Last week, we asked: 401k or IRA? So the obvious follow-up is: Roth or traditional? If you read that and say, “huh?” Don’t feel bad. Despite hundreds of articles I’ve read on the topic, I have yet to find one that explains the differences … [Read more...]
401(k) or IRA?
May 8, 2012 By 46 Comments
Decoding retirement savings is as thrilling as an all-day cram session for a standardized test. I get that. But just like that grad school exam, your future depends on it. A few weeks ago, I sent my focus group a quick survey on 401k plans. I knew … [Read more...]
Green Investing: How Your Investments Can Help The Earth
April 23, 2012 By 4 Comments
Earth Day is an annual reminder of things we can do as individuals to help preserve our habitat and the resources that sustain us. When we think about living green, recycling, buying locally, or trading in the SUV for a Prius usually come to … [Read more...]
Should You Invest In Real Estate?
March 13, 2012 By 9 Comments
Editor's Note: Yesterday Sarah gave us some ways to help you figure out if you're ready to buy a home. But what if you're pondering buying real estate not as a home, but an investment? Real estate investing involves more risk and legwork than … [Read more...]
Q&A: I’ve Maxed Out My 401(k); Where Should I Invest Next?
February 24, 2012 By 20 Comments
Occasionally I publish answers to select readers’ money questions. I welcome your opinion in the comments. Send questions to [email protected] I can’t get to them all but will do my best! Q: I’ve been employed for six months. I'm 30 … [Read more...]
Your Automatic Investment Plan: How to Build a No-Hassle Money Management System, Part 4 of 4
February 7, 2012 By 15 Comments
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve laid out three steps to help you build a hassle-free money management system:How to manage your spending without a traditional budget.How to create a bank account buffer to eliminate the risk of overdrafts.How to … [Read more...]
Betterment Review: A Simple Investing Solution
February 1, 2012 By 21 Comments
Feb 2012 Update: Betterment just announced lower fees. Their fees have dropped to between 0.15% and 0.35% a year depending on your account balance (as long as you invest $100 a month). This makes them competitive with the lowest-priced mutual funds … [Read more...]
Five Mutual Funds To Get You Started
December 30, 2011 By 4 Comments
Let’s proceed carefully. Although I’ve done it once or twice before, I try to avoid recommending individual stocks or funds. Such “picks” are a dime a dozen on other blogs, in major financial magazines or on Jim Cramer’s TV shows. At … [Read more...]
How to Pick a Mutual Fund
December 27, 2011 By 11 Comments
You shouldn't have to worry about picking mutual funds if you don't want to. That is, if you have zero interest in immersing yourself in fund performance data and anlayst research, you will do best with a simple investing strategy: invest in an … [Read more...]
Understanding What Mutual Funds Cost
December 19, 2011 By 11 Comments
So, you found the perfect mutual fund for your investment goals. Before you invest, do you know how much that mutual fund costs? Last week, I wrote a beginner’s guide to mutual funds. As I said, mutual funds are ideal investments for new … [Read more...]
I'm David Weliver. At 26, I had NO savings and NO financial plan. I was maxed out, stressed out, and fed up. Then, I changed. I repaid $80k of debt, tripled my income, and bought a home. I'll show you how to get similar results.