Alpha Consumer

What High Schoolers Should Know About Money

Tweet Share on Facebook

May 9, 2011 Comment (7)

Between SATs and prom, high schoolers might have enough on their plates, but here’s one more item for their to-do lists: Learn about money. That’s because those last four years at home offer one last chance to pick up financial lessons while still living with a parental safety net.

Tags:: personal finance

What’s Behind Our Skyrocketing Savings Rates

Tweet Share on Facebook

By Kimberly Palmer

May 5, 2011 Comment (4)

On average, Americans are saving 400 percent more than they were six years ago, according to a new analysis from the Financial Services Roundtable. Sounds like a lot, right? A closer look behind that rising savings rate shows that while it’s a striking trend, it’s not quite as impressive as it first looks.

Tags:: personal finance

Money Advice for My Sister, the Graduate

Tweet Share on Facebook

By Kimberly Palmer

May 4, 2011 Comment (2)

As my sister gets ready to graduate from medical school next week, she keeps sending me her money questions. Should she try to pay off her massive student loans or save for retirement? Would it be better to save money in a bank account or a Roth IRA? Should she get her credit report, and what’s the best way to make a budget?

Tags:: personal finance

Donald Trump: Behind His Own Money Problems

Tweet Share on Facebook

By Kimberly Palmer

May 2, 2011 Comment (10)

While Donald Trump might be best known for his bouffant hair and Vegas-style design tastes, his apparent presidential ambitions—and obsession with President Obama’s birth—have thrust him into the political spotlight. In the media frenzy, his real claim to fame, being a wealthy and successful real estate tycoon, has been largely overlooked. But what’s behind his business dealings and reality television popularity—and is The Donald really as rich as he appears to be?