
Expense ratio: What’s considered a good one and how these fund costs are calculated
A fund with a high expense ratio could cost you 10 times – maybe more! – what you might otherwise pay.
Bankrate principal writer and editor James F. Royal, Ph.D. covers investing, financial markets, wealth management, cryptocurrency and retirement issues such as IRAs, 401(k) plans and Social Security — helping individuals make smart financial decisions that can positively and significantly improve their lives. He’s been at Bankrate since 2019, and has been investing in the markets for more than two decades, starting to invest during the “dotcom” boom and bust.
In particular, James is focused on how to invest well, helping individuals build wealth. His articles focus on the real steps to build wealth as well as the financial moves to avoid, those peddled by people just looking to sell you something. Importantly, he also focuses on behavioral finance — an individual’s attitudes and experiences to money and investing — as a key place that people sabotage their own financial future, such as by approaching investing with fear and greed.
His work has been cited across major media, including CNBC, the Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN International and the Associated Press, and he has appeared on TV and radio in countless media outlets. James is also the author of The Zen of Thrift Conversions and Options Trading 101. He previously worked as an editor and analyst at the Motley Fool.
When he’s not thinking and writing about investing, James enjoys reading, French cinema and playing Jeopardy, having appeared on the TV game show.
Our goal is to get wiser every day and avoid the mistakes of the past.
— James Royal, Ph.D.
A fund with a high expense ratio could cost you 10 times – maybe more! – what you might otherwise pay.
One way to start investing in real estate is to buy shares of a REIT.
Here’s how to buy stocks and the steps you need to take to become a stockholder.
The choice between a 401(k) and a Roth 401(k) depends a lot on your individual situation.
Many civil servants save for retirement with their own type of 401(k).
Here’s how the Great Wealth Transfer may shake up your finances and how to prosper.
You can invest in almost anything that’s investible with an SDIRA. These are the key advantages and disadvantages.
Estate planning is the process of arranging who will receive your assets when you die.