I’m not going to the FinCon financial bloggers conference this year, but the steady flow of news from participants makes me feel like I’m there after all. One of the events associated with this year’s event is the The Retiree Next Door, a survey and e-book about the realities of being an American retiree in 2014…. [Read More]
Blog
Tag: savings
The middle-class squeeze and the frugal economy
Consumer spending represents 69% of U.S. GDP. That number includes spending on health care and education as well as spending on purses and shoes, and it’s big. The way to get ahead financially is to live on less money than you earn and get a return that beats inflation. In one sense, it’s very easy…. [Read More]
How Americans Save
The folks at America Saves Week recently released their Survey of American Savers, which they took in March of 2014. They were looking at the non-retirement savings habits of those who had signed the America Saves pledge. The survey asked where people put their money. Large numbers of people reported saving their money in traditional… [Read More]
Learning to love your 401(k) plan
The 401(k) was originally designed as a supplement for a traditional, defined benefit pension plan. Now, few companies offer defined benefit pensions; the 401(k) is the retirement plan. Between the tax benefits and the habit of saving, 401(k) plan participation can be a huge help in getting you set up to retire. Some companies allow… [Read More]
Money Smart Week: Money, careers, and literature
This semester, I’m teaching a class at UIC on business, finance, and American culture. It’s a lot of fun to teach, and (I think) the students get a lot out of it. The class has started making their final presentations, and the first batch was really good. Three of the books assigned are The Jungle,… [Read More]
