Money and You from Creators Syndicate

Where Do You Stash Your Cash Now? for 08/27/2008

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

By now, many people have learned the essential process for making long-term savings decisions: If you're investing for something years away — the classic case is retirement — you invest for growth, typically in the form of domestic and international stocks, with a portfolio that's highly diversified and low-cost. For long-term objectives, time is your ally, enabling you to ride out ...

Updated: Wed Aug 27, 2008

Can You Afford to Go Back to Work? for 09/03/2008

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Like so many new mothers, when my children were little I struggled with the decision to go back to work. It was an emotional, logistical and financial decision that was harder to make than I imagined.

That was quite a few years ago. Today — as the cost of everything from child care to gasoline keeps increasing — I can easily sympathize with anyone who's facing the decision to ...

Updated: Wed Sep 03, 2008

Time Is Money -- Even in Difficult Times for 09/10/2008

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Many readers are telling me it's becoming harder to save money. That's not surprising with the current price of gas and grocery bills seeming to increase each week. Under the circumstances, you might be tempted to think that the little money you have remaining, after handling everyday expenses, isn't really worth the effort of saving. But as I've said before, a small amount regularly saved can ...

Updated: Wed Sep 10, 2008

Getting Your Foot in the Door of Your Home: How to Get Your Down Payment for 09/17/2008

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

From an investment perspective, being a homeowner over the past couple of years has been no picnic. Yet many people still want to have their own home —and it's hard to argue with that impulse. They want to put down roots and become part of a community, even if housing prices haven't experienced the kind of ascent that characterized the first five years of the new century. Some people may ...

Updated: Wed Sep 17, 2008

Semi-Retirement: The Best of Both Worlds for 09/24/2008

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

What's your ideal retirement look like? While the image of retirement may vary from generation to generation, more people of every age are expressing a desire for a new kind of retirement — one in which they're active, engaged and continue to work. In a recent Schwab generational study, most surveyed Americans optimistically viewed retirement not as a time to wind down, but as an opportun ...

Updated: Wed Sep 24, 2008

Back to "School" Part I: A Review of Some Investing Fundamentals for 10/01/2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For me, September always evokes the pleasures (and some pains) of going back to school. I thought I'd start this academic year by doing a little educating of my own: investing fundamentals.

Part I will cover the basics of why we invest and what we invest in. Part II will discuss the "how": the basics of portfolio management, including asset allocation and diversification, along ...

Updated: Wed Oct 01, 2008

Back to "School" Part II: A Review of Some Investing Fundamentals for 10/08/2008

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Last week, I wrote about the "why" and "what" of investing: To create wealth over the long term by using bond and equity exposure to get there. But that still leaves the big question: How do I invest? This is tougher, especially now when the markets are in turmoil.

It's these chaotic times when the basics are more important than ever. Here's a quick review, whether yo ...

Updated: Wed Oct 08, 2008

Paying for College Later in Life for 10/15/2008

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Do you ever think about going back to college? If so, you're not alone. Faced with today's economic challenges and the need for new and different job skills, many adults are considering some type of continuing education.

In community colleges, universities and graduate schools across the country, the age diversity on campuses is growing. A 2006 report from the American Association of Sta ...

Updated: Wed Oct 15, 2008

Making Sure You're Covered: What You Need with Insurance for 10/22/2008

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A young colleague recently mentioned that she had to pay her life insurance premium. She's single, in her 30s with no kids, so I couldn't help but ask her why she needed life insurance. The answer was simply, "well, I've always had it."

This got me thinking about all the potentially confusing choices people make every day regarding the types of insurance they purchase as well a ...

Updated: Wed Oct 22, 2008

Closing the Racial Gap when it comes to Retirement Investing for 10/29/2008

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For the past 11 years, Ariel Investments, LLC, and Charles Schwab have teamed up to conduct the annual Black Investor Survey. The goal of this survey is twofold: To show the differences in how black and white Americans approach investing, and to raise awareness in the African-American community regarding the importance of investing.

While this year's study revealed some interesting diffe ...

Updated: Wed Oct 29, 2008

Second National Financial Literacy Challenge Brings Economy Home to Teens for 11/05/2008

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

If there's an upside to the economic rollercoaster we've been on lately, it's that it makes what could sometimes seem like a dry, academic subject very, very real. And when it comes to teaching teens about money management, there's nothing like a little reality to get their interest.

Whether you're watching the national news together or discussing your own financial situation at the dinn ...

Updated: Wed Nov 05, 2008

How Do You Make Sense of the Current Market? for 11/12/2008

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

If the current financial news has your head spinning, you're not alone. Every day seems to bring new statistics, for better or worse. One pundit says get out of the market, another says stay the course. For some people, all the ups and downs are simply paralyzing.

While we're all looking for the silver lining, there's no one word of advice that will work for everyone. Where you are in li ...

Updated: Wed Nov 12, 2008

Back to Basics: How To Save Intelligently for 11/19/2008

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

When we teach our children "Save your money," we're trying to engrain a habit that we know will serve them well when they're adults. A couple of hundred years ago, a propensity to save was considered a testament to one's moral fiber, but today, a propensity to save is a necessity. Saving gives you resources to deal with crises (from an illness or lost job to a downturn in the stock ma ...

Updated: Wed Nov 19, 2008

Finding Riches in Your Own Backyard for 11/26/2008

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Like many of you, I've been disturbed by the economic news swirling around us. It's made me think about the difficult times that my grandparents and my parents went through, and I've found myself saying, "Well, OK. I guess it's our turn." But if what we're going through now is in any way analogous to what the previous generations had to live through, I think there are some important l ...

Updated: Wed Nov 26, 2008

What Kind of Legacy Will You Leave? for 12/02/2008

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

If I had a personal finance mantra, it would be something like "Plan for the future." I'm constantly urging people to save for the proverbial rainy day, to invest for long-term goals like college for their children and retirement for themselves.

But today I want to talk to you about an understandably much less popular (but equally important) topic — estate planning. Certa ...

Updated: Tue Dec 02, 2008

Taking the Pulse on American Health Care for 12/10/2008

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Our country's appetite for change, as evidenced by the recent election, seems to extend to our health care system. After years of rising costs and less accessibility to quality health care for millions of Americans, we finally seem ready to accept reform.

According to the 11th annual Health Confidence Survey conducted by the nonprofit Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI), virtuall ...

Updated: Wed Dec 10, 2008

Seven Tips for Managing Your Money in Challenging Times for 12/17/2008

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

To say that the current economic times are challenging might seem like an understatement. With daily market swings and global financial uncertainty, people everywhere are concerned about protecting and preserving their money. While this uncertainty can make all of us feel a little lost as to what to do next, it's more important than ever to be proactive about your personal finances and manage y ...

Updated: Wed Dec 17, 2008

Ways to Stretch Your Charitable Dollars for 12/24/2008

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

It's the traditional season of giving, but with today's slowing economy and declining stock market, like many people you may be feeling a pinch. And understandably, you may be reconsidering the amount of money you can give to causes you've supported in the past.

The unfortunate reality is that just when many of us are by necessity reducing our donations, the need for charitable giving is ...

Updated: Wed Dec 24, 2008

Looking Ahead to 2009: How to Get the Most Out of Spending Less for 12/31/2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Volatile financial markets. Housing prices on the decline. Unemployment rising. An uncertain — at best! — outlook for the economy. It's no wonder many Americans are feeling less well off and less optimistic about their financial futures. But despite all the bad news, I always think of the new year as a time for positive change. As individuals, we certainly can't move markets or pred ...

Updated: Wed Dec 31, 2008

Yours, Mine and Ours: Investing Together -- or Not for 01/07/2009

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The new year has always been a good time to take a look at past spending patterns and resolve to do better in the future. But what if you're in a relationship? Can you make these decisions alone? Of course you can, but chances are you won't be as effective — and the results won't be as rewarding — unless you sit down with your husband, wife or partner and approach your financial New ...

Updated: Wed Jan 07, 2009