Investors, these mistakes can really cost you

Part of my role as a financial adviser is to help clients identify and avoid common financial mistakes. As I've observed over the course of my 27-year career, even the savviest investors can fall prey to these pitfalls if they're not careful.

Here are a few common mistakes investors make:

Letting emotions drive investment decisions: Jumping in and out of investments based on fear, excitement or other emotions sparked by short-term market fluctuations is not usually a sound investment strategy. Attempts to "time the market" can leave you at risk for bigger losses and excessive stress if longer-term trends do not work in your favor.

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A better approach is to start by understanding your risk tolerance. Ask yourself how you would feel if the market were down 5, 10 or 20%. What would make you lose sleep at night?

A good portfolio takes into consideration both your desired rate of return and how you will react emotionally to market volatility. If you are investing in the markets, it is best to have a long-term outlook and to understand that ups and downs are part of the deal.

Not paying yourself first: We tend to pay our bills and our taxes, and then spend or save whatever is left. A better approach is to consciously choose an amount to save that will help you reach your goals, and then save that amount before you pay your bills.

People do this all the time in their 401(k) plans, but it gets harder with liquid dollars. Pay yourself systematically into an investment account before you decide what to spend.

Making retirement lifestyle decisions in a vacuum: Most people worry about running out of money after they leave the workforce. Based on this fear, some fall into the mode of spending too little, and working longer than they need to, before retiring.

This overly conservative approach to saving is its own form of a fin! ancial trap. What's the purpose of having far more assets than you need at 90, if you're left wishing you had enjoyed your time and money more freely at a younger age?

Meanwhile, others spend too much in their working years and are left without enough to retire.

The solution is a solid, holistic financial plan with a probability analysis, to help you understand what you have and what you need in order to retire on your terms. Your homework is to gather information and analyze your spending needs.

Understand the benefits of a home equity line of credit: If you have equity in a home, it may be inexpensive to apply for and open a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

A HELOC may be useful to have in case of emergencies. The mistake in waiting to apply is that if you become unemployed, have high debt or are otherwise less attractive to a bank, you may not qualify for the line at exactly the time you need it. Contrary to what many think, you only pay interest on the money you use. If there is no balance outstanding, there is nothing due.

Carrying credit card debt and paying it off with your tax refund: If you are getting a tax refund, you are likely withholding more than you need to during the course of the year.

Many investors do not realize that the purpose of filling out a W-4 form and choosing withholdings is to have the proper amount of taxes taken out, so that you end up near even at the end of the year. It is a tool the government gives us to adjust taxes, because everyone's situation is different.

So, if you run up debt and pay interest all year, and then pay it off with a refund, the winners are the credit card companies and the government, which has had custody of your money all year. A better idea is to adjust your withholdings, get more cash on a monthly basis and pay off credit cards as they come due.

The key to remember with these and other common financial mistakes is that they're usually avoidable. A comprehensive financial plan suited to your uni! que goals! , risk tolerance and time horizon can help you stay on the right track and steer clear of pitfalls.

Geri Pell, a certified financial planner, is president of Pell Wealth Partners in Rye Brook, N.Y. She is a wealth adviser specializing in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies, and has been in practice for 27 years.

© CNBC is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

4D Printing Potential Makes Me Drool

After more than 30 years in the markets, I've seen all kinds of new technologies that are supposed to change the world. Most are pumped by little-known companies with overly hyped marketing, aggressive underwriters, and little more than vaporware. To say I'm jaded would be an understatement.

But I ran across something recently that positively made my mouth drop.

We already know about 3D printing. It's all the rage right now, because you can buy a printer for a few thousand bucks and cook up whatever your computer can plot.

But 4D printing?

I don't know whether to be terrified or excited as all hell about this.

Probably a little of both...

"Machines that Assemble Themselves"

3D printing, itself a fairly new technology, has quickly found a host of different applications, ranging from the fun, to the artistic, to the highly practical. Websites like Thingiverse.com and Shapeways.com have sprung up, with collaborators contributing all sorts of interesting stuff. So far we've seen plastic toys, parts, and some utility tools.

Companies are well on their way to creating 3D applications for a variety of industries, including consumer products, aerospace, architecture, and manufacturing. Practical uses include concept modeling and functional prototyping.

Some more aggressive individuals are already pushing the limits of this technology to make firearms, which are obviously highly controversial. There are also a number of really innovative biotech firms making - for lack of a better term - "living lattice" to replace ears and noses using tissue that's effectively grown around a printable 3D structure.

4D printing is the kind of stuff that Skynet - the self-aware computer at the center of the famous Terminator franchise - would recognize.

Professor Anna Balazs, the Robert v.d. Luft Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering, describes 4D as "adaptive, biomimetic composites that reprogram their shape, properties or functionality on demand based upon external stimuli."

In plain English, she's talking about camouflage that changes based on its surroundings. Self-adaptive coatings that immediately heal inanimate objects or protect people when the material detects a threat. Submarines that hide based on the water they're traveling through. Airplanes that can change themselves based on what they're carrying and where they're flying.

Or, machines that assemble themselves and manufacturing that can take a pile of parts without human intervention and transform them into everything from bridges to beer bottles.

Imagine, for example, the Hoover Dam building itself or the Golden Gate Bridge coming to fruition without a single human laborer lifting so much as a rivet.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2014

Non-military uses could include protective paint that immediately erases graffiti as Hollywood envisioned in the Sylvester Stallone film, Demolition Man.

The potential medical uses are simply mind-boggling. Imagine what doctors could do with implantable materials that alter based on a heart patient's needs or a burn victim's healing process. If they can alter materials on their own, integrating that with living tissue is not far away.

And the military, naturally, is exceptionally interested, judging from the $855,000 joint research contract the U.S. Army Research Office recently awarded to Harvard University, the University of Illinois, and the University of Pittsburgh. Bear in mind, this is on top of the tens of millions they've already spent on nanotechnology where self-assembly already exists.

To date, 4D printing is confined to some neat, "gee-whiz!" stuff, like a long strand of material that when exposed to water transforms itself into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's moniker, MIT.

The real magic - and the real money - is going to come from the commercialization of whatever scientists develop in the next few years. It will eliminate the brute-force manufacturing techniques of today and enable an entirely new class of companies. In the process, it will change the role of labor and the consumption of energy on a truly global scale.

What's most interesting to me, though, is that we're talking about self-intelligent materials that are able to change shape, change properties, and even compute outside the silicon constraints we live with today.

How to Invest in 4D Printing

According to MIT computer scientist Skylar Tibbits, who heads the institution's self-assembly technologies lab, there are two segments holding the most immediate-term potential: extreme environments and large-scale infrastructure.

Take space, which is an obviously extreme environment, for example. The lack of oxygen is an obvious labor constraint. Temperature ranges are significant and radiation is a very real problem. There would be a clear advantage to materials that are able to assemble and reconfigure themselves as needed.

Large-scale infrastructure is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The challenges there are complexity and cost. Self-adaptive materials could overcome current technological and material limitations like size and strength. Imagine, as he notes, water pipes that adapt themselves to flow or even push fluid along by constricting. There would be no valves or costly pumps needed.

Right now the choices are pretty limited - but don't let that stop you if your mind is running in overdrive right now, like mine is.

In the large-scale and manufacturing space, I like Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS). It's already a leader in 3D printing and is investing heavily in the new materials that will make 4D possible. The company trades at $109 and has a $4.29 billion market cap. The latest data reflect earnings of -0.55 per share, but that may be misleading if the company really taps the potential I believe 4D represents.

In the 4D medical world, Organovo Holdings Inc. (NYSE MKT: ONVO) appears to be off to a good start. They've got a number of bioprinting projects centered around functional human tissue, including a liver product that's planned for 2014. I believe the company will quickly branch into tumor modeling, transplantation, and pharma research.

There's also the ExOne Co. (Nasdaq: XONE). It develops, manufactures, and sells 3D printing machines around the world with an emphasis in the aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors that Tibbets called out as immediate beneficiaries.

3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) is another player but one that is very expensive considering its PE is 134 as I write this. It's also a growing short magnet, meaning that momentum traders seem to be assembling increasingly bearish positions. According to Yahoo!Finance, for example, the AdvisorShares Ranger Equity Bear ETF (NYSE Arca: HDGE) holds a 1% position. Also according to Yahoo!Finance, 32.5% of float is sold short as of Sept. 30, which is significant considering that 65.7% are institutions or insiders.

And finally, there's good ol' Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ). Rumors are flying that the company is going to enter the 3D printing market next year. While this may be great for 3D consumers and print fanatics, I have a hard time envisioning the company making the jump to 4D. Still, the 2.5% dividend may be compelling enough to justify playing around the edges here.

Now if only I could figure out a way to print money like Bernanke has.

Perhaps he already has a 4D printer, though, judging from the amount of self-assembled hot air in Washington at the moment.

When rates are low, your nest egg suffers

Q. Once you retire, how do you make your nest egg generate enough money to live with interest rates so low?

A. If you can't take any risk, you really don't have many good choices. The last time you could get a five-year bank CD yielding more than 5% was in 2000, according to Bankrate.com. Since then, savings rates are lower than an ant's basement. The average money market fund yields just 0.01%, according to iMoneyNet. The top-yielding five-year CD in the nation, offered by VirtualBank, yields 2%, according to Bankrate.com.

Unfortunately, savings rates aren't going to rise any time soon. The Federal Reserve has said that it won't raise short-term interest rates until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5% or lower, and that probably won't happen until 2015.

What's a saver to do? If you really can't take a risk, you just have to wait it out. One solution: Divide your savings into four parts, and buy a one-year CD every three months. Right now, you'll get about 1% from the top-yielding one-year CDs, according to Bankrate.com. As interest rates rise — eventually — your yields will rise every quarter.

You could get a higher yield by investing in a 10-year Treasury note, currently yielding 2.74%. But at that rate, $100,000 would give you just $2,740 in income a year, or $228 a month, for a decade. Better not plan on eating out.

If you hold your bond until it matures, you won't risk losing money, except to inflation. If you sell before it matures, you could lose money if interest rates rise.

If you need higher rates than the 10-year Treasury offers, you'll be taking on additional risk. Although high-quality corporate bonds don't default often, it is a possibility. And low-quality junk bonds have considerably more risk of default — in which case, you'll have to stand in line with the company's other creditors.

You can get somewhat higher yields by investing in dividend-paying stocks. AT&T stock, for example, has a 5.08% dividend yield. Verizon yields 4.13%. Gene! ral Electric yields 2.81%.

The risk? They're stocks, and they could cut their dividends if times are tough. On the other hand, you don't have to put your entire portfolio in dividend-paying stocks. Putting 20% of your portfolio in riskier — but higher-yielding — investments won't send you to the poorhouse if the stock market falls. You'll still have 80% of your portfolio in cash.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014

Japan was back at the center of financial news today, not because the Nikkei is still getting rocked back and forth, but because the island-nation's central bank refused to adjust monetary policy today in the midst of a huge market correction. In April, the Bank of Japan had announced a $1.4 trillion stimulus program with room for additional funding if needed, but today passed on that opportunity, though Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda did say that the bank could unleash further stimulus if borrowing costs rise.

World markets were down on the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) finishing down 117 points, or 0.8%, in a volatile session, as the blue chips opened down 1% before climbing to breakeven at midday, and finally tanking in afternoon trading. As stocks pulled back, treasuries hit a 14-month high, with the 10-year yield climbing to 2.29% at one point.

Among the Dow's biggest losers today was Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , which fell 1.8% as rival Sony introduced its PlayStation 4 last night and said would be priced at $399, $100 less than Microsoft's Xbox One. The two are major competitors in the gaming arena, and Sony's moves could put pressure on Microsoft. In addition to beating the Xbox on price, the PS4 also allows users to sell or reuse second-hand games and does not require a fixed Internet connection. Both consoles are due out this fall in time for the holiday season.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniela Pylypczak]

  Wells Fargo announced on Monday that it has lowered its price target on McDonald’s (MCD) from $105-$110 to $102-$106. Wells Fargo also maintained its outperform rating on the fast food company.

  The lower price target comes after McDonald’s reported its third quarter earnings results; EPS came in at $1.52 per share – above analyst expectations, while revenues came in slightly below expectations at $7.32 billion.

  Wells Fargo also lowered its 2013 EPS estimate for McDonald’s from $5.58 to $5.55. For its 2014 estimates, EPS is now expected to come in at $5.97, down from the previous estimate of $6.15.

  Wells Fargo analyst Jeff Farmer noted “While we’re disappointed with MCD�� Q4 SSS and margin outlook, we’re maintaining our Outperform rating based on our expectation for MCD to reaccelerate market share gains in 2014 as the company continues to refine its strategic focus on both new product introductions and affordability.”

  McDonald’s shares slipped 0.64% during Monday’s session. Year-to-date, the stock is up 5.64%.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Credit card use is up, and that's great news for industry heavies Visa (NYSE: V  ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) , both of which have been on a tear over the past few month. To make things even sweeter, delinquencies have dropped, too, and now stand at a level not seen since 1990.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Remer: Oh, huge opportunity to change. But it will take time. You asked about MasterCard. It will take time to potentially replace the ecosystems that exist and how are those leading organizations -- the MasterCards, the Visas (NYSE: V  ) , the American Express (NYSE: AXP  ) , the PayPals -- going to come down to the next generation and give them the reason why they should utilize that same payment system.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  What we would first refer you to is our prediction of the six major dividend hikes before the end of 2013. Then we would focus on Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) as well, even if it was not included in our recent dividend hike predictions. Frankly, it should have been obvious but for some reason was not.

10 Best Casino Stocks To Own Right Now: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  ExxonMobil has been struggling to grow its production in a meaningful way for a few years now. However, on a per-share basis, the company's production growth has been industry leading, thanks to its steady buybacks. Over the past five years, each share has an interest in 21% more production, which is an annualized growth rate per share of 5%. As the following chart shows, ExxonMobil easily outpaces Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) , Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A  ) and BP (NYSE: BP  ) :

• [By Claudia Assis]

  Major oil companies, however, declined, with shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) �down 0.1%. Chevron Corp. (CVX) �shares were off 0.3%, while shares of ConocoPhillips (COP) �fell 0.4%.

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Among blue-chip stocks, oil majors have surged higher. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) shares have jumped 1.2% to rank among the top Dow leaders, and fellow firm Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) has seen its stock rise 1.6%. Chevron got a boost today when a Canadian court turned away a $19 billion Ecuadorian claim against the company that stems from alleged pollution in the 1970s and '80s. While that's one less headache for Chevron, Exxon has run into trouble despite its stock's surge: The company's dealing with a small oil leak in Missouri from the same pipeline that leaked in Arkansas in March. While the spill is minuscule, it's another PR hit for a company that could use some good news.

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Shares of both the Dow's oil companies, Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) , are trading lower today as the price of light crude oil falls 2.74%. Chevron is currently down 1.02% as Exxon has declined 1.23%. Both companies are highly dependent on the price of oil, and when the value of black gold declines, the profits for the major oil companies falls right alongside. Long-time shareholders of either company know that these stocks are rather volatile and move up and down more than 1% regularly, but investors who are just considering these stocks need to determine if they can handle the roller-coaster ride before they strap into the seat. �

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) has not made it a secret that China is a critical market for the company and one that it intends to focus on. Despite this reality, the iPhone 5 is not the top-seller there and faces stiff competition from local manufacturers including Samsung and Lenovo. As Samsung prepares to release its own operating system to compete with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Android and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) Windows, Asia promises to be an exciting landscape for smartphones this year.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  As the world's second-largest tobacco company, Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) is an ideal sin stock.

  And with numbers like these, it's also an ideal way to play global growth...

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) has experienced more than impressive growth in both its share price and its profits in the past four years. Lately its gains have petered out. The problem is that much of that growth has come from a few countries in Asia, and if one analyst report is accurate, there will be little to no growth from those areas ahead. Nomura Securities is downgrading Philip Morris to a Reduce rating from Neutral, but for all practical purposes it is a Sell rating. The firm’s $76 price target suggests downside of more than $10 ahead.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Other earnings highlights in the coming week include Dow components McDonald�� Corp. (MCD) , DuPont (DD) , AT&T Inc. (T) , and Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) . Notable S&P 500 companies include Halliburton Co. (HAL) , Netflix Inc. (NFLX) �, Amgen Inc. (AMGN) �, TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) �, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) �, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) �, Ford Motor Co. (F) �, Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) �, and United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) �

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  HP is not the only reason the Dow is staying near breakeven. IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) is up just 0.2%, but the Dow's price-weighted formula means IBM's gains make a much bigger difference than many of today's losers. IBM's per-share cost of more than $200 -- far more than any other single stock on the Dow -- gives this stock plenty of influence in the Dow's activity.

• [By Andrew Tonner]

  IBM� (NYSE: IBM  ) is the only tech stock Warren Buffett owns. In this video, Andrew Tonner describes why investors should be optimistic about Big Blue's future. Most analysts expect IBM earnings to grow about 9%, from $2.78 per share to about $3.50 per share. The company has a three-pronged business model that helps funnel customers from its low-margin hardware business to its higher-margin software business. IBM also has an even higher-margin consulting business, all of which position IBM well for its long-term goal of earning $20 per share. Corporate leadership looks solid and on board for achieving this goal.

• [By Dividend Growth Investor]

  International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. I like this global technology juggernaut, the ability to consistently repurchase shares, raise dividends for 16 years and its vision to earn $20/share by 2015. The company has increased dividends for 18 years in a row, and has managed to boost them by 18.80%/year over the past decade. Currently, the stock trades at 14 times earnings and yields 1.90%. Check my analysis of IBM.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) posted its highest-ever share of the global server market — 18.8% — as competitors International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) both lost share. That s the good news for Dell; the bad news is that the worldwide market is shrinking.

Mortgage Rates Rise Slightly, but Stay Near 3-Month Lows

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In 2014

Matt York/AP WASHINGTON -- Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose slightly this week, staying near three-month lows. Rates could fall next week now that lawmakers reached a deal to avert a possible government debt default and reopen the federal government. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan increased to 4.28 percent from 4.23 percent last week. The average on the 15-year fixed loan edged up to 3.33 percent from 3.31 percent. Mortgage rates began falling last month after the Federal Reserve held off slowing its $85-billion-a-month in bond purchases. The bond buys are intended to keep longer-term interest rates low, including mortgage rates. And rates stayed relatively low during the 16-day partial government shutdown. Rates are likely to fall even lower now that Congress reached a deal to reopen the government and allow the Treasury to borrow normally until early February. Mortgage rates tend to follow the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. The 10-year note fell to 2.61 percent Thursday, down from 2.74 percent Tuesday.