Would your financial worries be solved if you just had more money — say, $1 million? Maybe. But according to a recent study by the folks at UBS (UBS), even millionaires — multimillionaires, in fact — fret over things like making ends meet and having enough to achieve their life goals. The news from Wealthville is rather surprising. Researchers found that only 31 percent of millionaires consider themselves wealthy. Even among those with $5 million or more, only 64 percent of them are confident that they’ll meet their own goals. For anyone having a hard time making ends meet on their income — no matter whethe...
Paying down your mortgage faster can seem smart — it’s always a good idea to pay off your debts as soon as possible, right? Not always. Making extra payments on your mortgage? Many people do — they’re anxious to get that mortgage paid down as quick as they can. But especially with interest rates this low, that might not be the best place to put that next dollar. So what are the top five reasons to postpone that mortgage burning party? 1. Your emergency fund is on the scrawny side Before you send another extra dollar to your mortgage company, beef up your cash reserves. Sure, you are saving more in interest than you’r...
A single dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may be enough to protect women against infection with the virus over the long-term, a new study from Costa Rica suggests. In the study, women who received one, two, or the standard three doses of the HPV vaccine all produced antibodies against the virus that remained at stable levels in their bodies for four years after vaccination. In addition, women who received one dose of the vaccine had an immune response that was five to nine times stronger than that seen in women who were infected with HPV naturally. [5 Dangerous Vaccination Myths] However, women who received only one vaccine do...
In June, the Chinese government made a fruitless attempt to curb the nation’s increasing dependency on credit. By August, loans from shadow banks reached an all time high. If lending continues at this rate, the Chinese economy is heading for a dip. China responded to the economic events of 2008 with an investment-heavy stimulus programme supported by vast credit expansion. Though state investment has always been disproportionately heavy in China – rising from under 30 percent of GDP in 1980 to nearly 40 percent by 2005 – in the three years from 2008, investment grew by 12 percent. The majority of this was funded by state owned enterpris...
The rate of preterm births in the United States dropped to a 15-year low of 11.5 percent in 2012, according to a report released on Friday, but the country still came in dead last among industrialized nations on this measure of infant health. The rate reflects six straight years of declines, possibly due to factors such as a drop in smoking among women of childbearing age, said the March of Dimes, the nonprofit group that produced the report. The improvement comes during an acrimonious, partisan debate in Congress about health insurance centered on President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law. The Affordable Care Act requires all insu...
If you’re looking for some high-tech Halloween help, look no further than your smartphone or tablet. That’s right: from storybooks to games to safety tools, these apps provide all the tools you need to ensure the kids have a safe and fun Halloween night. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown If you’re a fan of this classic Charlie Brown Halloween tale, you may want to pick up this interactive storybook (rated for ages 4+) for the kids. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown features narration from Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown, as well as tons of Halloween games from pumpkin carving to v...
Tony Abbott’s election as the new Australian Prime Minister in September comes as the 13th biggest economy enters its 22nd consecutive year of growth. The defeated Labor Government, with the help of the Reserve Bank of Australia, diverted the economy from succumbing to the global financial crisis in their six years of power. This is with thanks largely due to the profitable mining industry fuelled by consumption in the emerging Chinese market. The repeated lack of leader confidence indicated volatile relations within the Labor party ranks, despite visible national economic progression during their time in power. The conservative, Liberal-Na...
Five years ago, George W Bush gathered the leaders of the largest rich and developing countries in Washington for the first summit of the G20. In the face of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the leaders promised not to repeat that era’s descent into economic isolationism, proclaiming their commitment to an open global economy and the rejection of protectionism. They succeeded only in part. Although they did not retreat into the extreme protectionism of the 1930s, the world economy has certainly become less open. After two decades in which people, capital and goods were moving ever more freely across borders, walls have...
Many by-40 milestones have become debatable: Get married? Only if you really want to. Own a home? If it’s financially feasible. Know what you want to be when you grow up? Well, if 40 is the new 30, you’re certainly entitled to change your mind. But there’s one thing that’s nonnegotiable: By age 40, you can’t get away with being financially clueless anymore. Especially since retirement might be a lot closer than you think! We’ve put together 40 money things, big and small, you should know before you turn the big 4-0. Why? So you can help achieve your financial goals with plenty of time left over to enjoy them! 1. The three basics ...
Ever feel like technology is taunting you? You’re not the only one. Technology can be your best friend, but it can also be your worst enemy. Most of the time, it works exactly as it’s supposed to. Other times, it makes you want to throw your device out the window, and you yearn for the days of yore when typewriters and rotary phones (or, if you’re really old-school, quills and carrier pigeons) got the job done. As much as technology has made our lives easier than anyone could have ever imagined, it can make our lives just as difficult when it backfires. Misery loves company, they say, so we asked other professionals what the...