Category: Financial Landing 2015

2/3/2015 - The One Crucial Money Concept Children Need to Learn (WSJ)

Children need to learn about the fungibility of money.  Fungibility–itself a delightfully squishy, marshmallowy term– is defined by Meriam-Webster as “being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation.” In other words, money can be used simultaneously for more… Read more 2/3/2015 - The One Crucial Money Concept Children Need to Learn (WSJ)

2/2/2015 - The Mental and Physical Toll of Student Loans (The Atlantic)

As the use of student loans escalates, so too do conversations about the possible ramifications of increasingly high debt for young Americans. It’s widely known that inability to pay student debt can result in a host of problems, like damaged credit or garnished wages, but a new study from the University of South Carolina suggests that some… Read more 2/2/2015 - The Mental and Physical Toll of Student Loans (The Atlantic)

2/2/2015 - What women need to know when they retire (MarketWatch)

Young people entering the workforce need to educate themselves about the retirement-planning process. Women in the early stages of their retirement planning should be aware that they will face some different challenges than their male coworkers. One of the key differences is life expectancy. On average, women live longer than men do. Girl babies born… Read more 2/2/2015 - What women need to know when they retire (MarketWatch)

2/1/2015 - What to do when behind on retirement savings (USA Today)

You’re in your 50s, the kids have moved out and the panic sets in: you don’t have nearly enough retirement savings.More than a third of the country’s workforce is with you: 36% say they and their spouse have less than $1,000 saved for retirement, according to a 2014 survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute,… Read more 2/1/2015 - What to do when behind on retirement savings (USA Today)

1/29/2015 - Why You Should Tell Your Children How Much You Make (The New York Times)

When Scott Parker wanted his six offspring to know more about the value of money, he decided to do something that many parents would consider radical: show them exactly what he earned.One day, he stopped by his local Wells Fargo branch in Encinitas, Calif., and asked to withdraw his entire monthly salary in cash. In… Read more 1/29/2015 - Why You Should Tell Your Children How Much You Make (The New York Times)

1/29/2015 - Gold-Plated Public-School Pension Plans? Most Teachers Never See the Cash (Forbes)

 In 15 states, teachers have to work 10 years before they vest in their retirement plans. Many are long gone before they are eligible to collect one dollar in benefits, even as they are obligated to contribute a substantial portion to their plans each payday. Yet even though only half of teachers will collect their… Read more 1/29/2015 - Gold-Plated Public-School Pension Plans? Most Teachers Never See the Cash (Forbes)

1/29/2015 - For Many U.S. Families, Financial Disaster is Just One Setback Away (The Wall Street Journal)

American families have made big strides repairing their balance sheets from the economic crash, but their finances remain disturbingly vulnerable to emergencies—a major obstacle to economic mobility, a new report says. About 70% of U.S. households are struggling with at least one of three problems with their balance sheets—low incomes, insufficient savings or debt, according to an analysis… Read more 1/29/2015 - For Many U.S. Families, Financial Disaster is Just One Setback Away (The Wall Street Journal)

1/28/2015 - How to protect elderly loved ones from financial ruin (MarketWatch)

If you suspect an elderly or financially unsophisticated relative may be having trouble keeping up with his or her financial affairs, there are a number of steps you can take. Don Blandin, president and chief executive of the Investor Protection Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to investor education, says parents and adult children need to have conversations… Read more 1/28/2015 - How to protect elderly loved ones from financial ruin (MarketWatch)

1/27/2015 - The Biggest Financial Threat Women Face (CNBC)

According to a recent study by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 62 percent of women said they were saving for retirement, but just 15 percent said they were saving enough; 22 percent were barely saving at all. That means 85 percent of women aren’t saving enough money to support themselves in retirement. There are a number of… Read more 1/27/2015 - The Biggest Financial Threat Women Face (CNBC)

1/26/2015 - Why Women Are Worse Prepared Than Men for Retirement (Money)

Women outpace men when it comes to saving, but they need to be more aggressive in their investing. One helpful metric is the data collected from IRA plan administrators across the country by the Employment Benefit Research Institute (EBRI.) The study found that although men and women contribute almost the same to their IRAs on average—$3,995 for… Read more 1/26/2015 - Why Women Are Worse Prepared Than Men for Retirement (Money)