Even though most states found themselves creating massive cuts in the last year, the budget gap is still too much for some to handle, leading them to decrease spending further. States such as Indiana and California have already announced a dramatic decrease in education budgets for the next year. Both states, especially California, had a hard year in 2009 trying to fill the debt gap. While California inflicted dramatic tuition increases that led to student protests and media scrutiny to make up for the budget, Indiana cut programs and limited faculty travel as a way of spending less, promisin... view article details

'Why would anyone want to put savings somewhere unsafe? But the fact remains that a large percentage of popular saving and investing vehicles provide no guarantee of earnings, nor even assurance that the original capital will be preserved.'     Saving your money in a safe place may seem like an obvious priority. Why would anyone want to put savings somewhere unsafe? But the fact remains that a large percentage of popular saving and investing vehicles provide no guarantee of earnings, nor even assurance that the original capital will be preserved. Those that do make such a guarantee are conside... view article details

Employees versus independent contractors. Sometimes it's difficult to know what camp you fall into as a worker. But when you consider health benefits, compensation and tax purposes, knowing the differences between the two is an absolute necessity. But what exactly are the differences between employee status and being an independent contractor? Our salary expert, Jack Chapman, has your answers.Question: When am I considered an employee and when am I an independent contractor?Answer: You’re an independent contractor when you have services you sell to a company. The biggest difference concerns wh... view article details

'To be fair, folks who have so much money in the market that they simply don't have enough time to stay on top of investment trends would probably be good candidates for the use of a full-service broker.'  'Full-service' brokers get their name and reputation from the dogged and devoted work they're expected to do to keep clients happy. They carry business cards from distinguished brokerage firms like Salomon Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch. In an ideal world, a broker provides sound, profitable investment ideas, and furnishes up-to-the-minute research to keep you current with market trends, sto... view article details

Just Because You Were Offered the Job Doesn't Mean You Should Take It. The good news is you got the job. Which, in this still-reeling economy, is quite an accomplishment. But the bad news is you're worried you might be settling for a position that isn't the right fit for you. So where do you go from here? Look, the honest truth is there are times when you'll have to take any job offer you can get, even if you know it's a bad fit. Maybe your house is about to be foreclosed on, you can't make rent, or you have a family depending on you for income. We completely understand there will be times whe... view article details

Careers That Pay a Whole Lot Less Than You Think That's All They Make?! All through my childhood, I thought classroom teachers must make a million dollars a year. After all, look at how much they work both inside and out of the classroom. And consider the work they do -- shaping young minds. These are people who are depended on the world over to raise future generations of educated, employable adults. Some argue it is the most important job one can have in our society. But then I grew up and found out what the overwhelming majority of us have come to know -- teachers don't make a million do... view article details

Skilled Labor Jobs Provide a Financially Feasible Alternative to College Is College Worth the Money? "What are your plans after you graduate from high school?" For most recent graduates over the last few decades, the answer has been automatic and unequivocal -- college. With more and more jobs making a bachelor's degree a minimum requirement, there has never been a greater emphasis on higher education. And for the most part that's a good thing as more education is almost always better than less. But times are changing. First of all, the sheer increase in cost just to attend college has be... view article details

Putting Interests Like "Alligator Wrestling" Helps You Stand Out & Land Job Interviews Standing Out is Key Like many hiring managers across the country, several years back I was faced with a common scenario: A stack of resumes a mile high for a single job opening (in this case, an entry-level QA technician). First of all, the stats you hear are true -- you really do only have a few seconds to make an impression with your resume. As I quickly scanned the resume of an applicant named Joe, things were looking good. He had held jobs that were relevant to the position, he had a strong educationa... view article details

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things First of all, congratulations on the new job! Whether you were unemployed and searching for something new, or you took time off to raise kids or take care of loved ones, welcome back to the workforce.But at the same time, it's understandable that you're a little leery about transitioning back to the working world after a prolonged absence. Will people like me? What have I missed? Is the technology different? Can I really meet these new challenges in unfamiliar territory?Before you start your new chapter, take a minute to read about a few tips for ... view article details

Let’s get a few things straight from the start:My kids (ages 18, 16, 7) are the most important thing, along with my wife, in my life. I love them so much it hurtsI work damn hard to make a lot of moneyI really don't care what anyone else thinksIt has taken me decades to understand the importance of #3As 21st century fathers we are in a double bind. We are suppose to be providers, making tons of money, and yet at the same time be hands-on dads. If feminism was born out of the desire of women to leave home and be treated equally in the workplace, giving rise to the Super Woman phenomenon in whic... view article details