My Repeatable Approach ...

The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from Rise: 3 Practical Steps for Advancing Your Career, Standing Out as a Leader, and Liking Your Life by Patty Azzarello, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. Based on my 80-20 list...

5 Cheap & Unique Ba...

Are you planning to throw a shower for one of your expecting friends? Baby showers are big business, so you could easily go over budget by snapping up the cutest shower decor at party stores and online. However, you shouldn’t have to break the bank to dress up your abode for the...

How is Your Emergency F...

The Wall Street Journal discussed emergency funds recently and noted the following: The oft-quoted rule of thumb is to save three to six months of living expenses in your emergency fund. But many people these days will need nine months to a year of expenses covered just to get by....

Words of Advice on Sele...

The following is an excerpt from Securing Your Financial Future: Complete Personal Finance for Beginners courtesy of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. All Rights Reserved. A list of brief tips on some of the most common categories of insurance appears below, plus a few important items...

17 Tips to Deal With Wo...

Do you find yourself going through the motions every day at work? Are you physically showing up for the job, but leaving your mind elsewhere? Are you feeling detached from what formerly gave you joy and fulfillment? If so, you are likely suffering from workplace burnout. Burnout is a...

What Is Home Title Insu...

Buying a new house can be one of the most exciting events of your life. It’s an occasion that signifies that you are settling down – “building a nest,” so to speak – and maybe even starting a family. It is, however, often a stressful and costly process, and...

How It Went with My New...

A few months ago I told you that I had hired a new CPA to do my taxes . Now that the tax season is over and the dust has settled, I thought I’d list the pros and cons of working with the new firm. Let’s start with the pros: They were much more involved in tax planning. While...

10 Steps to Writing a G...

The book The Damn Good Resume Guide, Fifth Edition: A Crash Course in Resume Writing lists 10 steps to writing a great resume as follows: Choose a job objective Find out what skills, knowledge, and experience are needed Choose a resume format Make a list of past jobs List your skills and...

30 Steps to Great Finan...

Welcome to round two of my 30 Steps to Great Finances series.  Last time we talked about how important it is to know your net worth (step #1) and to keep track of all of your spending for a month to see where your money is going (step #2). Did you do/begin both of those tasks?  It...

Help a Reader: Pay Off ...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader: I have $21,000 in student loan debt that was consolidated in 2005 and is now sitting at a fixed rate of 1.625% for 20 years (original balance was close to $31,000).  The monthly payments equal $170.  My question is, with such a...