That’s the question tackled by Walter Updegrave in his CNN Money column, Ask the Expert. Here are the given facts: the individual is 25 years old, contributes 10 percent to his 401(k) and maxes out his Roth IRA. Will that be enough to retire in twenty-five years? Walter thinks he has a lot of work ... Continue reading this article…

Those affected by Katrina will be allowed to withdraw money from their 401(k) plans, free of any penalties. The IRS has decided (and will announce shortly, according to the article) that they are going to allow this. In situations like those that Katrina has wrought upon thousands of people, simple cash or otherwise liquid emergency ... Continue reading this article…

I drive a 2004 Honda Civic, but the new 2006 models look rather nice. I won’t be upgrading any time soon, but take a look at the new dashboard. Me like shiny lights. Our test car came with a very smooth automatic, but we’d prefer the manual for an extra measure of power. Fuel economy ... Continue reading this article…

There are an increasing amount of Katrina-related donation scams out there. Please, please educate yourself before giving. If you are not already familiar with the organization to which you choose to give, a certain amount of due diligence should be done. Check ScamBusters as a starting point. The Better Business Bureau can only be trusted ... Continue reading this article…

Hurricane Katrina, as it shut down refineries in the Gulf of Mexico, is cited as the reason for the sharp increase in gas prices in the last 48 hours or so. My faovrite gas station has its prices blocked out on its display board, and I assume this means they are no longer selling unleaded ... Continue reading this article…

When we talk about gas caps, we are usually referring to the round knob that you remove when you stop to fill up your tank and sometimes forget to replace before driving away. But there’s a new kind of gas cap in the Aloha State. Hawaiians have now been assured by law that they will ... Continue reading this article…

I’m in the mood for some calculations. I paid $2.47 per gallon for gasoline last night. What will it cost me to drive to work this year, assuming $2.50 is the average I’ll pay? I drive 80 miles to and from work (combined) each day. To make the calculation easy, let’s say each year I ... Continue reading this article…

Jeanne Sahadi regrets her past mistakes of inaction. We can all learn from her mistakes, I believe. In the article, she mentions three actions she wishes she had taken which would have improved her financial situation. Use a Roth IRA to save for a down payment. Roth IRAs are generally thought of accounts for retirement, ... Continue reading this article…

The company that provides electricity to my apartment is PSE&G (a division of PSEG, which is merging with Exelon, just to confuse matters more). They successfully lobbied the state of New Jersey to be allowed to raise customer prices, so I’ll be looking at a 10.6 percent increase in my heating bills.