Tag Archives: lists

Reasons We Spend Today: Social and Economic Cues

Consumers spend more today in our daily living than they did just a few short years ago. There has been a shift in priorities related to saving and spending money, making it harder than ever to be frugal and out of debt. We have been talking about some of the reasons that we spend more today. If you missed those earlier articles in this series, you can read them here: Reasons We Spend Today: Availability and Reasons We Spend Today: Buying Power. Now we will look at one of the bigger reasons that we spend today: our social and economic … Continue reading →

Reasons We Spend Today: Availability

Did you know that there are tons and tons of statistics that show that most Americans carry a good deal of debt and modern families can’t seem to keep their heads above water. And analysts predict that this is only going to get worse this year. Yes, the recession and the real estate down turn have something to do with our financial states, but most of the debt that we have incurred as individual families in a nation has to do with our spending habits. According to these statistics and analyses, we spend much more than we did just 10 … Continue reading →

Look for Opportunities

Where many people see dead ends, others see an opportunity. There is no truer place for this then with money. As the stock market continues on a downtrend and the housing bubble bursts, most of us see the current road to money success as a dead end. Instead, we have to learn to change our thinking. Every ending is actually a beginning. Where a financial opportunity seems to fail, actually another one is brewing. Start looking at losses as potential gains. With this attitude in mind, you will set yourself apart in terms of making money work for you. Let’s … Continue reading →

Asset Allocation Chart

I received the coolest chart in the mail today from T. Rowe Price, so I had to share. They call it their Asset Allocation Chart; it is a quick tool to help you decide how to manage an investment portfolio depending on the timeframe you will need the money. What I liked in particular about this simple chart, was it went beyond the basic retirement portfolio and offered some advice on shorter-term investments as well. If you are not already an account holder at T. Rowe Price, I am sure you could call them to have one sent to you. … Continue reading →

Selecting a Mutual Fund

The key to investing is to diversify. The best-diversified investment is a mutual fund. The way a mutual fund works is the fund manager selects a huge assortment of stocks to make up the fund. Therefore, it is an easy way to invest money in a variety of individual companies. In general, different mutual funds perform differently based on the market sector they are a part of and the “luck” or talent of the fund manager. Given this, how do you select a mutual fund for you? Whether it is for your children’s college education, retirement or even shorter-term investment … Continue reading →

Week in Review: December 17th – 22nd

We’ve had a lot of fun concentrating on Christmas here in Movie Reviews this week. Let’s take a look at all the goodies we found. First was “Christmas with the Kranks” starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. Based on John Grisham’s book “Skipping Christmas,” it’s the story of a couple who decided not to do Christmas this year, only to discover what a silly idea that was. “Christmas in Connecticut” stars Barbara Stanwick as a journalist who learns that honestly really is the best policy, and that you can’t imagine a whole new life for yourself – you have … Continue reading →

Week in Review: December 17th – 22nd

We’ve had a great week here in LDS. If you weren’t able to join us every day, here is a recap. In “Dinner Discussions 2007 Week 46,” Miriam outlines everyone’s lessons and helps us stay on track. She also gives us a wonderful report on Elder Ballard’s talk “Faith, Family, Facts and Fruit” about the perceptions people have about the Church. Tristi continues to catch us up on the year’s course of study in Spencer W. Kimball’s lesson “We Should Be a Reverent People.” Do you have a favorite story from Church history? Tristi reviews “Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines,” … Continue reading →

Week in Review: December 17th – 23rd

Did you see all the great blogs here in Media Reviews last week? In case you missed them, here’s a recap. In “The Day Before Christmas,” Tristi reviewed the story of a girl who goes to see The Nutcracker ballet with her grandfather, reliving a tradition he had with her own mother, now passed away. This is a touching holiday tale, as is “The Fourth Wise Man,” a picture book retelling of the classic story by Henry Van Dyke. Who will brave the winter blizzard to come out to Christmas services? More people than you might think, as we discover … Continue reading →

Reality Budgets

A common budgeting mistake is not basing your budget on reality. We all want to be able to set aside $200 a month to save for a down payment on a home or our children’s college education. But, if you have to cut your food budget in half to afford to do so… you may find you come up short each month. The key in budgeting is avoiding this common mistake. In order for a budget to actually work, it needs to be first based in reality. During your budget planning, realize that certain things just aren’t in your budget, … Continue reading →

Only You

Only you truly care about your money. It is very important to keep that point in perspective. That salesman at the mall, the customer service representative at the bank, even your financial planner does not care about your money the way YOU do. This is a critical fact to remember. You are your own best money manager. Now, I know you may not believe me, but this is absolutely true. Only you can judge your true needs and goals. Only you know how much risk you can tolerate. Only you know what amount of savings and investments feels the most … Continue reading →