Two-thirds of us have no financial plan for retirement. 64% of Americans have no retirement financial strategy at all. That’s right – no plan whatsoever to build wealth or keep it . That finding comes from the 2009 National Consumer Survey on Personal Finance conducted by...
While the idea of retirement has changed, certain financial assumptions haven’t. We’ve all heard about the “new retirement”, the mix of work and play that many of us assume we will have in our lives one day. We do not expect “retirement” to be all leisure....
Is it all negative, or are there opportunities to consider because of the crisis? Many economists think a Greek default is inevitable. As we enter 4Q 2011, Greece has a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 160% (and that percentage is rising). While Greece accounts for less than...
Key indicators point to an economy (slowly) on the mend. This year assorted economists and journalists have contended that the U.S. is on the edge of a new recession. Yet recent indicators hint that the economy is doing a bit better than some analysts think. U.S. retail...
WEEKLY QUOTE“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.”– Buckminster Fuller WEEKLY TIP Self-employed? Have your accountant look at your balance sheet and profit-and-loss statement before 2011 ends. Some tax-saving strategies may come to mind, and an up-to-date set of books means...
Is it all negative, or are there opportunities to consider because of the crisis? Many economists think a Greek default is inevitable. As we enter 4Q 2011, Greece has a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 160% (and that percentage is rising). While Greece accounts for less than...
WEEKLY QUOTE“We should have a great fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas only, and not for things themselves.” – John Locke WEEKLY TIP Have an elderly parent who is on too many mailing lists - and spending or...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Friendship either finds or makes equals.” – Publilius Syrus WEEKLY TIP If you are divorcing and will have joint custody of your children, clarify who will claim them as dependents on a federal return. If you both claim the same dependents, it might be a red flag for the...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Heroes are not known by the loftiness of their carriage; the greatest braggarts are generally the merest cowards.”– Jean-Jacques Rousseau WEEKLY TIP Think of making a three-pronged attack on future college expenses. Assets from a 529 plan or other form of college savings fund can be complemented by...
Rounding up the rankings of places to be (and not to be) financially. Do you live in one of the worst tax states for retirees? Are you fortunate enough to live in one of the best states to do business? Here is a roundup of the...