I overheard someone yesterday talking about how they didn't invest in their 401(k) account because they thought they could get a better return on their own by buying individual stocks.

I wanted to chime in, but figured it would be rude so I need to vent my comments here.

Most companies match your 401(k) investment contributions up to a certain percentage of your income. This is basically free money! You can't find a better investment than getting free money. Your money doubles as soon as you m… Continue

Do you have automatic deposits set-up?

It really is one of the best ways to achieve your savings and investment goals.

I used to have a hard time saving money every month because there were so many bills to pay and so many things I wanted to do with my money. Now that I use automatic withdrawals, my investments are made before I even see the money.

I still pay my bills and spend the money in my checking account, but the process of reaching my investment goals has been automated with no need f… Continue

Tom Friedman of the New York Times says green is the new red, white, and blue. He says a green revolution is blooming around the world that will solve our environmental, economic, and terrorism problems all at once.

We certainly would solve a lot of our problems if we found a clean energy solution that didn't require carbon emitting fossil fuels from foreign countries.

70% of our oil use is for automobiles. I would like to invest in and purchase a clean fuel automobile as one of the most patri… Continue

I want to retire early. I don't mean a few years ahead of time, I mean right now.

My main problem is that everything I'm interested in is not profitable.

It is not profitable to spend time with and teach my children.

It is not profitable to be a concerned citizen working to make the world a better place.

It is not profitable to take care of my body instead of sitting in front of a computer all day.

I'm sick of only being able to do things that are profitable.

My goal now is to retire as so… Continue

Are you a speculator or an investor?

This is an important question to ask oursleves as we experience the current market swings.

If we are investors, we are trying to make a profit over a long period of time. If we are speculating, we are trying to make money in a short period of time with high risk endeavors.

Most of the investors I know have been taking the current market losses in stride. They understand that the market is still positive for the year. They know that the market has been very… Continue