Occasionally people ask if they should have their adult children sit in on their retirement planning appointments. While I am all for meeting the whole family, the answer to this question depends on your situation. For some, letting Junior know that there is wealth at the end of the parental life rainbow might leave them…
Times are stressful with rising prices, crazy stock markets, and general world instability. While you can’t control people starting a trade war, you can control how the fallout affects your bottom line. Here are some ideas on how to lower your household inflation rate – even as prices rise. Plan your Purchases and Research…
Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie and Clyde steal-and-murder infamy was asked why she robbed banks. She reportedly replied, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” And so it goes with scammers and retirees. Older people are a great target for scams because they have saved money and have assets to steal. Here are 3…
Taking a break from the heavy financial stuff to celebrate Dads! “Remember: What Dad really wants is a nap. Really.” —Dave Barry “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was…
Nope, that is not the name of a delicious new candy bar with chocolate, Rice Krispies, pretzels, salted caramel, and almonds. I wish, and if anybody decides to manufacture this terrific idea, please let me know where to buy them. Times are tough for tens of millions of student loan payers. Over 5 million payers…
Part of the insanity of the early 2025 investment scene is the wild ride of bonds. Yes, even the stalwart US Treasury options have seen big moves due to the tariff situation. There is a ton of money in money market funds these days because they were yielding up to 5% at one point. What’s…
I’ll get straight to the point: I believe that MOST homeowners should have a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). Why? First, let’s start with the What: A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a revolving line of credit secured by your home, allowing you to borrow against the equity you’ve built up. Basically,…
Every once in a while, I like to offer ideas on saving money while buying items I know you will purchase anyway. The hope is that if you don’t spend as much on, say, Halloween costumes, you will save more in your 401(k). I am ever the optimist. Along those lines, I know you are…
Sometimes it’s nice to just revisit the basics of good #personalfinance. This could be a refresher for you or something to talk to your kids about. This is a quick list of what to do (in order) if you have a windfall of money. Like, maybe, a tax refund. Pay off credit card debt…
With the current uncertainty about every single thing happening with the federal government, a question I get asked a lot is what I think will happen to Social Security. While I do believe reducing Social Security would be difficult to enact unilaterally (and SO unpopular that no sane politician would try it), there is the…
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