Category: Saving & Investing

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Retirement, Saving & Investing

Retirement Realities That Will Shock Your System

When you are in your 50’s and are thinking about your retirement and all the pleasant thoughts of having your time be all your own, you may be in for the shock of your life! I tell you this so that you react now and don’t wait a minute longer to prepare yourself for the retirement realities that may be just around the corner.

Retirement Realities That Will Shock Your System

Even if you are 40, or even 30 something, and you think retirement is a goal that is close at hand for you, you should know more about what waits in retirement that perhaps you think can’t or won’t happen to you. For most of us, 50 is a toll booth that stands between you and the path to a financially happy retirement in the sense that it’s a mile marker and it’s up to you to make sure you have your “easy pass” ready to meet the toll collector. It’s not too late to reach into your pocket for the exact change and make sure that you don’t have to get off the road and travel the long way towards your peace and contentment.Continue reading“Retirement Realities That Will Shock Your System”

Budgeting, Credit, Family & Relationships, Income and Career, Retirement, Saving & Investing

Financial Literacy: A Review of “High School Money Hacks”

Every April since 2003, the United States has recognized and celebrated National Financial Literacy Month. It was called for by a joint resolution in congress and is one path to educating the citizens of our country about the importance and real necessity of developing a working knowledge in mastering the language, principles, and actions of finance.

Financial Literacy: A Review of "High School Money Hacks"

But nowhere is it more important to begin that education than with our youth. High school financial literacy is more important than ever before. There are many levels of education and responsibilities that kids come in contact with that can be the inspiration and key to their developing a full understanding of the principles of financial education. I recently read a book that I think can really help both student and parent in that quest.Continue reading“Financial Literacy: A Review of “High School Money Hacks””

Retirement, Saving & Investing

How Much Does 1% Cost You?

Last week, I wrote about How to Avoid Those Annoying Fees. But some fees can be even worse than that, robbing you of huge savings for retirement, as Michael from Stretch A Dime explains in today’s guest post.

The first thing I would suggest for you to do is login to your retirement savings account (IRA, 401k, or any other type) and check the expense ratio of the funds you have your money invested in.

If you don’t pay careful attention, 1% can cost you very dearly on your retirement savings count. Let me show you…

How Much Does 1% Cost You?Continue reading“How Much Does 1% Cost You?”

Entertainment, Health, Home, Saving & Investing, Shopping

How to Cash in an Extra $5,000 in Savings This Year

Please welcome back fellow blogger Anum Yoon for today’s guest post.

We all want to save money. Unfortunately we live in a society that constantly encourages us to spend. Whether it’s the need to keep up with the Joneses or just maintain the lifestyle we’ve become used to, we all find it hard to give up the things we love.

How to Cash In an Extra $5,000 in Savings This Year

If you’re willing to make some minor concessions, you might just find ways to put back a bit of extra cash without compromising your lifestyle. Here are a few ideas to get you started.Continue reading“How to Cash in an Extra $5,000 in Savings This Year”

Budgeting, Debt, Insurance, Personal Finance, Saving & Investing

Making A Success of Your 2016 Financial Resolutions

Today is New Year’s Day and I’d like to wish everyone happiness, health, and prosperity for 2016. And how do we get to happiness, health, and prosperity?

Resolutions: every new year we make a list of them and then by February they just seem to disappear in the cold north wind. I know you know what I’m talking about. You’ve pledged to lose some weight or to give up your nasty smoking habit, but it’s so much easier to say it than to do it.  You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?

Well, when it comes to your financial resolutions, it’s much the same. Making resolutions that can make real changes in your life is something that most of us think, talk about and plan every year. But what becomes of that plan?

Making A Success Of Your 2016 Financial Resolutions

About a year ago, I wrote about how to make a better plan, by setting measurable goals, dealing with setbacks, engaging others, and more. This year I’d like to talk about what some of those financial goals might include.Continue reading“Making A Success of Your 2016 Financial Resolutions”

Personal Finance, Saving & Investing

How Can a CD Ladder Strategy Help You Reach Your Goals?

It was just a few years ago that my 12-year-old nephew asked his grandmother for a CD on his birthday. She was so proud that the young man was interested in looking for ways to build his finances that she wanted to open a new CD for him right away. I had to laugh just a little when I explained to her that he wasn’t asking about an interest-bearing certificate of deposit from the bank, but rather a new compact disc just released by his favorite rock band! There’s a lesson here somewhere, but that’s for another post on another day.

How Can A CD Ladder Strategy Help You Reach Your Goals?

Today we are talking about CD’s (certificates of deposit), the kind that can help you round out your financial portfolio and help you reach your financial goals. The strategy is called laddering, and it helps you make some decisions about the terms and interest rates. Longer terms mean higher interest rates for CD’s (in general) and shorter terms mean faster access to your money. A CD ladder strategy helps you balance higher rates with more frequent access to your funds.Continue reading“How Can a CD Ladder Strategy Help You Reach Your Goals?”

Income and Career, Personal Finance, Retirement, Saving & Investing

How History Can Lead You to Financial Independence

Fifty years ago, in 1965, I was just 16 years old. Ah yes, the 1960’s! It’s remembered for quite a few things, isn’t it? Baby boomers were just first coming of age back then, but of course there were also things like the Beatles and the British musical invasion, Motown, man landing on the moon, the assassination of JFK, the Vietnam War and of course, who will ever forget Woodstock!

How History Can Lead You To Financial Independence

They say “if you can remember the 60’s then you weren’t really there”, but I am here to tell you I was there and it was a wonderful yet tumultuous time in America. I thought, for this post, we should look back at that time and use it as information that can help us plan for the future. Sort of where we were, where we are, where we’re going, put in the context of financial independence. It’s not really that complicated. We can adjust for inflation and compare it all so that we can see how things have changed. Or have they really?Continue reading“How History Can Lead You to Financial Independence”

Personal Finance, Saving & Investing

How Turmoil in the US Stock Market Affects Everyday Life

Over the past several weeks, the US stock market has been bouncing up and down like it hasn’t done since the recession back in 2008. The daily swings and huge one-day drops and gains in the major markets have caused a lot of speculation and even panic as the bull market that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average rise to a record 18000.00+ has transitioned to a bear market falling to as low as 14750.00 during that time period (minus about 20%).

How Turmoil in the US Stock Market Affects Everyday Life

The causes of this volatility are being called by some experts “a market correction”, which periodically occurs after large gains are made and profits are taken by investors. The US market has also been heavily influenced by other world markets, most recently the decline in China and Japan. Our market had been gaining now for years since 2008 and had reached all-time highs just very recently. But the beginning of “bear market conditions” can be a longer term activity than a correction indicates and if that’s what is happening, it can affect you whether or not you are an investor.Continue reading“How Turmoil in the US Stock Market Affects Everyday Life”