Plan
You want tomorrow to be even better than today—and to get there, you need a plan. Once you put numbers to your dreams, they start to materialize. Almost like magic.
Articles
Niche ETFs Are Sprouting All Over
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) that follows the new “cloud” computing industry (SKYY)? Check!. The lithium sector (LIT)? Yep. What about the future price of corn (CORN)? You got it.Exchange-traded funds—the nimble cousins to index mutual funds—can... ➡
Learning to Save Means Fixing My Spending!
In my Money Fix quest to buy a house by December, I’ve started putting J.D. Roth’s great advice into practice. I currently have one savings account for the house and one for emergencies. I’d like to add two more: one for gifts and vacations and... ➡
Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What's the Diff?
If the recent stock market insanity has you craving more stability and you're considering adding more bonds to your portfolio, first ask yourself: bonds or bond funds? These are two different beasts. An individual bond offers certainty: usually a... ➡
3 Must-Dos to Keep Your Money Safe
Everyone is telling you to “sit tight” regarding your retirement investments. But financial planner Galia Gichon, founder of Down-to-Earth Finance, says there are three things you should do to ease fears and feel more in control of your money: ... ➡
Wait to Celebrate Fiscal Feats
You know the drill: You get excited about a goal (a real vacation! new fall clothes!) and you plaster your brain with promises to save. Then you lose that kick-butt momentum and your plan falters. Are you a savings slacker? Nope, but you may be... ➡
Lower Cost Funds Tend to Perform Better
When you're deciding where to invest your money, the natural instinct is to go for the best possible mutual funds—the ones ranked 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar. But it turns out you should pay just as much attention—maybe even a bit more—to cost.... ➡
Selling Gold? Expect Less
The scenario: Late July. Gold prices are above $1,600 an ounce. I have a brilliant idea: sell my broken gold bracelet for some easy money!The reality: At a local San Francisco jewelry store, my bracelet is weighed and tested. A calculator is... ➡
Can Credit Cards Help Us Spend Better?
In the midst of the recession, some credit-card companies are trading in the old, carefree “life takes Visa” approach and rewarding more responsible credit use instead. Chase Blueprint is a system that can be activated with certain Chase cards.... ➡
