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John Maxfield

TMFMaxfield

I write about banks, trying my best to balance the good and the bad.

Recent Articles by John Maxfield

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

1 Thing Every Dividend Investor Should Be Doing Right Now

Unless you're living off your investment income right now, you're making a big mistake if your stocks aren't enrolled in a dividend reinvestment program.

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

5 Airports to Avoid this Holiday Season

Traveling during the holidays is bad enough, the last thing you want to deal with are unexpected delays. To this end, Motley Fool contributor John Maxfield dug up statistics on the five airports and airlines with the worst on-time performances for the month of November.

Oct 27, 2016 by John Maxfield

Cracker Barrel, Waiting for a Table Will Cost You

The real way Cracker Barrel makes money...while you wait for a table.

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

Your Stocks Are Fine -- You're the Problem

Most individual investors dramatically underperform the broader market. Here's an easy way to save yourself from a similar fate.

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

Will Higher Tax Rates Hurt Dividend Stocks in 2014?

Next year will be the first full year under the new tax regime that was signed into law this past January. Could increased rates on dividends and capital gains hurt shares of AT&T and Verizon?

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

Bank of America's Epic $20 Billion Face-Plant

The year that's coming to an end was one for the record books for Bank of America. All told, the nation's second largest bank by assets paid out approximately $20 billion to settle allegations related to everything from racial and gender discrimination to illegally robo-calling its customers' cell phones. Here's a breakdown of the big bank's most expensive misdeeds.

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

Is Annaly Capital Management a Buy After Getting Pummeled?

Shares of Annaly Capital Management have gotten pummeled over the last year. But are they now cheap enough to buy?

Dec 15, 2013 by John Maxfield

Is This Barnes & Noble’s Last Christmas?

Could this be the bookseller's final holiday season?

Dec 14, 2013 by John Maxfield

A Simple Investing Strategy That Yields Solid Returns

Developing an investment strategy is hard. There’s no getting around that. But that doesn’t mean the strategy itself needs to be complicated.

Dec 14, 2013 by John Maxfield

2 Simple Ways to Lower Your Income Taxes

Recent changes to federal tax law make lowering your taxable income particularly important this year. Here are two simple and legal ways that taxpayers can go about doing so.

Dec 14, 2013 by John Maxfield

Why Buy-and-Hold Investing Still Rules

It's inevitable that certain individuals and institutions will intermittently proclaim the death of buy-and-hold investing. But the reality is that it's still the only way for investors to generate consistent, long-term returns.

Dec 13, 2013 by John Maxfield

Why J.C. Penney and Abercrombie & Fitch Are a Taxpayer's Best Friend

With the recent change in tax policy, taxpayers are now facing higher top marginal tax rates for capital gains. It's for this reason that shareholders of J.C. Penney and Abercrombie & Fitch may actually have something to celebrate.

Dec 13, 2013 by John Maxfield

How to Pick a Great ETF

Exchange-traded funds can be an extremely valuable asset for investors. Here are four things to look out for when deciding which one(s) to add to your portfolio.

Dec 12, 2013 by John Maxfield

3 Lessons Bad Investors Never Learn

When it comes to investing, we are our own worst enemy. Here are three critical lessons that investors need to learn to boost their returns.

Dec 12, 2013 by John Maxfield

The U.S. Government Is Punishing Innocent Investors (and Letting Guilty Bankers Go Free)

It's becoming increasingly clear that the federal government is intent on making banks like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and U.S. Bancorp pay for their misdeeds during the financial crisis. In reality, however, it's the innocent shareholders who are suffering.

Dec 12, 2013 by John Maxfield

Barnes & Noble Founder Tries to Save Face After Shares Plummet

Shares of Barnes & Noble plummeted yesterday after the company announced that its founder and chairman had sold 2 million shares. In an interview later in the day, he intimated that it had nothing to do with the company's current condition. Should shareholders buy this explanation?

Dec 11, 2013 by John Maxfield

1 Huge Dividend Yield That's Actually Safe

Given that yield is a reflection of risk, it isn't often that you find a high-yielding stock that's also safe. That's why New York Community Bancorp is such a rare commodity.

Dec 11, 2013 by John Maxfield

Barnes & Noble's Founder Quietly Sells Stock for "Tax Planning Purposes"

When the founder and largest shareholder of a struggling company sells $27.6 million worth of stock for “tax planning purposes,” do you really think that’s the reason behind the sale? That’s the question shareholders of Barnes & Noble must now answer.

Dec 10, 2013 by John Maxfield

Bank of America CEO Says Future Legal Losses Could Exceed $9 Billion

At an industry conference in New York, Bank of America's CEO Brian Moynihan cast considerable light on how much more damage is in store for the Charlotte-based lender.

Dec 8, 2013 by John Maxfield

Dear Poor People: This is Wal-Mart’s World, You’re Just Living in It

If Wal-Mart were to enrich its employees, it may very well lose them as customers. As a result, Wal-Mart is doing precisely the opposite, paying its employees so little that they have no choice but to rely on its promise of everyday low prices.

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