Since I own GE . . .

I'll share our commercial.
IT'S SO PHUCKIN' HILARIOUS!!!

Also, I found out that anyone can buy any stocks, like GE, directly from "almost" any company using the  Investment Plan Enrollment Web Site.  Apparently, this is a free service, requiring $0.00 to low minimum investments for some stocks.

I always think of GE, as that automatic $100 dividend, every single year. I can actually envision myself as a 100 year old woman, still getting that check and bothering the mailman about it, lol!

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Quote of the Day

From Suze Orman . . .

“…You, and only you, should control what happens to your money. With your financial future on the line, it makes absolutely no sense to push responsibility onto somebody else. You need to find your power and take control of your life.”

Operative words: "Your Life".  Not your controlling somebody else's life and they controlling yours.

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Job Growth is on the Rebound: Where the Jobs Are

Thank you President Obama

Where the Jobs Are: Rank (Last Qtr Rank) Metropolitian Area Job Postings Per 1000 People 1  (1) San Jose, CA 123 2  (2) Raleigh, NC 90 3  (5) Washington, DC 82 4  (6) Boston, MA 80 5  (3) Hartford, CT 79 6  (8) Baltimore, MD 74 7  (4) Denver, CO 74 8  (7) San Francisco, CA 70 9  (9) Charlotte, NC 70 10  (10) Austin, TX 64 11  (14) Columbus, OH 60 12  (13) St. Paul, MN 59 13  (11) Oklahoma City, OK 59 14  (12) Salt Lake City, UT 59 15  (15) Seattle, WA 55 16  (17) Indianapolis, IN 54 17  (16) Phoenix, AZ 52 18  (20) Cleveland, OH 52 19  (18) Kansas City, MO 52 20  (19) Nashville, TN 52 21  (22) Atlanta, GA 49 22  (21) Milwaukee, WI 49 23  (29) San Antonio, TX 48 24  (26) Louisville, KY 48 25  (25) Providence, RI 47 26  (24) Orlando, FL 46 27  (23) Dallas, TX 45 28  (28) Houston, TX 45 29  (34) Pittsburgh, PA 45 30  (30) Portland, OR 45 31  (31) Cincinnati, OH 45 32  (32) Las Vegas, NV 45 33  (27) Richmond, VA 45 34  (35) Jacksonville, FL 44 35  (37) Chicago, IL 43 36  (33) Philadelphia, PA 43 37  (36) Tampa, FL 40 38  (38) St. Louis, MO 39 39  (39) Detroit, MI 36 40  (41) Buffalo, NY 36 41  (42) Birmingham, AL 36 42  (40) Memphis, TN 34 43  (46) New York, NY 33 44  (43) San Diego, CA 33 45  (44) Sacramento, CA 33 46  (47) Virginia Beach, VA 33 47  (45) New Orleans, LA 31 48  (48) Riverside, CA 29 49  (49) Los Angeles, CA 25 50  (50) Miami, FL 22

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Party Time

Holy Cow!

As of Oct 3rd the stock market index is up 21.73 points!

S&P 500

S&P Indices: .INX - Oct 3 4:28 PM ET

1,967.9021.73 

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No-Spend Weekends

This does sound a little desperate, but I did save an extra $200 to put into my retirement account. Let's see how long I can go with this challenge.

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Quote of the Day

Buffett says “Always Reinvest dividends!”

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My 100th Post

I hope that I inspired someone to become a passionate investor.

And remember . . .

It is a myth that you need a lot of money to start investing,

Just do it!

go to . . .

Any Online Brokerage

and build your nest egg.

Peace and love.

Banking is for Suckas

Bank Savings Account: less than 1%

Inflation: 3%

You lose: 2% of your savings

Index Mutual Fund: average 11% 

Inflation: 3%

You win: 8%

10 Things You Are Supposed to do With Money

1. Invest it

2. Donate it.

3. Love it.

4. Count it.

5. Manage it

6. Double it.

7. Work for it.

8. Max it

9. Grow it.

10. Budget it

10 Stupid Things People Have Done With Money

1. Eat it.

2. Burn it.

3. Flush it.

4. Bank it.

5. Gamble it.

6. Waste it.

7. Fear it.

8. Abuse it

9. Smoke it

10. Tear it.

Money Honey

Bills You Never Knew Existed But DO

The $500 Bill

The $1000 Bill

The $5000 Bill

The $10,000 Bill

The $100,000 Bill - Not in public circulation, Issued only to Federal Reserve banks.

How to Save $100,000 Dollars

Saving goal: $100,000

1. Stop acting rich
• Because it's ghetto. 
• Don't keep up with the Jones', because they are broke. Unless your name is Jones, ignore the Jones.
• Get a cheaper apartment, house, or a roomie. Housing should be no more than 20% of your monthly income.
• Get a second job or a side gig if you need too.
• Get married and share expenses. Live off one paycheck
2. Get your Personal Finances in order
• Stop putting your money in Banks, banking is for suckas.
• Open an investing account at an online brokerage.
• Open a Roth IRA (max it out)
• Open a 401k (if it is offered at your J.O.B and max it out)
• Develop a savings budget
3. Start Saving
• 4 years - Save $25,000 per year for 4 years = $100,000
• 5 years - Save $294.36 per week in a index mutual fund earning 10% annually = $100,000
• 5 years - Save 17,500 - $18,000  per year in your 401k for 5 years. Employer match is 3-6% free money, use it! Max it out! $17,500 - $18,000  per year in a 10% index mutual fund x 5 years = $100,000+
• 10 years - Save $10,000  per year for 10 years.
• 18 years - Save $5,500 per year for 18 years = $100,000. Open a free Roth IRA at any online brokerage and max it out.  Invest in a index mutual fund making at least 10% per year.
4. Create a Strategy
• Learn how to double your money using the Rule of 72
• Reinvest your dividends in a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP)
• Use Compound Calculators for budgeting savings goals
• Read. Read online Dividends Growth Investors (DGI) and Personal Finance (PF) bloggers and bloggettes. (RIF) Reading is Fundamental.

Qualified State Tuition Planning

Click me! Section 529 - By State: Qualified Tuition Plans

• 529 savings plans can be used at virtually any accredited college or university in the U.S. and at some foreign schools.
• Earnings from 529 plans are not taxed when used to pay for eligible college expenses.
• The account owner of a 529 plan maintains control over the use of the account.
• Some states offer matching grants and other benefits to participants in its 529 plan.
• Your 529 plan contribution qualifies for the $14,000 annual gift tax exclusion.
• 529 plans come in two varieties: college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans.
• 529 plans can be used to pay for tuition, room and board, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for enrollment.
• Many states offer an income tax deduction or credit based on your contributions into a 529 plan.
• There are no income limitations on a person's ability to contribute to an account.
• You can participate in almost any 529 plan across the country.
• Most need-based financial aid comes in the form of student loans.
• Over the past decade, tuition and room/board at 4-year public universities have risen nearly 49%.
• High school graduates are more likely to go on to college today than in the past. Sixty-three percent of the year 2000 high school graduates had enrolled in college by the following fall, up from 52 percent of the class of 1970. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• College graduates age 25 and over earn nearly twice as much as workers who stopped with a high school diploma.
• Among men, median earnings of four-year college graduates were 19 percent higher than median earnings of high school graduates in 1975. The gap grew to 37 percent in 1985, 56 percent in 1995, and 63 percent in 2005.
• Among women, median earnings of four-year college graduates were 37 percent higher than median earnings of high school graduates in 1975. The gap grew to 47 percent in 1985, and 71 percent in 1995. It was 70 percent in 2005.
• Minimum contributions can be as little as $10.
• In most states, you can contribute as much as $300,000 or more per beneficiary.
• Prepaid plans are currently offered by 12 states and 1 not-for-profit organization.
• More than $227 billion is invested in 529 plans across the country.
• More than 11.5 million 529 accounts are open nationally.

Estate Planning: How to Leave Money to Your Family.

$10,000 (lump sum) saved in a index mutual fund account yielding at least 10% annually for 50 years will yield 1 Million dollars, which you can leave to your family when you die. 

Your Estate Plan should include a Will, which can be purchased online these days.

• Include instructions for passing your values (religion, education, hard work, etc.) in addition to your valuables.
• Include instructions for your care if you become disabled before you die.
• Name a guardian and an inheritance manager for minor children.
• Provide for family members with special needs without disrupting government benefits.
• Provide for loved ones who might be irresponsible with money or who may need future protection from creditors or divorce.
• Include life insurance to provide for your family at your death, disability income insurance to replace your income if you cannot work due to illness or injury, and long-term care insurance to help pay for your care in case of an extended illness or injury.
• Provide for the transfer of your business at your retirement, disability, or death.
• Minimize taxes, court costs, and unnecessary legal fees.
• Be an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Your plan should be reviewed and updated as your family and financial situations (and laws) change over your lifetime.

How to Give Your Grandchild $10,000

I don't have any grand children, but if I did have any grands . . . I would open a trust account/custodial account at any online brokerage.

Deposit a lump-sum of $3,855
As soon as he or she was born, I would open a trust account/custodial account for the child in a mutual fund or motif of stocks earning at least 10% annually. Deposit a lump-sum of $3,855, don't touch it for 10 years and the deposit will be worth $10,000.

Deposit a lump-sum of $500
Don't have $3,855?
Open the trust account with only $500 and your grand child would have $10,000 in 32 years.

myRA: President Obama Helping Millions of Americans Save for Retirement

myRA_SM: My Retirement Account

What is myRA?

myRA is a new type of savings account for Americans who don’t have access to an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. Workers who sign up will be able to have a portion of their paycheck directly deposited into their myRA automatically every payday.

Contributions as low as $5.

Key features include:

• No cost to open an account.
• Contribute to savings through regular payroll direct deposit.
• Individual decides how much to contribute every payday ($50, $25, $7 – any amount!)
• No fees.
• myRAs will earn interest at the same variable rate as the Government Securities
• Investment Fund in the Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees.
• myRAs will not be limited to one employer  – the account will be portable.
• myRA contributions can be withdrawn tax free.
• Earnings can be withdrawn tax free after five years and the saver is 59½.
• Account holders can build savings for 30 years or until their myRA reaches $15,000 – whichever comes first. After that, myRA balances will transfer to private-sector Roth IRAs.

FIND OUT MORE AT: http://www.myra.treasury.gov/ OR http://www.treasurydirect.gov/readysavegrow/

Create Your Own Dayum Money!!!

Create your personalized money at: http://www.festisite.com/money/

but don't spend it!

My Personal 60/40 Budget

My Needs and My Wants: 60%
Housing 20%
Utilities (including cable,  phone and internet) 10% 
Tithes and Offerings 10%
Recreation 5%
Food 5%

Personal 5%
Clothing 5%

My Savings: 40%
Emergency Fund 10%
Savings Roth IRA 25%
Tuition 5%

Car/Transportation 0% (Commuter Check is taken out pre-tax)

This works fine for me.  I tried the Save 50 Club but I just can't get it work in my budget.

11/17/2014 UPDATE: I'm in the Save 50% Club, I made it Mom!