Mark your grandchild’s birthday by giving a chunk of tuition. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Finally, a birthday gift that’s fiscally responsible. Instead of giving children more toys, DVDs or video games, family members and friends can easily contribute toward a child’s college kitty. Click here for the entire article.
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Wall Street Goes Negative
A quota for analyst sell recommendations may mean better stock research from brokers. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Big brokerage firms are still trying to wipe away the stain of the tainted stock research they foisted on investors during the Internet bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Back then, as it turned out, some …
Beat Back Investment Fees
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Making a buck on your investments is tough enough without watching your profits nibbled away by fees that are pesky at best and punitive at worst. The best way to avoid them is to deal with firms that offer the best value for the services you want. Click here for the …
Giving with Strings Attached
A guide to making sure your gift accomplishes what you want it to. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: A donation to your favorite charity is more than a gift or a tax break — it’s an investment. Pick an inefficient charity and your contribution will be eaten by administrative costs and fund-raising expenses. You can attach …
Learning to Be an Un-Consumer
John Perry, 44, a marketing manager, co-founded The Compact, a group that avoids unnecessary consumption. Two years later, it has more than 8,000 followers. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Question: How did The Compact begin? Perry: Over dinner, nine friends and I decided to go an entire year without buying anything new besides food, medicine and …
Not-So-Simple College Savings
529 employer benefits can cost more if you don’t ask the right questions. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine: It sounds like a great perk. You invest in a college-savings plan selected by your employer, and contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck. Result: a no-sweat college kitty. Unfortunately, it’ not that simple. Click here for …
Over-The-Top Bank Fees
To avoid outrageous overdraft charges, keep close tabs and weave a safety net. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Paying an overdraft fee on your checking account is like having your mouth washed out with soap: The bank says it’s for your own good-but is it really? Just ask Ben Kohler, a 19-year-old Pizza Hut manager who’s …
Israel Gets a Big Boost
Promotion to developed-nation status gives its stocks added appeal. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: Never mind last year’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and growing concern about the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran. The Israeli stock market is on a roll. Over the past five years to October 15, …
Chicken Little Growth Gets Cooked
The rapid rise and fall of this gimmicky fund illustrates all the traits of a classic bad investment. From Kiplinger.com: Funds that stink are rarely worth a mention. But when a fund fails on every level — lousy strategy, unproven management, high expenses, a spotty track record, poor board oversight and a cheesy name — …
Do Good With a Donor-Advised Fund
Budding philanthropists can invest their money and give to their favorite charities. From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: The perfect vehicle for budding philanthropists is a donor-advised fund. Such a fund lets you turn over assets (money, stocks, bonds) to a program run by a financial-services firm, a community foundation or a charitable group. You then advise …