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End of a long, dry spell
Tess Vigeland Jan 13, 2012
This week's Marketplace Piggy is headed to Livingston, Mont., where James Willish, 35, is working again after 44 months of unemployment.
Letters: Saving as much as you can
Tess Vigeland Jan 13, 2012
Tess Vigeland and senior producer Paddy Hirsch go through the Marketplace Money mailbag.
Thinking about retirement?
Chris Farrell Jan 12, 2012
Planning for retirement isn't easy. The Society of Actuaries has a retirement series that tries to give you a framework for thinking through the key decisions.
Take Social Security now -- or wait?
Chris Farrell Jan 9, 2012
I will be 66 in June but want to continue working for 3 or 4 more years. (I am a college professor.) I am in the position of being able to take my social security check and put the full amount each month in a pre-tax IRA so I would not have to pay taxes on it. Am I better off doing this or should I delay taking it until I am 69 or 70 and get a larger amount each month? Thanks, Hal, Cullowhee, NC
Getting Personal: Retirement
Jan 6, 2012
Tess Vigeland is joined by Chris Farrell, Marketplace Money's economics editor, to answer listener questions.
A sliver of good news on retirement
Chris Farrell Jan 5, 2012
It's underappreciated how well one large cohort of aging boomers should do financially during the traditional retirement years: the college-educated stalwarts of the feminist movement.
Thinking about savings and debt
Chris Farrell Jan 4, 2012
I've got a bunch of student loans, all at relatively low rates (3.5 percent and lower). I have just under $35,000 at this point. I've been auto-transferring money into my savings accounts -- for "emergency funds" as well as future goals such as a down payment, wedding, etc. I have around $48,000 total in savings (between those funds). That money is sitting in savings at less than 1 percent. Mathematically, it makes more sense to pay down the debt. But I'm not comfortable with decreasing my savings that much. How to I choose? Stephanie, Medford, MA
Good news on U.S. savings bonds
Chris Farrell Jan 4, 2012
Treasury says it will keep the current $20,000 annual maximum on savings bonds purchases.
What are you? A stock? A bond? Something else?
Chris Farrell Jan 3, 2012
The uncertainty is unavoidable, but you can come to a more reasoned savings decision by starting from a different place than market history and investing insight. Forget about investing and asset allocation. Think about your job and your career instead. Are you a stock or a bond?
A New Year's resolution: Eliminate debt
Chris Farrell Jan 3, 2012
My husband and I have made pretty bad and spontaneous financial decisions that have brought us a lot of debt. Our plan for 2012 is to get out of debt and start saving more, since we depleted our savings in the past 2 years. I would like to know how to start getting rid of this debt in the smartest way and how to save significantly at the same time. Carla, Boston, MA
