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Something to be proud of

September 16, 2013 By Liz Weston

As you may know by now, I won’t be writing for MSN after Sept. 30, when the site pulls the plug on original content. (Translated: instead of paying writers, MSN will be getting its articles for free from other sites.)

I don’t know what’s next, but I’m kind of excited by the possibilities that are presenting themselves. Expanding this site, doing more on the radio, writing for long-admired outlets that are doing great work, delving deeper into the worlds of sustainability, alternate consumerism and zero waste….mmmmm. Tasty, tasty possibilities.

I feel incredibly grateful that our family is in good financial shape (although as one friend said, “If YOU aren’t in a good position to handle this, what hope do the REST of us have?”). Hubby is gainfully employed and his sideline business is taking off. We have a fat emergency fund. We’ve had to cancel the remodel of our 1980s kitchen (stifled sob), but honestly, everything works and looks fine and I’m embarrassed I even care, given what so many families are up against these days.

Before I can move on to other things, though, I have to finish my last columns for MSN. A friend and I were laughing about how ridiculously hard it is to make yourself sit down and write when you know it doesn’t matter.

I’m having a flashback to the last time I was laid off, which was more than 20 years ago. Our leaders at the Anchorage Times informed us in an early-afternoon meeting that the last press run would be that night, and that venerable paper would be no more.

Everybody else filed their last stories and headed off for the bar. But my beat was the city, and there was a city council meeting that night (up there it’s known as the “municipal assembly”). So while my colleagues and friends were drowning their sorrows, I had to try to pay attention to this motion and that notice. As the meeting dragged on, I got more and more sullen, desperate for it to just end already so I could join my shell-shocked buddies at the bar.

Then Mark Begich, who was the youngest Assembly member at the time (and who’s now a U.S. Senator), brought up the news that the Times was closing. I half expected him to lead a cheer, as he was a pretty progressive lawmaker and the Times’ editorial stance was decidedly conservative. Instead, he asked the chamber to join him in a round of applause–for me. I forget exactly what he said, but I remember it was flattering, and had something to do with being fair and maintaining high standards. The whole Assembly, which included a few members who were not always happy with my nosy (and sometimes stupid) questions, joined in.

I filed my story. I tried to make it as good as I could. The editors and copyeditors and pressmen who also had to stay late did their jobs as well as they could, too. Everyone who was at the bar streamed back to watch that final press run, and thought about how, for a while there, we’d created something to be proud of. Then we scattered into the night and into the rest of our lives.

So please watch for my last couple of MSN columns. I’ll make them as good as I can. The editors and copy editors who are still there will do their jobs as well as they can, too. For a while, we created something to be proud of. And now we’ll scatter into what’s next.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Anchorage Times, emergency fund, layoff, MSN

Friday’s need-to-know money news

September 13, 2013 By Liz Weston

CollegeWhy Generation X needs to accept the inevitable, coping with a layoff, and how the key to financial prosperity could be inside a funeral home.

Survey: Gen X seriously short on life insurance
Note to Gen Xers: You’re not getting any younger.

3 Ways You May Be Throwing Money Away Without Realizing It
Hands off that retirement account.

What to Do if You Just Got Laid Off
What you need to do once the panic subsides.

4 Tips to Help 30-Somethings Save for a Rainy Day
In every life, a little rain must fall.

10 Unusual Jobs That Pay Surprisingly Well
What cruise ship entertainers, hot dog vendors, and morticians have in common.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: generation x, jobs, layoffs, life insurance, Savings, unemployment

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

September 12, 2013 By Liz Weston

School Kids DiversityWhy joint accounts aren’t always a good thing, how to raise financially savvy kids, and the psychology behind overspending.

4 Ways Joint Accounts Can Ruin Your Credit
Sharing isn’t always a good thing.

7 Personal Finance Tools Every Kid Should Have
Starting your kids off on the right financial foot.

ABCs of Obamacare: a glossary for consumers
Become familiar with the Affordable Care Act.

How to Know You’re Ready for Retirement
Preparing for one of life’s biggest transitions.

3 Reasons You Overspend
What makes us spend the way that we do?

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: affordable care act, health insurance, joint accounts, Kids, overspending, Retirement

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

September 11, 2013 By Liz Weston

creditWhich debts you should settle before applying for a mortgage, what to glean from your free credit report, and why crowdfunding is no longer just for opening a new coffee shop.

The Right Way to Pay Off Debt to Get a Mortgage
Which debts you should pay off before trying to get a mortgage.

The Ten Commandments of Personal Finance
Ways to avoid financial confession.

4 things you don’t know about 529 plans
What you should know before withdrawing funds from the popular college savings program.

5 lessons from free credit score notices
Things to keep in mind while reviewing your free credit reports.

Crowdfunding for Student Loan Debt?
Could the Kickstarter method be used to paid down student loans?

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: credit report, Credit Score, debt, mortgages, personal finance, student loan debt

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

September 10, 2013 By Liz Weston

Credit card backgroundSurviving unemployment, the pros and cons of taking a personal loan to pay off credit card debt, and where your state ranks on the list of America’s most debt-free.

How to survive a job loss
Tips on how to get through one of life’s most difficult times.

Use Personal Loan to Cut Credit Card Debt?
Is trading one debt for another a smart idea?

4 signs of financial immaturity in teens
Could your teen already be on the road to financial ruin?

6 Financial Mistakes We Don’t Make Anymore (and 2 We Still Do)
What financial mistakes are we still making in the “new normal”?

The Most Debt-Free States in America
This list may surprise you.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: credit card debt, debt-free, financial mistakes, Personal Loans, teens, unemployment

Monday’s need-to-know money news

September 9, 2013 By Liz Weston

Dollar mazeBecoming financially savvy at a young age, how to make your money last through your retirement, and how being a football fan penalizes your wallet.

Personal Finance Tips for Young Adults
The earlier you become financially savvy, the better the payoff.

Making your money last through retirement
Tips on how to stretch your savings over the course of your retirement.

Freeze Your Assets: How to Force Yourself to Stop Overspending
By “freeze your assets”, we’re talking literally freezing.

5 ways credit scores impact retirement
Being retired doesn’t mean you should ignore your credit score.

The high cost of being a football fan
Watching your favorite team can take a big hit on your wallet.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Credit Score, finance tips, football, NFL, overspending, Retirement, tips

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