Category: Career and Relationships

In every field, certain individuals excel and demonstrate outstanding performance. Many aspire to emulate these leaders, but are unsure how to attain their goal. In The Business of Being the Best, Molly Fletcher suggests that the top performers in all professions have a common set of traits. She believes that…

The typical American thinks they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably — up $200,000 from just last year's estimate. Meanwhile, the average Gen X 401(k) balance sits at $222,100, and roughly 28% of Americans have nothing saved for retirement at all. Against that backdrop, I still tell parents the same…

According to preliminary results from their annual survey of 1,600 employers, Mercer expects employee health care benefit costs to increase by 5.4% next year. You will likely see these costs via higher monthly premiums during your organization's open enrollment period. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to to…

Raising a child from birth to age 17 now costs a median-income family an estimated $307,000 to $310,000, according to USDA-based estimates updated for 2026 — and that figure doesn't include college. In high-cost states like Massachusetts, California, or New York, it can run $400,000 to $500,000. That's a real…

Is $68,000 considered a good income that you and your family can comfortably live on? Probably not in most places, but this is roughly the median income of the average American household in 2019 (before the pandemic!). Or stated another way - 50% of households make less than this amount, while…

The AOTC allows parents and students to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 for qualified undergraduate college expenses, based on certain income limits. The AOTC replaced the smaller Hope credit a few years ago as part of bills passed under the Obama administration (see section below for origin).…

[Updated- 2012 Payroll Tax Credit Holiday, Unemployment Benefits and Medicare Doctor Payments Extended to Dec 31st] With House Republican support Congress has passed legislation extending the federal payroll tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding spending cuts to pay for it. This was a concession aimed at…

Whether it's due to a tough economy and a scarcity of jobs, the need for extra money or just the company culture, millions of Americans work overtime.  In fact, Americans work on average more official overtime hours than workers in any other industrialized country. In just twenty years Americans have…

Just about anything involving money is a source for negotiation, but many people don’t think about the fact that their severance package is as well. Although we don’t want to think about that day when we may be laid off, it’s important to be prepared to negotiate our compensation package.…

With a growing population of unemployed workers the idea of owing money at tax time is downright scary and stressful. Particularly if you unexpectedly lost your job via a layoff or mass firing. However if you are actively looking for a job, there are a number of tax benefits –…

One of the most important tax forms you will receive during tax season is a W2. This is the official form that employers use to report employee wages/income, bonuses and other benefits received during the year; along with taxes (federal, state, medicare and social) that were withheld during the tax year.…

So you’re getting married? Congratulations! Decisions about churches, colors, the bridal party, and which family/friends to invite often become choices that take center stage but there are other, less glamorous considerations that have a much longer lasting impact. Those considerations involve financial matters. While the most common subject of marital…

Like gasoline for an automobile, data is fuel for the internet. Without data (content) the internet is a useless tool, just like a car that runs out of gas. The internet continues to grow and because of that, an increasing amount of content is needed to fuel it - and…