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Making time for yourself.  That really did sound good when you read it in an earlier post on this site.  With the new year upon us, what better time is there to put this idea into practice?  If you're shaking your head at your screen and saying: "Melinda's nuts!  I have no time, next to no money and what time and money I do have is eaten by the kids!"  Take heart, moms.  I have a few ideas that will give you some super cheap ways for both you and your kids to get a break.

The store sign says, “End of the Year Blow-out Sale!” Tempted? Of course you are. Especially if that store is one you frequent often. So, you walk in, glance around, and immediately head to the section toting 50-70% savings.

What do you do when you spot that bargain? Do you jump on it, count your luck and dive back into your shopping? I used to, but now I stop and ask myself a couple of questions before I start congratulating myself on my "savings."

Would I buy it at regular price?

One of the things we really want to stress here at MomVesting is to make sure you're taking advantage of your tax-advantaged retirement plan options. If you're not, you're literally throwing money away. Let's take a look at the difference between using an IRA for your retirement savings and not using one.

Running the Numbers

Yesterday we talked in general about portfolio allocation, particularly as it pertained to stocks. It can be confusing to decide what to do with an investment portfolio, especially if you are new to the idea of investing.  Two simple rules to help with the decision are: the 100- Age Rule and the 120- Age Rule.  Let’s look at some of the ideas behind each rule to help you decide your best course of action in setting up your portfolio.

100 Minus Age Rule

The term stock allocation sounds rather imposing. In reality, it represents a simple question that we all need to answer: What portion of our portfolio should be in stocks versus other investments?

Why Stocks?

It's that time again!  There were plenty of great posts out in the blogosphere this last week.  I had a tough time narrowing down which ones to include into today's Round-up.  I hope everyone enjoys these as much as I did.

In "1000 Hours to a Slimmer, More Financially Fit You," Fabulously Broke lays out the keys to success, and speculates that one can create a good habit within 1000 hours.  Check it out and see if you agree.

Few things in the finance world are as confusing as shorting a stock. You may not have even ever heard of "shorting," but it can be an important component of your investment portfolio, so let's look a little closer.

What is Shorting a Stock?

Recently, my husband switched jobs, and in an effort to create financial balance among his multiple retirement accounts, he attempted to roll his two outstanding accounts into his newest job's 401(k).  Both of the original accounts were denied rollover, so we had to investigate the 401(k) rules to determine our best strategy.  Let's look at what I found.

What's a Rollover?

So, you've decided that one of your New Year’s Resolutions is going to be investing in stocks.  Learning about how to analyze and value stocks is a lesson that pays off tremendously over the course of an investing life. Of course you will have to do your homework first.

Stock analysis can be broken up into two camps: fundamental analysis and technical analysis.  While many people will get caught up in which is "better," first we need to understand what each one is.

Fundamental Analysis

Exchange-Traded Funds, or ETFs, can be mystifying to the most hardened investor. If a mutual fund and a stock were to fall in love and have a baby, ETFs would most likely be the bouncing baby produced. ETFs are like mutual funds that are traded on a stock exchange and can offer significant flexibility to your portfolio.

What is an Exchange-Traded Fund?