Jean Chatzky writes her column, "Talking
Money With Jean Chatzky" from the no-nonsense point of
view of a working parent, providing detailed advice that not
only reassures readers but also helps them create specific
financial plans to deal with the issue at hand.
The editor-at-large
for Money Magazine, Jean Chatzky also serves as AOL's official
Money Coach. She is the financial editor for NBC's "Today
Show" and hosts a series of money minutes, "Talking
Money with Jean Chatzky," on CNBC. Chatzky is a columnist
for Time Magazine and she has written five books, including
the best seller You Don't Have to Be Rich and PAY IT DOWN:
From Debt to Wealth on $10 A Day.
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Chatzky has appeared on numerous television programs, written
for New York Magazine, Parents, Seventeen and Cosmopolitan,
and was a staff writer for SmartMoney, Forbes and Working Woman.
She received the Clarion Award for magazine columns from the
Association of Woman in Communications in 2002, has been nominated
twice for National Magazine Awards, and was named by the Chicago
Tribune as one of the best magazine columnists in 2003.
Chatzky sits on the Advisory Board for the March of Dimes
and the Board of Directors of the Briarcliff Manor Education
Foundation. Chatzky graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
with a BA in English. She was born in Michigan and raised in
Wisconsin, Indiana and West Virginia. Chatzky and her family
live in Westchester, New York. |
RECENT SAMPLES:
March 4th, 2009
Continue to invest and save
By Jean Chatzky
I thought I'd kick off the new month by answering a few more of
your questions:
Jaclyn in Cleveland, Ohio, asks: My husband and I are 33 years
old with two small children. With an income of $230,000, we max
out our TSP and 401(k) plans. Each month we save $250 to a 529,
$200 to IRA and brokerage accounts, and $50 to an ING savings account.
Given that we are 30 years to retirement and 15 years from college
tuition bills, is it smart to maintain our current savings patterns
or is it better to adjust according to the economy?
Yes, you should maintain your current savings pattern for two reasons.
The first -- and a lot of people have learned this the hard way
-- is that one of the best things you can do to secure your financial
future is to save when you can because you don't know what income
is going to be available to you in the future. Right now, yo ...
February
25th, 2009
America Saves Week
By Jean Chatzky
You may not realize it, but this week is very important. It's America
Saves Week, which means over a hundred organizations have pulled
together to emphasize the importance of saving for your future.
I know what you're thinking: Saving? I can hardly make ends meet
as it is. But interestingly enough, during the last quarter of
2008, the personal savings rate in this country was at its highest
level in six years.
Why? Because as this recession worsens, people are shying away
from spending and instead, stashing away any extra cash they come
by. We are finally realizing the importance of an emergency fund,
of saving for retirement, and of having cash in hand instead of
relying on a credit card with high interest rates.
So this special week, and the events in honor of it, couldn't have
come at a better time. Now that people have the drive to save,
they need the too ...
February 18th, 2009
More money queries answered
By Jean Chatzky
My e-mail inbox is full again, which signals to me that it's time
to do another round of questions and answers. Below are a couple
queries that I know are on the minds of more than a few people:
Eliza from Lincoln, Neb., writes: I'm a 34-year-old female with
a great idea for a start-up business. I've written a solid business
plan, I have a great marketing strategy and I am emotionally and
physically prepared for the challenge. But given the economy, how
do I know if now is the time to proceed with my idea?
Eliza, now is a great time to launch a business if you have the
financial and emotional wherewithal. Often, the best ideas come
out of necessity -- for example, if someone was laid off, needed
to bring in some money, and finally took the plunge with that invention
or business idea that's been brewing for a few years. Add that
to the fact that there ...
February 11th, 2009
What you shouldn't scale back
By Jean Chatzky
There's no doubt this recession is having a huge impact on consumers,
and as a result, they're cutting back on spending and saving more.
U.S. household debt, which has been growing steadily since the
Federal Reserve began to track it in 1952, declined for the first
time in the third quarter of 2008. In the same quarter, U.S. consumer
spending dropped for the first time in 17 years.
The fact that we are tightening our belts in response to this economy
is certainly a good thing. But sometimes when we make decisions
under pressure -- and there is definitely pressure, thanks to unemployment
and the down stock market -- we tend to make the wrong choices.
We all heard about the mother who watered down her baby's formula
to save money, putting the child's health at risk. You might even
know someone who is going without health insurance or the prescription
dr ...
February 4th, 2009
It's high time to get organized
By Jean Chatzky
At a time when we're all pinching pennies, would you be surprised
to learn that the pile of mail on your kitchen counter or the baskets
of paperwork on your desk might be costing you more than the daily
cup of coffee you gave up weeks ago?
It's true. Every hour that you spend looking under piles, wondering
where you put this or that, or being unable to focus because you're
not organized costs you. It costs you an hour you're not able to
bill to a client. An hour you're unable to spend at the gym, working
on your fitness and bringing your health care bills down. An hour
with the kids, or even an hour relaxing.
But it can also cost you in the form of late fees, if you don't
keep on top of your bills, or extra interest charges if you don't
see notices of an increase on your credit card. "Even something
as simple as missing a coupon or a sale and paying ... |
