| Heard
Enough about the Subprime Mortgage Markets Yet?
By now everyone has heard of the subprime
mortgage “crisis.” Why is it a “crisis,” and what does it mean
for you?
Richard P. Halverson
The
Revocable Living Trust: Where there’s a Will, there’s
a (Better) Way
Most
people are not fortunate enough to know when they are going to die.
Whether or not we know when we are going to leave this mortal existence,
there are things we should do to get our estates in order.
By Jeff Sessions
How
Could I Marry a Man Who Reads the Wall Street Journal?
Capitalism and free markets are not
inherently evil — just realities of a lower law. Can a Latter-day
Saint be part of the competitive business world and be true to gospel
principles?
By Richard P. Halverson
Is
Corporate America Self-Centered, Self-Serving, Greedy and Materialistic?
A free society rewards those with
true intellectual capital, sometimes greatly. That motivation
of reward drives people to try. Many will fail, but others will
succeed. However, the motivations are not all money.
By Richard P. Halverson If
You Didn’t Give Life Insurance for Christmas, There’s
Always Valentines Day
What you don't know about life insurance
could kill you. Here's a smart guide.
By Richard Halverson The
Gift of Life Insurance
Are you giving life insurance for Christmas
this year? On the off chance that you are, make sure you give
the right amount!
By Richard P. Halverson What
is Your Investment Personality Type?
From the seventeenth-century Dutch tulip
mania to dot-coms in the twentieth century, investors have been
unable to separate themselves from their emotions. Therefore,
it is helpful to recognize one's emotions surrounding investing
and take them into account.
By Katherine L. Moss Tax Cuts
Do It Again!
It is nearly impossible to avoid being bombarded
by political rhetoric about tax policy. It is far more difficult
to find out the facts.
By Richard P. Halverson Getting
the Right Mortgage for You
Before they sign a contract, prospective
homeowners should know what they are agreeing to. What should
you be aware of? What is it going to cost? How do you avoid being
surprised?
By Ben Woolf What
is Money?
No matter how you define money, it's something
you never seem to have enough of. But money is only worth anything
because human beings believe it is.
By Richard Halverson The
Connection between Piggy Banks and Free Agency
Artificial barriers to spending, from bankruptcy
stigma to piggy banks, are pretty much gone. The result is that
many borrow and buy when they should not. Many are saddled with
loads of debt and loads of worry.
By Richard P. Halverson Does
an Equity Indexed Annuity Make Sense for You?
Sometimes
the stock market is just downright lousy. Wouldn't you love to
be invested in the stock market when it is setting new highs and
then disappear before it falls apart for months or sometimes years
at a time?
By Brad Halverson Thinking
Straight about Money
A Personal Financial Constitution could
help you work out your money problems and secure your financial
future. Find out what one is and how to create one.
By Jeffry Sessions Are
Mormons Gullible Investors?
There are three good reasons why Church
members may be susceptible to financial schemes. If you know what
they are, you can avoid them.
By Richard Halverson The
Perfect Retirement Storm Hits Boomers
Employees of large companies are
getting a wake up call from corporate America: It’s time
you learn to take care of yourself.
By Richard P. Halverson Investing
101 — Starting with Mutual Funds
If you look at the returns over
any 10-year period in the past 150 years, there has only been
one time that the money you put into an investment account was
less than what you started with.
By Jeffry L. Sessions
Want
Investment Income? Bonds Might Be the Answer
If you have thought of investing in bonds,
this primer will tell you everything you need to know.
By Richard P. Halverson Staying Out
of Debt this Christmas
How about an early New
Year’s resolution? Resolve not to increase your debt this
Christmas!
By Richard P. Halverson Is it Time to Invest in Gold?
After being in the doldrums for twenty years,
gold has been moving up in price. Even though I have never been
a fan of gold investing there are some valid things to think about.
By Richard Halverson
Wanting
More: What is Sufficient for Our Needs?
How can the Lord trust us with the capability
to create worlds if we are having a hard time managing our checkbooks?
By Jeffry L. Sessions A
REIT to Invest in Real Estate
The concept is similar to a mutual fund.
Many investors can pool their assets to own a participation in
a number of real estate investments.
By Richard P. Halverson Women and Money – It’s Your
Time
The reality is that women should
be involved in decisions about money and finances because history
shows that women will need to be involved.
By Katherine L. Moss Economic Forecasts
Perhaps the most important component
determining the economic outcomes in our lives is ourselves. Our
own hard work, wise choices and discipline have a great deal to
do with how much we are able to consume.
By Richard P. Halverson A
Payment in Time Saves Nine: How to Avoid Digging a Financial Hole
so Deep You Can't Climb Out
Those who handle their finances well lead far happier lives. This
is not because they have more toys. Often the best money managers
have fewer toys. They are happier because there is less stress.
By Richard
P. Halverson Bankruptcy: It’s Legal,
but is it Ethical?
To actually lead the nation in this
category is as puzzling as if Utah led the nation in alcohol consumption.
By Richard P. Halverson The
Great Social Security Debate
The biggest risk is that medical
breakthroughs will substantially increase life expectancy. This
is a disaster for the Social Security system because the actuarial
statistics are counting on people dying on time.
By Richard P. Halverson TIPS – An Inflation-Proof
Investment
TIPS is the acronym for Treasury
Inflation Protected Securities. TIPS are the creation of the U.S.
Treasury department, and are designed to protect investors against
inflation.
By Richard P. Halverson 529
College Education Saving Plans
a case study in making a great idea
unreasonably complicated!
In
the end I am going to recommend you take advantage of the 529s
and I’m going to make suggestions how to get
going. However, 529s are unreasonably complicated.
By Richard P. Halverson Should Tax Selling Be Part
of Your Year-End Strategy?
Tax savings should never be your
primary concern when making investment decisions: your long-term
goals should be your focus.
By Janet Hill Tithing
and Savings
Making tithing and savings a habit
and structuring their payments so that it is not necessary to
reconsider them each month is the most successful way of meeting
these important financial priorities.
By
Richard P. Halverson It Is Not The Government’s Deficits That Worry Me.
It
Is All The Personal Debts Being Racked Up By The Citizens!
When it is easy to borrow, financial
discipline tends to disappear. There are always more things that
would be nice to spend money on than there are dollars available
to pay for them with.
By
Richard P. Halverson Can
Managing Your Finances Better Improve Your Marriage?
Absolutely. In more ways than you might imagine.
We’ve all seen the statistics that
prove money is a source of serious contention in a large majority
of troubled marriages. I would go further. In my experience finances
are a source of contention even in most healthy marriages.
By Richard P. Halverson Systematic Investing:
A Simple Way to Build Your
Nest Egg
We’ve been told our whole
lives that in order to build our nest egg, we have to scrimp,
save, and sacrifice. But these days, believe it or not, saving
for your retirement is a lot easier and more pleasant than it
sounds.
By
Janet Hill Risk
You
Can’t Invest Without It So
You Need to Understand How Much You Can Take
All investing involves risk. Here is a fact:
the greater the potential reward the greater the potential risk.
By
Richard Halverson Enroll
Your College-Bound Kids in Spending 101
So you’re about to send your
child off to college, and suddenly you find yourself lying awake
at night, agonizing over all the little things that just might
go wrong. Sound familiar? If you take the time now to talk to
your kids about finances, you’ll have one less thing to
worry about come September.
By
Janet Hill Mutual
Funds
One
of the brightest investment ideas ever invented!
By Richard P. Halverson
The
Reagan Tax Cuts Did Not Cause The Reagan Deficits
Recent news coverage of Ronald Reagan’s
funeral thrust his tax policies back in to the news.
by
Richard Halverson Reverse
Mortgages Provide Extra Cash for Homeowners
Retirement
can be challenging on a fixed income. Where can retirees find
additional cash to live a little more comfortably?
By Janet Ellen Hill Older
and Out of Work?
Job Hunting for the Suddenly Unemployed
With companies downsizing and outsourcing
many seasoned workers are losing their jobs. How do you start
over at age 40 or 50?
By Chris Patrick A
Few Measured Words About Volatility
Investors may think volatility indicates
a problem, but many analysts believe the opposite: that increased
volatility in the markets is a preface to signs of a rebound.
By
Janet Ellen Hill Disability
Insurance: The Biggest Gap in the Financial Plans of Many Families
What would happen if you were disabled and
unable to work? How long could your family survive financially?
by
Richard Halverson Laid
Off? Think Twice Before You Raid Your Retirement Savings
If you’ve been laid off, your
own retirement account can look like a good place to find money
to pay the bills until you find a new employer. But think carefully
before you take that cash.
By
Janet Hill Protecting
Yourself Against Identity Theft
Your credit cards suddenly
max out. Your mortgage application gets rejected. Your savings
disappear. What is happening here?!
By
Janet Hill Smart
Ways to Give
When it comes to your assets, you
may be able to hold on to them longer by giving them away.
by Janet Hill To
Love, Honor and Invest…
Getting married is a lot easier
than staying married. The same is true when it comes to merging
your personal finances.
By
Janet Ellen Hill It's Time
to Think About Taxes - Which Means - It's Time to Think About
IRA's
More
money in your pocket and less in the government's? The government
has opened the way for retirement savings. What
Do Financial Planning and Spiritual Living Have in Common?
Some things that are so important
to our long term happiness that we need to learn discipline and
long range thinking even if it is not an area of natural interest.
Deflation
We are all familiar with inflation, but why
now is Greenspan so worried about deflation? Get
Your Free Samples of Debt Here
Have you ever been asked by a salesman if you'd
like a free sample of debt with your purchase? You have, but not
quite in those words.
Mutual
Funds - Still the Best Way to Invest!
The
mutual fund industry has its warts BUT the concept is still by far
the best investment vehicle ever invented for most people.
Do
You Have Enough Stock In Your Financial Diet?
Building
wealth for the future should be a part of your personal financial
program. Halverson gives us some common sense on common stocks,
and explains how they are a necessary part of any long-term investment
plan.
Workers:
Our Most Valuable Resource
Employees
can be entrepreneurs' biggest challenge -- and their greatest
asset. Christensen tells us why the wise entrepreneur will
learn quickly to take care of his or her people.
By
Dale Christensen
?...THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE
ROOT OF ALL EVIL...": Today It Can Be Financed With
A Credit Card!
As Saints we easily recognize the
sins of drug abuse, immorality and the violation of the Word of
Wisdom. But what about going into debt unnecessarily? Are our financial
excesses of any concern to the Lord? Halverson examines some of
the greater consequences of indulgent spending.
Are
Houses Great Investments?
NO! Houses are great
places to live, but generally houses are not great investments.
Humble
Starts, Thrilling Results
One of the
most engaging aspects of the story of any startup is its inception.
by Craig Earnshaw
Make
Values a Part of Firm
When
I was younger and about to leave the house, my mother would often
say: "Remember who you are." That advice was a reminder
of my values and a warning against straying from my goals. Those
words provide powerful business advice as well.
by Craig Earnshaw
Reverse
Mortgages
Far too
often we see people reach retirement with only one significant asset
to their name – their home. Homes are great but it is hard
to eat them. You can live in them but you can’t live off them.
In some cases, however, it may be possible to have your home and
eat it too.
Culture,
Attitudes Affect Business
In
many places, business is viewed as the enemy and people who own
and run businesses as evil and greedy. Negative attitudes are reflected
in bureaucracies formed to control business, and heavy taxation
aimed at penalizing businesses for being profitable. Not surprisingly,
these places don't see much entrepreneurial activity.
by
Hal Heaton
Profits
are Not Products of Greed
Ijust
heard someone complain about the "horrible" profits earned
by businesses. According to him, if businesses are earning a profit
they must be exploiting consumers and taking advantage of poor people
by charging high prices.
by Hal Heaton
The
Holiday Diet
“If
you think nobody wants to think about how much they are eating during
the Holidays absolutely nobody wants to think about how much they
are spending during the Holidays!”
Failure
Teaches Valuable Lessons
During the same period, there were
hundreds, maybe even thousands of bankruptcies too small to get
any attention from the media. Is this a sign that the economy is
sick?
by
Hal Heaton
Okay.
So You've Refinanced Your Mortgage, Now What?
This
article is not about how to refinance, it is about what to do after
you have refinanced.?
What
is Going on in the Stock Market!?
Will
It Ever Be Safe To Invest Again?
What
Do Reading the Scriptures and Managing Our Finances Have in Common?
Discussing
family finances is vital to a married couples happiness.
Tithing:
An Important Financial Management Tool
Nearly
all-veteran members of the Church can tell stories of people who
were blessed by paying tithing.
Food
Storage versus Financial Savings: It Really Shouldn't be Either/Or
Recently
the First Presidency of the Church encouraged members (again) to
increase their personal preparedness in such matters has food storage
and finances. In our ward the letter prompted considerable discussion
about food storage. Some wondered how many church members could
survive a month without making a trip to the grocery store. I wondered
how many church members could survive a month without a paycheck.
Tax
Law Changes Make Saving For College A Little Easier
So
what did you get from The Tax Relief Act of 2001? It may be a substantial
opportunity for you to reduce your taxes in the future.
by Jason McDonald
Why
You Should Diversify!
The
Fastest Way to Get Rich is to Bet Everything on One Stock. The
Fastest Way to Get Poor is to Bet Everything on One Stock. The lessons
of Enron: Often the stock you are betting on is the company you
work for.
The
Three Nephites Don't Need Long-Term Care Insurance but You Probably
Do
Unless you are one of the Three Nephites and have certain guarantees
about your physical vitality and eventual translation you should
read further.
You've
Got to Pay Social Security—You Might As Well Maximize Your
Return
You've
been paying social security taxes all your life, whether you liked
it or not, how do you maximize the retirement benefits you receive
back? So, here is the answer. Live a long time! Live to a hundred,
a hundred and ten is better. That will drive the actuaries nuts.
Which
Would You Rather Have at Retirement: An Old Chevy or $300,000 in
the Bank?
Here's
out it works. Suppose you are about 30 years old and you just finished
paying off your four-year old Chevy. As with most red-blooded Americans
you now feel it is your right - if not your patriotic duty - to
go buy another new car and finance it for four more years. This
may be good for the economy (and your ego) but it is not good for
your financial well being.
Planning
to Retire
You
may not be able to take it with you, but you sure want to have enough
while you're here. | 
