401k retirement plans are employer sponsored investment accounts that allow workers to save money for retirement. How do they work? In short, they allow workers to designate a portion of each paycheck to be deposited into an investment account tax free. Since you don’t have to pay income taxes on the money you invest until… Read More
Side Effects of Credit Cards (as reported by Richard Barrington on fivecentnickel.com)
Credit cards can be very useful tools if you use them the right way. But they also come with their dangers. Richard Barrington, writing for FiveCentNickel.com, lists the possible side effects of credit cards. They start with the added costs when you don’t pay off your debt on time. If you allow interest to accrue… Read More
529 Accounts Grow (as reported by Anne Flaherty on news.yahoo.com)
Saving for college is difficult. That’s why most parents have the option of opening a 529 College Savings Account, which allows you to contribute and use money for college education free of taxes. And a recent report by the College Savings Plans Network shows us that the average size of these accounts has doubled since… Read More
Retirement Shortfalls (as reported by Kimberly Palmer on finance.yahoo.com)
Three in four Americans in the lowest income bracket could run out of retirement savings within the first ten years. Many others will run through their savings long before they die. Saving for a retirement is one of life’s biggest financial goals, so why do so many of us fall short? One reason might be… Read More
Learning to Negotiate (as reported by wethesavers.com)
Learning the art of negotiation should be a priority for anyone who wants a more financially secure life. And while negotiating on price or pay may make you uncomfortable, it is those people who teach themselves to do it more that end up getting the better of things, financially speaking. Whether you are negotiating your… Read More
Renting or Buying, Which is the Better Value? (As reported by Neil Erwin at the New York Times)
Becoming a homeowner and making that first step onto the property ladder has long been a central part of the American dream. A recent article in the New York Times suggests that, for those living in the county’s most expensive metropolitan areas, renting might make more sense in the current economy. There are a number… Read More
Saving for College (as reported by Joel Saul-Sehy on personalcapital.com)
The price tag on a college education continues to rise. This is nothing new, and families planning to send their children to college need to start saving as early as possible. When starting to sock money away, you will have a number of options that will work better in the long run than your average… Read More
The Last Five Years (as reported by Kelly Campbell on news.finance.com)
Planning for retirement is a lifelong process, and in the years leading up to your retirement you can’t afford to take your eye off the prize. The last five years of your life before you retire can be the most important, as you prepare for the big day and the many years that will come… Read More
Simple Saving Techniques (as reported by Alexa Mason on moneyning.com)
Earn more than you spend. It’s personal finance rule number 1. But just because you know you should be saving money doesn’t make it any easier. There are some simple savings techniques that you can employ in order to make saving a reality. And in her article on Moneyning.com, Alexa Mason briefly outlines four of… Read More
Stay Healthy Without Breaking the Bank (as reported by April Dykman on getrichslowly.org)
Eating healthy can be an expensive habit. But if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to make sacrifices to your health. There are simple changes that you can make that help you stay healthy without breaking the bank. One thing you should do is reconsider all the fresh fruits and vegetables. If you end… Read More