Archive for July, 2006

Most people don’t want to work forever, but many of you are on track to do just that. It’s never too soon to start saving and investing for retirement- and good news… it’s never too late either! Saving for retirement is one of those things that sounds like a huge stressful, complicated thing that requires [...]

For those of us who are new to all this investing stuff, knowing what types of investments are out there, what they are, and what the pros and cons are of each can be extremely helpful. But so many sites were over my head when I first started learning. So, based on my own information, [...]

For those of us who know nothing about investing, it can seem like a big scary, intimidating, and complex subject. It can scare us off from even starting to learn. As the title of this article implies, this is meant to be a first step for those who have no investing knowledge, and who are [...]

Credit cards are one of the slippery slopes that get people into the most trouble with their finances. It comes from forgetting that the limit on your credit card is not actually money you have- it’s negative money if you use it. A second common way of thinking that gets people into trouble is the [...]

Dave Ramsey is a financial radio talk show host, who some people call a guru. He coaches his listeners on how to get debt free and take charge of their money. His website: www.daveramsey.com has lots of information and tools to help you, and you can listen to his 3 hour radio program daily, live [...]

You and I both know the truth: our society is obsessed with “stuff”. The signals we get bombarded with daily try to convince us that we can’t be happy, successful or fulfilled unless we have all the cars, gadgets, clothes, vacations, lobster and other “bling” that we think we want. To fund this lifestyle, many [...]

Here is a sample worksheet that you can start with. It’s just a guide- you will need to create one that is tailored to your situation.
My Budget - Jan/07
Monthly Income
- Job # 1:
- Job # 2:
- Child Support Income:
Total Monthly Income:
——
Fixed Monthly Expenses
-Mortgage:
-Gas:
-Electricity:
-Water:
-Home Insurance:
-Property Taxes:
-Car Payment:
-Car Insurance:
-Gas:
-Groceries:
-Phone:
-Internet:
-Cable:
-Day Care:
-Baby Care Items (diapers etc):
-Credit Card Payment:
-Loan Payment:
-Bank [...]

People have many different opinions of what a budget is. Some people think it’s just a vague idea of how much money you make and what your bills are. Others think it’s a strict set of rules that make your life inflexible and miserable. Both of these are wrong. A budget is just an on-paper [...]

Building wealth starts with your primary source of money: your employment income. Obviously some jobs pay more than others, but your future career is mostly under your control and doesn’t always depend on an expensive education or having the perfect connections. Anyone can progress from job to job until they reach a career that they [...]

Many people forget a very important factor when planning their retirement goals and choosing their investments. Inflation is robbing you right now. Be afraid! Well, actually, this article will remove the mystery surrounding inflation and so you don’t have to be afraid any longer!
What is inflation? It is the steady drop in the purchasing power [...]