If the corporate world functioned fairly, pay would be commensurate with the amount of experience and ability employees have. But fairness has little to do with the way pay scales tip. Factors such as nepotism, politics and timing can all add up to confirming your fear that your cubicle neighbor makes more than you do, and will probably always out-earn you unless you try to dare to make a power play. [More]
personal finance
Responsible Ways To Spend Your Tax Refund
By 3.13.12
Every year around this time, people tend to engage in bragging contests about how big their tax refunds are. These folks are oblivious to the fact that savvier planning would have let them keep their money rather than giving it to the government in a tax-free loan. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.13.12
Ambition = success = happiness? Not quite. [CNN Money] “Graduating from a top school and scaling the corporate heights won’t necessarily lead to a long, happy life, says a new study.”
The Ins and Outs of Roth 401(k) Plans [Wall Street Journal] “Workers haven’t embraced this choice. But maybe they should.”
Repent of these 7 insurance sins [MSN Money] “Are you making a deal with the devil when it comes to your homeowners and car insurance policies and premiums?”
The Money-Saving Refinancing Move You’ve Never Considered [Daily Finance] “The refinancing craze has spread to an unexpected industry: car loans.”
5 Easy Ways to Add $50 to Your Pocket [Wise Bread] “Here are five ways you can gain $50.”
Identify Your Money Personality And Eliminate Your Weaknesses
By 3.8.12
The way you act with money goes a long way toward defining your lifestyle. Recognizing your financial strengths, weaknesses and tendencies can help you to make smarter choices, identify blind spots and improve your sense of control over money matters. [More]
3 Ways To Cope With That Flakiest Of Bosses: Yourself
By 3.7.12
If you leave the work force to become a freelancer/contractor, you’re blessed with the freedom of making your own hours and deciding to do only the work you deem to be worth doing. The downside is that your new boss — you — may be an unreasonable slave-driver or a rubber-spined pushover. [More]
When You Plan Out Your Will, Be Prepared To Play Favorites
By 3.7.12
Life isn’t fair, and neither is death. When you sit down to plan out your demise, you’ll most likely find yourself picking and choosing among your descendants to give the better stuff to whom you deem to be the most worthy and competent. [More]
An Argument For Keeping Separate Accounts When You Shack Up Or Marry
By 3.7.12
Unless you and your live-in lovah are perfectly compatible, you will fight about money at some point. Some couples find the common practice of sharing the same accounts to be suffocating and appreciate the relative freedom of maintaining discrete funds. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.6.12
5 Kitchen Luxuries That Are Worth It (and 5 That Aren’t) [Wise Bread] “While I try to keep a pretty minimal and inexpensive kitchen, over the years, I have realized that there are certain luxuries that are well worth the cost.”
Identity thefts tops list of consumer complaints [CNN Money] “Here are the the top 10 consumer complaints, according to the FTC.”
9 Key Ages for Retirement Money Decisions [US News] “Here are different age milestones that might affect your retirement decisions.”
How a Digital Picture of Your Future Self Can Change Your Saving Habits [Moneyland] “Here’s why company HR departments will soon have employees coming face to face with their future self.”
6 ways to get your tax refund [MSN Money] “Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each option so you can find the right one for you.”
How Savoring Translates To Savings
By 3.5.12
New things seem like the most amazing things ever until you get tired of them and get the urge to replace them with newer stuff. The buy-boredom-replace cycle is natural and tough to avoid, but you can save money if you can figure out how to stretch it out longer. [More]
Aim For These Ratios To Get In Good Financial Shape
By 3.5.12
Wealth and prosperity aren’t really about how much you make, but about how well you use what you have. If you offset a high-income job with wild spending habits, you’ll be in worse financial shape than someone who makes half as much as you but saves and lives within their means. [More]
5 Senior Discounts That Make You Wish You Were Old
By 3.5.12
Your golden years come with a gold rush of discounts. Looking to cater to seniors eager to stretch out their funds, businesses offer sweet deals to the older set. [More]
3 Things Dr. Seuss Books Can Teach You About Money
By 3.5.12
Renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss was great at instilling life lessons through resonant rhymes and artwork. His books also pack some poignant financial lessons. [More]
Curb Your Shopping Impulse When You're On The Go
By 2.28.12
If you can’t restrain yourself from making unnecessary purchases, it doesn’t matter how much money you make because you’ll find a way to bury yourself in debt. By identifying your tendencies and curbing them before they victimize you, you can get your shopoholicism under control. [More]
Calculate How Much Of A Reserve Fund You Need
By 2.28.12
Personal finance experts crow on and on about how crucial it is to save up a reserve fund to help you survive a job loss or financial disaster. Deciding exactly how much to set aside, however, is a matter of philosophies and resources. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 2.28.12
Change the Way You Think [Free Money Finance] “There are six key traits of wealth builders.”
Your Facebook Profile Can Predict Your Job Performance [Moneyland] “It can take as little as 10 minutes for someone to go through your Facebook profile and predict how you’ll perform in the workplace.”
The Dumbest Investment Move [Smart Money] “Why owning your company’s stock in your 401(k) can be a big mistake.”
The Tax Break That Millions Miss Out On [Daily Finance] “As many as 1 in 4 of those who qualify for this tax credit failed to claim it, missing out on hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.”
5 Killer Free Investment Tools [Wise Bread] “Here are five of the best free sources on the web for researching investments.”
3 Things Not To Buy Online
By 2.27.12
In many cases it’s prudent not to buy things at retail, because you can usually find them cheaper online. But due to quirks inherent with online shopping, there are some things you’re still better off heading out to a physical store to buy yourself. [More]
When To Keep Your Credit Cards Safely In Your Wallet
By 2.22.12
Yesterday we addressed reasons you shouldn’t use a credit card to pay your taxes, and there are several other situations in which personal finance experts recommend keeping your cards holstered. Fees, interest charges and security pitfalls are reasons to opt for other methods of payment. [More]
Tips To Help New Investors Get Started
By 2.22.12
If you’ve just started investing, you’re bound to make a few mistakes as you find your footing. While there’s no guaranteed formula for success, there are ways to put yourself in the best position possible to start off strong and stick around for the long haul. [More]
