If you're like most people, your investment accounts took a beating in 2008. Wondering when you might recover from those losses? The New York Times has a free online calculator
that'll help you estimate an answer to that question.
Matt's View
Of course, no one knows what future market returns will be. And a wise person once noted that numbers will confess to just about anything if you torture them long enough. The wise will enter a conservative annual return into the calculator.
As people look for ways to save money in this tough economy, there's concern that attempts to shed expenses may lead people to put on weight. According to a Reuters story, healthy foods tend to be more expensive. Commenting on today's economy, one nutrition sciences professor said, "People ... are going to economize and as they save money on food they will be eating more empty calories or foods high in sugar, saturated fats and refined grains, which are cheaper." The article noted that McDonald's has proven itself to be recession proof while Whole Foods' sales have suffered.
Matt's View
A better option than turning to Cap'n Crunch for dinner is to make better use of coupons. After one friend recently mentioned that she spent less than a dollar for over $50 worth of items at CVS by following the tips on CouponMom.com
, we're planning to give the ideas on that site a try.
Okay, so you've joined the green movement by switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs. But did you know that all CFLs are not created equal? While they all last longer than traditional light bulbs and use less energy, it turns out that there's quite a range in how long they last and in how much mercury they contain. The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, singled out seven CFLs
for their long life and low mercury count.
Matt's View
The above link has other helpful information such as where to use or not use CFLs, energy-efficient alternatives, how to clean up a broken CFL, and how to properly dispose of a burned out bulb.
By now you're aware of the importance of keeping your credit score strong by paying your credit card bills, mortgage, and other loans on time and keeping your credit utilization (how much of your available credit you use) low (10 percent or less is best). But did you know that paying your phone bill late could hinder your ability to get credit? According to an article on Time.com, with surging delinquencies on everything from credit card payments to home loans, lenders are looking beyond credit scores to assess risk.
Matt's View
This article highlights the reason to sign up for e-mail alerts telling you when payments are due. We pay our mortgage and some bills, such as those for electricity and gas, automatically. Others we want to look at more closely before making payment, so we have signed up for alerts. Have you signed up for payment-due alerts for all of your bills?
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