How do you manage your money without getting stressed out with a million accounts? When we talked about automatic investments a few weeks ago, some readers noted that having too many accounts was stressful to them. So let’s talk about some easier ways to manage the money, how to get a bird’s eye view of your holdings, and some tips to make your general financial life easier. [Read more...]
Tales from the Wallet: How to Manage Many Financial Accounts
08/29/2012 By 91 Comments
Guest Post: The Fees That Eat Away At Your 401K
05/09/2012 By 62 Comments
401K fees can be such a complicated topic — so when the good folks at DailyWorth offered to guest post I jumped at the chance to have someone wiser than myself cover it! – Kat
Is your 401k plan costing you too much?
Many people don’t realize that they’re being charged a fee (or fees) for participating in their 401k plan–and over time, those fees can eat up a chunk of your savings. (Pictured: Erosion Control? originally uploaded to Flickr by muffinman71xx.)
Shocked? You’re not alone. In fact, new federal rules requiring 401k plans to be more transparent about fees take effect in July — and women everywhere should sit up and take notice.
Dude: What’s Your Car?
04/19/2012 By 272 Comments
What kind of car should the overachieving chick drive? On the one hand, a designer car could impress clients and colleagues… but on the other hand, it can also convey that you’re “not working for the money.” Reader K wonders:
I’m graduating from law school next month and I’ll be starting at a large regional firm in the Fall. For the past 11 years, I’ve been driving an old 2-door Honda. It was a great car for commuting to law school, but I’m definitely ready for an upgrade. My husband and I have talked about buying a new car and he really wants a higher-end sedan (audi, lexus, acura). I would love a luxury car, but I would be equally happy with something more modest. I’m worried that if I pull up in an expensive new car on my first day at the firm, my colleagues will assume that 1. I don’t really need to work (untrue) or 2. I’m materialistic and fiscally irresponsible (also untrue). My husband and I are in our 30′s, we’ve both worked and saved for quite a few years, and I have a small amount of law school debt, so it’s within our reach to upgrade.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I consider my colleagues’ perception when deciding what type of car to purchase?
This should be a fun one — I’m already seeing shades of our engagement ring discussion, as well as our intern-with-the-Birkin discussion. I should say upfront that I’ve been living and working in NYC for about 15 years now, and cars just don’t matter that much here. (Pictured: Devan’s Pimped-Out Ride 3, originally uploaded to Flickr by Jennerally.)
Sponsored Post: MoreWorth and The Fab Factor Giveaway
03/27/2012 By 16 Comments
This post is brought to you by MoreWorth, a new personal finance newsletter for executive women, by executive women.Posts in our Tales from the Wallet series always elicit questions from readers — where can they get more personal finance advice that goes beyond “make your own coffee” and “get out of credit card debt”? Check out MoreWorth, a new newsletter from the ladies behind DailyWorth. MoreWorth is aimed at women “living life on all cylinders.” Twice-weekly emails bring you smart, pithy tip-offs about new products and services, curated by executive women for executive women — not to mention tips and ideas to invest in yourself through leadership, wealth-building, and lifestyle. Recent articles have covered hiring a financial planner, investing in green and eco-friendly companies, giving gifts when you’re the boss, and buying timeshares. [Read more...]
Tales from the Wallet – Tax Savvy Investments, Part 2
03/21/2012 By 41 Comments
Back in January — inspired by a Mint article — we took a look at tax-savvy investment vehicles such as 401Ks and IRAs. Today, let’s look at some of the other tax-friendly ways to save, such as 529s and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Just as a reminder — according to the article, “The Value of Tax-Deferred Savings.” “[u]nless you make enough money to max out all of your tax-advantaged accounts (401(k), IRA, 529, HSA, and the like), it rarely makes sense to do any investing outside them.” (Please note, I am not a financial adviser — this is all just my personal knowledge, so take it with a grain of salt.)
(Pictured: PS1 Wallet, available in 8 colors at ProenzaSchouler.com for $165.)
Like we did before, let’s go through the main questions on everyone’s mind…
Tales from the Wallet: Tax-Savvy Investments
01/25/2012 By 124 Comments
Something I’ve been thinking a lot about since I read it is this Mint article on “The Value of Tax-Deferred Savings.” According to the article, “[u]nless you make enough money to max out all of your tax-advantaged accounts (401(k), IRA, 529, HSA, and the like), it rarely makes sense to do any investing outside them.” (Please note, I am not a financial adviser — this is all just my personal knowledge, so take it with a grain of salt.) (Pictured: Marc by Marc Jacobs – Turnlock Shine Long Tri-fold (Electric Teal) – Bags and Luggage
, on sale at Zappos from $198 down to $150 today. Lots of great sales on Marc by Marc Jacobs stuff on Zappos today,
actually.)
To be honest, the value of tax-deferred investing isn’t something I understood until really, really recently. So I thought we’d review some of the main vehicles for tax-savvy savings here, answering — for each, the main questions on everyone’s mind:
