A fierce storm blew through our town recently. Because a tornado had been spotted nearby, we took shelter in the basement. News reports said the storm was moving quickly, so I figured we’d be back upstairs soon enough. But then I heard a disturbing sound coming from our basement bathroom, the sound of water gurgling. […]
Archive | Budgeting/Planning
Getting Started With a Budget
Using a budget is one of the smartest money management moves you could make. For guidance on using a paper & pencil system, read the Budget Quick Start Guide and make use of the Cash Flow Plan, Cash Flow Tracker, and Recommended Spending Guidelines, all found in the Resources section. For help using the online tool Mint.com, watch my tutorials here, here, and here. And for help with the Envelope system, read this article.
Remember, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5
Trying to Catch Up in the Retirement Race
Over half of all employed American adults feel “a little” or “far” behind in their financial preparations for retirement, according to a new survey from TD Ameritrade. The most common explanation? Respondents said they simply have no money left to save after meeting their regular expenses or they started saving too late. Many parents also […]
Organizing Your Financial Life
Many years before my parents passed away they gave me an envelope containing copies of their wills, living wills, power of attorney documents for healthcare and finances, and a map of my father’s office indicating what papers where in what file cabinets. It was an uncomfortable meeting, and it was a great gift. Losing a […]
Double Checking Your Beneficiaries
When was the last time you checked your beneficiary designations? If it’s been a while, take a few minutes to review your life insurance policies and investment accounts like workplace retirement plans and brokerage accounts. That’s one of the 38 financial fixes highlighted by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. When I double-checked our life insurance policies […]
A Reverse Bailout
While Uncle Sam gets all the press for its various bailouts, every year millions of taxpayers give the U.S. governmenet something of a bailout in the form of income tax overpayments. Over 70 percent of taxpayers get refunds each year, and according to USA TODAY, this year’s refunds are averaging over $3,000. That’s up over […]
Retirement Realities Sinking In
American workers are becoming more realistic about their prospects for retirement. The latest annual Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that nearly 25 percent of all of today’s workers expect to retire at age 70 or older, the highest number expecting such a late retirement since the EBRI started its […]
A Mint.com Update
After putting several free online personal financial management (PFM) tools to the test last year, I became a regular user of Mint.com. I found that it provided the best package of features with the greatest ease of use. Recently I had a chance to talk with Mint founder Aaron Patzer to get an update on […]
Be Prepared
Think an earthquake can’t happen where you live? Check this list of states that are at risk of experiencing an earthquake. I was somewhat surprised to see that Illinois, where I live, is listed as “high risk.” Even if you live in an area not at risk for earthquakes, there are many other disasters you […]
Keeping Your Economic Engine Tuned
USNews.com recently shared 10 career resolutions for the New Year. All were worthwhile ideas, but three really stood out. First, look for something new to learn every day. The “every day” part might be a bit lofty, but I agree with the importance of continuing to learn. Most large employers offer some form of tuition […]
May It Be
I love the start of a new year. It’s a chance to begin again, to set fresh goals and make new plans for the months ahead. As we make plans for 2010, whether financial or other types, let’s make sure that our plans are God’s plans. We can do so only by listening for his […]