Saving & Budgeting

End-of-the-Year Money Moves

End-of-the-Year Money Moves Here are some things you might want to do before saying goodbye to 2015.   What has changed for you in 2015? Did you start a new job or leave a job behind? Did you retire? Did you start a family? If notable changes occurred in your personal or professional life, then you will want to review your finances before this year ends and 2016 begins. Even if your 2015 has been relatively uneventful, the end of the [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:18-04:00October 30th, 2015|Financial Fitness, Income Taxes, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off on End-of-the-Year Money Moves

The Big Economic Mystery of 2015: Flat Retail Sales

The Big Economic Mystery of 2015 If the economy is healthy, why are retail sales so poor?   Retail sales have been flat or negative for four out of the past five months. Even though households are saving an average of $50 a month on gasoline compared to a year ago, that savings has not inspired consumers to increase their spending.1   Commerce Department data released last week showed no retail sales growth in April; even core retail sales (which exclude car [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:19-04:00May 29th, 2015|Business/Economic News, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off on The Big Economic Mystery of 2015: Flat Retail Sales

Reining in Your Debt

Reining in Your Debt Americans are spending freely again. That has a downside.   As the Great Recession faded, American household debt gradually decreased. In fact, it declined by $1 trillion between mid-2008 and mid-2014, according to the Federal Reserve.1 Now household debt is increasing once more. The Fed found it climbing by $78 billion (0.7%) during Q3 2014.1 On the macroeconomic level, that can be interpreted as a positive: it hints at greater consumer spending, easier credit, and more [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:19-04:00May 15th, 2015|Financial Fitness, Personal Finance, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off on Reining in Your Debt

What’s Your Financial Health Score?

What’s Your Financial Health Score? Can a 5-question test predict how wealthy you will become? In the future, will you become wealthier or poorer? Who knows, right? It seems like you would need a crystal ball to really answer that question given life’s up and downs. What if the answer is right in front of you? What if you can determine it from your present financial behaviors? Two economists present a brief questionnaire – and an audacious claim. Last month, [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:20-04:00January 16th, 2015|Financial Fitness, Investing, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off on What’s Your Financial Health Score?

Your Annual Financial To-Do List

Your Annual Financial To-Do List Things you can do before & for 2015. What financial, business or life priorities do you need to address for 2015? Now is a good time to think about the investing, saving or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives. Some year-end financial moves may prove crucial to the pursuit of those goals as well. What can you do to lower your 2015 taxes? Before the year fades away, you have plenty of options. [...]

By |2017-03-28T08:17:20-04:00December 23rd, 2014|401(k)/403(b), Financial Fitness, Income Taxes, Investing, IRA, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off on Your Annual Financial To-Do List
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