TimothyMobley

We have all heard the statistics – 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce. It’s a shocking and a very discouraging statistic and one that has not changed much in the past three decades, according to recent data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Marriage counselors and divorce attorneys will confirm that most couples list financial issues as a significant cause for their failing marriage. Especially in difficult economic times as the present, arguments over money can really bring most couples to at least alienation, if not worse. And without a doubt, one of the worst offenders from the money troubles category is debt. It is stressful and overwhelming. But with the right approach, it can be managed. Forget the blame . It does not matter much whether you are working towards repaying debt that you have accumulated together as a married couple or debt that one of you brought into the marriage. Concentrating on the fact that one of you brought more debt to the

Should we save for college or should we save for retirement? Whether your little ones are in diapers or about to head off to college, if you are a parent you have probably asked yourself this question over and over. The hefty price tag of higher education seems to be increasing every year. According to the College Board, the average fees for four years at a private college is now more than $150,000 — including $38,589 for the 2012-13 school year. Even going to your state’s university, it costs close to half that total at an average of $17,131 a year. As a result most graduates have amassed significant amounts of student loan debt by the time they enter the workforce. You don’t want that for your children. You want to give them the best start in life, right?   After all, good parents are selfless and ready to sacrifice anything for the wellbeing of their babies. Most experts agree than when it comes to deciding between saving for college or retirement, just wanting the best

It has already been almost four years since the beginning of the Great Depression in 2008 and the economic reports do not seem to get more encouraging. Actually for a while we were feeling hopeful that a recovery is well on its way when towards the end of 2011 and into the first quarter of 2012 unemployment figures were lower, more jobs were added and home prices were slightly rising. The revival was however short-lived when in the second quarter of 2012 the growth rate of the economy slowed down again and the number of jobs added in June was only 80,000 after 77,000 added in May and 68,000 in June making the second quarter the worst in two years. It’s discouraging, to say the least and it feels like the US economy is moving in a slow zombie like state. With interest rates at all time lows, companies holding back on hiring and low consumer confidence, is all hope dead? Not quite. Experts expect things to pick up after the election. And until then there are ways to take ad

A significant part of my practice at the Baron Group is helping families get out of debt. Without a doubt, being debt-free is not only a requirement for financial freedom but also in most cases what is needed to be able to achieve financial goals and be able to retire. The unfortunate reality is that so many of us, even the most financially disciplined ones are forced at one time of our life or another to take on debt due to unforeseen circumstances, very often urgent, such as job loss, medical emergencies, funeral expenses etc. And once there is too much debt we all know what happens – higher interest rates which then make it difficult to repay, inability to take advantage of the current lower interest rates environment in order to refinance a home mortgage for example… and it really becomes a vicious circle that it is difficult to get out of. However, if getting out of debt is approached with a methodical plan which is followed diligently, then being debt-free could beco

My last blog post 7 Threats To Your Retirement When All You Have Is a 401(k) Plan generated a lot of interest! It was my most visited blog post to date and for that I thank all of you who follow my blog. I sincerely hope you find it useful. Still on the topic of 401(k) plans, you may or may not know that as of July 1, 2012   The Department of Labor, in an effort to improve transparency of 401(k) fees, has released a final rule which will: “ help America's workers manage and invest the money they contribute to their 401(k)-type pension plans. The rule will ensure: that workers in this type of plan are given, or have access to, the information they need to make informed decisions, including information about fees and expenses; the delivery of investment-related information in a format that enables workers to meaningfully compare the investment options under their pension plans; that plan fiduciaries use standard methodologies when calculating and disclosing expense and r

The great Social Security lie