The Financial Beat

Investment diversification has long been one of the standard pieces of advice we hear from investment advisors.  It’s the age-old adage of “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”  It’s too easy to forget this principle during a booming stock market or real estate market, when everything is going up in value.  But given the collapse of stock prices and real estate prices in late 2008 and early 2009, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of the soundness of a strategy of investment diversification. Read the rest of this entry »

Life insurance is a key component of a sound financial plan, but it is one of those topics that is difficult for most of us.  We know we need life insurance, but it’s an uncomfortable subject to think about or talk about.  On top of that, it’s hard to know how much life insurance we really need.  As a result, too many people have no life insurance at all, or they are vastly under-insured.

I recently read a statistic that the average American has life insurance equal to Read the rest of this entry »

Cars are expensive, but in this article we are going to discuss how to use a new car quote online to help you save several hundred dollars on the cost of a new car.

Over the course of your lifetime, the cost of buying and maintaining cars will be one of your biggest expenses, if not the biggest.  Over a ten year period, a typical new car will lose approximately Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction to Individual Retirement Accounts

An IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is one of the best ways for individuals and married couples to save for retirement.  IRA’s offer numerous tax advantages, along with the opportunity to build a substantial nest egg for retirement. This article is written to provide you with IRA Information to help you make informed decisions about your individual retirement account.

For the 2009 tax year, most people are allowed to contribute up to $5,000 per year Read the rest of this entry »

Credit cards can be a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, they offer many advantages.  For example, they are a tremendous convenience, and allow you to limit the amount of cash you carry.  Credit cards are also easier to use than cash or checks, so they save time and eliminate hassles when making purchases.  Credit cards also come in handy when making online purchases, or booking travel reservations. Read the rest of this entry »

College scholarships are a key component in paying for a college education today.  Let’s face it…college is expensive!  The total cost of attending an “in-state” public university is approximately $20,000 per year, and private colleges can cost more than double that amount.  (These figures include tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies, transportation, and incidental living expenses.)  For most families, a college education is out of reach financially without scholarships and other financial aid.

Fortunately, there are more scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid available than ever before.  Read the rest of this entry »