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Sometimes in personal finance - as in the rest of life - you get false clues, things that seem important but lead you astray. Here's how you can spot a false clue and ignore it. Let's assume you are already participating in your employer's retirement plan or are about to start. You have to decide ho...

Today I'll start the countdown of my Ten Ground Rules for 401(k)/403(b) Success. These are common sense guidelines I have refined from nearly three decades of talking with clients and observing their results within employer-sponsored retirement plans. The first rule seems so simple and obvious as...

Out of the millions of Tylenol tablets that are taken daily it only took 70 to get Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) into a world of trouble with the FDA today. JNJ, which was trading down $1.00 as of 1:48PM, was criticized for not responding to 70 customer complaints in an efficient manner. So does this...

All week I have been steamed about boffo bonuses at bailed-out banks. Now it's time for me to climb down off my soapbox and get back to offering useful advice for our clients. Next week I will start a countdown of my Ten Ground Rules for 401(k)/403(b) Success. Many employers offer retirement plan...

George Orwell's book "Animal Farm" is a satire of totalitarian governments. Totalitarianism invariably boils down to hypocrisy: someone is in charge and they will do as they please and fairness be damned. Though the animals in the story resolve that all are equal, gradually their seven commandment...

I know I'm not the only parent groaning over the hefty check I have to write for my daughter's college education. With such high price tags, college degrees are not easy expenses to stomach. However, with the right planning, you can at least be prepared for one of life's most costly undertakings....

There is a little known tax credit called the "Work Opportunity Credit." A business can claim a credit equal to 40% of the first $6000 of wages paid to employees of certain targeted groups. The two new targeted groups that have been added are unemployed veterans and disconnected youth. What the heck...

It's bonus season on Wall Street and the heads of major banks are dreaming their dreams of 7- and 8-figure bonuses. Now I was able to count on my fingers and an 8-figure bonus comes to between 10 and 99 million dollars. I suppose that seems like chump change for banks which so recently were bailed...

An odd combination and not one your dentist is likely to favor. On the NYSE today aluminum was headed down while chocolate was on the rise. This is the week when companies begin reporting their 4th quarter 2009 earnings. The first big name to do so was Alcoa, which announced late yesterday their bes...

It's time again for the NFL Playoffs. That means Peyton Manning throwing, LaDainian Tomlinson running, Larry Fitzgerald catching and the collective Buffalo Bills looking at a 9 iron from about 140 yards. Teams prepare hard all week based on what they do well, the opponent they're playing, and the co...