8 Ways Spending Money Can Buy Happiness
It’s often said that money can’t buy happiness, but new research suggests a twist: It’s how you spend it that matters. At least that’s the contention of Elizabeth Dunn, Daniel Gilbert and Timothy Wilson in their Journal of Consumer Psychology paper, “If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right.” The [...]
Financial Planning Can Make You 20 Percent Richer
People who have a financial plan build roughly 20 percent more wealth over their lifetimes than people who don’t. That's according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, “Wealth Accumulation and the Propensity to Plan.” If you have a budget, it gets even better. For households making between $50,000 and $750,000—quite a wide range—budgeting [...]
Un-budgeting: When Your Household Budget Has Gone Too Far
There’s a lot to be said for simplicity, especially when it comes to your household budget. Micromanaging your money can get messy, and if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up over-budgeting and driving yourself crazy. Our family keeps a pretty detailed monthly spending plan. We’ve used Quicken software to track it in the past, and [...]
Leftover Funds in a 529 Savings Plan: What to Do With the Money
Q: My child graduated college and we still have leftover funds in a Georgia 529 savings plan; about $5000. If I close the account out, do the leftover funds become income to me as the parent or to my child who did not need the remaining 529 savings plan funds? A: It must be really [...]
Five Things Successful Investors Do
This article was written by guest blogger Jeff Rose. You don’t need to be wealthy to be a successful investor. No matter what your objective, whether you’re investing for retirement or funding your child’s education, you can meet your money-saving goals and achieve financial success. Everyone yearns for stability and financial security, but very few [...]
What Discounts Are Available for People Over 50?
For many people, adopting the “senior citizen” label is tough. But if you love saving money, you’ll find that it’s great to be in your 50s and 60s (and beyond!). In fact, there are so many discounts available to Americans as they enter their mid-50s and 60s that entire websites are dedicated to helping sift [...]