Month: December 2008

Here are some useful facts & figures to be aware of when it comes to capital gains and losses that result for a stock sale. Given the recent volatility and growth in trading understanding how your stock sales will impact your taxes will be critical to keep the gains you…

Budgeting provides a way for people to track their income and expenses. However the hard part, once people are aware of their expenses, is to actually cut back on discretionary items. Budgeting fails for many people because they fail to address this key shortcoming. Budgeting will not reduce your expenses;…

In an argument with my wife over our holiday spending on gifts, travel and entertainment, I got accused of being a cheapskate because I refused to put aside money/budget worries during the holiday season. “What’s the point of saving if we cannot spend the money on the ones we love?”…

As the economy slows and a recession looms, workers at companies small and large are getting ever more anxious about their jobs and livelihoods. It seems like not a day goes by when news comes out that a major company announces a round of layoffs or indicates plans to to…

Many are calling the 2008-2009 worst recession since the great depression. Or, most succinctly the Great Depression 2. No doubt the news is bad and all the major economic indicators signal that growth is slowing at a quickening pace. But the question on most people's minds is how long will…

At a recent dinner party I was talking to a good friend whose wife had recently had twins, but was getting back into the workforce after only 6 months of having the babies. What was more was that she was able to do all this while staying at home and…

I received the following email from a reader, Justin, asking me where I would invest in the current market given all the turmoil. Here is part of the discussion that formed the basis for this post, and my thoughts on investing for the year ahead: Original Email from Justin: I'm…

As I write this it looks like the US automakers bailout (or rescue plan) is a done deal. Bloomberg reports that Congress and President George W. Bush are negotiating the final details of a $15 to $17 billion measure to fund the automakers till the new Obama administration is in…

With all the bailouts and emergency assistance many of America's corporations are getting from the US government, perhaps it is time we the consumer and tax payer get our fair share of the free money being handed out wily-nily. Here is a list of items I wish could I could…

The latest Federal Reserve Beige Book was released today and as expected the news was grim, which almost guarantees a substantial interest rate cut next week. The beige book contains the Fed's latest snapshot of business and economic conditions looking at factors such as housing, manufacturing, credit, prices, wages and…