Children who take advantage of investing by letting their money remain invested for several years can all but guarantee healthy financial returns for themselves in the future. It can also teach them the vital skills and financial literacy that will help them make savvy investment decisions as an adult. If you want to teach your kids valuable lessons about money and the power of compounded growth, helping them open an investment account can be a great start. To get your kids started with investing, you should first decide which investment account is best for them. That decision largely hinges o ..read more

When it comes to one’s physical well-being, it is common knowledge that a healthy diet, regular exercise and annual check-up with your doctor are the basics.  In times of illness or disease, treatment is usually objective and based on medical science, so your medical professional should be able to explain in facts what is going on and what needs or doesn’t need to be done.  However, when it comes one’s financial health, it can be a world of subjectivity, perceptions and projections.  This can make managing your own investments complicated, and finding a good financial advisor mo ..read more

By Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman Barakah literally means blessings. In Islamic theology, it refers to the concept of something providing value beyond what is expected in an almost supernatural manner. For example, if a meal for five comfortably feeds ten, it is considered to have barakah. Likewise, when $100 goes a long way for someone, it is considered to have barakah. Barakah is a type of karāma (miracle) that Allah gifts to whom He wills. The Quran prescribes many acts of worship that bring barakah into our lives. The three listed below are perhaps the most important sources of barakah. 1. Piety a ..read more

Only 42% of small businesses with 99 employees or less offer a retirement plan to their employees according to LIMRA in 2019. This is concerning especially considering that the average mortality age is going up and employees are staying in the workforce for longer periods of time. Considering the number of individuals employed by small businesses and the benefits that can be harvested by the small business owners this rate has to increase in the upcoming years. So why offer a retirement plan from an owner’s perspective? There are various benefits that are available for employers in offering re ..read more

By Imam Dr. Omar Suleiman, Ethical Adviser Ethical consumerism refers to the mindset of looking beyond the product at the process behind its production. The ethical consumer is concerned not only with whether the end-product is acceptable, but also with the entire process of production. Due to widespread mistreatment abuse in various industries, ethical consumerism is on the rise as more people become aware of the various injustices that occur behind the scenes. The concept of ethical consumerism is an established part of Islamic Business Ethics. In various narrations, the Prophet (pbuh) warne ..read more

(ISLAMIC FINANCE NEWS: October 7, 2020) As Muslims have become more  affluent, the need for more Islamic products and  services  became apparent. First-generation Muslims in North America were usually not that concerned about retirement accounts or company 401(k) plans. Many of them sacrificed dearly to give their families a better life. They took big risks and worked hard so that their children would have better opportunities. They paved the way for future generations to enjoy the benefits of their hard work. Second- and third-generation Muslims were fortunate to get good educati ..read more

Do presidential elections affect the stock market? Every four years there is a convergence between US politics and investments. Since the beginning of exchange traded securities, there has been a continuous debate about the correlation of politics and market performance. This debate ultimately percolated into “Presidential Election Theory1”, which suggests that the markets perform best during the third year of a sitting president. Other portions of the debate pertain to the difference between Republican a ..read more

Editor: Nadeem Mian The recent bull market which began in March 2009 was the longest on record lasting 131 months.  From trough to peak the S&P 500 had a return of over 350% trailing only the bull market of the 1990’s which yielded 417%.    Despite its magnitude, this time period was often termed as “the most hated bull market” due to the lingering memory of the financial credit crisis. However, one of its biggest beneficiaries has been passive investing and Electronically Traded Funds (ETFs).  As of September 2019, pass ..read more

Editor: Nadeem Mian In the world of Islamic investing and portfolio management, where assets such as fixed income (i.e. traditional bonds) and leverage  are prohibited, there tends to be more of an interest in alternative classes such as commodities to help fill that void.  This missive will highlight some of the pros and cons of adding commodities to your portfolio but before diving into that it’s important to understand what they are and what form/vehicle is used to get exposure to that commodity.  Also, the article will mostly speak to sharia compliant forms of commodity inve ..read more

Editor: Irfan Chaudhry Gold price has made more headlines lately as it has outshone other investments in last few years, but nothing has shone brighter than silver since start of second half of 2019.  As one of the seven metals of antiquity, silver has been valuable in societies in history. Sophisticated investors had been using silver investing for ages. Silver prices peaked in early 2011 at close to US$50.00/oz and subsequently gradually declined to a low of US$13.70/oz in late 2015, around the same time when gold prices hit their low. However, unlike gold – which since trende ..read more