Would you like to find some extra money?
Jordan Goodman, author of "Everyone's Money Book," says, "Every pay period thousands of people get less than they should. ... Check the following:"(1) Are you having too much tax withheld? If the IRS refunds you hundreds of dollars each year, you're having too much withheld. Why make an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam?"(2) Is your firm paying your full salary? Employers can make mistakes - especially small firms that don't use an outside payroll service."(3) Are they deducting too much for Social Security? Ask the payroll manager to double-check the correct amounts; make sure that's what's deducted."
LOOK INTO ETFs: "Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) change the way your money is managed," says investment manager Robert S. Salomon Jr. "These are index-fund-style creatures that trade like stocks, so you enjoy advantages of both worlds.
"As with index funds, you know what you hold, and ETFs don't incur expenses of actively managed mutual funds. Taxes are less, too, since the stocks are only traded when an index is rebalanced."
WALL STREET WATCH: "October is known as the 'jinx month' because of crashes of 1929, 1987 and 1997. Yet next month is a 'bear killer,' turning the tide in nine bear markets." ("2000 Stock Trader's Almanac")
"If your broker suddenly seems hot on charitable gift funds - also known as donor-advised funds - ask how much of your gift will go to him or her." (Forbes)