Firms can fatten 401(k)’s with unused vacation days
Americans have a reputation of all work and no play. We receive less vacation time on average than our peers in many other countries, and even then we don't always...
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Waiting to collect Social Security often beneficial
The day that policy wonks warned about and politicians have tried to ignore is here: The nation's first Baby Boomer has signed up for Social Security benefits. Kathleen Casey-Kirschling was...
Benefits audits turn up signs of anger in workers
It's the hot topic in benefits, and no one is hotter about it than workers: employers demanding proof that family members qualify for insurance coverage. Workers often are offended that...
Workers still filling 401(k) plans with company stock
On top of all the other troubles at Countrywide Financial Corp., the mortgage giant faces a lawsuit from an employee alleging that workers lost hundreds of millions of dollars in...
Youth is golden time to start saving for retirement
Many twentysomethings are shouldering thousands of dollars in student loans, carrying a balance on a credit card and trying to make ends meet on an entry-level salary. So the notion...
Revised savings rate still nothing to brag about
We're not the slacker savers we thought. A while back, the government reported that for the first time since the Great Depression that our personal savings rate went negative in...
Mortgage boat has holes, but is still afloat
From the headlines, you might think that lenders will never offer another mortgage. If you're in the market now for a loan, take a deep breath. It's not that bad....
Swap sites offer drivers relief from car leases
Thomas Gross leased a Toyota Sequoia last year, which was fine until his job as an ice hockey trainer changed and he began logging an extra 1,500 miles per month...
Simplifying more complex tax forms
At some point, most of us graduate from the 1040EZ. It usually happens in our 20s and 30s. Finances get more complex. We buy a home. Or, if we're really...
Secure Social Security number is key to privacy
Everybody wants it. Your bank, health club, utility company. Sometimes even the guy at the video store. Those nine-digit numbers, which started as a way for the Social Security Administration...