WH Cornerstone Investments Newsletter
Your financial cornerstone in a constantly changing world
Greetings!
Tax day is fast approaching. Phew; another tax year
will soon be behind us! This month’s newsletter has
several articles on budgeting and saving which have
been very popular. Is a real estate individual
retirement account right for you? written by Bill
and published in Mass High Tech will open your eyes
to new options. We recently saw an ad that said
something like “If you hated your job enough to leave
it, then why is your 401(k) still there?”. We’ve
included a great article about your options for your
401(k) from your former employer. If we can be of
assistance to you, give us a shout. We offer
fee-only planning and investment
advisory services.
Time to Share. Create a Buzz. "Buy land," an
old wit once said, "because they're not making any
more of it." Today in Massachusetts, just three
million acres remain up for grabs, half of them
critically important, whether for their natural
beauty or ecological value.
At The
Trustees of Reservations, the moves they
make
in the next few years—to help save thousands of
critical acres, to inspire generations of people to
love the land, and to protect the treasures we
already own—will shape the natural and cultural
landscape of Massachusetts for many centuries to
come.
The Trustees of Reservations have embarked upon an
ambitious $50 million capital campaign called
Landscapes & Landmarks. The Kresge
Foundation will
contribute $1.5 million to The Trustees efforts in
your backyard and across the state if they reach
their financial goals and get more people like you
involved as Trustees—through financial support at
any level—by June 2006. Won’t you join us
as we
become members of The Trustees of Reservations.
Now, it's your move!
Have You Ever Tried to Negotiate a Different
Work-Life Arrangement with Your Employer? If yes,
read on. A research team from Babson College
is conducting a study of the issues women face
when they try to change their work-life arrangement.
We are interested in hearing from women who have
had both successful and unsuccessful experiences
negotiating such changes as a flexible work week,
working from home, working part-time, etc.
If you, or a colleague, would like to participate in this
study or for more information, please contact Alex
Gasik via email at agasik1@babson.edu.
Cheers—Paula and Bill Harris
The money move you must get right
When you leave a job, doing the wrong thing with your old 401(k) can cost you a big chunk of your savings. To retire rich, master the art of the rollover.
Every time you start a new chapter in your career,
you face fresh challenges: a different corporate
culture, more responsibility, new colleagues and--if
you're at the end of full-time work--a whole new
way of life.
How small cuts become huge savings
You can tilt the odds of creating wealth in your favor. Sure, spending less is one way. But be sure to make your money work hard for you -- and set goals to make certain it happens.
I've often been asked the secret of creating wealth.
Is it to buy hot Internet stocks or work for a tech
startup that offers you stock options? Is the trick to
count every penny and live a life of penury? Is the
road to wealth paved with risk? Do you have to be
smart and well-educated? Or is it simply a matter of
luck?
Is a real estate individual retirement account right for you?
by William Harris, CFP
For tax-deferred retirement accounts, one asset
class is being overlooked: real estate or real estate
held within your individual retirement account or
other qualified retirement plan.
7 radical ways to save money
Want to really save? Take a look at how you spend and change it.
It's getting harder to blame savings shortfalls on
your measly pay stub.
In fact, how much you save has little to do with your
income, research by economists Steven Venti and
David Wise shows. It has more to do with whether
you want to save and are willing to adjust to boost
your saving.
Getting the most bang for your remodeling buck
Home Sweet Home
Maybe you're getting a fat tax refund. Or you found
a sweet deal on a home equity loan. Whatever the
source, you're just itching to use that stash of cash
to spruce up your home and increase its resale value.
Top things to know
Learn the difference about debt and don't drag your feet when you need help.
1. Americans are loaded with credit card
debt.
The average American household with at least one
credit card has nearly $9,200 in credit card debt,
according to CardWeb.com, and the average interest
rate runs in the mid- to high teens at any given time.