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Spend less, save more
Chris Farrell Mar 2, 2012
Tips for saving money without feeling (too much) pain.
What should we do with our money
Chris Farrell Mar 2, 2012
We now want to invest some of our emergency fund that we believe is a little inflated, due to fears of the economy. I've looked around at fee-only advisers, but they all state that you should have at least $100,000 to start investing; otherwise, they don't feel like you are qualified to work with. What should we do with our money? We have about $15,000-20,000 that we want to invest, but we want to do the right thing. Could your staff help with some options? Thank you, Joshua, Riverside, CA
To Roth 401(k) or not
Chris Farrell Feb 28, 2012
My company just added a Roth 401(k) investment option to our retirement plan. I am currently saving 6 percent of my salary in my 401(k), with a 3 percent match from my company. (This is the maximum match.) Now that there is an option to invest in the Roth, with the same match available, I am not sure how to adjust my investments. I don't have any other retirement savings besides my 401(k). I have talked this over with a few of my friends and none of them seems to know the answer, either. Thanks for your help! Priscilla, Greenville, N.C.
An inheritance and plenty of uncertainty
Chris Farrell Feb 27, 2012
I will receive $25,000 in the next couple weeks from the sale of my mom's house. She died suddenly of a brain aneurysm last spring, at age 58. I am asking for advice on how to invest this small windfall. (I also received another $10,000 from her life insurance last year and used that to pay down a personal bank loan of $6k and credit card debt.)
Here are my stats: I'm 36 and went back to college in 2010 to finish my first degree (I had worked in insurance and kept hitting income/advancement ceilings due to not having a degree.) As of May, I will graduate with $45,000 of loans. I have $7,000 in credit card debt and own a house with a $130,000 left on the mortgage. I do have $10,000 in a 401k at a previous employer and I also inherited her 2009 car, so I have no car payment.
I realize paying down debt is the fastest return on the money, but I feel like I don't want to just sink this money entirely into student loans, which have a low interest rate. My plan is to pay off the credit card debt and create a small emergency fund. This will leave around $15,000. Would it work to place some of it in longer term investments or just completely add the money to my debt?
To add complication to the situation. I am studying graphic design and the firms I am in touch with all say they have increased hiring and the future looks good for this career. However, there is the option that I may want to free-lance or split off on my own in two to four years and could use a cushion to help as a startup. Thank you for any advice or information. Jamie, Eden Prairie, MN
A career poised for take-off
Chris Farrell Feb 24, 2012
I have been out of college for just over a year now and am waiting to be hired by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an air traffic controller (a 2 to 3 year process, on average). I was lucky with scholarships and waivers and have about $20,000 in student loans (all federally subsidized) and am currently on a standard payment plan for a 10-year repayment period. I have enough saved up in CDs, money market accounts, savings and mutual funds that could pay off all of the loans but only leave me with about $5,000 left over to deal with any "unplanned" expenses (I have no credit card debt and a full-time job with a major airline). Is it smart to get rid of all of my debt immediately but be left with little to fall back on? Should I pay off half of the loan and repay the rest over time? Michael, Minneapolis, MN
Insurance: It's complicated
Chris Farrell Feb 23, 2012
My real question is about disability and long-term care insurance. I have some level of short- and long-term disability through work, but my husband has nothing (besides Social Security), and neither of us has long-term care insurance. I worry about what would happen if we lost one income stream. We've looked into these programs, but they are not cheap (especially the long-term care insurance). Is this something we should have? If we do, it will probably mean less savings in other areas (such as retirement). Is it worth the trade-off? Catherine, Princeton, NJ
More bad news on retirement
Chris Farrell Feb 23, 2012
A substantial fraction of people die with virtually no financial assets -- 46.1 percent with less than $10,000.
A sweep account and an IRA
Chris Farrell Feb 22, 2012
I am 24 years old and starting to get a handle on my financial situation. I have started an emergency savings account and am ready to open a Roth IRA with $2,500. I started an application for an account, but it asked for my choice of a sweep fund. Nothing I've read has mentioned this and my Internet research has come up with limited and confusing information. What is a sweep fund and how do I choose one? Julia, Boise, ID
51%: An ominous number
Chris Farrell Feb 22, 2012
More Americans are at risk of a lower standard of living in retirement.
For five years of love and fiscal responsibility
Tess Vigeland Feb 17, 2012
A marine declares his love for his wife of five years, who along with love diligently sent him burned copies of Marketplace Money every week through two tours of duty.
