This Week in Your Wallet: October 9, 2012
This week, I want to start the newsletter with a little something different. I want you to think about yourgoals — and, more importantly, I want you to think about the goals you think you’ll never actually achieve. As you’re thinking about these seemingly impossible goals, I’m going to tell you a quick story. As you may [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: October 2, 2012
Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran an article talking about how cell phones are eating up the family budget these days, to the point that many families have cut back how much they are eating out, buying clothes and spending money on entertainment. “It stinks,” one man said, talking about the $200 per month he pays for [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: September 25, 2012
During my regular Monday-morning perusal of the financial news, a headline in the Wall Street Journal caught my eye: “It’s Really OK to Say, ‘I Can’t Afford That.’” The introduction to the piece went on to say, “Many people would rather struggle to pay off a large credit card bill than utter the phrase, ‘I can’t afford that.’” There [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: September 18, 2012
I suppose the title to this week’s newsletter should be, “Drive YOUR car,” but after reading two recent articles about car loans and buying a new car, I couldn’t get the Beatles’ song out of my head. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m a car person. I not only like driving, I like shopping for (and simply looking [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: September 11, 2012
Before I launch into the financial news of the week, I want to start by acknowledging the date. There’s a bright blue sky overhead here in New York, and I’ve heard many people say how much this makes them think of that fateful day eleven years ago. Whether today you’re missing a friend, a family member, or just a time [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: September 4, 2012
In honor of our kids going back to school this week, I have a question for you: when you were a kid, didyour mom give you lunch money so you could buy your lunch from the cafeteria, or did she pack you a brown bag full of goodies? My mom did the latter. The brown bags she gave me had better [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: August 28, 2012
We hear a lot about how, in our near-constant use of the Internet, we have to be careful to guard ourselves against identity fraud. Create good passwords, don’t click on bad links, monitor your bank accounts frequently. I’m sure I’ve told you all these tips at least once before, and I’ll remind you again, because this information is important. But what [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: August 21, 2012
In the past, I’ve used this space to, shall we say, note my frustration at how difficult it can be to redeem rewards from loyalty programs (particularly frequent flier miles). I’ve even tried to provide tips to help you get around this difficulty. This week, I’m happy to tell you there is a way to redeem your credit card rewards without jumping through hoops [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: August 14, 2012
The grocery games just got a little more complicated — and unfortunately, I’m not talking about “Supermarket Sweep.” (Though, anyone else miss that show? I love it when I catch a rerun on the Game Show Network!) According to an article in the New York Times, grocery stores are adding another layer to the process that is finding sales: [...]
This Week in Your Wallet: August 7, 2012
The Olympics are always filled with inspiring stories of comebacks, and the London Games have already delivered in spades. From “Blade Runner” (and double-amputee) Oscar Pistorius defying critics and making it into the semifinals of the 400-meter dash to Andy Murray earning redemption (and gold) on the courts of Wimbledon, there’s been no shortage of inspiration. But [...]