Investment Tips: How and Where to Invest (the Easy Way)
One of the reasons many people never start investing is because they don’t know how or where to invest. Typical brokerage accounts offer thousands of investment choices, but that can be far too overwhelming for the average, busy investor. Plus, many people are scared to invest because they think it requires putting money into risky stocks or having to do a bunch of mind-numbing...
Read MoreHow to Retire Early and in Style—Without a Fortune!
If you’ve ever worried about retirement—like whether you’re saving enough or how to retire early, you’re certainly not alone. If your income is less than it used to be, you’re trying to put kids through college, you got a late start investing, or your retirement accounts have shrunk, just the thought of retirement can be stressful and depressing. But the exciting...
Read MoreA Checklist to Measure Your Personal Finance Success
As we approach 2012’s halfway point, it’s a good time to think about your financial goals. Are you on track for success—or did you get derailed in the first 6 months? Or are you clueless about your personal finance situation right now? Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to take control of your finances using some of my favorite financial tools. Answer the following checklist questions...
Read MoreTips from Millionaires to Grow Rich (FOX VIDEO)
Laura is interviewed on FOX Extra about personal finance tips from millionaires to grow rich. Tips from Millionaires to Grow Rich –...
Read MoreWhere to Invest Your Money (VIDEO)
Laura tells you the 4 best places to invest your money and grow your nest egg. Where to Invest Your Money – YouTube In order to build the most wealth, it’s important to put your money in the right types of accounts. Here are the 4 best places to grow your nest egg: #1 — Your workplace retirement plan A 401(k), 403(b), or 457 is the very first place you should stash...
Read MoreSave Money and Time Using Financial Web Tools
Do you wish you could accomplish more with your money? People often ask me what financial web tools I really use to earn more, save more, and accomplish more in my life and business. So here they are–20+ of my favorite web tools, resources, software, and services that allow me to be productive on the go and keep my finances super organized: Banking #1 CheckingFinder: This...
Read MoreThe Rules for Using a Spousal IRA
If you’re married and don’t work, did you know you can still have an IRA? It doesn’t matter if you’re unemployed, a stay-at-home-spouse, or run your own part-time business–you qualify for a Spousal IRA. Never heard of it? Well, it isn’t a different kind of IRA; it’s a rule that allows the breadwinner in a marriage to fund an IRA for a non-working...
Read MoreHow to Open a Rollover IRA (VIDEO)
Here’s one of the worst financial mistakes that I see people make: Leaving retirement money with an old employer. If you abandoned an old workplace retirement plan—like a 401(k) or a 403(b)—you should rescue it as soon as possible by rolling it over into an IRA. Keep reading to find out why you should complete a retirement rollover, how to do it, and several places to open up your new...
Read More5 Ways to Retire Rich: Get Started in 2012 (VIDEO)
To watch the video go to the bottom of this post. It’s our human nature to procrastinate—especially when the deadline for getting something done is decades away. We put things off until the last possible moment because that’s when the pressure builds and we finally force ourselves to take action. Putting something off until the last minute can work out when you’re talking about meeting...
Read More6 Tips to Avoid Financial Fraud
My post called “6 Ways to Steer Clear of Financial Fraud” will help you know how to avoid doing business with an unscrupulous investment firm or advisor. Many times the victims of financial fraud look back and say that all the warning signs were there, but they just didn’t pay attention to them. With a little education, the red flags will really become more like huge neon...
Read MoreHow to Choose the Right Financial Advisor
Over on TheMilitaryWallet.com I wrote a guest post called “How to Find the Best Financial Advisor.” You’ll learn 8 questions that you should ask every prospective financial advisor or planner so you know if he or she is the best match for your situation. Interviewing a financial professional is the only way to fully understand what the individual or their firm can do for you...
Read MoreHow to Maximize Your Eligibility for Student Financial Aid
On the Money Girl blog and podcast this week, I give you strategies to qualify for the most student financial aid. When you understand how financial need for students is calculated, you’ll maximize your eligibility for loans, grants, and work study programs and have more flexibility to pay for the rising cost of tuition. Episode number 222, “8 Ways to Get the Most Student Financial...
Read MoreGraduates Should Avoid These Money Mistakes
I was quoted in an article on FoxBusiness.com this week called “Five Money Mistakes College Grads Should Avoid.” The author of the piece, Emily Driscoll, interviewed me to find out what the typical graduate is facing in our current economy and how they can start their new life on the right financial foot. Find out what several personal finance experts and authors say young grads...
Read MoreActive vs. Passive Investing: What’s Right For You?
The topic on the Money Girl blog and audio podcast this week is “Can Being a Lazy Investor Pay Off?” When it comes to investing there are two broad strategies or philosophies: active investing and passive or lazy investing. In the post, I discuss what the financial researchers have discovered about the effects of active and passive investing on many different portfolios. Find out...
Read MoreShould You Ever Tap Your 401(k)?
In “8 Smart Reasons to Never Raid Your 401(k)” I lay out the top reasons why you should keep your hands out of your retirement account except in a couple of very special circumstances. When you bust open your retirement piggy bank, it’s really difficult to play catch up with your investments–plus, you’re typically subject to income tax and penalties when you take...
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