Finance and Family Archives

5 Ways to Save on Your Wedding

November 5, 2013
David S. Chang

A wedding is the biggest, most important moment in a couples life (or so it seems at the time). As a recent bride myself, I understand where the term “bridezilla” comes from. For our wedding this past April, my husband and I did a lot of DIY and asked a team of friends to help […]

Why We Make Bad Investment Decisions

October 28, 2013
David S. Chang

By David S. Chang and infograph from Value Stock Guide Studies show that the average investor the past 20 years got a 2.4% return whereas the S&P 500 returned 7.7%, bonds averaged 6.1%, and inflation was at 2.6%. In other words, the average investor got a negative return if you account for inflation, and if […]

October 2, 2013
David S. Chang

This is Part 2 of the eight principles of long-term investing. as we continue to look at important principles that you may find useful in helping you make investment decisions. Click here for part 1! 4. Be Flexible And Diversified. Diversification is a powerful tool to reduce certain types of risk in your portfolio. Make […]

September 27, 2013
David S. Chang

Increasing your wealth over time is more than picking the right stock or always buying low and selling high.Too often we see intelligent investors shoot themselves in the foot by making basic errors in their investing strategy. Through years of experience, I have observed the effects of fear, greed, lack of discipline, groupthink, and many […]

August 8, 2013
David S. Chang

Please click here to visit the original article on working with Debt Collectors. Dear Mr. Chang, I am writing to you in response to your Midweek article for August 7, 2013 titled “Dealing with Debt Collectors.” My goal isn’t to dispute what you have written, which was well done, rather to add some context regarding personal responsibility […]

August 7, 2013
David S. Chang

July 2013 Financial Security Index charts By Bankrate.com Bankrate’s monthly survey of six questions measures how secure Americans feel about their personal finances compared to 12 months ago. From July 3-7, 2013, telephone interviews (on landlines and cellphones) with 1,005 adults living in the continental U.S. were conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The […]

August 7, 2013
David S. Chang

SAM RO When investors get scared and they have nowhere to hide, they move their money to cash. Cash is arguably a great place to store your wealth briefly until you make your next investing move. However, cash itself is not really an investment. “The one thing I will tell you is the worst investment […]

August 7, 2013
David S. Chang

From AllWomenStalk I have to tell you, I love finding new coupon apps almost as much as I love saving money on my purchases! Coupon apps are getting better with each one that is made, but what most people don’t know is how many unique ones are out there, amongst the more popular ones. Here, […]

July 17, 2013
David S. Chang

When people think of a financial plan, many assume it involves setting up a budget, saving for retirement and looking for good investment products. But a financial plan goes much deeper than that. If properly done and updated regularly, it could mean the difference between financial independence and financial dependence. Here are key steps on how to […]

June 7, 2013
David S. Chang

John Ulzheimer, SmartCredit.com We’ve all heard the warnings…don’t close your old credit cards because your credit scores will go down! That warning is part truth and part myth. And, there are certainly times when you can safely close your credit cards without any negative impact to your credit scores, especially if you’re just tired of […]