Labor Day is a bittersweet holiday, isn’t it? The end of the summer, squeezing in the last bits of fun and adventure, all the while looking forward to the return to normal structure September brings. I love the leisurely pace of summer but by the end of August I can’t wait to get back into […]
Have mercy! Does the IRS actually have mercy? Believe it or not, in some cases they do, and you shouldn’t even have to beg too hard to get it- at least if it’s your first time asking. IRS penalties are no joke. They can make credit card late charges and interest look tame. The two […]
I recently had the pleasure of helping Lisa Scherzer with an article she wrote for Yahoo Finance about ways to tell if you are financially ahead of the game. Here’s one of the ways she wrote about: “1. By age 40, you’ve accumulated 1 to 3 times your annual income. Many financial advisers use age-based […]
My Q&A this week on Dimespring talks about the evolution of your tax situation as you get established in adulthood and your career, but the tips can be helpful for all of us. When you’re young, living at home, and all you have at tax time is a single W2, filing your taxes is pretty […]
Powerball was the big news this week and I have to confess I didn’t even know until the Pocono Record asked for my comments for the winner. Laurie Monteforte from WBRE news came to see me as well; check out the links just in case you happen to win someday- or know the two […]
Our military service members are a fine group of men and women, sacrificing for our nation and living a lifestyle that’s unique and challenging. Although they don’t do it for the thanks, I’m glad we have Veterans Day set aside to show them our gratitude that we celebrated last weekend. As a military mom it’s […]
We women are big stuff these days. Marketers want us. Financial advisors want us. And boy, do the politicians want us. I have news for them all though; we are not a new marketing niche. We’ve been here all along! It may be that we’re more recognizable as an economic and political force in recent […]
Finding how much your investments really cost can be difficult, but not impossible. You can scour your statements for fees, look up your funds on Morningstar, or ask your adviser. 401(k) plans though have been among the least transparent investment vehicles and often believed to be a free service from your employer (they’re not). New […]
One of the byproducts of the financial crisis is that folks are taking a closer look at their own personal finances and have developed a healthy sense of skepticism about the financial industry. They want to understand better what they have and how their investments work. Knowledge is power, and even if you have someone […]
My daughter asked me once in jest if I get a “boring book alert” to let me know when a new financial book comes out. Well, actually I do get one from Amazon, but most of my favorite books are written by colleagues. I’ve listed some of my favorite personal finance books below; I’m proud […]
