Joe Nocera is a bright guy. Over the course of a lengthy career, the former Fortune executive editor has won numerous awards for excellence in business journalism and recently co-authored a penetrating analysis of the financial crisis (All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis). He now hangs his hat at the New York Times, covering a wide range of business-related topics. Read the rest of this entry »

Investing is complicated for everyone, but as you amass more wealth and have more investment choices, it only gets more complex. As it turns out, having more choices isn’t always better; it often means more twists, tricks, and traps. Here are six potential pitfalls to carefully avoid: Read the rest of this entry »

2013 will bring some big changes for investors, and none of them for the better.  Taxpayers affected by these upcoming changes may wish to consider taking actions in 2012 to mitigate the impact of these changes.  The following are the changes that will affect investors in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

Early in each year we see lists of economic and market predictions for the new year, and a review of those made a year earlier. Generally the previous year’s review includes many predictions that widely missed the mark – 2011 was no exception. Read the rest of this entry »

Wealth counselor and psychotherapist Marilyn Wechter shares insights into how parents can better communicate with their children about the topics of money and wealth. Marilyn also offers practical tips on establishing effective allowances and budgets. Read the rest of this entry »

Many aspects of life require careful consideration and balancing of the tradeoffs that arise from competing demands. For example, a common lifestyle tradeoff is working longer hours versus spending more time with your family. The competing demands within this decision are the income necessary to provide a suitable quality of life for your family versus the immeasurable benefits of quality time with your family. There is no right answer, but most people understand the tradeoff and attempt to find the balance that is right for them. Read the rest of this entry »

Taxes are often considered a necessary evil. The topic evokes strong emotions. How we perceive taxes and how we feel about paying them are complex issues. For investors, two significant situations to avoid when it comes to taxes are:

• Focusing solely on how much of an investment gain could be lost to taxes
• Worrying so much about taxes that it adversely affects decision making Read the rest of this entry »

When you opened your IRA account 25 years ago, whom did you name as the beneficiary? Is your ex-spouse still the beneficiary of your life insurance policy? If you can’t quite remember, now is a good time to check. Designating a beneficiary – the person who will receive the proceeds upon your death – may seem like an administrative formality, but it’s an important decision with lasting financial and legal ramifications. And it can also have a big impact on how your loved ones remember you after you’re gone. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of a lengthy and illustrious business career, Warren Buffett has offered thoughtful opinions on a wide variety of investment-related issues—executive compensation, accounting standards, high-yield bonds, derivatives, stock options, and so on. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the mysteries of life in the financial markets is that many people still seem to believe you can build a successful investment strategy around forecasting, despite the road being littered with the corpses of those who got it wrong. Read the rest of this entry »