do *you* prefer? Active or Index Investing? Share below! And click our link in bio to learn more, including some more ways to choose which is right for you!
Napkin Finance

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Shop
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy

Location

Created in Los Angeles, CA

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • English
  • Español

Copyright© 2022 · NAPKIN FINANCE · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Napkin Finance
  • Sign in
  • Sign up

Forgot your password?
or continue with
By signing up, I agree to Napkin Finance’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

or continue with

The simple information you need
to clean up your not-so-simple finances.