Strategies for saving at the supermarket and the warehouse membership store, for cutting expenses in retirement and returning items that aren’t up to snuff—and also for snooping on your spendthrift spouse.
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Retirement
Grand Plans: How to Invest When You Have $1,000 or Less
Five ways to start building a nest egg, even when your savings are so small you might assume it’s not worth the bother.
What’s Up? Also, What’s Down
The economy has had its ups and downs—OK, mostly downs of late. Here, some statistics showing the economic fallout on all sorts of things, including cheap booze sales (they’re up), military recruits with college degrees (also up), and excuses for getting out of jury duty (way up).
New High School Class Schedule: Algebra, Bio, Phys. Ed., English, 401(k)
More states are requiring high school students to take personal finance classes in order to graduate—which seems like a pretty good idea, considering that based on what’s happened lately in the world of real estate and consumer debt, kids aren’t likely to be absorbing good financial lessons at home.
Senior News: If You’re Going to Die, It Pays to Do So in 2010
Due to an odd loophole in the so-called death tax, the highest tax rate assessed to a deceased person’s estate goes from 45% this year to 0% next year, then up to 55% in 2011. The takeaway is: If you’re super rich and want to pass along that wealth to your kids and not the government, do your best to kick the bucket in 2010.
Mapping Out Your Retirement: Find Out Where There’s No Income Tax
Where to retire in your golden years? Someplace sunny and temperate year-round? Or a city with great culture, where there’s always something to do? Or perhaps just wherever the government won’t crack your nest egg with a constant barrage of taxes.
Strictly Business: How Emotions Screw Up Your Investments
Why do many competent, smart people make mistakes with their investments? It turns out that their feelings have been hurt, or they’re trying to save face, or they’re cocky enough to think they’re faster and smarter than the masses. Basically, they get emotional.
How to Retire—and Actually Stay Retired
A Fortune story gives hope to those yearning to one day retire in peace and comfort. Apparently, it’s still possible. Saving—saving A LOT—helps your cause. One interesting fact: Much has been made about the fact that people are actually saving nowadays. The savings rate is now at about 4 percent, compared to zilch in the …