Featured Article

Unforeseen Consequences of the Roth IRA Conversion

This is another guest post from JoeTaxpayer.  On my blog, I’ve shared several articles that discussed the Roth IRA conversion event of 2010 in great length and detail.  While this is can be a great opportunity for many, there are several instances that a conversion does not.  I looked to JoeTaxpayer to share some pros [...]

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7 Things You Don’t Know About Jeff Rose

March 28, 2009 General Stuff

The Weakonomist from Weakonomics tagged me for some meme action.  What we’ve got here is a case of 7 things you don’t know about Jeff Rose.  I’ve seen a few other bloggers take part in this and I’ve almost done it a few times, but never pulled the trigger.  Well, now that I got tagged, [...]

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The Tale of The Three Bears

March 27, 2009 Market Update

Photo by Stephen Oachs
The last few weeks has seen the market make a bit of a rally.  Even still it is known that when times get rough, investors often get caught up in the moment-to-moment market movements and are distracted by the daily headlines.  Even though this market has been “different” that others in the [...]

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What To Do With Tax Refund Check?

March 26, 2009 Joe Plemon

This is another guest post from Joe Plemon from Plemon Financial Coaching. Joe is the Money Columnist for The Southern Illinoisan.
Q: Joe, we have just filed our taxes and are going to receive a $4,800 refund.   Should we use this money to pay off credit card debt or invest it for retirement?
A: The “Baby [...]

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Market Update: Are the Market’s Beginning to Thaw?

March 25, 2009 Market Update

This report was prepared by my firm LPL Financial.
It seems that Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humor. She always seems to throw a string of beautiful spring days out of nowhere at the end of a long winter just to get us tempted to think that the frost and cold are all [...]

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5 Tests To Claim a Dependent On Your Tax Return

March 24, 2009 Tax Planning

Ever been in a situation where you’ve had somebody staying with you for an extended period of time?  Maybe it was the relative that was going to stay with you for a “brief period of time” until they “got back on their feet”.   Heard that one before?   Or maybe you’ve had to have a parent [...]

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What Happens If You Don’t File Your Tax Return?

March 23, 2009 Tax Planning

The old saying goes there are only two certainties in life: Death and Taxes.  We know we can’t cheat death, but did you ever wonder what happens if you file your tax return late? Or even worse,  you don’t file your tax return at all?  Frankly, I’m too chicken to ever find out.  Just in [...]

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Driving Lessons Are Financial Lessons

March 20, 2009 Dollars and Cents

This is another guest post from Joe Plemon from Plemon Financial Coaching. Joe is the Money Columnist for The Southern Illinoisan.
When my wife’s Dad taught her to drive, he imparted not simply the mechanics of operating a vehicle, but a philosophy which transcends into life and, of course, finances. I think Irvin Smith’s advice [...]

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Reader Question- What To Do With An Inheritance?

March 19, 2009 Estate Planning

A little while ago I was asked by Pete over at Bible Money Matters to answer some questions  of his readers.  This was one of the reader questions in regards to what to do with an inheritance.
Q: I was wondering if it is better to be completely debt free or to have some [...]

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7 Things To Know About a SEP IRA

March 17, 2009 Retirement Planning

A SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) IRA is the way to go if you’re a small employer (typically less than 10 employees and many times just one employee) looking for a simple retirement plan that’s easy to install and administer. Most financial institutions will have the plan documents on file and it’s as easy as opening [...]

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Get Your Plan to Eliminate Debt and Save Money

March 16, 2009 Dollars and Cents

For many years,  Americans have been lying to themselves about their debt situation.  Reckless purchases of the elusive “Wants” and trying to maintain lifestyles that were undeserving.  With widespread concern about the value of homes, rising health care costs and the general outlook for the economy, now more than ever, Americans need to set [...]

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29 Good Reads About Kids And Money

March 13, 2009 Kids/College Planning

Earlier I shared my two cents on teaching your kids the value of money management.  Since my son is only 19 months (pictured above), I don’t have much “real world” experience on teaching him the fundamentals of managing money.  Sure, he can stick coins in his piggy bank all day long (actually a good tool [...]

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Teaching Kids The Value of Money Management

March 12, 2009 Financial Planning

As my son just turned 18 months, he’s still a little too young to understand and appreciate the value of money.  But it’s still on my mind about how I’m going to teach him to appreciate and value the importance of money and money saving tips as he gets older.  While I’m sure that things [...]

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Is Tighter Credit Such a Bad Thing?

March 11, 2009 Dollars and Cents

This is another guest post from Joe Plemon from Plemon Financial Coaching. Joe is the Money Columnist for The Southern Illinoisan.
As I hear the pundits explain the negative impacts this mortgage crisis will have on the average citizen, I sometimes scratch my head and wonder if I have not been transferred to a parallel universe. [...]

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When Will the Market Turnaround?

March 11, 2009 Market Update

The following is a research report that was issued by my firm LPL Financial.
Contrary to what the title of this piece may suggest, we are not here to discuss the sequel to a famous 1966 spaghetti western movie. Instead, we intend to focus on recent developments in the financial markets and review how the [...]

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