Correcting Four Common Money Mistakes
(NAPSI) - If you feel as though you keep making the same mistakes when it comes to money, there's good news.

By making a few small, practical changes in your behavior, you can often correct financial mistakes and make some positive changes that are likely to last. Here are four examples.

•  Eliminate emotional spending: Before you head off to the mall, take a minute to note what you are feeling. In a recent study by moneycentral.msn.com, people who had just watched a sad... Read Article >>
Article written by John Addison
This article is rated 4.25 out of 5.00

Profiting From A Personal Finance Checkup
(NAPSI) - Making sure that you're on the road to financial security can start with a personal finance checkup. A financial checkup allows you to periodically review how you're doing in light of your finance goals.

Taking the following steps can help put you on the course to financial wellness:

Evaluate your goals. How are you measuring up to the goals you set for yourself? Are you successfully putting money toward saving and investing? Are you saving enough in your 401(k) to get your... Read Article >>
Article written by ShareBuilder Securities

Big mortgage costs stretch couple thin; Sped-up payments leave them little financial flexibility
In Toronto, a couple we'll call Roger, 39, and Ellen, 42, are developing careers with industrial companies and raising their three children ages 6, 8 and 10. Roger and Ellen each earn $75,000 before taxes. Bonuses add another $12,000, pushing their annual family income to $162,000.

Even with their substantial incomes, fixed costs that include a $4,250 monthly mortgage payment and $1,400 a month for private school fees have left them strapped for cash. The crunch is so serious that they... Read Article >>
Article written by Andrew Allentuck
This article is rated 3.80 out of 5.00

Little luxuries a roadblock to destination; Maritime couple find that two mortgages and the good life incompatible with goals
In the Maritimes, a couple we'll call Jack and Robert are struggling. Robert, 46, has a chronic illness while Jack, 32, shares their home and contributes about half of their $123,000 annual gross income.

In spite of their above-average incomes and lack of dependents, the men find themselves in a financial bind. They have two houses, two mortgages, travel a good deal, wine and dine often and, as a result, they are broke.

"We have no money!" Robert explains. "I can't make any sense out of... Read Article >>
Article written by Andrew Allentuck
This article is rated 4.50 out of 5.00

Lots of property, little cash flow needs quick fix; Gradually unloading their five houses will generate retirement funds this couple need
A couple we'll call Alf and Doris live in a B.C. city. Alf, 60, is retired but active in community affairs. Doris, 56, is a corporate administrator. She plans to retire within a few months.

With a gross annual income of $137,000 and a problematic cash flow from renting out houses, they hope to enjoy a retirement that has taken years to build. Yet the nagging question is whether their current $2,250,000 in net assets will be enough. "Can we support our lifestyle when we fully retire with the... Read Article >>
Article written by Andrew Allentuck
This article is rated 4.00 out of 5.00

Couple find economic hope after divorces; Changes allow them to 'rebuild our lives'
A couple we'll call Martha, 52, and Phil, 47, have survived costly divorces. At their home in a community not far from Toronto, their combined gross incomes are $114,000 a year. Yet they fear that the drastic reduction in assets that they suffered as a result of their separation settlements will leave them impoverished in retirement.

"Given our circumstances, we are concerned that there may not be enough time left for us to rebuild our retirement plans," Phil says. "I lost half my savings in... Read Article >>
Article written by Andrew Allentuck