May 15, 2011 in Budgets & Savings, Financial Services, Money, Money Tips, Retirement Planning
Social Security is the first place to look when figuring how much money you need to retire. Why? Your retirement savings needs are largely determined by how much you spend less the amount of income provided by Social Security and pensions. For example, if you plan to spend $30,000 per year in retirement with your ...
April 22, 2011 in Budgets & Savings
The United States Census Bureau projects the average American’s life expectancy to be 78.3 years, the highest it’s ever been. Five years ago, the average life expectancy was just over 77 years and experts project it will continue to rise. With Americans living longer—and therefore facing many additional years in active retirement- financial planning has ...
September 10, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Home Improvement, Living Green
For many families, household budgets are still tight in the wake of the recession. But whether times are tough or not, it makes sense to save money wherever you can. There are plenty of small ways to start cutting costs. One of the best places in your home to start saving is the laundry room. ...
August 26, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Money Tips
Which is cheaper – a monthly car payment for a new vehicle that will almost certainly have lower maintenance and repair costs than an older car? Or keeping on top of regular maintenance and repair of an older car, and saving yourself the monthly car payment? If the numbers are any clue, it would seem ...
August 13, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Life Lessons
The Great Depression shaped two earlier generations. It changed how our parents worked and saved. It haunted my grandparents. As hard as it has been to experience this most recent economic turmoil, we must hope that our generation of Baby Boomers will emerge from the Great Recession of 2008 having learned some valuable, enduring lessons ...
April 29, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Living Green
It may be easier than many people know to improve the environment and the economy–including their own. As more people become aware of the importance of protecting the environment, they are choosing green products. Buying environmentally friendly products typically meant you had to spend more, but at Marcal, they believe you shouldn’t have to pay ...
March 31, 2010 in Budgets & Savings
A rising number of American households – nearly 45 percent – are “at risk” of not having enough money in retirement, according the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. But some retirees have discovered a surprising source of supplemental retirement income: the cash value of their whole life insurance policies. Many retirees will use ...
March 9, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Home Improvement, Living Green
When heating and cooling costs have your back against the wall, it’s time for a DIY project–air sealing. You can save money and energy and help the environment by sealing gaps and cracks with silicone caulk. An easy task for most handy homeowners, it can cut home heating and cooling costs by as much as ...
March 4, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Retirement Planning
With the population aging and over 4000 people a day being forced to take IRA distributions (such distributions are mandatory by April 1 after reaching age 70 1/2), mistakes in taking IRA distributions can total in the billions. Yet, because people have had no prior experience, mistakes are rampant. Below are are 4 common IRA ...
March 4, 2010 in Budgets & Savings, Home Improvement, Living Green
Is it just me, or have energy prices just been going up and up lately? Unfortunately, this results in significant increases in our home energy bills. Fortunately, there are a lot of relatively inexpensive (sometimes free) changes you can make around the home that will save you money. I’ve put together a list of twelve ...
