Picturing Your Destinat...

The following is excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc.(www.wiley.com) from Risk Less and Prosper: Your Guide to Safer Investing by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu. Copyright (c) 2012 by Zvi Bodie and Rachelle Taqqu. Sidebars and tables are in red. This is a...

Worst Money Advice Ever...

MSN Money lists six stories of people telling the worst financial advice they ever received . Here are the stories with my thoughts on each: “About 10 years ago an old accountant advised we cash in a substantial 401k plan to pay off credit card debt, instead of instituting a plan...

Reader Profile: TT...

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be,...

Living on $50,000...

Last month MSNBC did a series on ” the median ” — what it takes to live on the median income of $50,000 a year in America. They started with this piece that makes a stunning discovery — that making $50,000 in one part of the country isn’t the same as making...

Reader Profile: MG...

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be,...

What Are Floating Rate ...

Many types of mutual funds are primarily designed to pay income to investors in various forms. Some income funds invest in bonds, while others derive income from mortgages or stocks that pay dividends, such as utility and preferred offerings. Another class of income fund also exists: the...

Reader Profile: SR...

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be,...

What Steps Did You Take...

Money Magazine asked its readers to list the steps they took in 2011 to improve their financial lives. Here’s how they responded: Cutting back on spending: 39% Increased nonretirement savings: 28% Invested more conservatively: 26% Gave more to charity: 20% Increased retirement...

Reader Profile: JN...

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be,...

Help a Reader: Real Est...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader: My wife and I are currently living in a classic brick townhouse that I am renting directly from a home builder.  The property is in one of the nicest areas in my state of residence.  My wife and I are within walking distance of a...