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The fall and winter seasons of the economic cycle
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
(Since April is Financial Literacy Month, a number of articles will be devoted to more educational topics. This is Part III in a four-part series about how understanding economic cycles could inform your financial decisions. Part I is Understanding economic cycles: An introduction. Part II is Recognizing economic seasons: recovery and growth. Part IV is How to profit from economic cycles.)
How to save money on family vacations
This article is by staff writer Holly Johnson.
Earlier this month, my little family of four embarked on a much-needed spring getaway to the Caribbean. I’m sure that doesn’t sound frugal at all, but rest assured that it was. After a year of planning and a whole lot of strategizing, we were able to book that particular trip for what amounted to a boatload of hotel loyalty points, a bunch of airline miles, and around $700.
I know that isn’t cheap by any means, but it was a good deal when you consider the fact that our trip price included round-trip airfare for four, a six-night hotel stay at an all-inclusive resort, transportation, and tips. Pretty sweet.
Ask the Readers: How do you challenge your financial status quo?
This article is by staff writer Lisa Aberle.
While the rest of our group galloped up the mountain in Haiti, I was stuck at a flat area partway up with two other people in our party who just couldn’t make it another step: a man who was pushing 80 and another guy who was overweight. I was so frustrated with my lack of stamina and embarrassed at my inability to push my early-30s self any more physically.
Considering that I used to hike and run and exercise, it was very sad. And I resolved, right there on the mountain path, that I would make some changes to my physical health when I got back home. Even worse, the rest of the group returned, exclaiming about the view! the people they met! the goats they saw!
Recognizing economic seasons: recovery and growth
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
(Since April is Financial Literacy Month, a number of articles will be devoted to more educational topics. This is Part II in a four-part series about how understanding economic cycles could inform your financial decisions. Part I is Understanding economic cycles: An introduction. Part III is The fall and winter seasons of the economic cycle. Part IV is How to profit from economic cycles.)
Recognizing economic seasons: recovery and growth
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
(Since April is Financial Literacy Month, a number of articles will be devoted to more educational topics. This is Part II in a series about how understanding economic cycles could inform your financial decisions. Part I is Understanding economic cycles: An introduction.)
In Part I of this series, the introductory post about economic cycles, we discussed the fact that the economy, while growing over the long term, moves in up-and-down cycles and that each cycle can be broken down into four phases that mirror the four seasons of nature. In this section, we will explore what we identified as the spring and summer seasons of the economic cycle by considering two fictional crop farmers (Farmer Fred and Farmer Claude) whose livelihoods depend on how well they manage their work each season.
Understanding economic cycles: An introduction
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
(Since April is Financial Literacy Month, a number of articles will be devoted to more educational topics. This is Part I in a four-part series about how understanding economic cycles could inform your financial decisions. Part II is Recognizing economic seasons: recovery and growth. Part III is The fall and winter seasons of the economic cycle. Part IV is How to profit from economic cycles.)
Getting rich slowly is built on these four commonly understood pillars:
Understanding economic cycles: An introduction
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
(Since April is Financial Literacy Month, a number of articles will be devoted to more educational topics. This is Part I in a series about how understanding economic cycles could inform your financial decisions.)
Getting rich slowly is built on these four commonly understood pillars:
- Get out of debt (and stay out of debt)
- Find ways to earn more
- Spend less than you earn
- Invest the difference
Despite the fact that many people followed those four guiding principles during the Great Recession, some “got poor quickly” instead. I believe that is because there is something else to know about the economy and how it affects our finances. This post is the first in a short series explaining what I understand about the economy and its seasons.
10 tips for when you can’t find a job
This article is by staff writer Honey Smith.
For the last few months, I’ve been talking about various aspects of job-hunting. But what do you do if you can’t find a job? OK, you can start with cutting your budget to the bone and applying for public assistance programs if you are eligible. But what next? Well, as with many things, the short answer is: It depends. On what, you may ask? Here’s what I came up with:
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Are you currently unemployed, underemployed, or employed and just looking for a better opportunity?
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Do you have any debt? How much? What kind (a mortgage, consumer debt, student loans)?
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How big is your emergency fund? Do you have any other liquid reserves?
Ask the Readers: Have you ever opened a retirement account to reduce your taxes?
This article is by editor Linda Vergon.
As we finished up our tax return this year, it turned out that we owed. Great. We don’t have to scrape the money together. We had planned for the extra liability when an unexpected consulting gig came together for my husband at the end of 2014. But nonetheless, it stings when you have to write a check to the Internal Revenue Service. (And besides, you just want to keep your hard-earned money for yourself!) But I was astonished with what happened next – because the solution came from yours truly and not my MBA-husband.
Ask the Readers: Have you ever opened a retirement account to reduce your taxes?
This article is by editor Linda Vergon.
As we finished up our tax return this year, it turned out that we owed. Great. We don’t have to scrape the money together. We had planned for the extra liability when an unexpected consulting gig came together for my husband at the end of 2014. But nonetheless, it stings when you have to write a check to the Internal Revenue Service. (And besides, you just want to keep your hard-earned money for yourself!) But I was astonished with what happened next – because the solution came from yours truly and not my MBA-husband.
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