How Much Would It Take To Feel Rich?
CNNMoney.com recently posed that question among a random sample of people and financial advisors. Most people based their answer on an overarching objective of having enough money so that they would not have to work. Individuals said that would require anywhere from a couple thousand dollars a month to a billion dollars. Advisors put the […]
Is an iPad a Luxury or Necessity?
An Internet connection. An annual vacation. The financial freedom to shop for birthdays and other special occasions. Are these essentials or luxuries? For many of today’s baby boomers, they are essentials. According to a survey conducted by MainStay Investments and reported by MarketWatch, 84 percent of boomers consider an Internet connection a necessity, 66 percent […]
A Financial Plan for Everyone
Do you think that having a professional financial advisor develop a financial plan for you would be cost prohibitive? The Wall Street Journal recently focused on a possible solution: online financial planning. The article mentioned two companies, Veritat Advisors and People’s Financial Advisor, that offer relatively inexpensive plans along with meetings with an advisor either […]
Two Steps to a Better Job Search
Are you out of work or looking for a better job? WalletPop recently offered some helpful advice that can be summed up in two words: concentrate and connect. Job search author/coach Gordon Curtis said many job hunters make the mistake of believing that sending out lots of resumes will improve their odds of success. A […]
Superstar Savers Share Their Secrets
Do you find it tough to save money? Money Magazine and CNN recently profiled some super savers, and they offer great lessons for all of us. Ed Haskell and Debbie Chasteen save a whopping 50 percent of their after-tax income. How do they do it? They have a clear, compelling goal of retiring before age […]
How to Decode a Job Posting
If you’re looking for work, Forbes.com offers some helpful advice about tailoring your résumé for each opening you pursue. Jerome Young, founder of AttractJobsNow.com, said there are three basic but essential ways to use information from job postings to your advantage. First, make sure that your summary statement and areas of expertise are in line […]
Lots of People in Danger of Running Out of Money
Nearly one-half of the oldest Baby Boomers (those ages 56-62) are at risk of not having enough income to pay for basic needs and uninsured healthcare costs during retirement. That’s the central finding of a new Employee Benefit Research Institute report. The solutions are obvious and have been repeated many times before. First, run a […]
Kids Ask The Darndest Things About Money
Have your kids ever asked you a real stumper of a question about money? Consider this one, culled from a great series of blog posts from Ron Lieber at The New York Times: “You tell me all the time that the reason we have nice things and can go to a nice school is that […]
Is Mint.com Safe?
The online budget space is going through something of a shakeout. It wasn’t long ago that new players seemed to emerge every month, most with strange-sounding names like Wesabe, Yodlee, Geezeo (which now seems to be focusing on working with financial institutions rather than individuals), moneyStrands, and Mint. However, Intuit’s purchase of Mint seemed to […]
The Recession That Won’t Go Away
According to news reports, the recession is over. However, new research by the Pew Research Center says that only 3 percent of Americans buy that. A little over half (55 percent) say we’re still in the thick of it; 41 percent say we’re beginning to come out of it. The survey highlighted several ways we’ve […]