Choosing the right investment tool for retirement can seem like a daunting task especially with all the different options you can pick from and it isn’t uncommon to feel lost. Fortunately we’re here to help, and hopefully after reading this post, you’ll feel just a little bit less lost. As promised, here is a crash course on the different types of investment tools and if each is right for you.

CNN Money published a neat slide show article about the most common retirement tools and all the information that you need to know about 401(k)s, Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Read More

-I don’t have time.
-The weather is bad.
-Gyms are expensive.
-I’m so out of shape I’ll be embarrassed at the gym.
-I don’t know how to exercise.
-My gym is always crowded.
-There’s a hottie at my gym, and if I go she’ll see how pasty and scrawny I am.
-I could hurt myself.
-I’m too out of shape to get back in shape. Round’s a shape, too.
A lot of people I know, including myself, worry about not getting enough exercise or not exercising at all. This is especially a concern once we have responsibilities like work or a family. However, while not exercising is causing guilt, worry, and other anxieties, many aren’t pro-actively taking any steps to deal with the issue. Read More

One of the most important things to do that most recent graduates put off or neglect is to plan for retirement. Yet, many twenty-some year olds find themselves wondering whether or not they should pay off their loans first or buy that shiny new car instead of planning for retirement. Some haven’t even begun thinking about retirement. After all, retirement is forty years away, why bother now right?

Wrong.

Personally, I feel that planning your retirement by investing in your 401(k) and Roth IRA has never been more important. With the increasingly non-existent social security, your 401(k) and IRA will probably be the only money sources keeping you alive and happy in your old age.
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I think personal satisfaction is very important. Most of us have been told since a young age the adage, “Money can’t buy happiness.” To me that didn’t make too much sense; I bet a starving man on the street living in a recycled box would love that $5 to buy some good eats (or booze). While I do see the point of the proverb, I did not think it was completely valid.

The Gallup Poll recently conducted a survey of over 1000 random Americans, over the age of 18. They concluded from the study that

“while money may not buy happiness, those with greater household incomes are more likely to report higher levels of personal satisfaction and happiness than those with less income.”

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Some people equate their personal worth by how much weight they can bench press at the gym or by how much beer they can drink before passing out. Others associate their worth by how skinny and attractive they look or by how “big” certain things are. However, perhaps the universal factor people use to gauge their own value is by how much they get paid.

Annual salaries are probably the most talked about among fresh college graduates when comparing overall success in their careers. Unfortunately, there can be pressure from parents, friends or colleagues to make increasingly more money and it just seems to get worse every year. Read More

WSJ.com’s ‘The Juggle’ has some interesting views on a prevalent dilemma -

“If a Juggler knew then (i.e. back at my age and stage in life) what they know now… is there anything they’d do differently: Save money? Have children at a different time? Move to a different area? Do things differently at work?”

Anyone who has or has had a full-time job will eventually have to do “the juggle.” The juggle, of course, refers to that between your personal and professional lives. While at some points the two lives co-exist well, there are times when they are highly conflicting. Read More

I don’t know about you but I feel that everyone should have a motto, some kind of small creed that can stay close to your personal foundations and beliefs. At the end of the day the last discussion or thought is always with yourself and having a base on which to go about your daily meanderings is usually a good thing. Mine’s “Do a Good Turn Daily.” Sound familiar? Yea well I am an Eagle Scout and I kind of poached their slogan. But I feel it is a good creed to live by since life is mostly a series of interactions. We all could use a little more happiness right? So what is your motto?

Most of us wonder what we want to do and where we want to go, both in our personal and professional lives. This may include career goals, figuring out if what you’re doing is the right thing, personal growth (or lack of), or even what to do with your time in general. We’re hoping for this to be a place where people can get the pieces to help them figure things out. While we’re mainly focused on those in their 20’s, everyone is welcome. If all goes as planned, the lost will get some direction, and the confused will see through the mess.