Clothes Make the Woman

The economy doesn’t appear to be getting any better any time soon. We’ve all cut back. Life’s simple luxuries, such as my daily Starbucks fix and weekly hair appointments, have given way to free office coffee and stretching that hair appointment out another week.  The same applies for clothing.  No matter the circumstance you must [...]

Children are Priceless, Raising Them Is Not

Time Magazine reports on a recent birth rate study detailing a 2 percent drop in 2008 of  U.S. birth rates, apparently the biggest drop in four decades.  Why?  Kids aren’t cheap and the economy has proven to be an effective contraceptive. Nancy Gibbs at Time reports: …a typical family will spend about $221,000 raising a [...]

What’s Your (Career) Fallback Position?

Millions of Americans are jobless, and millions more fear they may soon join the ranks of the unemployed as well. Even workers who already have jobs may consider getting evening or weekend training and certification to prepare themselves for these “fallback careers” or “survival jobs”. These certificate programs at trade schools and community colleges may [...]

Homeownership No Longer Building Black Middle Class

Kai Wright, writing in the liberal American Prospect, discusses home ownership as the foundation for black middle class and the imploding mortgage crisis’ effect on it, all told through the lens of his mother’s own foreclosure experience: For years, scholars have primarily turned to one of three measures to identify the middle class: occupation, income, [...]

Applying for a Credit Card? Some Points to Ponder

Credit cards can seem -to some – an answer to their prayers. But the truth is, if you can’t manage your personal finances to begin with, credit cards will get you into greater debt and cause more problems than they solve. A few points on credit card debt: Credit card debt has increased significantly in [...]

Superman Needed

Jamal Simmons writes in today’s Politico on the need for financial superheroes: In sports, as in politics, people like to root for and against a team. That tendency helps college basketball soar in popularity during March Madness because avid fans and casual observers alike cheer for the teams that will help them win that office pool. Americans similarly root for President Barack Obama, as evidenced by his high poll numbers, as he takes on Rush Limbaugh and the Republican naysayers in Congress.

Understanding the Banking Crisis

Kudos to anyone who isn’t in the banking or investment industry that understands it. I have tried to keep up but by the time I think I’ve got it, something new pops. And given I only have a couple of pennies to my name and those are hidden under my mattress, I’ve decided perhaps that ignorance is bliss….at least for a day and then I once again start sorting through the business section (perhaps not so much now at the Washington Post) trying to decipher the health of the world economy.

Getting Schooled

Perhaps my favorite portion of President Obama’s address to Congress was when he cautioned American schoolchildren and challenged all Americans to “get schooled.”

The Economic Stimulus: What’s In It For You?

Given the largess of the economic stimulus bill recently signed into law by President Obama, there is pretty much something in there for everyone. The HuffingtonPost gives a good summary of the many provisions within the new law. Provisions which may be of interest to readers are outlined.

Parents in Crisis: Find the Right Adviser

Finding the Right Adviser is the first in a series of Smart Money articles on helping your parents through the financial crisis:  As money evaporates from their retirement savings, many parents are turning to their kids for help. SmartMoney Senior Editor Beverly Goodman, an expert on investing and personal finance, embarked on “Parents in Crisis,” [...]

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