I think this is a pretty good list of “life lessons” that we should keep in mind, even if we are several decades past college graduation.
Category: Sigman Tips
May
2
2
Words of Wisdom From Graduation Speakers
by Lauren M. SigmanMar
27
27
Redeeming Frequent Flyer Miles: Harder Than You Think
by Lauren M. SigmanDon’t become enamored with amassing huge amounts of frequent flyer miles. They are not as easy to redeem as they once were! This blog post from the Wall Street Journal’s travel writer Scott McCartney has some good advice about how … Continue reading
Mar
27
27
Multiple Savings Accounts, Multiple Goals
by Lauren M. SigmanI dug up this old blog post from the NY Times, because I was just discussing the value of having multiple “pots” of savings earmarked for specific goals with a client. With online banks such as ING Direct and Ally … Continue reading
Mar
10
10
Paying Off Your Mortgage Early: Pro’s & Con’s
by Lauren M. SigmanBorrowers who retire their mortgages early reduce their liquidity and forgo tax deductions, but for some, the psychological benefits make it worth doing. It’s a tradeoff between using cash that is not really earning anything, vs. your mortgage rate, which … Continue reading
Feb
29
29
4 Money Pitfalls Every Widow Should Avoid
by Lauren M. SigmanThere are few more wrenching events in life than losing your spouse. But to make matters worse, the death of a life partner also unleashes a torrent of financial tasks. And more often than not, it is a woman — … Continue reading
Nov
9
9
Estimating Expenses Before Buying Your First Home
by Lauren M. SigmanThis excellent short article from Ron Lieber of the NY Times lists a bunch of critical home maintenance items that can cost upwards of $900/month IN ADDITION to your mortgage payment and property taxes and insurance. Make sure any home … Continue reading
Nov
3
3
Beware of Child ID Theft
by Lauren M. SigmanChild ID theft can be a devastating experience. This crime often goes undetected for years allowing thieves time to build a complicated web of open accounts and debts that can be difficult to resolve. When child identity theft victims enter … Continue reading
Oct
25
25
A Social Security Calculator That Helps Hedge Your Bets
by Lauren M. SigmanI’ve always said that my job ( and yours!) would be so much easier if we all knew how long we are going to live. This is certainly true when deciding when to take Social Security benefits. But the creators … Continue reading
Oct
5
5
Optimistic? Maybe You Shouldn’t Be
by Lauren M. SigmanPonder this article from the NY Times as we head into fairly pessimistic time of year for the stock market…perhaps it is best to “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst?”
Sep
30
30
Saving For Retirement- How Much Do You Need?
by Lauren M. SigmanPart of an NPR series on retirement, I found this to be only somewhat helpful to those of us 50 or older- since it’s really does come down to common sense- the older you are and the less you have … Continue reading