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What Happy People Know About Money
Tweet Share on Facebook February 28, 2012 Comment (3)In Laura Vanderkam’s new book, All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending, she argues that many of us need to shift the way we think about money. Instead of focusing on budgets and how we’re doing relative to our friends, she suggests thinking of money as a valuable tool. She says that her research reveals people who are “happiest about money” feel like they have enough (even if they aren’t wealthy), could get more if they needed it, and that they have full control over how to earn and spend their cash.
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The Rise of the Male Shopper
Tweet Share on Facebook February 24, 2012 Comment (1)The male shopper is ready to splurge—and retailers are doing everything they can to tempt them with new items. The latest trend is in men’s accessories, which includes bags, bracelets, and scarves. The New York Times reports that sales of men’s accessories grew 14 percent, to $6 billion, in the second half of 2011, and that retailers from Coach to Diesel are jumping on the trend.
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Why an Oscar Win Could Mean a Longer Life
Tweet Share on Facebook February 22, 2012 CommentHere’s another reason to root for your favorite actor Sunday night: A win might come not just with a golden trophy, but with a longer life.
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The Secret to a Long and Happy Life
Tweet Share on Facebook February 16, 2012 Comment (3)George Vaillant, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, has overseen the longest-running longitudinal study of health and happiness. His study has tracked the lives of more than 500 Harvard students and men from inner-city Boston since the 1930s, and has drawn some intriguing conclusions, including that stable relationships are one key to a long and happy life.
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How to Meet Your Future Self—and Save
Tweet Share on Facebook February 13, 2012 CommentHave you ever imagined what you’ll look like when you’re 65, or 80? If not, you might want to give it a try—it could boost your retirement savings. Hal Hershfield, assistant professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business, has found that showing people aged photos of themselves makes them more likely to put money away for later.
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Why Almost Everyone Needs a Prenup
Tweet Share on Facebook February 8, 2012 Comment (6)Asking for a prenup—a legal agreement that specifies how couples will divide assets if they divorce—doesn’t exactly sound like a romantic gesture. After all, couples marry for love, not money, so who needs to work out the nitty-gritty financial details of a break-up that the couple hopes will never happen?
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How Ethnicity Affects Retirement Savings
Tweet Share on Facebook February 6, 2012 CommentEthnicity is a growing area of interest for banks, largely because they want to understand their customers better.
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Cell Phone Numbers Going Public? Not Likely.
Tweet Share on Facebook February 2, 2012 Comment (7)The message sounds deceptively helpful: “All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls,” the email states. To prevent an onslaught of such calls, the email suggests calling the National Do Not Call Registry, and provides a number to do so.
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10 Ways to Save Your Retirement
Tweet Share on Facebook February 1, 2012 CommentWe’ve been talking a lot about retirement lately, partly because the numbers are just so terrifying: Most Americans have less than $25,000 saved. On average, we save between 5.5 and 7 percent of our pre-tax salaries in 401(k) accounts, when we probably need to save at least double that for a decent retirement. And the stock market, with its paltry returns over the last decade, isn’t helping us out.
