December 2012

Tips for Charitable Giving this Holiday Season

December 12, 2012
David S. Chang

In 2011 two-thirds of Americans gave close to $350 billion dollars to charity. About 80% of the charitable donations come from individuals. The largest recipients are religious organizations, education, and needs/disaster relief groups. The average person in Hawaii gives 4.5% of their income to charity, compared to the highest at 10.6% in Utah and the […]

December 11, 2012
David S. Chang

Want to lose weight? Skip the expensive trainer or aerobics classes. Research shows that peer-led weight loss groups (such as Weight Watchers or weight loss contests among friends) lead to more consistent weight loss among participants than sessions with a professional trainer or counselor.

December 10, 2012
David S. Chang

Drive 55 to save $$ With the holidays approaching, many of us will be traveling to visit friends and family. Leave your lead foot at home and save gas (and the ticket!) by lowering your highway speed. According to Consumer Reports, for every 10 mph over 55, aerodynamic drag reduces your fuel efficiency by around […]

December 9, 2012
David S. Chang

A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a popular investment vehicle founded in 1960 to give smaller investors access to large real estate deals. A REIT is a corporation that pools together money from investors to buy, manage and sell real estate properties and/or mortgages. The income from the rents and/or sales of the real […]

December 9, 2012
David S. Chang

For more Information on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): REITs That Perform Well During Turbulent Markets | The Basics of REITs

December 9, 2012
David S. Chang

Many of us have an investment portfolio or work retirement plan. Investing is an important component for retirement planning and financial independence. We saw however in the 2008 financial crisis that sometimes investing can produce losses, not gains! The three main traditional asset classes to invest in have been stocks, bonds and cash. Recently, another asset […]

December 6, 2012
David S. Chang

December 4, 2012
David S. Chang

Fresh Fish vs. Canned Consider purchasing fresh fish instead of canned. You will reduce the amount of resources wasted in the canning process and might even save money. For every 10 pounds of canned fish produced, 20 gallons of water and more than half a pound of edible fish are wasted.

December 4, 2012
David S. Chang

While it’s not news to the millions of Americans who already take advantage of acupuncture, a recent multinational study offers evidence that the ancient Chinese therapy can reduce chronic pain. Researchers studied the effects of acupuncture on a variety of chronic ailments and showed that patients receiving the test treatment were able to reduce pain […]