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Personal Finance
We have turned into a nation of economy-watchers. It's as if the voyeuristic nature of simply gazing helplessly, frozen in place or prompted by muscle memory, should force us to make investment, retirement and personal finance decisions right now even though we might just regret them at some point in the future. So I offer you a two part series on what we should do in the coming weeks as we anticipate that the previous weeks will give us more of the same.
Part One: Retirement
Part Two: Investments

Traditional index funds are market weighted. This simply means that these funds have holdings that are based on the amount of investor dollars each holds or the company's capitalization.
But there are other options to index weighting

Best banks for 2011 including info on savings, checking and other services that you might not be getting with your traditional bank. Read more here

Sometimes, it's the little things that add up to the big things. or perhaps better put, what Henri Fredric Amiel suggests much more aptly: "What we call little things are merely the causes of greater things". So it goes with most of what we consider personal finance.

The hardest part about writing anything financial is determining who is the audience. If you see yourself as doing well and want to do better, perhaps because you have made some debt decisions that you regret, you are also probably someone willing to pay for professional advice, probably already contribute to a 401(k) or something similar and in all likelihood have considered or are already saving for your child's college. Who are you?

Visit our latest daily news source for all things finance:
Target2025.com gives you in-depth insight into the world of money.

College still remains, in the minds of most Americans as the great economic equalizer. Even if we never attended ourselves, we want our children to do so. If we have attended college, we want our children to do so as well.
But this is no easy task. Do you sacrifice your retirement to do this? Probably not in many instances. Should you save ahead of time and purchase college with debt? It is definitely a consideration. Or should you take a look at the 529 plans available, of which there are two types?

The following articles look at the cost of higher education and what it can mean not only to you and your child, but your whole financial and retirement plan as well.
The links below are listed based on recency and all open to my other site: Target2025.com, where the discussion always returns to retirement.
The Saver's 529 Plan
The PrePaid 529 Plan: A choice with Caveats
529 Plans: The Many Faces of the Future
Tough Decisions about Student Debt
Is College debt worth it?
Financial Tips for Parents
Retirement Planning, Living Longer and Paying for College
Paying for college Part One and Part Two
Your Kid's Retirement Plan

Our editor Paul Petillo is a regular guest on Moms Making a Million radio show, Friday mornings 8am PST. Tune in! Do you have a question? Write Paul now.

Five Questions for the Finance Guy
Our Personal finance editor answers some important questions about how to get where you are going.

Becoming Average - except with college loans. Sara Murphy reports that grads might not get the wages they dreamed of for more than ten years.

"Social Security: Obama Would Strengthen It, McCain Would Put Retirement at Risk", these thoughts on the candidates stance according to Seth Michaels

According to Mary White: "Most retirees don't want to return to the same highly stressful, full time occupations they left, but still find the idea of continuing to work during their retirement years to be very appealing.

The Investment Company Institute has recently published a look at where we are retirement-wise. You can download the pdf here.

"If the trend toward working longer continues, the number of retirees will be even lower, according to the report." Could this be good news for Social Security? Sara Hansard reports.

What you may not know about working in retirement. It pays better (later) than you might think.

Everywhere you turn, it seems there's another pinch in the pocketbook. Five areas where you can save money By Claudia Buck

Our poor retirement savings may be saving Social Security. How? We are working longer and tapping those benefits later. Download the Boston College study on the subject.
Are you unsure what your retirement benefit is?

The downside risks in annuities are something to consider and if you don�t, the attraction these instruments have can be problematic. Mutual Funds vs. Annuities

Is it possible that Social Security? may be getting some estimates wrong? According to a website that caters to retirement planners it is. Will this simply add to the confusion? You be it will. Article by Ellie Behling

Personal Finance Notebook: Learning the score on handling money By Claudia Buck
Last month, at the California Financial Literacy Summit in Sacramento, hundreds of financial experts, teachers and nonprofit groups zeroed in on a common denominator: getting kids prepared for the real world: personal finance.

Not-So-Personal Finance >By Alex Williams
As Ilana Arazie, 32, an online video producer for a media company in Manhattan, said, "If we can talk about how many orgasms we have with our mate, why can't we discuss how much we make?"

We all know what optimal portfolio performance is. Right? No? Without a lot of the mathematical twists and turns, it is the perfect balance in a risky portfolio.

The Phase-in Option
Economic worries and the rising cost of health care have many baby boomers concerned that they'll outlive their retirement savings.

FHA loans may be only game in town for many borrowers, and that's good
Personal Finance by Kathy Kristof
With the housing downturn and credit crunch in full force, it might be time for home buyers and homeowners to learn more about a federal mortgage program launched during the Great Depression.

Did you know that the IRS keeps Statistics on your income? Here's how to avoid an IRS audit

What's good for the economy isn't good for everyone
By Helen Huntley
As Ben Bernanke and the white knights at the Federal Reserve ride to the rescue of the nation's credit markets, Tampa Bay area retirees can be forgiven for holding their applause.

What's in a number? According to ING, the answer is your retirement.
ING today released the results of its recent Retirement Number Study. The survey, conducted with Ipsos Public Affairs in January 2008, polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults to learn what numbers are most important in their life. Participants also responded to a series of questions to see how -- if at all -- they consider their retirement number. This number is the dollar amount an individual or couple needs to have saved by the time they retire and is unique to their personal retirement goals.

Do Women Save Enough?
Shelagh Hamer, pensions specialist at NFU Mutual comments, "The impacts of increased life expectancy and the raising of the State Pension Age are likely to be particularly felt by women. This is because women on average not only have smaller pensions savings than men, an issue often compounded by career breaks, but their higher life expectancy means that their smaller funds have to last longer."

Do you have a plan in place for a financial disaster? Three steps to protect you from divorce, fire and natural disasters.
A Small Business Special How to be a big a business thinker on a small business budget
More than one person has asked this question over the years. At what point
do I hire out?
Do you have a short term savings goal such as a house or your child's college. Here are some suggestions on how to get there.
Do you have a will?
How will your survivors invest their inheritance?
My late father was fond of saying, "you knew you were making money if you were paying taxes". Do you know your tax rate?
The odds are stacked against a pristine credit report. How does yours stack up?
On the Pension front, the average employee is not as prepared for the future as one would imagine.
Conservative investing is a winning value strategy?
Looking for the top 4 conservative investments for your money? We have prepared a look at the top four places in money markets, CDs, and REIT funds.
What the Jobs Report means
Who Should Pay? There is a national crisis surrounding who will pay for the health costs of children.
Please read the following list for manufacturers whose products are made in this country by workers who have demanded dignity in the workplace.
Retirement planning is on everyone's mind. Are you asking the right questions?
Five simple ways to protect your personal data
Now, there is help for irrational investors
New parents have many things to consider. Employers do too.
How to avoid the Mommy Drain
Do you know your
Financial ABCs - Age, Balance, and Continuity?
Avoiding Being Kicked When Down
The search for disability insurance

The Social Security Administration is a harsh administrator when it comes to doling out funds for the truly disabled.