According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the official unemployment rate is down to 3.7% for September. If that statistic is accurate, there should be a job available for everyone who wants one. What's more, there should be enough pressure on wages that salaries should be rising sharply. Bu… Continue Reading

Normally, we think debtors should be required to pay their obligations in full. I was once in that camp. But during the Financial Meltdown, we had a similar crisis, with too many people owing too much money on their homes. Amnesty – perhaps in form of something like a 25% forgiveness of everyone  Continue Reading

In Why You Should Avoid Buying in HOA Neighborhoods, frequent commentator Nila Ridings suggested that HOAs are cult-like. Having lived in several myself, I have to agree with Nila's observation. I've described them as the adult equivalent of a high school clique. Are HOAs cults? A strong case can be… Continue Reading

This concept is becoming increasingly important as the economy and the job market evolve into something as yet not clearly defined. But it's even more important if you’re a relatively new entrant to the workforce, or you're an older worker, looking either to remain in the workforce, or cut a path … Continue Reading

Bloomberg came out with a report last week showing how poorly America stands on the health care front. In These Are the Economies With the Most (and Least) Efficient Health Care the US ranked #54 in health care efficiency. I think they’re on to something. That’s a very different way of mea… Continue Reading

There's no question, owning a home is the emotional preferred choice. It also fits more comfortably with him humanity's tendency toward normalcy bias – the general assumption that whatever has worked in the past will always work in the future. But as the nature and core structure of America's econ… Continue Reading

If you are contemplating going it alone and becoming your own boss, you are not alone. The past decade has seen an explosion in new business startups for a whole host of reasons. In part, it is down to the difficulties faced in the broader economy. Corporate giants have tightened their belts and luc… Continue Reading

We hear a lot in the media about two very important personal financial issues – no savings and high debt. The problem is that the two are usually discussed individually. It's as if they’re independent of one another. But I'm convinced that no savings and high debt are connected – intimately   Continue Reading

Making the right decision regarding which insurance plan to choose can get quite confusing at times. If this is your first time coming across the terms such as whole and term life insurance, we’ve created this article to clear up at least some of the confusion. We've highlighted the main 3 differe… Continue Reading

It seems as if every few months we’re treated to a list of store closings by Sears. I’ve noticed in the past they’ve mainly closed stores located in rural areas or in very small cities. But this year they’ve taken to closing stores in prime locations. So, we weren’t surprised to read that … Continue Reading