Raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $12 would lift pay for 35 million workers (and their children), or 1 in 4 employees nationwide.Income for the median household has fallen 2.4% since 1999, despite a big gain in 2015.The U.S. still had fewer middle-income jobs than it did before the recession.It’s not…
Month: September 2016
Dump Wells Fargo!
If you bank with Wells Fargo it’s time to dump that scandal-plagued institution and find another bank, or better yet, a credit union. Why would any consumer continue doing business with a bank that defrauds its customers? The scandal has been front page news in The Wall Street Journal for the past week. Bank policies…
Target Date Retirement Funds: The competition heats up
Each year students in my investing class had to investigate individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and mutual funds to select the best fund for their IRA. With tight budgets, student loan payments looming after graduation, and credit card balances, saving for retirement was NOT their top priority. But after seeing examples of compound interest and how…
HELOCs versus Reverse mortgages
For senior homeowners facing large expense such as roof replacement or needing extra cash tomake ends meet each month, home equity lines of credit are one option; reverse mortgages another. Learn the pros and cons of each at https://www.thestreet.com/story/13698522/1/helocs-vs-reverse-mortgages-which-is-right-for-seniors-facing-a-financial-emergency.html Source: Financial Planning for Women
6 Unusual Ways to Get Out of Debt
“Driving for Uber, pet sitting through Dog Vacay and doing odd jobs through Task Rabbit are all options to pick up extra money” according to Andy Smith, a certified financial planner. Maryalene La Ponsie describes the pros and cons of other creative way to find money to pay off debt. Her article includes links to…
Planning to work instead of save for retirement?
Think again! 7 of every 10 workers in a recent poll claimed they just planned to keep on working… and working… and …. The reality is that about 3 in 10 retirees was forced to drop out of the workforce before they planned due to poor health, job loss/downsizing, or having to care for a…
Smart Spending in Retirement… How to make your money last
Making the transition from a regular paycheck to a retirement paycheck is a real challenge in today’s low interest rate environment. A great resource to help you decide how to budget and spend down your assets in retirement is available at: https://www.moneygeek.com/seniors/resources/smart-spending-in-retirement/ Source: Financial Planning for Women