For most people, a trip to the mall is a harmless excursion. But for an estimated 2% to 8% of U.S. adults afflicted with “compulsive buying disorder,â€? overspending is an addiction with serious financial and emotional consequences.“Compulsive buying disorder is not unlike an alcohol, gambling or other addiction,â€? says Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). “When shopping and spending spin out of control, relationships can be destroyed and financial well-being torpedoed.â€? NEFE is a nonprofit foundation committed to educating Americans about personal finance. […]

What’s the key to making good investment choices? It isn’t necessary to understand the inner workings of the securities markets or the mathematical economies underlying investment theory. Instead, 10 axioms of effective investing provide the critical cornerstone for guiding investment philosophy and making decisions. This will ensure that you meet the universal goal of creating financial wealth for retirement.Unfortunately, these principles are easier to understand than to implement. For many individuals, it is easier to plan to save and invest next month rather than to begin immediately. However, visualizing the […]

It seems that parents go to great lengths to ensure that their students are ready to go away to college – you help to research schools, help with applications, buy books and even make sure they have a suitable place to live. The one area that often seems to be overlooked, however, is managing their personal finances and their spending. Statistics show that 83% of college students graduate with an average of $2,300.00 in credit card debt*. For graduate students that number more than doubles, reaching $7,800. And that doesn’t […]

It does not take a genius to figure out that costs are rising across the board. Food, housing, energy, are all gooing up in price. The funny thing is that the government does not consider these things to be inflationary. Whoever makes up the government sponsored index is a bit out of touch. What can we do as consumers? Here are some things you can do to limit the costs of energy use in your home: (Sources curtesy of Mary Staton of Staton Institute) 1.) Install Energy Star-qualified products. 2.) Seal air […]