Personal Finance and Investing

Monday was Divorce Day. Doesn’t sound good does it? Well it isn’t. The first working day after each Christmas holiday usually sees more divorces filed for than any other day of the year. Think about it and it makes total sense. Christmas involves spending at least a week with each other (and your children and possibly your in-laws too) but without the distractions of work and normal socialising. That’s a state of affairs that can very fast turn any cracks in a relationship into uncrossable chasms. Add in present-buying and the kind of financial troubles many of us have had over the last year, and the fights start piling up as fast as the bills.

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Given the state of the economy, it certainly comes as no surprise that many of us have been affected by the recession and the credit crisis in more than one way. And, unfortunately, most of our finances have taken a hit over the last year or so.

With that said, it is important that everyone prepares for difficult financial times so that we can best handle a financial crisis if it comes our way.

1. Start an emergency fund – There is absolutely no better way to make your way through a financial crisis than to fall back on an emergency fund. Most experts recommend aiming to save at least 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses, but every little bit helps. A

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We have all read the auction pitches or seen them on television. These are the pitches that talk about assets like government seized properties or foreclosed homes. According to the pitch, all you have to do is buy a price guide to find millions of dollars worth of items the government or auto dealers are practically giving away. It’s your chance to find a true bargain.

What a deal! Or is it?

The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers that many of these auctions are more like scams. At the least, the pitch fails to give all the information the consumer needs to make a good decision about getting involved in what the company is offering. T

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I’ve spent a lot of time lately reading about how to get started as a first time investor. For me, an avowed spender, the concept of risking money and hoping that it grows for use in the future is very foreign. The closest I had been to “investing” until recently was the blackjack tables in Vegas — or so I thought. But it turns out that things I have been doing for years are actually forms of investment and I just didn’t realize it.

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