I’d like to think that as the family financial guru, I give the best gifts! I put a lot of thought into each one and come up with gifts that will keep on giving, sometimes for the lifetime of the recipient. So why do people dread my great gift giving ideas?

Posted December 19, 2007 in College savings, Investing, Retirement, Savings | 12 Comments »

It’s time to celebrate! My company just announced that we are getting the Roth 401k! I received a couple emails from coworkers that my employer is going to offer the Roth 401k next year. Yipee!! Regular readers know that I have been campaigning for access to the Roth 401k. I’ve emailed my HR department numerous times [...]

Posted December 18, 2007 in Intermediate, Investing, Retirement | 2 Comments »

The new year is almost here, so it will soon be time to contribute to your 2008 Roth IRA and Roth 401k. It is exciting as the IRA limits have increased and the Roth 401k is catching on! Here’s the contribution limits for each:

Roth 401k Contributions

Maximum
$ 15,500

Catch-up > 50 years old
$ 5,000

Roth IRA Contributions

Maximum
$ 5,000

Catch-up 50 and [...]

Posted December 17, 2007 in Intermediate, Investing, Retirement, Taxes | 2 Comments »

Usually we only consider two things when financing: getting the best price and getting the best interest rate for an asset. What if instead of focusing on financing the item you are purchasing, you focus on financing a cheaper item you already own? With some careful planning and foresight you can do just that. What am I talking about?
We [...]

Posted December 16, 2007 in Advanced, Debt | 5 Comments »

We have our first of many family holidays today. For once it’s not supposed to snow today so travel will be much easier. For those keeping track, we now have 21 inches of snow on the ground! Now on to the great personal finance articles of the week: 

Posted December 15, 2007 in Roundups | 7 Comments »