A Test that Saved my Life

Presented by Tracy Chiu

Many of you know who Dr. Mehmet Oz is from his well received T.V. show. We can say that Dr. Oz walks his talk. When he turned 50, besides celebrating this big milestone he added this to his list: a routine colonoscopy. Although it is not on anyone’s top 10 favorite things to do, there are many risks for not having this routine test done.  Not having much of the common risk factors for colon cancer, Dr. Oz was shocked to learn they found a type of polyp that sometimes turns into cancer.

Don’t miss this and read further. It could save your life.

“The Test That Saved My Life”

College is Free

Presented by Tracy Chiu

Free online courses are setting the academic world abuzz. A combination of technological advancement and “economic need” are helping to drive this trend. Free online courses are on the rise and receiving a warm welcome. While, as Kim Clark’s article in Money magazine points out, there are still advantages to being in the classroom, one can benefit with online courses by honing their skills, boosting their knowledge, even learning a new hobby.  

One of my favorite websites is www.coursera.org, which offers more than 300 classes from 62 schools. 

Click here to read further and take advantage of all the free courses

 

De-Stuff your Teen

Presented by Tracy Chiu

Raising a child is not only a challenge emotionally but one must consider the financial costs as well. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the care and feeding of the average 15 year old runs about $13,530 per year. With the higher cost of living, this number today is much higher than say 5 or 10 years ago. Besides food costs, teens’ latest clothing and gadgets can put a dent on parents’ savings. What’s the solution? Teaching kids money management and bargain shopping are both essential.

If you have a teen, or soon to be teen, you can’t afford to miss this article…

Click here to read further

How to handle Medical Bill problems

Presented by: Tracy Chiu

Hiring a medical billing advocate was the best decision for an Arizona couple featured in this L.A. Times article. They learned to manage and reduce their overall medical bills from their son’s hospital visit. When faced with the reality of huge medical bills after a health situation, it may be imperative to have an agency like Medical Billing Advocates of America to help sort and understand what the charges consist of and what your rights are in terms of the law.

Don’t miss this. Read further to learn about other helpful resources and how an advocate can benefit your personal situation.  

Click here for article

Not Another Password

Presented by:  Nick Bautista

Think you have a strong enough password? Think again. Research shows that the most popular passwords are 123456 and password. Although these may be easy to remember, it makes it extremely easy for criminals to hack into your accounts.

Remembering your log in is hard enough with every website requiring them. So what can you do to create a strong password? Here is a link to some of the best practices to take.

Click here for the article

Declining Wealth Brings a Rising Retirement Risk

Presented by Mark Phillips

With equity tied up in homes and facing the switch to defined-contribution pension plans, many Americans have been left short of funds needed for a comfortable retirement, writes Bruce Bartlett in the New York Times.

The statistics are very depressing from a broad view perspective.  Among these is the Median (50^th of 100) Household savings and investments (net worth ex home equity) level.

For more on this impending slow motion “middle class” train wreck click on the title or here.

12 Cognitive Biases That Endanger Investors

Presented by Mark Phillips

Prior to creating the blog site Minyanville, Todd Harrison was an options trader at Morgan Stanley, and then President of Cramer Berkowitz, where he worked as head trader at Jim Cramer’s hedge fund.

Todd has an interesting and quite often unique way of seeing and explaining the world of finance and investing. He has compiled a complete list (at least it seems to me as per my own Confirmation bias) of the 12 unique dangers in thought/behavior to investors.

Here is the full list:

1.      Confirmation Bias

2.      In-Group Bias

3.      Gambler’s Fallacy

4.      Post-Purchase Rationalization

5.      Neglecting Probability

6.      Observational Selection Bias

7.      Status-Quo Bias

8.      Negativity Bias

9.      Bandwagon Effect

10.  Projection Bias

11.  The Current Moment Bias

12.  Anchoring Effect

Check out his explanation and descriptions at: 
12 Cognitive Biases That Endanger Investors

The search for Happiness is not done by direct route…

Presented by Mark Phillips

Emily Esfahani Smith's recent article "There's More to LIfe Than Being Happy"speaks to the pathway to happiness and vitality in our lives. She provides a thoughtful summary of the work of Viktor Frankl and others who have studied the issue of happiness and longevity. Her work on this matter has appeared most recently in The Atlantic.

This may indeed provide great insight into the successful pursuit of happiness and longevity – or it may help confirm what you already believed to be so.

Share and discuss with friends and family freely!

A New Watchdog is Guarding Your Money

Presented by Mark Phillips

Skip Humphrey is probably a name most folks are not familiar with.  His role however is big and important: to protect 50 million older Americans from financial abuse and exploitation. As the head of the Office for Older Americans at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), he has a lot on his plate.  In the current economic environment, growing elderly population, growth of technology and the internet, the rise of scams targeted towards older Americans is growing.

Please read further by clicking on the link: A New Watchdog Is Guarding Your Money