Author Archives: Helen - Page 2
Sustainable energy: If Uncle Sam went to a financial planner…
Today is the first in a series of posts that I plan to write on sustainable energy. What, you may ask, does finding a sustainable source of energy have to…
Is title insurance worth buying?
Ever been stuck at a cocktail party with a blowhard who's leaning in a little too close? Just launch into a monologue on the relative merits of title insurance and…
You get what you measure
Didja' ever notice that how you measure something sometimes changes the outcome? In the 1980's CEO's compensation changed from a salary-and-bonus plan to being directly tied to the stock price,…
If Barack Obama was gay…
If Barack Obama was gay, he would have just signed an executive order giving himself, a federal employee, some additional benefits. Let's see how that might change the lives of…
Monte Carlo estimator for retirement planning
How do I figure out whether I'm saving enough for retirement? What's the impact of one bad year in the stock market? How much can inflation erode my nest egg?…
Four things you need to know about Roth 401(k)’s
When I posted recently on how to choose whether to fund your 401(k), Roth, or traditional IRA, I forgot to mention another category: the Roth 401(k). The Roth 401(k) rocks.…
Why do I need to create an LLC?
A recession might not seem like the best time to start a business, but as Paula recently wrote, a slowdown can provide you with the time and financial incentive to…
Should I fund my 401(k), Roth, or traditional IRA?
There are three types of retirement investment accounts for employees: 401(k), Roth IRA, and the traditional IRA. If your employer offers a match to your 401(k) contributions, then your first…
My best investment ever
My best investment is not the traditional sort of realized gain, but rather, the investment of time, love, and attention. The investment was the decision that my spouse and I…
Paying estimated taxes: 1Q2009
If you pay estimated taxes, remember that the 1Q 2009 bill was due 15 April 2009. With everyone focusing on finishing 2008 taxes, it's easy to overlook this deadline for…