If you are due a tax refund this year, there are two things you need to do. One will help prevent lending the government interest-free money and the other will suggest some ideas of how to invest your return of capital.

This advice applies to tax rebates, a bonus from your employer or any other lump sum of money you receive.

Why is a stock that cost $50 cheaper than another stock priced at $10?

This question opens a point that often trips up beginning investors: The per-share price of a stock is thought to convey some sense of value relative to other stocks. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

We humans are creatures of habit, even when it comes to investing in stocks, which should be made by a logical decision process.

Yet, the truth is that many investors will stick with an investing pattern even if it isn’t working, just because it worked once before.

In times of market turbulence, should investors be rethinking the idea of risk premium when buying stocks?

The idea of risk premium is that investors have a safe place to put their money (U.S. Treasuries), so any investment that carries more risk should also offer a premium return.

The Dow closed at a four-month high Thursday, while oil fell and the dollar rose. What a great way to start a new month.

Is the market looking past the current economic woes to better times in the fourth quarter?

It is too early to tell, but investors may want to monitor company insiders for an increase in stock purchases. If key executives believe a rebound is coming, they may be picking up additional shares.

Do you want to know the exact date the stock market hits bottom and begins a true rebound during a bear market?

This is a magic date because stocks often post substantial gains coming out of a bear market and the biggest percentage increases happen early in the rebound.

Before you buy a particular stock, you may want to find out whether existing large shareholders are buying more or selling off their shares. This can help you evaluate the stock in the context of how their actions may influence the stock's price.

Picking stocks is a lot like buying a new car - only different.

More accurately, the process of picking a stock is like the process of buying a new car.

You decide on what features are most important (good gas milage or high performance vs. long-term growth or a quick profit on a market shooting star), for example.

Are there any safe stocks when the market is being battered every day by bad news?

Safety is a relative word. What one investor considers safe, another may find too risky.

However, there are some stock sectors investors have looked to in troubled times as a safer haven than the general market.

There is only one reason most investors buy a stock and that is because they expect a return that will be greater than putting the money in some form of savings account.