Financial and Business Trends

Thirtysomething? Why Smart Retirement Planning Starts Now
By Martin Brown for SingleMindedWomen.com
If you’re thinking "I’m way too young at age 30 to give a moment’s thought to my life at 65 and beyond..." don’t feel guilty. The vast majority of us simply cannot wrap our minds around what our lives will look like so far into the future. While we see retirement savings as preparing for a distant time in the future, the truth is that the future is far closer than we think...

From Two Incomes to One: Most Don't Confront the Reality of Divorce until after Separation
By Josie Brown for Divorce360.com
Going from two incomes to one often is often a jarring taste of reality. As Robert Brownstein, a Sausalito, Calif., CPA and personal financial adviser explains, “And most people don’t confront it until after the actual separation.Grieving the loss of a marriage is much like grieving the death of a loved one. On top of all this emotional turmoil, you suddenly find yourself facing financial problems, as well...

The Ins and Outs of Credit Card Scores
By Martin Brown for SingleMindedWomen.com
What are the five key factors that create your FICO score? And what can you do to improve that score if you don’t like it? The percentage placed next to each of these five criteria is the amount of value it represents in determining your overall score...

Big: Is the Era of the Solo Dental Practice Coming to an End?
By Martin Brown for University of the Pacific/Arthur A. Dagoni School of Dentistry
As is often the case in the practice of dentistry, it is difficult to to assert what is a passing trend and what represents a systemic change, and this is why the industry is carefully studying the move away from sole practitioner model. Taking its place are grop practices, both large and small, or the formation of multiple office locations under one unified banner...

Hunting for Real Estate Bargains
By Martin Brown for SingleMindedWomen.com
Looking to buy a home or condo? There may not be a better time. Never forget in the world of economics, one person’s pain is another person’s gain. There is utterly no doubt that some people during the past year have been burned badly by the downturn in real estate. Just two weeks ago I responded to a question in my mailbag from a reader who wanted to know if now might be a good time to start looking. “Absolutely,” I suggested. “But if you do find a bargain, can you make a qualified offer?” I asked.

Money Market Jitters: How to Keep Calm in a Down Market
By Martin Brown for SingleMindedWomen.com
Getting a bad case of market jitters during uncertain times is only natural. Be it your savings, IRA, or 401K plans, it’s no fun seeing your monthly funds statement whittle away. Of course you wince every time you realize the market has swallowed up another 3, 4, 5 percent or more of your total portfolio. For single women, this can be a particularly nerve wracking time if you are relatively new to the world of investment..