What exactly is the middle class in the United States any more? I'm having a really hard time figuring that out. So many of my friends lost their jobs and homes over the past 8 years that I feel like I was thrown back into the stone ages. I really have done better than many people I know but I look at how my friends are struggling and I just have to wonder what we gained from the past 8 years. The gridlock in Washington disgusts me no end and I don't see much hope for change in 2016.
How Can We Protect the Elderly against Scam Artists?
If you have relatives over the age of 70 who are still managing their finances there is a very good chance that one of them has been scammed in the last year. Ongoing research has shown that as we grow older we lose our edge in suspecting and avoiding fraudulent people. Some scam artists are even targeting the elderly with on-the-spot memory tests to see how well they can recall past or imaginary negotiations.
The Greatest Threat to Your Personal Finance is Your Phone
We have entered the age of using "smart payments" for almost everything. I can bank from my phone, pay bills from my phone, even buy merchandise from it. What I cannot do, however, is guard that phone from a growing number of security threats that seem to be getting out of hand. Now, before you go accusing me of being alarmist, let me say that I fully expect the smart phone industry to get this all figured out eventually. But millions of smart phones have already been compromised, more than once in many cases, and people are not getting the word.
A Simple Trick to Help You Be More Disciplined with Money
Sometimes I find myself spending a little too much money. Maybe I am going out to eat more often, running to the store for little things we really don't need, or maybe just enjoying too much entertainment. It happens over and over again.
How to Manage Your Risk and Money when Making Investments
There is an almost sexual allure to the stock market which makes it attractive to many people. For generations the stock exchanges were the playgrounds of the rich but over time as retirement savings plans that could be managed by individual workers were developed the stock markets began to feel the presence of small investors. The rapid influx of small traders to the US stock markets began in the 1980s as 401(k) retirement plans and similar government-sanctioned programs began to replace the old pension funds.
Can You Really Borrow Money from Credit Cards Interest Free?
A friend of mine used to tell me that if he ever needed free money he would just take it off his credit card. I am still waiting for him to declare bankruptcy but so far he seems to be doing okay. Has he ever borrowed money from his credit card? I decided to ask him when I thought about writing this article. He told me he had done a few times but it took him a while to figure out how to get the money without paying interest.