Getting emotional about investments can easily lead to poor decisions as investors fall prey to negative thoughts and fears. The chart below helps to illustrate the emotional aspects of investing.

The human brain constantly searches for trends or patterns in things, trying to make sense out of even random events and data. This essential life skill is not very helpful when it comes to investing.

Investment (stock) markets tend to follow random walks and therefore have no predictable patterns. The patterns and trends that...

Owen is married and has two children. He has been working at the same company for over five years and relies heavily on his employee group plan for his life insurance needs. A new single co-worker got the same benefits after only 90-days and Owen wonders if his group insurance can let him down.

Owen learned that group benefit plans treat all employees the same, regardless of individual needs. Coverage amounts may be determined by income, but a single worker with the same earnings will get the same benefit as a married worker with children.

Many plans offer the option of additional coverage for extra premium. However, the total amount of coverage available is limited and...

When Jesse and Kae Burke purchased a vacation cottage 30 years ago, they knew it was a good investment, but creating time for family was their primary goal. Indeed, the property value had appreciated considerably, but more importantly, it had given them a lifetime of memories with their children and, more recently, their grandchildren.

Today the couple is in their 70s with two grown children. Jennifer lives nearby with her husband and children. Doug and his wife live in the USA. The Burkes own their primary residence and have sufficient investments to maintain their lifestyle.

However, they no longer want the responsibility of maintaining their cottage. Uncertain about how to move...