Interest rates are extremely low, so cash is yielding trash. But higher-yielding bonds suffer from interest-rate risk. What to do? The solution is to construct a bond ladder. Learn how to get ten-year yields for a one-year maturity. Read More
Jim Fink is chief investment strategist for Options for Income, Velocity Trader, and Jim Fink's Inner Circle. He has traded options for more than 30 years and generated personal profits of more than $5 million. Jim also serves as an investment analyst at Investing Daily’s flagship investing publication, Personal Finance.
Hopelessly overeducated, Jim holds a bachelor's degree from Yale University, a master's degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, a law degree from Columbia University, and an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. For good measure, he has been a member of the Illinois and D.C. bars.
Prior to joining Investing Daily, and when not incurring student loans hiding out in academe, Jim practiced telecommunications regulatory law for nine years until he realized that he made more money trading stock options than writing briefs. After attending business school, Jim switched gears to the investment realm full-time, working for a university endowment, a private wealth management firm, an insurance and financial planning company, and as a Senior Analyst for an online investment newsletter service that encourages the wearing of funny hats.
A possible but unlikely descendant of legendary brawler and boatman Mike Fink, Jim defies his heritage, believing that investing success requires patience and analysis, not swashbuckling bravado. Besides his passion for analyzing and writing about stocks, Jim likes to hike in the desert Southwest, vacation in Las Vegas, play tennis, and feed his toddler son Cheerios.
Analyst Articles
Think dividends are boring? Think again. Read More
Brokers have avoided acting as fiduciaries for 70 years and they escaped yet again in the just-passed financial reform legislation. Jim thinks individual investors can do better. Wave goodbye to your broker. Read More
The SEC-Goldman Sachs settlement is a travesty of justice as Goldman escapes with just a slap on the wrist. But at least Goldman admitted that it made mistakes and misled investors. Will Warren Buffett admit the same? Read More
Buying call options instead of stock is a powerful way to leverage your returns. But options spreads can magnify your returns even more. Read More
Energy-based master limited partnerships (MLPs) provide the perfect combination of high cash yields and minimal taxes. MLP Profits, the market-beating investment service managed by dividend and energy experts Roger Conrad and Elliott Gue, is a great way to get started in this exciting asset class. Read More
Warren Buffett's testimony yesterday before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission was shockingly bad. The investment legend's reputation as a "good guy" has been mortally wounded. Read More
Jim has a reunion with an old friend from Chicago. Message to Whitney Tilson: Don't mess with Tom Sosnoff! Read More
Jim concludes his four-part series on asset allocation with four guidelines to live by, some model portfolios, a discussion of the unique risks faced by retirees, and the role that insurance products can play in helping ensure a happy and prosperous retirement. Read More
President Obama is back to his lying ways. He recently said that General Motors has paid back its government loan in full. Nothing could be further from the truth. Read More