 Plan now,
party later
Retirement
has a much different face today than in years past. Retirees tend to
look at leaving the work force as an opportunity to fulfill dreams and
have new experiences. Experts say the time to start thinking about what your retirement
scenario will look like is well before you actually retire.
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Market
Beat: Stocks still draw more money than bonds 08-27-10
For a nation that supposedly
has forsaken stocks, we're still shoveling a lot of cash in that
direction.
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Sub-1
percent interest rates reduce savings' appeal 08-27-10
CHICAGO
— Bad news for savers: The national average rate on checking,
savings and other deposit accounts has dipped below the 1 percent
mark for the first time in at least 10 years — and doesn't appear
headed higher anytime soon, according to an analysis by Market Rates
Insight.
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If
the dog ate your paycheck, Uncle Sam can help 08-13-10
BALTIMORE
—
Christine Dorr
of
Brooklyn Park, Md.
, unhappily discovered a corner piece of a
$100
bill on the floor near her border collie's bed earlier this year. A
bank envelope containing three bills — two
$100
notes and one
$50
— had fallen on the floor, and 12-year-old Sayde's guilt-ridden
looks told the story.
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Families
can limit money strife by selecting 'CFO' 08-13-10
It takes a lot to manage a
family's finances, but too often no one is leading the way. The
result is husbands and wives fighting over money, and heading toward
divorce. Money is one of the top reasons for divorce. Instead,
families need to evaluate how they handle money to head off
disputes. One way to do this is to make one person in charge.
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Fund
managers worry bond investors may get burned 08-13-10
The Dow Jones industrial
average rose about 104 points Tuesday. But it was hardly enough to
excite investors who have turned away from a stock market they
deeply distrust, with many seeking security in bonds.
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Market
Beat: Fed faces a puzzler in sluggish economy 08-13-10
If the economy were careening
into another recession, Federal Reserve policymakers would know
exactly what to do: Rent out the Air Force, print money and rain it
all over America.
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School
shopping can teach kids spending skills 08-13-10
MINNEAPOLIS
— Ina Poecher heard about a back-to-school sale at
J.C. Penney
on the radio. So with a mental list of wardrobe needs for fifth
grade, the
Vadnais Heights, Minn.
, 10-year-old spent a recent Saturday morning with her head in the
clearance racks.
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Consumer
scams adapt to changing times 08-06-10
Billing disputes. Shoddy
repairs. Outfits that promise to fix credit woes or stop houses
veering toward foreclosure, but then take your money and disappear.
Last week, the
Consumer Federation of America
put out its annual list of the top consumer complaints collected by
state agencies and consumer groups.
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Market
Beat: Bonds perilously close to bubble territory 08-06-10
At the end of the dot-com
stock boom in late 1999 and early 2000, it was harder and harder to
find someone to say that buying into that mania was a mistake.
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Market
fears flip from inflation to deflation 08-06-10
In this erratic market,
preoccupation with possible rising interest rates and inflation has
flip-flopped to worries over an opposing force: deflation.
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Financial
reform may kill the free checking account 07-30-10
HACKENSACK, N.J.
— Free checking, if it ever was, soon won't be.
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On
The Money: Where to take your consumer complaint 07-30-10
Resolving a product complaint
with a manufacturer or retail outlet can prove frustrating for a
consumer. A few options exist, however, than can help consumers deal
with a product or service complaint.
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Market
uncertainty frustrates investors' hopes for recovery 07-30-10
When even Federal Reserve
Chairman
Ben Bernanke
describes the economy as "unusually uncertain," regular
investors are bound to feel frustrated as they search for clarity
amid divergent signals in the economy and stock market.
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Education
would help to prevent financial troubles 07-23-10
Try talking to anyone around
you about their personal finances, and it's like pulling teeth. Ask
them anonymously and they are more likely to share their feelings.
That's what the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards did
recently. The results shed insight into how Americans are feeling
about money and possibilities for creating more discussions.
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Bill
would protect credit scores during mortgage modification 07-23-10
If you are lucky enough to
get your lender to modify your mortgage, you shouldn't end up dogged
by a miserable credit score.
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Commodities
a surprising choice to avoid volatility 07-16-10
With markets roiling from
uncertainty, investors looking to dodge some of the volatility might
benefit from putting their money into one of the most volatile asset
classes around — commodities.
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As
consumers slash debt, credit cards boost incentives 07-16-10
CHICAGO
- Only 18 months ago,
Wade Thomas
had credit card debt of
$16,480
on his 20 credit, retail and gas cards.
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Savings
may run dry for 47% of boomers, study warns 07-16-10
CHICAGO
- Following the job and investing horrors of the last
three years, many Americans fear they will end up in
retirement like Old Mother Hubbard.
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Personal
bankruptcy a controversial means to stay afloat 07-09-10
CHICAGO
— Cash-strapped, jobless and denied a loan modification,
Del Phillips
faced the same straits as millions of homeowners who risk losing
their homes to mortgage lenders.
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Graduates'
first task: Setting plan to manage debt load 07-09-10
Like carrying unwanted
pounds, many college graduates pack on a hefty load of student loan
debt during their four years.
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Earnings
season to dictate market's path 07-09-10
Investors
seeking relief from the nearly 16 percent downturn drop
in the Standard & Poor's 500 index since
April 23
are pinning their hopes on corporate profits.
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Mortgages
can help, rather than hinder, finances 07-02-10
While most financial-savvy
consumers do their best to avoid debt, one debt that is unavoidable
to many families is a mortgage. Because many of us feel more in
control of our home and expenses without a mortgage, a common
question is whether to pay it off as quickly as possible.
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Tips
on how graduates should spend all that cash 07-02-10
Hats off to the class of
2010. As the last of this year's high school and college graduates
tossed their mortarboards skyward in celebration this month, the
congratulations poured in.
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Overdraft
rules set to go into effect for new customers 07-02-10
PHILADELPHIA
— The end is approaching for the surprise
$37
cup of coffee or
$40
hoagie — the ones for which
$2
went to
Starbucks
or
$5
to
Subway
and
$35
went to your bank for busting through your balance.
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Fund
industry trying to woo stock investors back 06-23-10
Mutual fund pros have a tough
job as they gather for one of the industry's biggest events: Win
back the investors who have soured on stocks.
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4
tips for a midyear portfolio checkup 06-23-10
DES MOINES, Iowa - A lot has
happened in the stock market. In recent weeks there have been some
dramatic swings as investors reacted to the European debt crisis and
other news of the day. Yet, so far this year, the market is
basically flat. The Standard & Poor's stock index is down less
than 1 percent.
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