Money Matters

Why are exchange traded funds ( ETFs ) growing in popularity? Financial commentator Greg Heberlein says the ability to buy and sell them at any time during market hours makes them very appealing.

We’ve all seen the TV commercials: Fred Thompson, Robert Wagner, Henry Winkler and others urging us to sign up for a reverse mortgage. As alluring as the ads are, financial commentator Greg Heberlein says anyone considering such a deal needs to give it some serious thought.

Is multi-level marketing (MLM) a good way to make money? At a time when family budgets are strained and jobs are hard to find, it’s a fair question. KPLU financial commentator Greg Heberlein recommends you do your homework before signing on with an MLM company.

To get an enormous stock market gain, buy a penny stock. To risk losing all of your investment, buy a penny stock. Still interested? Financial commentator Greg Heberlein recommends you steer clear of penny stocks.

Many families plan to go to Disneyland someday, but it's an expensive proposition that requires a lot of planning. Should you buy a package or figure it out for yourself? Do you need a car? When are the best months to go? What are the best days to enter the park? How expensive are tickets and food? Financial commentator Greg Heberlein is a big Disney buff and has visited the park dozens of times. He's more than happy to share his knowledge of Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom on this week's Money

Are you saving enough for retirement? Most Americans aren't. According to a report from the National Institute on Retirement Security , 45 percent of American households don't have anything saved for retirement. Four out of five working households have retirement savings less than one times their annual income. Financial commentator Greg Heberlein says one way to turn this around is to encourage more people to take advantage of 401(k) retirement plans.

The financial markets have been roiling lately, a sign that a change of direction might be about to occur, or already is underway. However, crystal balls tend to be more cloudy than clear. No one consistently appraises the markets accurately. No matter the market direction, financial advisers are not timid about telling you to rebalance your portfolio. But KPLU financial commentator Greg Heberlein says it's OK to ignore that advice.

If you think the money in your money-market mutual fund is as safe as the cash in an FDIC insured bank account, think again. Although money funds have been very safe investments in the past, there's always the possibility they could drop in value or "break the buck". Federal regulators are considering new rules that could impact the cash you park in money-market funds. But it looks like the targets at this point are funds catering only to corporations and other large institutional investors.

In our digital world of social media, blogs and the like, is the newspaper industry a dinosaur? Only 11 newspaper businesses are publicly owned. Is it foolish to invest in them? Legendary investor Warren Buffett doesn't think so. He's acquired 28 papers in the past couple of years. A veteran of 32 years at The Seattle Times, financial commentator Greg Heberlein, can't help but believe Buffett is on the right track.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 have been hitting record-high levels this year. Many investors retreated from the stock market a few years ago and have cash sitting on the sidelines. Are you feeling pressured to invest? Financial commentator Greg Heberlein says there's no need to rush back into the market.