Latest News
| Jobless Claims Back Below 400K - What the Marker Means | |
 | The initial jobless claims number for last week fell below the 400,000 mark for the first time in over a month. Why is the 400K jobless claims level important? And why... |
| Cities suffer home price declines due to foreclosures | |
 | The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for the month of October, released on December 27th, showed a surprise fall in home prices across many major cities in the country. The home prices... |
| Food Stamp Nation - Ever Rising Food Stamp Usage and Growing SNAP Fraud | |
 | Food stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) usage has grown nearly every month under the Obama administration, setting new records each progressive month. Latest reports state that over 46 million... |
| The Euro weakens against the Yen | |
 | The Euro weakened against major trading currencies, when Italy announced that it will auction 8.5 Billion Euros of its debt. Falling to a decade low, the 17 nation European trading currency... |
| Is Debt crisis an adding factor to the fall in World Economy? | |
 | The International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde who was in Nigeria last week, spoke up her concern over the lack of co-operation between the European countries to solve the debt crisis.... |
| Sears Finds a Loophole: Laid Off Employees Among Illinois Residents to Foot The Bill For Recent Tax Breaks | |
 | Sears, one of the largest retailers in the United States, has decided to lay off thousands of workers due to slow holiday sales. This comes just weeks after they signed... |
Feature Articles
| Don't Worry, Be Happy: Personal Finance Tips That Work | |
 | Handling your own finances is a tricky subject for a lot of people. Although there are a lot of excuses that can be made, the reality is that each person... |
| Panic in Europe - Should You Panic Too? | |
 | The headline news in Europe is the same as much of the industrialized world. The root cause of any disaster listed in a top ten financial news article is the financial... |
| Stop Your Financial Fight With These Expert Tips! | |
 | Teaching your children about money is very important. Although it can seem like a challenge, it is something that needs to be done. Children are never too young to learn how... |
| Check Out These Ideas For A Better Understanding Of Your Personal Finances | |
 | As you start out in managing your personal finances, take the time to go over these tips and learn more about what you can expect. Buy your staples in bulk and save... |
| The bad and not so bad the second mortgage loan dilema. | |
 | It may come to no shock to you that many people are underwater when it comes to their first mortgage on their home. But why most of the news only... |
| Making your Home Equity Loan Better | |
 | There are new ways to take care of your home equity loan much better. One of the ways is to pay the installment for your home equity on time. This will... |
| Tax Treatment of REIT Investments | |
 | Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, can be a profitable investment vehicle. A REIT owns real estate property and shares of the trust sell on the stock market like shares of... |
| Invest Money to Make Money | |
 | "You have to spend money to make money" is common advice when it comes to getting ahead financially. Although this isn't universally true, investing money is a proven method for growing... |
| The Good and Bad of Credit Cards | |
 | According to the US Census Bureau, the number of credit card users increased by 45% between 1995 and 2006. This number continues to grow. Further, the average credit limit per user... |
| Using Dollar Cost Averaging To Accumulate Wealth | |
 | The term dollar-cost averaging comes up about every day in the investing world. The sad thing is that most individual investors have no idea what this term means or what... |
| Consigning Clothes: Five Steps to a Cleaner Closet and a Fatter Wallet | |
 | Are you looking for a way to make a few extra dollars? Consider selling your unwanted clothing at a consignment shop. With just a little effort, you can clean... |
| In Canada, What Happens to Credit Card Debt When Someone Passes Away? | |
 | When you or a loved one passes on, does your credit card debt as well? Or does it get passed on to the survivors? While this may be one of the... |
| 5 Things You Need to Know About Retiring | |
 | Retiring?! Yes, retiring. It may seem eons away, but the decades tend to pick up speed as you go along, and you will be facing retirement sooner than you... |
| The Benefits of Using Private Equity Financing | |
 | You're ready to expand your business, and you need capital. Should you get a traditional bank loan or use private equity financing? A traditional bank loan is a type of debt... |
| Some Negative Effects of Raising the Minimum Wage | |
 | As of 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Each state can enact its own minimum wage laws that will supersede the federal minimum wage, but only if the... |
| CD Laddering: The Best of Both Worlds | |
 | For many years, CDs have been popular investments because of their straightforward terms and fixed rates of interest. While the interest on CDs is low compared with what you might earn... |
| Can I get an auto loan with bad credit? | |
 | Is a poor credit rating stopping you from getting the car of your dreams? Are you tired of rejections for auto loans? Applying for a loan can be a stressful and... |
| How to Understand the Market Value of Debt | |
 | The market value of debt is rarely known directly. This is because most debt is held by banks and firms on the books. This takes these out of the debt market... |
| What should I consider when leasing a car? | |
 | Leasing a new car can seem confusing and intimidating. What should you consider before you sign the paperwork and commit yourself? A little preparation now could save you thousands... |
| What to consider when choosing an auto loan. | |
 | You have found the car of your dreams, but what auto loan should you choose? Choosing the right auto loan can be a complicated and confusing process for borrowers. There... |
Emergency Cash and Emergency Money Plans - Financial News, Explanations, Calculators and Cheat Sheets
An Economic Divide across the Ages
On November 7th, Pew released an economic survey that revealed a surprising economic trend. Older adults are not only better off financially than the young, but the Great Recession hasn't hurt them as it has young adults. From 1984 to 2009, the net worth of those over age 65 has risen 42%. For the same time period, the net worth of those under 35 fell 68%. For one group to greatly improve while the other collapses is previously unknown. However, there are several reasons for this economic divide.
* Perceptions of poor education, lousy work ethic and fear that they will jump any job more exciting than this one preclude hiring of high school students, college students and new graduates. Employment for those over 55 is no longer limited to tried and true positions like management, teaching and a greeter at Wal-Mart. Jobs in retail, concessions, fast food and the service industry are increasingly filled by the very old instead of the very young. A new graduate may bus tables for a few months waiting for something better comes along. Someone who is 65 and needs a job will stay with the employer for years after being trained because they need the job.
* The elderly receive more social support than the very young. Medicare provides health care, while medical costs for the very young have risen along with skyrocketing health insurance rates. This has decreased the financial load of those over 65 even as medical costs have risen at several times the rate of inflation.
* Long term unemployment for the young is a disaster. Long term unemployment after 65 is called retirement. For those over 65 who lose their jobs, there is Social Security income instead of unemployment. And unlike Unemployment Insurance, Social Security does not run out. This means that even the very old who have no other financial fall backs like pensions and 401Ks have Social Security. For very young adults, it is living with family members or homelessness.
* Rising college costs have greatly increased the indebtedness of college graduates. And unlike other types of debt, federally backed student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy. Those going to college in hope of a good job frequently graduate with a debt payment equal to a car payment or house payment. The debt payments prevent them from building up savings or their net worth.
* Those who are under 35 bought houses at the height of the real estate bubble. That left them underwater on homes worth far less than the purchase price. For those over 65 who own property, a large proportion owns their homes outright or have very small mortgages. The real estate market collapse left many young people with a negative net worth. Those over 65 were not as adversely affected.