The American Dream Gets Another Facelift
The American Dream of home ownership has taken some hits in the recession. But it remains alive and well, though with some twists that will help shape the nature of the budding housing recovery.
Articles from Contributor
How to Get the CFPB to Address Your Most Pressing Money Needs
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is testing a new website that it hopes will answer all your money questions in the near future. Here’s your chance to let them know what you need most.
Graduation Day Advice: 5 Steps to a Great Career
A stirring commencement speech in the heartland lays out the path to business success. Keep learning and just do the right thing are a good start. But there is more.
New From Social Security: Find Benefits Information Online
To save on costs, last year the government stopped mailing future Social Security benefits estimates to workers each year. Now that information is online. It’s a good starting place when planning your retirement.
Why Annuities are the Answer (But Such a Tough Sell)
The decline of traditional pensions and steady erosion of Social Security benefits has begun to leave most retirees without a source of guaranteed lifetime income. Plugging that hole is emerging as the most important retirement issue of our day.
Alumni Credit Card? First, Lose the Greedy Pitch
Colleges are slamming graduating students with credit card offers that sound sincere but amount to a hard sell. Yes, the right card will help build a good credit score. But watch out for the accompanying advice on how to go about it.
How to Get Even for Poor Customer Service
Two-thirds of our economy is in the service sector. So why is service so bad?
5 Key Financial Questions for People in Their 50s
We spend most of our working years accumulating savings for retirement and after that spending them carefully so they last. We need to spend a little more time managing the transition. Here’s how.
How an Ad Will Persuade You to Talk to Your Kids About Money
Coming soon to a magazine, newspaper or Web page near you: emotionally charged public-service messages designed to jolt parents into having “the talk” with their kids. Not that talk. The tougher one about how to budget, save and …
Retiring Abroad Is More Hype Than Reality
For years we’ve been hearing about the advantages of retiring abroad: low taxes, low cost of living, great climate and exciting cultural attractions. It’s all true in certain countries. Yet there hasn’t exactly been a mass exodus of retirees from the U.S.
How to Stop a Slow-Motion Disaster: Learning to Live With Global Aging
Global aging threatens to lay waste to your retirement plan. Here’s why you need to stay healthy and write your congressman.
Feeling Old? 6 Simple Ways to Stay Healthy
Here are six low-tech healthcare services readily available to seniors and which will vastly improve their quality of life, according to the Hartford Foundation. Did you know that Medicare pays the full cost of one wellness checkup each year?