As the holidays approach and the budget is thin or you just need to be creative, why not start now to find creative ideas for gifts? These suggestions can keep on giving and demonstrate affection by being very personal. Here’s a collection of my favorites:...
After the stock market meltdown of 2007 and 2008, many Americans grew wary of investing and moved more of their savings into money market deposit accounts. These have less volatility than stocks and a higher return rate than traditional savings accounts. In fact, the total amount...
The world is changing quickly, and it’s time for financial planning advice to catch up. It’s no longer commonplace to work at one company for your entire career and walk away with a nice pension to help you live a comfortable life in retirement. New technology...
Most of us pay our bills around the beginning of the month, and about this time the stack can get pretty high — as does the hit to your bank account. If you’re like me, you often think, “What can I do this month to...
A dream without a plan is just a wish. To make sure you can achieve the big dreams and desires you have in life, it’s important to turn them into attainable financial goals. Then you must prioritize your goals and consistently track your progress toward...
Investors frequently make mistakes simply because they are human. Very natural and understandable feelings, like fear and desire for wealth, can cause us to behave in ways that actually harm our financial goals. Good investors, however, are able to resist the influence of emotion on...
Many people worry that Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare won’t be available to them in the future. Recent reports from the Social Security and Medicare trustees indicate that if Congress doesn’t act to better fund these programs, they will face shortfalls in the coming...
Living in the 21st century, we are weighed down with activities, tasks, endless to do lists, technology. We are ON 24/7. It’s hard to disconnect. But we must, in order to keep our sanity....
Social Security retirement benefits are administered under a complicated set of rules that most participants don’t completely understand. Adding divorce into the equation can result in even more confusion....
When to begin receiving Social Security benefits is one of the most frequently asked questions among those nearing retirement. The answer is complicated because there are so many factors involved, some of which are not easy to quantify or predict. For instance, you’d have to...