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Good financial advice on a budget

08.02.10

After a tough 2009, you may be looking for some help in getting 2010 off to the right start financially. Unfortunately, finding objective, affordable, individualized advice from a live person can be a challenge.

One of the few safe market havens this year has been an old standby -- good old municipal bonds. But their solid performance might just be the result of overzealous retail investors. Here's how to get restaurant quality at a budget price. Question: My 21-year-old daughter makes $80,000 a year working at a large firm. She has very low expenses, so I'd like to see her sock away a huge amount of money. I told her that if you get used to spending a lot each month on "fun" stuff, it will be much harder to save down the road. I'd also like to see her bypass the high-end investment firms in favor of less expensive alternatives. What do you suggest? --Tom F., Chatham, Illinois



Like many households, Wener and Tieun Vieux have suffered a few financial jolts of late. The dollar has fallen for much of this decade, and lately the decline is picking up speed. Already down more than 15% against the euro since March, the buck is expected to sink another 10% by the first quarter. Usually, when a once-strong asset falls this far out of favor, the correct long-term strategy is clear: Be a contrarian and buy. Question: Is there a listing that would allow me to see how my 401(k) plan compares with other companies' 401(k)s? --Debbie W., Mount Laurel, New Jersey

Question: I'm 36 and have saved only about $20,000 for retirement. How much per year should I try to save for the next 30 years to assure I'll have a reasonable retirement? --Beth, Grove City, Ohio

Our collection of five funds and five ETFs provides broad diversification and leaves the hard work to some of the savviest managers in the business. Get out your calendars, folks. It's time to celebrate -- or perhaps mourn -- the 10th anniversary of one of the epic financial events of our time: the peak of the great stock market bubble, in March 2000. That's the month the Nasdaq, Standard & Poor's 500, and Wilshire 5000 all reached new highs, then headed south, big-time. (The Dow industrials peaked that January, but who cares? It's just a crummy 30 stocks.)

Happy new year and welcome to your new job. One that pays 30%, 50%, 70% less than your old one. Max. It. Out. Of all the personal finance rules -- diversify your portfolio, pay down high-interest debt first -- perhaps no single piece of advice has been so widely touted as this: The key to financial security is putting as much money as you can into your 401(k). After all, what other retirement savings vehicle is portable, benefits from an employer match, provides a tax deduction, and allows the average clock puncher over the course of a career to rack up a seven-figure nest egg?



Americans are loaded up with credit card debt. What's worse is that some husbands, wives and even children hide those money woes from their families. The results are often devastating. This year you can score a rare recession-induced break on your energy bill: The combination of a weak economy and a production boom has dropped the cost of heating with natural gas to a six-year low and is keeping a lid on other heat sources as well. But you can still save more. These questions will help you figure out the most cost-effective ways to keep out the cold. Nearly half of U.S. workers who left their job last year cashed out their 401(k) accounts, according to a study released Wednesday, despite ongoing efforts to dissuade Americans from doing so.

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