Consumerist

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401(k)

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money

Personal Finance Roundup

The Promotion That Got Away: 5 Ways to Bounce Back [Yahoo HotJobs] "Nearly everyone has been passed over for a job they 'deserved.' If and when that happens there are five important steps to take."

Buying a Refurbished Computer [Smart Money] "Here's how to make sure the refurbished computer you buy doesn't turn out to be a lemon."

Your Essential Emergency Kit [Kiplinger] "These nine steps will protect your family and finances against disaster, whether natural or personal."

Savings yardstick [MarketWatch] "How to tell if your 401(k) is living up to the best standards."

Ivy Leaguers' Big Edge: Starting Pay [Wall Street Journal] "Where people go to college can make a big difference in starting pay, and that difference is largely sustained into midcareer"

— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: balmes)

12:00 PM on Thu Aug 7 2008
By freemoneyfinance
578 views, 1 comment

advice

The Basics Of Insurance, Taxes, And 401(k)s For First-Time Employees

If you're entering the work force for the first time (although this probably pertains to lots of older employees too), all the details of insurance, taxes, and 401(k)s can be daunting/boring/confusing. Ron Lieber at the New York Times has pared away the extraneous bits and created a "primer for young people starting their first job," including helpful advice like why it's important to get health insurance, how to fill out your W-4, and why it's good to take advantage of the built-in "raise" that comes from a company-matching 401(k). Sure, this is all basic stuff, but that's the point. Ya gotta start somewhere. More »

11:17 AM on Mon Jun 16 2008
By Chris Walters
5,838 views, 28 comments

Latest by ffmariners: @Eyebrows McGee: Honestly, not sure! I should re-look through my benefits package. more »

rude

K2 Auto Group In Minneapolis Uses The "I Hate You, Get Out" Sales Method

Jesse sent us a copy of the letter he recently sent to CarSoup.com about the treatment his mother received at the K2 Auto Group car lot in Bloomington, Minneapolis.The salesmen who "greeted" them employed a novel sales technique whereby you treat the customer like she's not rich or smart enough to even own a car, much less one of your beauties. Oddly, it didn't work, and they left without buying anything. Read on for the salesman's amazing technique in action. More »

4:39 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Chris Walters
13,021 views, 71 comments

Latest by n/a: I'm pretty sure there's something illegal or at least unethical going on at K2. First off, it's a dealership in the more »

saving

How To Save A Million Dollars At Any Age

The February issue of Kiplinger's has advice for how to save a million dollars at any age from 25-55. The longer you've got the easier it sounds, of course.... and the more inflation will take a toll on your million. Even so, interesting stuff. More »

12:34 PM on Wed Feb 6 2008
By Meg Marco
20,214 views, 76 comments

Latest by bonzombiekitty: @olivia2.0: No, it's not just simple division because the numbers are taking into account compounding interest at 8%. The point more »

Here's a horrible idea: a 401(k) program with a debit card. That's right, you can go to the ATM and make withdrawals from your 401(k) retirement savings plan. [TheStreet]

28 comments

scams

How Your 401(k) Is Ripping You Off

Another chapter in Bob Sullivan's excellent book Gotcha Capitalism explores how Wall Street quietly devours your retirement plan through an array of hidden fees. Bob quotes a Wall Street money manager as saying, "If we had to disclose fees, half the people in this room wouldn't have jobs." More »

Feature

1:00 PM on Thu Jan 31 2008
By Ben Popken
20,116 views, 60 comments

Latest by n/a: Don't forget about the part where the fund manager buys a whole honking load of the company's stock (thank you more »

taxes

Low Income? You May Qualify For Tax Saver's Credit

If you're single and earned less than 26,000 last year, or married and together made less than $52,000, then you can qualify for a tax credit of up to $1000 if you contributed to a retirement savings account during the year. To get the maximum credit, you'll need to have socked away $2,000 and earned less than $15,500 as a single tax filer ($31,000 if married). And yes, this is a credit, not a deduction (something this writer has confused in the past), so it can make a significant difference on your final tax bill. More »

9:53 PM on Tue Jan 29 2008
By Chris Walters
3,552 views, 25 comments

Latest by n/a: In response to those who think it is hard to make a $2000 contribution to a retirement account on $15500 more »

retirement

NBC Teaches Personal Finance Lessons On "30 Rock"

NBC is taking the "workplace comedy" concept to new levels of realism, by including a couple of scenes about a major character's lack of a savings plan in this week's "30 Rock" episode. After being awarded a $10,000 "GE Followship Award" for being such a great follower, Tina Fey's character stuns her boss by revealing she doesn't have a 401(k)—or, apparently, even a savings account. More »

6:55 PM on Fri Oct 26 2007
By Chris Walters
4,431 views, 16 comments

Latest by n/a: @Granolaheadesq: On the scale of things the government typically wastes my tax dollars on, this strikes me as a relatively more »

financial planning

13 Retirement Myths Debunked By Money Magazine

According to Money, there are 13 big myths about retirement that you need to be aware of—and the sooner you know about them, the sooner you can make any necessary adjustments to improve your preparations for those twilight years.

Myth 1: You need a big income to have a big nest egg
Myth 2: You can't get rich with a 401(k)
Myth 3: Everyone has debt
Myth 4: A million dollars will cover you
More »

10:51 PM on Mon Oct 15 2007
By Chris Walters
5,164 views, 16 comments

Latest by n/a: I think some of you people misunderstand what Social Security is: it is not a retirement plan, it is insurance. more »

the real world

Saving Tips For Recent Graduates

The New York Times has sagely advice for recent graduates wondering how to juggle saving on an entry-level salary. It is easier than you think:
  • Be mindful of seemingly inconsequential expenditures. Ask yourself each and every time you reach for your money: "Do I need this?" More than not, the answer will be"no";
  • Strip your budget to the bare essentials. Not only will you save, but you will become accustomed to enjoying life without extravagant expenses;
  • Try to save 10% of your take-home pay in a 401k or Roth IRA;
  • If your employer offers a matching program, use it - it's free money.
  • Keep the end goal in mind: "[Money] is most useful when you are old because it makes all the difference whether you wait for a bus in the rain to get to the doctor's appointment or you ride in a cab."
    • More »

    1:38 PM on Sun Jun 3 2007
    By Carey
    1,331 views, 18 comments

    Latest by Anitra: @Troy F.: It doesn't have to be a "CHEAP" car. Just a sensible one - like a 2-4 yr old more »

    401k

    Leaving Your Job? Don't Forget To Take Your 401k

    401k's are critical long-term investments too often forgotten by job-switchers. They are vastly more important than the staplers and pens most people remember to box up.
    Consider: Some 7.5 million Americans took about $440 billion in distributions from their 401k plans in 2004, according to Brightworks Partners research. Of the 7.5 million, 6.25 million were job changers and 1.25 million retired. Of the 7.5 million, 55% had 401k balances greater than $5,000.
    Thanks to a law enacted in 2005, people leaving their jobs with less than $5,000 in their 401k automatically have their plan rolled into an IRA. More »

    1:45 PM on Sun Feb 25 2007
    By Carey
    2,082 views, 14 comments

    Latest by FredTheCat: Interesting this should come up as my wife just mentioned a few days ago that during her employment at a more »

    taco bell

    Free Food For You If K-Fed Agrees To Work At Taco Bell For An Hour

    The curiously Australian president of Taco Bell, Greg Creed, has invited (via open letter) one "Kevin Federline" to work at Taco Bell for the period of one hour. If the soon-to-be-former Mr. Britney Spears agrees, anyone who comes to the Taco Bell to watch will receive "an order of our new Carne Asada Steak Grilled Taquitos for free." The letter comes in response to a statement K-Fed made about his children working at Taco Bell. Read the letter inside. More »

    12:10 PM on Thu Feb 1 2007
    By Meg Marco
    313 views, 18 comments

    Latest by n/a: When will that human lamprey's fifteen minutes be up? more »

    consumer alert

    Man's $179,000 401k Plan Hacked Drained; No Federal Laws Protect Him

    David DeSmitdt's retirement plan with J.P. Morgan got hacked and emptied, and there's no federal laws to protect him. More »

    9:49 AM on Fri Jan 5 2007
    By Ben Popken
    348 views, 11 comments

    special k

    Special K: No Miracle

    Jared over at The Lose Weight Diet is with us on the inherent bullshittiness (yes, we invented that word) of "The Special K Challenge," from his post: More »

    10:58 AM on Wed Nov 29 2006
    By Meg Marco
    1,541 views, 20 comments

    black friday

    Target Black Friday Ad Up, Plus Many More

    As Black Friday draws ever nigh, a splooge of new Black Friday ads appeared on the internet. More »

    5:20 PM on Mon Nov 13 2006
    By Ben Popken
    6,306 views, 2 comments

    meghann marco

    Special K Diet Is Bullshit

    Alright, we've sent Guest Blogger Meg Marco's ass packing. But was that ass any less plump and spectacular after her two week Special K diet, in which she ate only one real meal and two bowls of Special K a day in order to drop a jean size? More »

    5:24 AM on Mon Sep 25 2006
    By consumerist.com
    2,242 views, 18 comments

    Latest by michellebarnes: All I have to say is that Meg obviously wasnt following the diet the correct way. This diet states more »

    j.k. rowling

    J.K. Rowling's Airport Voodoo That She'll Do Do

    Thanks to some schmoozing at the airport — or perhaps black magic spells cast on TSA agents — the next Harry Potter manuscript is safe. More »

    3:34 PM on Mon Sep 18 2006
    By consumerist.com
    514 views, 13 comments

    mile high club

    How To Join The Mile High Without K-Y?

    Everyone with any sense knows that flying is dehydrating. Oh, sure, airlines and the TSA disagree, but a parched throat and dry, crackling skin is par for the course of most of our catapultings across the stratosphere. More »

    6:32 AM on Tue Sep 12 2006
    By consumerist.com
    906 views, 7 comments

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