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My Self-Employment Success Story: How I Quit Corporate To Work for Myself
By: Jill Beirne Davi Since paying off $30,000 six years ago, I still use credit sparingly, and I didn’t take out any loans to fund the start-up of my business. Instead, I created a separate savings account called “Investments” to...
Want To Crisis-Proof Your Managers? Start With Your Relationship
By: Raleigh Mayer"I was wrong.""Thank you.""I need your help."How often do you hear (or say) those words at work?As a manager, you are expected to have full command of technical abilities, operational expertise and strategic goal-setting. But are you equally...
The Importance of Leaning In with Clients
By: Marguerita M. Cheng As the daughter of a Chinese father and American-born mother, I have been exposed to many different stereotypes in the US, Europe, and Asia. I also grew up taking in mixed messages about what it means to be a successful, professional woman....
The ‘stretch’ option for maximizing IRAs
By: Elliot RaphaelsonBecause most employers have eliminated defined-benefit retirement plans, future retirees will depend more than ever on 401(k) plans, traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.To plan for a successful retirement, you must understand the fundamentals and...
Downsizing in Retirement
By: Allison PearsonDo you and your partner share the same goals & expectations for the future throughout your changing life phases?My son recently headed off to college. It was an important life transition, not just for my son, but for me and my husband as well....
Walking the Tightrope of Change: When Virtue Becomes Vice
By: Laura BergerI was ‘Structured Laura’ before Glen and I moved to Costa Rica in 2006. I thrived in the corporate environment. So, when we embarked to Central America, I thought to myself, “If I can make it in fast-paced downtown Chicago, paradise will be a...
Secrets of Success: How I Learned to Make What I Was Really Worth
By: Jill Beirne DaviWhen I launched a side business about five years ago coaching people about their finances, I enjoyed it so much that I barely charged -- if I charged at all -- for my services. Many of the people I was helping were in the hole -- and...
Three Ways to Fix Your Feedback
By: Raleigh MayerSome Like It Hot. No, not the summer--the Billy Wilder classic film comedy.In the final scene, Joe E. Brown's character said it best: "Nobody's perfect". So if you have recently received a performance review or employee engagement survey results,...
Teach Your Children Well: Financial Literacy is the Key to Economic Success
By: Marguerita M. Cheng Parents would not dream of raising illiterate children—why does it seem that to most parents, financial literacy is less important? Not to me. As a Certified Financial Planner professional and mother of three, I believe that teaching children...
Your indispensable guide to Social Security
By: Elliot RaphaelsonThere is no question that Social Security issues are important to the American public. It is not unusual for me to receive more than 100 responses from readers when I write a Social Security-related column.Regular readers know that I frequently...
Using Social Media to Advance Your Career – and Your Company
By: Raleigh MayerThe numbers speak for themselves.LinkedIn is host to 107 million U.S. users and 332 million worldwide.Twitter boasts 232 million active users, and Facebook enjoys a whopping 1.35 billion postings."Positioning and promoting oneself in cyberspace...
Empowering Women: Four Ways to Improve Your Financial Well-Being
By: Marguerita M. ChengAs a financial planner, I look back at the generations of women who throughout American history have drawn on their intelligence, imagination, and sense of wonder to make extraordinary contributions, and I am awed.I’m also not surprised at how...
New versus used vehicles: How do you choose?
by Jennifer McDermottPurchasing a vehicle is a very exciting financial milestone in anyone’s life. It’s a symbol of independence and lifestyle. The tricky question to ask yourself is: should you buy new or used? Both have their pros and cons when it comes to cost,...
Six Financial To-Do’s (and Don’ts) of Wedding Planning
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA From choosing decorations and centerpieces, to deciding on the dream tailor-made dresses for you and your bridesmaids, weddings are one of the biggest and most memorable milestones in our lives. While wedding planning can be exciting, we...
How to Not Go Broke Supporting Adult Children
by David RaglandYou’ve worked hard, you’ve saved, you’ve downsized, and the nest is finally empty. Life is good. But then one of your kids loses his job. Or she starts falling further into debt. Or decides to send your grandchild to a private school he can’t...
Instead of Spending, Teenagers Can Turn to Saving
by Samantha Cueto When Should Teens Start a Savings Account? As soon as a teenager begins to spend the money that they earn, they should start considering opening a savings account. According to an ING Direct study, a surprisingly large percentage of teenagers...
Is it a Good Idea to Close Credit Cards I don’t Use?
by Rebecca Eve Selkowe, J.D3 myths about your credit score:I never really talked much about credit scores before, but that is starting to change now as I’m realizing how much unnecessary worry, concern, and confusion swirls around them.So first things first. Your...
Should I be zeroing out my credit card every month?
by Rebecca Eve Selkowe, J.D The best way to use your credit card is to pay the balance in full every month – that way, you don’t have credit card debt and you don’t pay interest. However, if you are using your credit card all the time, the balance will never be $0....
Get the Most From Your Tax Refund
One of the only positive aspects of tax season is your refund. We all look forward to a little extra cash. It’s tempting to take that money and splurge – you worked hard for that money, right? But before you head to the mall, or your favorite e-tailer, here are some...
Change Your Money Story & You Change Your Life
Is your financial story improving? What is your money story? Have you ever felt stuck? Like no matter what choice you make next, you’ll only end up right back where you started? Maybe you can’t figure out why, no matter how hard you work at improving your financial...
How To Create Greater Financial Intimacy in Your Relationship
by Dr. Kristin Davin “Not all relationships require financial intimacy to function, but financial intimacy does require a deep connectedness to exist.” — Timmons Money is a complicated topic. It’s also a main contributor to divorce. So, the early and...
