Alpha Consumer

Working Moms with MBAs Pay a Price

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August 4, 2010 Comment (2)

We’ve all heard about the pay gap: Women earn less money than men. The reasons aren’t just sexism, although that likely plays a role. Contributing factors also include the fact that men and women pursue different fields and have different career ambitions; women are less likely to negotiate their salaries and ask for raises; and women are more likely to take breaks from the workforce to care for children and aging parents.

Tags:: personal finance

Video: Tina Fey on High Interest Rates

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By Kimberly Palmer

August 3, 2010 Comment

These days, bank advertisements focus on savings and financial skills. Financial institutions are trying to earn back customers' trust by promising to help them make smarter money decisions. But some 15 years ago, banks were singing a different tune. They were luring customers through the promise of high interest rates -- a concept that seems practically old-fashioned in today's environment. Check out Tina Fey's ad for Mutual Savings Bank from the mid-1990s:

Mutual Savings Bank - "Hi!" - Featuring Tina Fey from Purple Onion Films on Vimeo.

(Hat tip to Jezebel.)

Tags:: personal finance

Finding the (Financial) Meaning of Life

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By Kimberly Palmer

August 3, 2010 Comment (3)

Ready to meet your new life coach? It just might be your insurance company.

MetLife has started going beyond its financial services niche to offer clients advice on the meaning of life and how to achieve personal happiness. A new survey from MetLife Mature Market Institute found that people of all ages define the “meaning of life” similarly. Specifically, they value strong relationships, financial freedom, health (physical and mental), and a sense of purpose and belonging. The survey also found that the recession didn’t have a significant impact on people’s values, either. “Purpose is age-proof and recession-proof,” as MetLife’s Sandra Timmermann puts it.