Money Tips Network

On September 18, the S&P 500 closed the day at 2,011.36. As of my writing, the S&P 500 sits at 1,864.84. In other words, the S&P 500 has lost 7.3% of its value in less than a month.

Let’s put that in dollars and cents.

Let’s say that on September 18, I had $100,000 in my retirement account invested in a stock mutual fund that’s made up of something very similar to the S&P 500. This is pretty typical for people who are saving hard for their retirement.

Right now, that investment is only worth $92,715.38. $7,284.62 has vanished into thin air.

If you had $500,000 invested on September 18, $36,423.12 has vanished since then.

That kind of quick drop is scary to a lot of people. It’s not altogether different than the feeling you get when you’re riding a roller coaster and you start to drop off of a tall hill. It can make you feel a bit queasy if you think about it too much.

This article is by editor Linda Vergon.

The small, rectangular ceramic flower pots I kept in the two window sills of my bathroom had never budged an inch in the 14 years I owned the home, but one day I saw that one was close to falling out onto the counter below. I wondered if a small earthquake had caused it to move as I pushed it back in place. About a week later, I came home to find that the pot had actually fallen completely off the little ledge and onto the counter. This time I stopped to understand why, and I discovered that the small window was separated from the sill. I went outside. From there I could tell that the window had been pried from the house and someone had left a hacksaw on the ground. Evidently, I surprised whoever was trying to make their way into my home.

Salary negotiation is not always easy, especially if you don't know the value you and your position bring to your team and to your company.

So ask yourself these six questions and uncover your true market worth before you start driving a hard bargain.

This post comes from Jacqui Kenyon at our partner site LearnVest.

Have you ever gotten absorbed in a project on your laptop, only to look at the clock to see that three hours have passed?

TODAY Money calls it the “hypnotic effects of technology,” and it’s just one of several factors contributing to a new and dangerous office trend: binge working.

With more and more employees connected at all hours, anxious about money and job security, and pumped up on good ol’ caffeine, working beyond any semblance of a normal office day is becoming more common—and sometimes with dangerous results.

Buying a home is typically a long-term investment. When you buy a home, you generally have several decades to pay off the loan. In fact, while there are different loan terms to choose from, most home buyers opt for mortgage loans that have a standard 30-year repayment term. Given the time and financial investment it […]

The post Best Mortgage Rates for May 2021 appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Halloween is a booming business, and the only thing more expensive than the treats for little tricksters are the costumes.

I’ve had a lot of successes in changing my life for the better. Over the course of approximately five and a half years, Sarah and I managed to pay off three student loans, three car loans, four nearly-maxed-out credit cards, and a full home mortgage, moving ourselves from financial disaster to complete debt freedom. I essentially built a new career for myself out of whole cloth, too, practically making my own job up along the way. I switched from a meat-heavy diet to a vegetarian diet (with rare fish consumption).

At the same time, I’ve had a ton of failures along the way. I’ve failed at many of my personal fitness goals. I’ve failed repeatedly to write a novel that I felt was publishable. I’ve failed in countless other things, too.

When I look back at my own successes and failures, I can’t help but ask myself what the difference is between the successes and failures. Why did I succeed at some things and fail at other things?

Food is a big family expense, but one that can easily be trimmed. Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers Europe

Parenting is the most difficult yet rewarding job I’ve ever had in my life. It definitely hasn’t been easy on my pockets, either. And apparently, I’m not alone in my experiences.

According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost to raise a child born in 2013 will be $245,300. That’s the equivalent of a decent home in my area. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the expense categories:

This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp.

If you love cat pictures, today is your lucky day. Because I’m back!

As longtime readers will recall, I contributed to Get Rich Slowly from 2009 to 2013. I often wrote about more “technical” (i.e., boring) topics, such as taxes and IRAs. In order to provide a reprieve from the technical-ness, J.D. occasionally sprinkled in cat pictures. I tried not to take it personally.

Photo: ZUMA Press

But for the record, I think other creatures would have been more appropriate. Such as the blob fish.