There’s nothing better than a good Christmas story, and this year I was lucky to come across a great one. As you know, Christmas is about more than just gifts under the tree or colorful lights. It’s about more than commercialism, more than merchandise, more than having another day off.
Christmas season seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year. Long gone is the era of waiting until Black Friday for Christmas sales, decorations, or carols playing over the radio. Cyber Monday is now another day of spending in November.
On Monday, November 2, President Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law. If you heard about this in the news, you likely know the law raises the debt limit, prevents a possible government shutdown, and ensures the United States won’t default on its debt.
Imagine this scenario. You get an email that appears to be from your bank. You open it and read a message riddled with misspelled words that direct you to “click the link below.” You click on the link, and are taken to a page that looks almost exactly like the website you’re used to visiting ... almost.
In the past, I’ve occasionally sent letters on ways to protect your finances from crooks and criminals. Many people have told me how much they appreciate these letters, so I thought it might be a good idea to delve even deeper into the topic of financial security. After all, protecting what you have is important no matter who you are.
You might have more options than you think. These days, many pre-retirees save for retirement primarily through an employer-provided 401(k). 401(k) accounts can be a great savings tool, especially if your employer matches your contributions. But there are occasions when relying on a 401(k) account isn’t the best option.
We all know that advances in technology in the last few decades have been monumental. It takes but a moment to send a message all the way to the other side of the world; you can search for just about anything on Google® and get an answer immediately; high powered computers cost a fraction of what they would have 30 years ago and they’re hundreds of times faster.
According to the National Academy of Social Insurance, by law, Social Security’s surplus funds are invested in inter-est-bearing Treasury securities, which earned an effective interest rate of 3.6 percent in 2014. The interest earned is credited to Social Security’s trust funds.
When it rains it pours, as the saying goes. If you’ve been following the financial news this summer, it probably seems like a torrential storm has been churning all around the world. Every week, people ask me about the headlines they hear on TV. “What’s going on with China?” they want to know. “Is the Greece situation over?” “Why do I keep hearing more about Puerto Rico?” “What about Canada?”