Ah, retirement. Could there be a bigger financial goal out there than this? We all talk about it, think about it, read about it, and plan for it. But how many of us do what it takes to get ourselves into a position to retire how we want when we want? How many of us […]
Archives for 2010
How To Pick A Credit Counselor
It seems the big talk around town these days is how to save more and get out of debt. Personally, I love that people are paying closer attention to their finances. People who do so and work to manage money better are in a better position to give to greater purposes. And that’s an important […]
Online Retirement Calculators: More Harm Than Help?
People often ask me to point them to a decent online retirement planning calculator. I never do. You see, I don’t trust such calculators. It’s not that their math is wrong. (At least, not usually.) The problem is that their calculations are often based on shoddy assumptions and unknowable variables. You Know What They Say […]
3 Things You Can Do To Simplify Your Life In 24 Hours
One of our most serious enemies is Complexity. It saps your time by overwhelming you to the point of atrophy, and can lead us to believe there is nothing we can do about our chaotic lives. Whether you are struggling with your finances or simply needing to breathe easier, here are three things you can do […]
Roth IRA Withdrawal Rules
The Roth IRA is a wonderful investment option that many people take advantage of every year mainly because of it’s tax free growth and because it allows you to diversify your tax situation at retirement if you also invest in some pre-tax investment types like a 401k or IRA. While the ideal situation is to […]
Will The 2001 Bush Tax Cuts Be Extended, Made Permanent Or Allowed To Expire?
A month or so back we talked briefly about how the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts are expiring at the end of this year. Since then there has been a lot of additional talk about whether or not the Obama administration will be renewing the tax cuts before the end of the year. The […]
$8,000 and $6,500 Homebuyer Tax Credits Extended Again Through September 2010 Via H.R.5623
Last month I wrote about how many people were in danger of being left out in the cold with their first time homebuyer or current owner homebuyer tax credits. Because of the large number of homes being purchased, and the slow pace that many banks were taking on homes being bought that were short sales […]
Important Inheritance Tips For Your 401(k)
Most people are busy learning about a 401(k), taking steps to set it up and choose the right investments. But how often do you think about what will happen to your retirement savings if something were to happen to you? To be honest, such thinking has been off my radar screen, but after getting a […]
How To Save Money On Health Care (When Having A Baby Or Having Other Medical Procedures)
One of the most expensive line items in a lot of people’s budgets is the health care category. Whether you’ve got a lot of health issues and just end up paying a lot of money, or if you have high ticket health care insurance, the costs can be quite high. Because the costs are already […]
There Are Times When Your Finances Take A Back Seat. Be Prepared With A Contingency Plan
Just over one week ago we had our first child, little Carter John. Ever since the day he was born, we have been focusing only on the baby – feeding him, changing his diapers, getting used to his schedule – and trying to stay sane. One thing we’ve learned in the past week is just […]
Should Married Couples Divide Their Money?
Some couples combine their money while others choose to keep their money separate. Perhaps both couples were earning and managing money individually before they got married, so why not continue doing it that way once you’re married? It’s the easy thing to do, right? Of course there is always the discussion about who will pay […]
3 Ways To Trick Yourself Into Saving Money
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a difficult time saving money. If the cash is there, it ends up getting spent! For those of us who need new ways of saving money, here are some great tips on saving more money than we thought possible. It’s All About Habits Before we get […]
3 Reasons Not To Save Into A Roth IRA For Retirement
Everyone should be saving into a Roth IRA for retirement! Have you heard those words before? I’ve seen them strewn about the web here ‘n there on various blogs or in comments on other personal finance sites. Is that true? – Should everyone be saving into a Roth IRA? Not exactly. Although Roth IRA’s have […]
Our Baby Boy Was Born Yesterday!
Our little baby boy Carter John Anderson was born yesterday evening at 8:33 pm, weighing in at 8 pounds even, 21 inches in length. It was a bit of a tough delivery, with the cord wrapped around his neck twice, and then getting his shoulder stuck on the way out, but in the end he […]
