Market Performance: February 03, 2024.

The S&P 500 notched a fresh record high on Friday as quarterly results from technology companies including Facebook-parent Meta topped expectations and the January jobs report came in much better than expected.

The broad market index added 1.1% to close at 4,958.61, above its previous record close of 4,927.93 reached on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 134.58 points, or 0.4%, to 38,654.42, also a record close. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.7% to 15,628.95.

Shares of Meta popped more than 20% after the social-media giant’s quarterly results topped analysts’ expectations. The Facebook-parent also announced it will pay a quarterly dividend for the first time, and it authorized a $50 billion share buyback program. Amazon shares jumped 7.9% on a fourth-quarter earnings beat.

Venture Capitalists Definition: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

What Is a Venture Capitalist?

A venture capitalist (VC) is a private equity investor that provides capital to companies with high growth potential in exchange for an equity stake. A VC investment could involve funding startup ventures or supporting small companies that wish to expand but have no access to the equities markets.

Understanding Venture Capitalists

Venture capitalist firms are usually formed as limited partnerships (LPs) where the partners invest in the VC fund. A committee is usually tasked with making investment decisions. Once those promising emerging growth companies are identified, the pooled investor capital is deployed to fund these companies in exchange for a sizable equity stake.

Venture Capital Structure 

Wealthy individuals, insurance companies, pension funds, foundations, and corporate pension funds may pool money in a fund to be controlled by a VC firm. The venture capital firm is the general partner (GP), while the other companies/individuals are limited partners (LP). All partners have part ownership of the fund.

A venture capitalist (VC) is an investor who provides young companies with capital in exchange for equity. Startups often turn to VCs for funding to scale and commercialize their products. Due to the uncertainties of investing in unproven companies, venture capitalists tend to experience high rates of failure.

Retirement Income Funds to Keep Cash Flowing In Your Golden Years

Ah, retirement. No more snarled commutes, demanding bosses or tight deadlines. But after saving for decades, you now have to figure out how to turn your nest egg into a cash spigot.

Re-engineering your portfolio from accumulation mode to decumulation mode can be daunting. You'll have to get a handle on how much you need for essential expenses, and you'll need a strategy to cover them for the rest of your life.

A variety of products and services – some new, others new-ish – are designed to help people spend and invest their savings wisely in retirement. Some are available only in certain workplace retirement savings plans, so access depends on whether it's offered in your plan. Other funds or services are available to all individual investors. We'll walk you through some of the options. All data and returns are through November 30, unless otherwise noted.

Look for retirement income strategies in your 401(k)

The first place to look for help is your workplace retirement plan. The SECURE Act, a broad package of changes to rules governing retirement and retirement savings plans, eased the way for corporate retirement plans to include annuities, which are insurance products that pay fixed annual sums, typically for life.

Retirement income funds for everyone

If your 401(k) plan doesn't offer retirement income funds like the ones we just mentioned, or a defined-contribution plan isn't available to you, you have a handful of mutual funds and financial services to consider. Unfortunately, none feature the guaranteed income of an annuity.

In response, some 401(k) plans are beginning to offer target-date strategies with an annuity component that offers a paycheck-like experience in retirement.

Alternative Investing