Tracking Your Financial Goals
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Archived Under: Moneysmartz Editor , Net Worth , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: Moneysmartz Editor, Net Worth, The Moneysherpa Pages
During the holiday season, the gap between Christmas and the New Year is usually a good time for quiet reflection and planning, allowing us to step back from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and take in the big picture.
If you are in the mood for a financial assessment, then the December issue of Money Magazine offers tools and advice for tracking your financial goals and comparing where you stand to your peers.
For extra motivation to get you started, see how your net worth stacks up with others. Results are by age and income, with the median net worth for youngsters around $400 and for seniors around $175,000.
Additional tools and advice include:
How to Afford an Expensive College for Your Children
How to Launch Your Own Business
If you don't start now, then it may be another year before you catch your breath and have a chance to plan again.
Best Brokerages for Stock Advice
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Archived Under: Investing , Moneysmartz Editor , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: Investing, Moneysmartz Editor, The Moneysherpa Pages
Sometimes the best financial advice is to be still and listen to your own counsel. However, for even the most skilled and self-reliant stock-pickers, an occasional dose of outside perspective can be helpful.
If you are looking for a brokerage for advice, then StarMine's recent ranking of big brokerage performance is a good place to start.
Wachovia Securities is at the top of the list, in part because of a strong buy on Comcast, with a 46% gain over the rating period.
The remaining top ten includes Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, RBC Capital Markets, JPMorgan, Bear Stearns, Stifel Nicolaus, Deutsche Bank, UBS, and CIBC World Markets.
Planning for a Better 2007
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Archived Under: Financial Planning , Moneysmartz Editor , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: Financial Planning, Moneysmartz Editor, The Moneysherpa Pages
For many of us, the holiday season is a time to get together with family and friends and take a brief time out from our hectic lives. For others, it's a time to plan and prepare for a successful new year. If you are in the latter group, then Money Magazine's Best ideas for 2007 will jumpstart your planning process with investment, home buying, home selling, retirement, and savings tips. My favorite is for homebuyers. Money recommends buying from a builder, since they can't afford to sit on the sidelines while the market recovers. You'll probably be able to negotiate a lower price with a lot more upgrades.