Many of us have heard parents or grandparents talk about how, during the Great Depression, they’d get an afternoon at the cinema for a nickel and a box of popcorn or a candy bar for a penny. Read More

Are mutual fund expenses deductible for tax purposes? — M. Krieger, Baltimore, MD You can deduct a plethora of investment expenses on your Schedule A subject to the 2 percent adjusted gross income floor, including fees paid to financial advisors and even the subscription cost of this newsletter. Based on… Read More

In this environment, it’s easy to find things to sell because every day we learn about new problems, even at companies you would think are immune. Read More

Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS), which manages prescription benefits for about one in five Americans, saw profits rise 32 percent in the fourth quarter as customers increasingly turned to generics and mail-order pharmacies to save a buck. Both are not only cheaper for consumers, but are also much more profitable… Read More

Editor’s Note: Since the markets are closed tomorrow in observance of Good Friday, you’re receiving Friday Market Wrapup a day earlier than usual. We’ll resume our regular schedule next week. Read More

This weeks economic releases were bad but on a relative basis things seem to be improving. Read More

Environmentally conscious investment strategies continue to claim a larger share of the marketplace. Here’s one fund that not only endeavors to do no harm, but also backs up the rhetoric with cash.   Read More

Closed funds which are forced to reopen are often facing significant headwinds but this fund, once again on the prowl for assets, still shows just as much promise as it ever has.   Read More

The biggest news of the week was the announcement from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) that it is now embarking a program of true quantitative easing. Read More

The socially responsible investment (SRI) movement continues to gain traction. The latest numbers from the Social Investment Forum show that an estimated $2.71 trillion out of the $25.1 trillion US investment market has been invested based on an SRI approach. That share is likely to continue multiplying--addressing environmental and energy independence issues are priorities for the Obama administration and essential elements in the economic stimulus plan. But as Christopher Walsh, manager of Alger Green, points out, there’s more than one way to approach sustainable investing. Read More