The Stock Market Investor's Worst Enemy While the components of the above scenario will change, the catalyst of this nightmare remains the same – emotions. You'll survive the nightmare, but the experience will forever change you. Fear will shade every future stock market decision and severely limit your ability to objectively evaluate any investment opportunity out of fear that you'll lose again. But, it doesn't have to be that way. [More] Investors: Avoid These 5 Common Tax Mistakes Sounds like a good plan, right? Well, it is, but be aware it can get a bit complicated. Under what is commonly called the “wash sale rule,” if you repurchase the losing stock within 30 days of selling it, you can't deduct your loss. In fact, not only are you precluded from repurchasing the same stock, you are precluded from purchasing stock that is “substantially identical” to it – a vague phrase that is a constant source of confusion to investors and tax professionals alike. Finally, the IRS mandates that you must match long-term and short-term gains and losses against each other first. [More] Glide into Tax Season with Solid Financial Planning Many mutual funds pay taxable dividends and you will be taxed on any gains from stocks or funds sold during the year. Keep in mind that variable annuities typically carry mortality and expense charges, administrative fees, and deferred sales charges that can reduce tax-deferred performance. Withdrawals of the tax-deferred earnings are taxed as ordinary income, and surrender charges may apply, in addition to a 10 percent tax penalty for withdrawals before age 59 1/2. [More] Navigating the Consolidation Frenzy For most ex-college students, student loans are a fact of life. Personally, I graduated with the joy of knowing that I had 3 student loans. Together they totaled close to 35,000 dollars. Monthly, I was spending clo. Career In Financial Management A career in financial management can be rewarding and enjoyable, but how do you break into one of the fastest growing professions? There are two ways to go here: you can go to school for four years for a bachelors .