Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine back issues from September 2008:
My view of the future.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... My friend Jim calls to suggest that I sit back and think about the subtle and not-so-subtle consequences of today's energy prices. That's what Jim used to do for a living. He was the corporate strategist for a multibillion-dollar company. His job was to ask "What if ...?" and then connect ...
A daughter's windfall.(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Your article on little-known Social Security benefits turned out to be very valuable to my family ("Secret Ways to Boost Your Social Security," July). Mary Beth Franklin cited the example of a retiree receiving benefits who remarries and has a child. My situation exactly! What I didn't ...
Delayed gratification.(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... My wife and I have both reached full retirement age. She started drawing Social Security benefits at 62. I have decided to delay benefits until age 70. Until I read your story, I never dreamed that I was eligible for spousal benefits equal to half of my wife's benefit. But within ten days ...
Home sweet home.(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... I would not choose to move to any of the ten great places you listed ("The Best Cities to Live, Work and Play," July). Nearly all of them are subject to heat, drought, high summer humidity, cold winters, tornadoes, floods and severe storms. Where I live now, I can drive ...
Au current.(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Bravo for covering the upcoming surge in demand for electric vehicles ("Drive Time," July). And there is precedent. Electric cabs cruised New York City streets as early as 1898. The Electric Storage Battery Company of Philadelphia supplied rechargeable batteries to 27 manufacturers in ...
Retail therapy.(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2008; ... It's hard to believe that John Perry and the members of The Compact don't buy anything new ("My Story," July). You mean 8,000 people don't have hobbies? What about when you need a special tool to repair something in the house? And no one needs dish ...
Clarification.(Correction notice)
Sep 01, 2008 ... Michigan fully exempts government and military pensions from state income taxes ("Retiree Tax Heaven--and Hell," Aug.). In ...
An income stream to last a lifetime: no company pension? You can create one of your own.(TOPIC A)
Sep 01, 2008; ... IMAGINE A RETIREMENTsavings well that never runs dry, no matter how long you live. If that's the dream of future retirees, why are annuities, which make that very promise, such a minuscule part of our collective nest egg? This so-called annuity puzzle has baffled academics, policymakers ...
Betting against the street's bears: ordinary investors can profit when short sellers guess wrong. Here's how you can do it.
Sep 01, 2008; ... Dylan Wetherill is the founder of ShortSqueeze.com, which provides short-selling data and analysis to investors. SHORT SELLERS BET ON STOCK PRICES GOING DOWN BY SELLING BORROWED SHARES, HOPING TO REPLACE THEM LATER AT A LOWER PRICE. EXPLAIN WHAT A SHORT SQUEEZE IS. A short ...
Does charity begin at home or abroad?(MONEY & ETHICS)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Q: My best friend donates only to charities that support health, education and microcredit in the world's poorest nations. She argues that her donations have more impact there than in the U.S. and that America's poor are much better off--in material comfort and opportunity for ...
Salary scoop: a new web site lets you scope out companies before you apply.(PERSONAL TECH)
Sep 01, 2008; ... OH, TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL of a prospective employer's office. Aptly named Glassdoor. com, founded by the brains behind popular home-valuation Web site Zillow.com, gives you a firsthand peek at companies and how well they pay. Employees submit reviews along with salary details. To gain ...
Got a gift card? Use it or lose it: some bankrupt retailers honor them, but don't count on it.(WHAT'S THE DEAL?)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008; ... GIFT CARDS TOTALING ABOUT $66 billion will be tucked into birthday, wedding and holiday cards this year. According to Brian Riley, TowerGroup's research director for bank cards, roughly onethird will be spent within 90 days and another third within six months. Some $20 billion worth will ...
Play on.(Stock Watch)(Hasbro)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008 ... Shares in Hasbro have gained 40% this year. Demographics at both ends of the spectrum--a mini babyboom in 2006 and a projected 80 million grandparents by 2013--will help this creative repurposer of intellectual property grow earnings in the low double digits. The stock is due for a ...
So cheap, who cares about gas? Fire-sale prices on SUVs make up for the pain at the pump.(SHOPPING)(sport utility vehicles)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008; ... STEVE MUSSER, AN ATLANTA RESTAURANT EXECUTIVE, wasn't planning to part with his 2001 SUV--not when he and his wife pack three sons and two dogs, plus gear, into the SUV for frequent trips to a vacation home in Florida. But he couldn't resist incentives offered by Steve Rayman Chevrolet on ...
We have met the enemy.(MY POINT OF VIEW)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... It's a natural tendency to blame others for our misfortune. And it's also human to demand of elected officials that they "do something about it." And that's what we Americans are doing. // We want Washington to lower the prices on gasoline and food and to enable our dollars to buy more on ...
A tanking market is no cause for panic: if your investments are solid, your best bet may be to do nothing.(PORTFOLIO DOCTOR)
Sep 01, 2008; ... SICK MARKETS TEST THE resolve of even the savviest investors. Paul puts 15% of his salary into a 401(k) plan, for which he receives a 3% employer match. Additional contributions from his employer go into a cash-balance pension plan now earning 4.5% interest, a sweet return on an investment ...
The storm intensifies.(DISCOVERING VALUE)(financial crisis)
Sep 01, 2008; ... No corner of the market has been more decisively beaten up than financial-services companies. Shares of financial titans with once-unassailable franchises have been cut to pieces right along with those of marginal and niche players. Citigroup shares are down 67% in the past year. Merrill ...
Getting past the ETF clutter: with 800 choices, you can't just throw darts. We pick great ETFs in 13 categories.(INVESTING // ANNUAL FUND ISSUE)(Exchange-traded funds)
Sep 01, 2008; ... NOT LONG AGO, EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS WERE A novelty. But the number of ETFs has soared from fewer than 200 two years ago to nearly 800, and they now include funds that track Turkish stocks, wind-power companies and the price of livestock. And with such profusion comes confusion. With so ...
Magical disappearing acts.(INVESTING // ANNUAL FUND ISSUE)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008 ... A HORDE OF NEW ETF SPONSORS WANT YOUR INVESTMENT DOLLARS, AND THEY'RE EAGER TO entice you with often ill-conceived and unnecessary products. And if the products don't catch on, their sponsors are quick to terminate them. Investment firms view ETFs as a way to rake in money ...
Top ETFs for today's market.(What to buy now)(Exchange-traded funds)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008 ... Don't let the bear market paralyze you. We don't know when stocks will end their slide, but these five exchange-traded funds look timely. SPDR S&P BIOTECH INDEX (symbol XBI). The biotechnology sector has a history of behaving independently of sweeping stock-market trends. ...
What's next for American funds: the $1-trillion colossus delivers remarkably consistent results. But will they continue.(INVESTING // ANNUAL FUND ISSUE)
Sep 01, 2008; ... TO BORROW A DESCRIPTION FROM SIR WINSTON, THE American Funds family is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The firm manages assets greater than the annual economic output of Australia, representing the savings of some 50 million shareholders, and its Lovename is a touchstone ...
Funds that keep it simple: the ultimate in convenience: a single fund that exposes you to a spectrum of stocks and bonds.
Sep 01, 2008; ... TED MILLER DOESN'T LIKE unnecessary distractions. So when the 24-year-old decided to roll over retirement money from a previous job, he chose a target-date fund from T. Rowe Price. "A fund like this saves me time, my most valuable resource," says Miller, an assistant admissions director at ...
New ways to tap savings: retirement-income funds let you convert your kitty into steady income.
Sep 01, 2008; ... THAT NEST EGG YOU BUILT steadily through your working years is ready to hatch. And just in time, investment companies are introducing funds to help you make the money last through your retirement years. Will these retirement-income funds deliver? That depends on your expectations. If you ...
And the winners are ... read our take on which of the one-, three-, five-, ten- and 20-year winners are worth buying now.(Table)
Sep 01, 2008; ... IT WAS AN UGLY YEAR FOR fund investors. Most stock funds bled red ink as share prices plunged because of worries that falling housing prices and a growing number of mortgage defaults would destabilize the nation's financial system. The collapse of Bear Stearns in March and growing fears ...
Keys to the fund tables.(Table)
Sep 01, 2008; ... THE BIGGEST AND BESTperforming funds are featured in these rankings. To be included, a U.S.-stock fund must have a one-year record and usually at least $2.9 billion in assets. International-stock funds (see page 60) must usually have at least $1.6 billion in assets. Smaller funds are ...
Exchange-traded funds.(Table)
Sep 01, 2008 ... THESE FUNDS ARE BOUGHT and sold through brokerage firms just like stocks. The tables below include the 101 largest diversified domestic ETFs, the 42 largest sector ETFs and the 51 largest ETFs that focus on international stocks. You can find explanations for the styles within each group at ...
Time to buy munis.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(municipal bonds)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Markets are pretty efficient, yet the patient investor can usually find a good deal. Today, that deal is municipal bond funds. With the stock market taking a beating, finding a bargain that offers steady yields and strong protection of principal is mighty appealing. It makes sense that the ...
Follow the moneymaker.(PROMISED LAND)(Tom Ward)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Often, it seems, bluster and hot air rule Wall Street. Companies announce share buybacks that they never complete. Chief executives wax rhapsodic about the glories of their companies while quietly selling shares on the side. And then there's Tom Ward. // You probably don't know who he is, ...
Fairholme's bargain hunter shifts gears.(THE KIPLINGER 25 UPDATE)(Fairholme Fund)(Table)
Sep 01, 2008 ... FAIRHOLME IS DOWN, BUT NOT NEARLY as much as the overall market. Energy stocks have energized the fund's returns for years. But now, Fairholme's lead manager, Bruce Berkowitz, a dyed-in-thewool value investor, thinks it's time to take some of the chips off the table. So he's been trimming ...
Catch up on your retirement savings: it's never too late to build your nest egg. Six common problems and how to solve them.(MONEY)
Sep 01, 2008; ... WHEN YOUR WALLET IS PINCHED EACH TIME YOU FILL YOUR GAS TANK OR GROCERY CART, it's tempting to cut back on retirement savings. In fact, in a recent AARP survey of workers 45 and older, one-third of those who responded said they had stopped contributing to their retirement plans and another ...
The last word on kids and cash: what your children need to know about money and how to teach them.(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... NOT LONG AGO I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM MY 25-YEAR-OLD son, who sounded a bit testy. John had just read a story in Kiplinger's about a young investor named Deirdre, also 25, who had amassed more than $100,000 in Vanguard index mutual funds. "You write about kids and money," John said ...
Lessons from the floods: homeowners in the Midwest can teach us all how to cope with financial disaster.(MONEY // INSURANCE)
Sep 01, 2008; ... FOR THREE WEEKS THE RAIN POURED DOWN, SWELLING the rivers and lakes that punctuate the Midwest. And then all hell broke loose. Rivers rushed over their banks, dams collapsed, and houses split in two. On June 12, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 5.5 inches of rain inundated the town. The Cedar River ...
Uncle Sam wants (to thank) you: the new G.I. Bill offers military veterans a generous reward.(MONEY // COLLEGE / ONLINE SECURITY / ASK KIM)(Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act)
Sep 01, 2008; ... MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY on active duty since September 11, 2001, just received a big bouquet from Congress. The Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, recently signed by President Bush, boosts the benefits offered to veterans of the Iraqi and Afghan conflicts, making it the most ...
Keep your online transactions safe.(FINANCIAL TOOLKIT)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008; ... 1. Update your Web browser to the latest version and look for a green address bar that indicates extensive identity-verification checks. 2. Review each site's privacy policy and make sure it will not share your information. 3. Before entering creditcard information, ...
Too late for a rebate?(ASK KIM)(Brief article)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... My grandmother is 83 and lives on Social Security. I just found out that she hasn't filed an income-tax return to get her economic-stimulus check from the IRS. Is it too late for her to submit a return? No, it isn't. But the deadline is October 15, so she should act soon (or you should act ...
What's this proxy fuss?(ASK KIM)(Brief article)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... What's this proxy fuss? I recently received several phone calls from the Altman Group, a proxy solicitation firm, pleading for me to return my proxy card to vote on changes for the Fairholme fund. I read the proxy material and discovered that the board of directors was recommending ...
Converting to a Roth.(ASK KIM)(Individual retirement accounts)(Brief article)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... In a recent article, you discussed opening a nondeductible IRA and converting it to a Roth IRA in 2010 ("Real Money," May). As a married person filing jointly, can I open a nondeductible IRA in my name only and then convert just that account in 2010? M.B.F. Austin, ...
What happens if the bank yanks my credit card?(CREDIT CARDS: Q&A)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... Q: I received a notice from Capital One that it is closing my credit-card account because of inactivity. If the company closes the account, will it hurt my credit score? Whether you or the issuer cancels an account, the effect on your credit score is the same--and it's not good ....
College-tuition deduction.(ASK KIM)(Brief article)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008; ... I haven't been able to find out whether the tax deduction for college tuition and fees, which has expired, will be reinstated for tax year 2008. I have a college-tuition bill due and need to know whether to pay it from my 529 college-savings plan or my personal funds. Bob ...
Worthless stock.(ASK KIM)(Brief article)(Column)
Sep 01, 2008 ... I recently inherited stock in Enron from my father, which I understand was declared worthless in 2004. Can I somehow lower my taxes? Can I declare the stock worthless for 2004, even though I didn't own it then? Or can I declare it worthless on my 2008 tax return? L.W. ...
Top-yielding money-market accounts.(UPDATES ONLINE)(Table)
Sep 01, 2008 ... For the latest savings yields and loan rates, visit kiplinger.com/finances/yields/ <Pre> TOP-YIELDING MONEY-MARKET ACCOUNTS 30-day yield Minimum TAXABLE MUTUAL FUNDS to July 9investment 1. Touchstone/Class A * ...
Top-yielding certificates of deposit.(UPDATES ONLINE)(Table)
Sep 01, 2008 ... <Pre> TOP-YIELDING CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT Recent Minimum 6-MONTH annual yieldamount 1. Corus Bank (Ill.) 3.70% $10,000 2. GMAC Bank (Pa.) ([dagger])3.70 500 ...
A gift registry for college savings: mark your grandchild's birthday by giving a chunk of tuition.(MONEY // COLLEGE)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2008; ... FINALLY, A BIRTHDAY GIFT that's fiscally responsible. Instead of giving children more toys, DVDs or video games, family members and friends can easily contribute toward a child's college kitty. State-sponsored 529 plans are the best way to save for college. Not only does your ...
Diesel cleans up its act: the new models are green, fuel-efficient and may be a better choice than a hybrid.(LIVING // CARS)
Sep 01, 2008; ... IT'S A SPECTACULAR SUMMER DAY IN VERMONT, AND I'M DRIVING A NEW DIESEL SUV from Mercedes-Benz. Ironically, Vermont is one of a handful of northeastern states that follow California's rigorous vehicle-emissions standards, and dieselvehicle sales have been banned here for years. // But now, ...
What you need to know about trading currencies: want to bet on the dollar falling or the yen rising? It's all a game of chance--and it's addictive.(LOWDOWN)
Sep 01, 2008; ... 1. WE'RE TALKING BIG MONEY. On an average day, $4 trillion in dollars, euros, yen, pounds, Swiss francs and other currencies changes hands; in comparison, $300 billion worth of stock trades daily worldwide. More than 90% of the activity in so-called forex--foreign-exchange trading--is ...
The identity thief upstairs: after a petty dispute, her neighbor retaliated by giving her e-mail address and cell-phone number to marketers. So she took him to court.(MY STORY)
Sep 01, 2008; ... HOW DID THE ARGUMENT WITH YOUR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBOR START? I admonished him for not cleaning our building's lobby during his assigned month. Two hours later, a flood of spam began pouring into my inbox, and my mobile phone began ringing nonstop. I immediately suspected that he had ...