On MoneyFinance blog
Gail MarksJarvis
| ReadMore help finding a financial planner
Here's advice from the Better Business Bureau about picking a financial planner....
March 20, 2009 6:33 PM CDT
How do I find a financial planner?
Finding a good financial adviser takes some work. You need to ask planners how...
March 6, 2009 7:23 PM CST
Paying your credit card isn't good enough
It's one thing to get hit with an interest rate increase on your credit card...
February 23, 2009 7:32 PM CST
Your Money stories
Stock market's recent rally may rekindle urge to invest, but tread cautiously
Mar 29, 2009
Ready to give the stock market a try?
SPENDING SMART
Gregory Karp is a personal finance writer for The Morning Call, a Tribune Co. newspaper in Allentown, Pa.
GETTING STARTED
Carolyn Bigda writes the Getting Started column. E-mail her at yourmoney@tribune.com.
THE JOURNEY
Janet Kidd Stewart if Your Money columnis.
Have a retirement question? Write to yourmoney@tribune.com, or via mail at Your Money, Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. If your letter is selected, we may include you and your question in a future column.
Have a retirement question? Write to yourmoney@tribune.com, or via mail at Your Money, Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. If your letter is selected, we may include you and your question in a future column.
Andrew Leckey: Target Corp. focusing more on prices
Mar 29, 2009
QI am surprised that discount chain Target Corp. hasn't done better in the economic downturn. What are your thoughts?
Time to assess risk, then re-enter investment pool
Mar 29, 2009
Think at least some of the dust has settled and you're ready to position your retirement portfolio for the future?
GAIL MARKJARVIS
Gail MarkJarvis is a financial columnist at the Chicago Tribune. E-mail her at gmarksjarvis@tribune.com.
College graduates facing tough job market should be flexible
Mar 29, 2009
Few things are more frustrating than a long job search. But for students finishing college this spring, the tough economy could delay not only a steady paycheck, but also the start of a much-anticipated career.
Thinking about lending money to a friend or relative?
Mar 22, 2009
With banks being so tightfisted these days, you might find friends or relatives falling on hard times and turning to you for a loan.
Target date funds took too many risks for near-retirees
Mar 22, 2009
The nation's experiment with simple 401(k) investing didn't turn out to be so simple after all, as millions of workers have lost large chunks of their life's savings when they can least afford it—on the verge of retirement.
In this economy, bankruptcy may be an answer for many
Mar 15, 2009
You can't make your mortgage payment. Or maybe you've lost your job and are faced with a mountain of credit card debt. Either way, you're a casualty in the nation's economic avalanche and you find yourself contemplating the last resort—bankruptcy.
Roth IRA a good choice if company ends 401(k) match
Mar 15, 2009
The steep decline in the stock market isn't the only hit to 401(k)'s. A growing number of employers are suspending matching contributions to workers' accounts as the recession drags on.
BP, other oil firms to take on added debt as revenues fall
Mar 15, 2009
QPlease comment on the prospects for stock of BP PLC. I did not envision its decline.
Need a game plan for 2009? Look to your tax return
Mar 15, 2009
Rather than merely something to be pushed aside as quickly as possible, your 2008 tax return should be the template for your 2009 financial game plan.
Big tax refund means you cheated yourself during the year
Mar 15, 2009
I'm amazed by the size of the refunds countless American taxpayers receive year after year. The average amount back to those receiving refunds was $2,429 last year, up from $2,324 in 2007, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Inside look offers investing clues
Mar 08, 2009
The results were OK, but mutual fund manager Anthony Marchese wanted to see some money behind the promises.
Dividend cuts by corporate giants add insult to injury in bear market
Mar 08, 2009
For investors, one encouraging note in President Barack Obama's budget proposal was his commitment to retain most of the Bush administration's tax break on dividends.
Recession shows the power of saving—and the price of debt
Mar 08, 2009
The discounts and sales at the mall have been terrific. I needed new shirts and bought four at 60 percent off. I also replaced a worn-out pair of shoes and got a second pair at half price.
Predicting economic recovery timetable difficult
Mar 08, 2009
Providing investors with a signal as to when and how current economic and market problems will end is an inexact science.
Surviving layoffs may mean new job responsibilities
Congratulations--you dodged layoffs, at least this time around. So why is the boss at your elbow wanting to talk? Because the job you've kept may not be the same job you've been doing.
Microsoft faces prolonged slide on sales, profit
Mar 08, 2009
QI am disappointed with my Microsoft Corp. shares. What are the prospects?
If you see these red flags, beware
Mar 08, 2009
Given the unemployment rate, more workers are concerned about whether they could be the next one out of a job.
Thinking honestly about savings
Mar 01, 2009
It's time for an uncomfortable conversation about the facts of life.
