Don’t you just love curling up with a good money book? OK, so maybe financial volumes aren’t exactly bedtime reading. However, every family could benefit from having a couple of these books in their library. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order). I hope you’ll read at least one this fall. There’s [...]
With unemployment rates still at all-time highs, many people simply aren’t able to find work near home. As a result, sometimes they have to face a dreaded move all the way across the country to start a new job. TIP: When facing a big life change, use that as a reminder to check your credit [...]
You never know when some type of natural disaster will befall you—one can strike at any time. If you want to get through an emergency as smoothly as possible, you need to be ready now. Following basic principles of emergency preparedness can ensure your family is ready for whatever happens—or at least is a little [...]
We are not all blessed with perfect credit. In fact, in today’s economy, people who used to pride themselves on their perfect credit are devastated when they witness the destruction of their finances and their credit score. But life must go on. What do you do? Over the years, I’ve worked with people who’ve experienced [...]
One of the worst feelings in the world is not knowing whether you have enough money to pay your bills. It also can be difficult when you don’t know from where your next paycheck will be coming. Financial insecurity can cause stress and anxiety in your life, and it can contribute to strain in your [...]
If you’re working a regular 9-to-5 job with good benefits, you probably have access to an employer-sponsored investment account such as a 401(k). While it’s not always a guarantee these days, your employer may also match your contributions to such an account as an added boost. However, if you’re a business owner or a freelancer, [...]
Right now, for homeowners who are looking to refinance and homebuyers taking out a purchase mortgage, there’s a lot of good news when it comes to closing costs. Closing costs have fallen this year almost as much as they rose last year, though they can vary dramatically depending upon where you live. Plus, if you’re [...]
It’s tough enough to budget money—by which I mean keeping your expenses from exceeding your family’s income—when you have regular paychecks. But if you’re self-employed like me, or if you work on commission, you know it can be even tougher. In most cases, your family’s set monthly costs don’t change all that much, but, on [...]
At a recent dinner party, several people in attendance announced that they had just been laid off and were facing unemployment. Some were among the 300 folks laid off at Intuit. Others were from the L.A. Times, which recently stopped publishing Los Angeles Magazine. And still other attendees said that their clients were facing recent [...]
