Unimpressed with U.S. deficit reduction plans, S&P delivers on its warning Unprecedented and unsettling. Standard & Poor’s issued a historic downgrade of U.S. debt on August 5, sensibly waiting until the market week had concluded to send a shock wave toward global investors. It reduced America’s...
WEEKLY QUOTE“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan WEEKLY TIP If you are presently retiring, moving or divorcing, try tracking all of your expenses for the next few weeks or months. Big life changes like these may mean big revisions to your...
If we slash trillions from the federal budget, what does that do to our GDP? The summer of discontent stretches on. As July ebbs into August, we have no resolution on the federal debt limit issue. The possibility of default is still in play. Republican leaders...
WEEKLY QUOTE“It takes a long time to grow young.” – Pablo Picasso WEEKLY TIP Try to pay for nights out with cash. Dinner and a movie might turn into a $150 night on the town; why pay 14% interest on the memory? WEEKLY RIDDLE There are 2 nouns in the English language that...
Seemingly insignificant charges in retirement plans can add up. So much fine print goes unread. Few people realize how significantly 401(k) account fees can impact their retirement savings efforts. AARP recently conducted a poll of 401(k) participants and the results were eye-opening: 71% incorrectly assumed that...
Is there a chance that America could actually default on its debt? When will the debt ceiling issue be solved? The NFL, the NBA, the EU, Congress … wherever you look, it seems people would rather wrangle these days than resolve their differences. The U.S. Treasury...
WEEKLY QUOTE“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”– Hugh Downs WEEKLY TIP If you’re going to start a home-based business, make sure your local zoning regulations permit it. The Small Business Administration’s website...
More companies are offering them. Will they fix our retirement savings blues? The trend could become the norm. Human resources firm Aon Hewitt surveyed 120 large U.S. companies in 2010 and found that 60% of them automatically enrolled workers in defined contribution retirement plans such as...
A lack of knowledge can lead to problems and disappointments for your heirs. Be vigilant, and be knowledgeable. Do you want to hand your heirs big tax problems? Would you like to hand the IRS a sizable chunk of your wealth? Probably not. But if you...
WEEKLY QUOTE“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” – C.S. Lewis WEEKLY TIP Before you buy a car, remember that it is a depreciating asset with insurance and repair costs attached. What might the total monthly cost of ownership be? Here’s...