Easy Money

KIPLINGER, gives some excellent keys to investing success. These keys are well-known and followed by successful investors. We suggest you paste them to your memory.

THE FIVE KEYS
	Key # 1: Make Investing a Habit
	Key # 2: Set Exciting Goals
	Key #3: Avoid Unnecessary Risks
	Key #4: Keep Time on Your Side
	Key #5: Diversify

The Five Keys to Investing Success

Ga,ga over Google

Investors have been in love with Google since the IPO launched at $85 in August 2004. Yesterday, it hit $500 a share for the first time. Pretty good return on investment for those who got in early. Google has been a success story since it's inception 8 years ago. Investors continue to pour the dough into Google, helping it to pass tech heavy-weights like Intel and Hewlett-Packard.

Google Stock Tops $500, And Boeing Leads Gain in Dow

Avoid a Holiday Hangover!

Financial sage Suze Orman, hooks us up with 5 ways to let our wallets stay in line this holiday season.

1. Double the cost of anything you buy with a credit card and don't intend to pay off when the bill comes next month.
2. Disorganization will cost you big-time.
3. Decline store card offers.
4. Handle your gift card with care.
5. You can't buy friends or love.





Five Ways to Avoid Holiday Overspending

The Real World

Personal Finance for Young People drops knowledge on budgeting and how to deal with it.

"So we have to be realistic about what we really want, and what we are willing to work for. When I was a teen living at home, theoretically, I could save every penny I earned, and retire now. In theory that sounds good, but the reality is that I wasn’t willing then, nor am I now, to make that kind of sacrifice. There are some things that I just can’t live without. There are others that, while I could live without them, I choose not too. There are yet others that I really don’t care one way or another about, but I usually wind up getting them anyways. This has always been the case for me, and I’m sure it’s not that different for you."

Budget might suck, but debt suck ways more.
So What?

To invest, or not to invest...

Young Money gives a good insight into whether a recent college grad should focus on paying off debt first, or investing right away.

Basically, GET RID OF YOUR F*ING DEBT!!!

Ask YOUNG MONEY: Should I pay off debt or invest?

Reality Check for your Ass!

Our friends across the pond, put us in check about the worsening debt situation that exists today.

"Louise Brittain, head of personal insolvency at accountants Baker Tilly, said: 'There has been a huge cultural change. We live in a now, pay later' or even 'buy now, don't even think about paying later' society. 'Millions are living beyond their means because they think they are entitled to do so. They are living off 'buy their credit cards."

That being said, some of these peep's in the worst cases are "passed the point of no return". Now, might be a good time to send the plastic to the shredder.

Never-ending debt hits 2m

Follow your own rules

Smart Money serves up some great advice on how to decide what picks to make:

"The best research, and thus, the best decision, is always the one you make from your own informed perspective.... The one piece of information that matters most to your bottom line: price action. If you're going to profitably trade stocks, you should start by observing them. Nothing is more informative than the price of the actual security in which you're considering taking a position."

Follow the Trend, Not the Crowd

Back 2 Basics- I.R.A. Edition

3 Common mistakes can also be the most costly when it comes to dealing with your Individual Retirement Account. If, you're not familiar with IRAs now's a good time to introduce yourself. If you do know about, these mistakes can still help you avoid a devastating scenario.

3 Costly IRA Mistakes

They call me threats!

Hey, MSN gives us a gem of how and when to use threats of taking your business elsewhere in order to get discounts and other perks. Just be sure to use it right and well.

Get a better deal . . . with a threat

Whats your score?

Do you know you FICO score? Better yet, do you know what it is? SmartMoney gives a article on just how important this magic number is and the various ways it is used.

"It affects everything from the interest rates you pay on loans and credit cards to the size of your insurance premiums."

Scores Galore

Knowledge is being dropped everywhere

The good peeps at Your Credit Advisor, give us a wealth of tips that some may have never learned. Great stuff!

"But if college is partly about training us for a job, shouldn't we learn what to do with the money we earn from a job? Especially in a country where 45% of college students are in credit card debt and 40% of all Americans say they live beyond their means, I think it's time to wise up to some of the challenges of money management. A few (say, 102) simple rules can help get your financial life (back) on the right track."

102 Personal Finance Tips Your Professor Never Taught You

Where to put your bread?

Finance4Youth gives us good tips on the differences between banks and creadit unions and which be better.

BANKS	CREDIT UNIONS
Lots of available locations	Most are part of Co-Op Network
May have many local branches	May be part of Shared BranchNetwork
All branches can access all account features
Larger, usually can offer more products or services	Smaller, usually can offer more “personal” service
Greater asset size should mean more technologically advanced	Because of community status, may bemore willing to experiment with new technologies
	Are, “Not for Profit”, so income is reinvested to members
	Usually offer higher savings rate and lower loan rates, due to “Not for Profit” status

Banks vs. Credit Unions