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What to do with a pay raise? Turn your pay raise into thousands of dollars!

What to Do With a Pay Raise

Wages Finally Up-How to Supersize the Pay Raise After the 2008-2009 recession, it seemed like jobs and wages would never turn around. If you were lucky enough to have a job, then you were doing the work of two employees and afraid to ask for a raise. Working harder for the same money. And you wondered if this is the “new normal”. As this is not my first rodeo {I’ve been watching the economic markets for decades}, I knew eventually the deplorable job market would turn around. Wages are finally…

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secret to saving

The Saving Secret Worth $366,000

The I Hate to Save-Kick in the Butt Latest news just in from Sun Trust Bank Survey: “Many higher income households are living paycheck-to-paycheck” We are notoriously bad at imagining our future. In fact I remember playing with my Great Aunt as an 8 year old and thinking, “I’m never going to be this old, ever”. Then I remember thinking about how old I’d be when the new millennium came, and the same thought reoccurred, “I’ll never be that old”. This inability to image the future is a bit probl…

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how to handle a tax audit

How to Handle a Tax Audit; the IRS Says I Owe $25,000

The Dreaded IRS Tax Audit Letter The thick IRS letter arrived and I assumed it enclosed the tax forms I ordered. I was wrong. The letter contained a list of 5 sources of income that were not included on my 2010 tax return. Total bill due the IRS including penalties and interest, $25,000.00. Panic set in. Ironically, 2010 was the year I was exceptionally familiar with the tax law as I served as a VITA volunteer tax preparer for the IRS. What was going on?

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How to cut investment fees and save thousands of dollars

How to Cut Investing Fees + Increase Returns

Cut Investing Fees and Save Thousands I was pleased to receive this question important from Larry Russell an accomplished investor, software developer, financial planner and editor of The Skilled Investor Blog; “What should investors do once they understand that the financial industry takes over 1/3 of their gross investment returns every year, while it adds only a small fraction of that in value?” Not only is Larry asking this question, but so are many of my readers. If You’re Smart-You Can …

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Should I buy foreclosed real estate?

Should I Buy Foreclosed Real Estate?

A reader from the website, Fromthisseat.com writes in; “Is purchasing foreclosed real estate a smart investment with so many renters and so few home buyers in the market?” Real Estate Market Prequel In the aftermath of the 2008-2009 recession, there was an abundance of foreclosed properties just begging to be bought by the enterprising investor. The thinking was, buy a real estate at a discount, make a few repairs and either rent it out or sell it for a profit. At that time, it seemed like a …

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historical stock and bond returns

Why I Used to Invest in Individual Stocks + Now I Don’t

Recommended Investing and Money Articles and Links Many years ago, I was terrified of the stock market. I thought it would steal all of your money. With depression-era parents, the anecdotal information about the stock market crash of 1929 seemed frightening. I believed that you could lose all of your money if you invested in the stock market. I started investing in my 20’s with a traditional stock broker and various versions of bonds and bond funds (and 1 stock recommended by my cousin).

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Contribute to Roth IRA or 401(k)

Should I Contribute to a Roth IRA or a 401(k), if I Can’t Fund Both?

6 Step Plan to Decide Where to Invest for Retirement Monica from MonicaOnMoney.com asks; Should I contribute to a Roth IRA or a 401(k), if I can’t fund both? (Thanks for answering, I love this idea for your blog) This is a common question for those just starting out. A 20-something, in her first job is automatically enrolled in her workplace 401(k) program. That’s a good thing, since it gets her money working and growing for the future! But, wait a minute, is the company 401(k) the best choic…

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Live wealthy in any economy

FORGET ABOUT THE ECONOMY; LIVE A ROCKIN’ LIFE

You Can Live Wealthy in Any Economy Whenever I get plagued with an attack of ‘I don’t have enough’ or life’s not treating me well, I fall back on a few simple wealth building tools. We talk a lot about building wealth and how to live wealthy here, but it’s important to remember that life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Further, you can live wealthy regardless of the size of your bank account. Don’t even think about the news, or the dour talking heads on your TV. You are the master of your own des…

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