By: Laura Walton AFC® People are calling Jerry Schlichter, a consumer rights lawyer in St. Louis, the 401k Lone Ranger. He’s successfully sued several large employers for mishandling their 401k plans; Boeing is his current target. When I heard the story on NPR, it was the 28% difference that really got my attention. Schlichter said,…
By: Laura Walton AFC® When offered a good job in a tough job market, your first reaction is probably to say “Yes, I accept!” In my first couple of jobs, benefits were the last thing on my mind. But today, in hindsight, I can see that benefits might have been nearly as important as my…
By: Robert Swift I just got back from a week in western New York/Ontario where I got to see two beautiful sights…..my daughter, Jessica, who married a hockey playing Canadian and now lives about an hour south of Toronto……and Niagara Falls. Those two sights make the flight to Buffalo very much worth it. But, as…
Nine justices that is…justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court justices don’t often rule unanimously but this week they did. They said that employers can be sued if they fail in their “continuing duty to monitor” mutual funds in 401k accounts for unnecessarily high fees. That’s a big win for employees participating in…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Have you ever sat through a time-share presentation just to get the freebie offered? I have and I know others that have. I even know some who have succumbed to the sales pitch – they’ll go unnamed. If you’d like a behind the scenes look at time-share sales tactics and into…
By: Laura Walton AFC® This message popped up in my inbox last week: “Annual Reminder to Review Your Social Security Statement”. We used to get our Social Security Statement mailed to us once a year – remember? The good news is that the Social Security Administration (SSA) saves $70M a year (and a lot of trees) by…
By: Laura Walton AFC® I recently asked friends and family to share their best and worst financial decisions. Their answers are below. Some are funny; many echo sound financial advice while others share cautionary tales. Their strength is that they are honest, real life answers from people who, over time, have become financially secure. What…
By: Laura Walton AFC® doesn’t cost a dime! It’s the “Do You Know” game. Kids that know the most answers to questions about their family win not only the game but, it seems, they win in life. Studies show they are better able to take life’s challenges in stride. Why is this and what are…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Inertia can be a powerful force! We all know what we should do but getting around to doing it is another thing altogether. As the year draws to a close, our 2014 classes are coming to an end as well. With a number of items on her Financial To Do list,…
By: Laura Walton AFC® Recently, the TCI Foundation had the opportunity to meet with a class of Dorrance scholarship recipients at the University of Arizona McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship in the Eller School of Management (www.dorrancescholarship.org). The Dorrance Scholarship Program honors first generation college students and they are an outstanding group of young adults. Their…