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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...
Is Your Mutual Fund Naughty or Nice?
As kids around the globe feverishly try to behave to ensure that they make the nice list for Santa Claus, us adults feel like we don’t have to worry and can play it cool. Not so fast. Your investment might be on the naughty list. Save yourself from a lump of coal:...
Women & Retirement: Don’t Wait, Start Saving Today
Poor and alone isn’t the retirement any of us dream about. And the following statistics conjure up some very scary images:(Sources: Dee Lee’s Everywoman’s Money: Financial Freedom; Social Security Administration.)More than 50% of all marriages fail.After a divorce,...
You’re in Balance! But Are Your Investments?
Twist and turns… Up and down… The investment markets are going through another wild year—fortunately, this time, the volatility is generally in a positive direction. But the dramatic swing in stock returns after three bear years, along with dramatic swings in some...
Grief: How to Help Yourself & Others Without Losing Your Mind
by Carly Newhouse, LMSWGrieving is a painful, confusing, scary, and overwhelming time for just about everyone. Whether you are grieving the loss of a parent, spouse, sibling, child, friend, mentor, or a more distant figure, the process of coping with loss is windy and...
The Best Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
The best way to keep an eye out for identity theft is to read your statements from credit card companies, banks and credit unions, and to routinely check your credit reports for suspicious activity.Credit reports. You know that you need to check your credit...
Insuring a New Marriage
Reevaluating their insurance coverage isn’t uppermost on the minds of most newlyweds, and it won’t ensure a long and happy marriage. But the right insurance can go a long way toward shielding you against the kinds of financial calamities that can strain and sometimes...
Be Savvy With Your Tax Refund
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA One of the only positive aspects to tax season is your refund. A new pair of shoes, dress or a vacation are all tempting choices for us to spend our tax return money. While a small splurge is a must, these extra dollars also give you a...
Tax Preparation & Filing Made Simple
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFATax season is here! Time to panic over lost receipts, missing information on cost bases for stocks, and 1099s that won’t ever show up; or, time to spend an afternoon with your CPA; or, click a few buttons on your computer keyboard? It all...
