How to save on a classic watch
08.03.10
With proper care, a good watch lasts virtually forever. But you don't need to spend a bundle to own one.
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. Getting old brings a host of changes. Achy knees. Way more time to play bridge. And, occasionally, the tendency to make unwise money decisions.
Question: I'm single, 38 years old and have about $900,000 saved up. I'm tired of the stress of the corporate world and am wondering: If I live a very simple life, can I afford to retire and not have to worry about going through all my money? --Don H., Marietta, Georgia
Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study from Remodeling magazine, the average return on value for an upgrade declined from 87% in 2005 to 64% in 2009. But these six new rules will help you maximize your return on your remodeling investment. If you think you're immune to market panic, consider this experiment.
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.
We're just getting the latest figures on unemployment. But it's not just about the number of people out of work, at issue is also how long people are out of work.
More people say they just don't have the money to retire these days. There comes a point in every good book where you're convinced you know how the plot goes. And then you turn the page and something unexpected happens that changes all your assumptions. Well, that's where we are now.
Question: I'm 34 and have yet to begin saving for retirement. I'm considering participating in my company's 401(k) plan, but I'm unsure whether to do so since my employer doesn't match my contribution. What do you advise? --Nikia, New York, New York
Technology trends can be easy to spot -- iPod earbuds become ubiquitous, people casually use the term "Google" as a verb -- but technology investing is hard. For every Apple and Google, there are plenty of tech companies that fail to turn their innovations into top-performing stocks.
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.
When Kimerby and Tony Simmons were married last month at a vineyard in the foothills outside Atlanta, they participated in the African-American tradition of jumping over a broom - an act symbolizing their entrance into a new phase of life together. If you knew coworkers, former bosses or exes who cheated on their taxes, would you turn them in? The Internal Revenue Service can make it worth your while.
Capture holiday memories with these snazzy shooters - and still have money left for the turkey.
The secret lives of America's debtors
08.03.10
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.
The price you pay for frothy assets
08.03.10
As the 10th anniversary of the bursting of the tech bubble is upon us, you've probably read a slew of stories about what an awful decade this has been for stocks.
Should I fire my financial adviser?
08.03.10
Question: Last year I put my money with an adviser for an annual fee of 1% of assets and told him my only criteria for evaluating him will be whether he beats the market. I have refrained from telling him where to invest, when to invest, etc. as I view that as his job. He "got into the rally late" last year and underperformed the broad indexes by 10% to 12%, although we did have a decent fourth quarter. This year he's off to a horrid start, however, and we are already 3% worse than the broad indices. I try not to be a knee-jerk investor and know that every adviser has his ups and downs, but I'm wondering....Is it time to pull the plug? --Mike, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Don't get angry at the markets
08.03.10
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.)
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Rat out a tax cheat, collect a reward
08.03.10
If you knew coworkers, former bosses or exes who cheated on their taxes, would you turn them in? The Internal Revenue Service can make it worth your while.
Spending a school fund
08.03.10
If your child skips college, is he entitled to the money you've saved for him? Money's ethicists weigh in.
Student loan provider offers online savings
08.03.10
Students can now pay their college loans and save with Sallie Mae.
The 60-plus set can't afford to retire
08.03.10
More people say they just don't have the money to retire these days.
Why diversification will work again
08.03.10
Diversification, the notion of spreading your investments among different baskets of assets that don't rise and fall in unison, has long been considered one of the safest and surest moves you can make with your portfolio. After all, if any one basket falls apart, most of your brood should remain intact.
The retired couple's guide to livin' the dream
08.03.10
Question: My husband and I have been happily married for 28 years. Careful spending and sound planning over time has provided us with a very comfortable financial future. Although we're compatible in many ways, our outlook differs when it comes to enjoying our money. I'm more of a saver and I hate to shop. I'm already retired, and when my husband retires in a year we'll begin drawing on our retirement savings. Can you suggest some tips on how we can communicate effectively about spending our money? How do we assure that we'll both have the independence to decide how we want to spend "our share" without judgment? --Margaret M.