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

Your Values and What You Value Are Always Changing Christmastime is rife with financial responsibilities, so along with that new gym bag and must-have designer shoes, you’re probably thinking about looking for a new job, too. And a big, shiny paycheck to go with it!The biggest compensation boosts come when you leave an employer for greener pastures (there’s a reason they call 'em that). How much of a bump depends on your ability to negotiate, market demand for your skills, and flexibility. In other words, are you willing to relocate to make the really big dollars? (Why, yes…yes, I am.... view article details

Why an Employee's Salary May Be Higher Than Reported by Our Compensation Reports You're an employer who has market-priced your open positions and employees. Perhaps you used our Salary Wizard Professional tool (SWP) to do so and found that you have an overpaid employee on your hands. Before you take any drastic action, there are a few important things to remember when it comes to employee compensation. There are a number of reasons why an employee's current compensation may be higher than the market data in the Salary Wizard. Please remember that being higher than the market numbers shown does... view article details

Making Movies If you can name a movie director off the top of your head, chances are it's a member of the Hollywood elite who earns massive sums of money. Yet for every Steven Spielberg or James Cameron there are hordes of lesser-known artists, happily hammering away at their craft. There are all kinds of movie makers, just as there are all kinds of movies - major motion pictures, independent films, cable movies, documentaries, sitcoms, TV dramas, and more. Some directors make excellent livings while others just scrape by, hoping for a lucky break. In reality, making it as a director has much ... view article details

Guardian Angels of the Sand Next time you're out strolling the beach, stop and take a good look around. For up beyond the sand and surf, you - and everybody else out there - are being watched. Not by some sneaky Big Brother, but by the tan hardbody in the red trunks. From a small post tower, a lifeguard peers through binoculars, anticipating the inevitable. And no matter what dangerous predicament we get into, this guardian angel of the sand is there to fish us out. Life Guards in Los Angeles form a division of the County Fire Department, made up of highly trained men and women who protect t... view article details

Sunday night, the 2018 Tony Awards celebrated the best and brightest of Broadway. The Band’s Visit came away with 10 Tony Awards, making it the big winner of the night. With so many wins, could The Band’s Visit be the next ‘Broadway Blockbuster’ like Hamilton? Over the past decade, Broadway shows have increased exponentially in revenue and popularity, with ticket sales (and prices) through the roof. With so much money flowing through Broadway shows these days, we started wondering: what does the compensation landscape look like for aspiring musical theatre professionals? When visualizing a B... view article details

Career Coach & Author Jack Chapman Tackles All of Your Salary and Negotiation Questions We've been listening to your questions and the vast majority of them revolve around salary. This week's mailbag query is no different. How much money? You want to know how much a company is going to pay you and they want to know how much you're going to accept. And more and more often lately---especially with the advent of automated job application forms---companies want the answer to that question sooner than later. Prevailing wisdom consists of putting off talk of salary for as long as possible, but wh... view article details

If You Want a Signing Bonus, Try a Little Honesty Negotiating, in and of itself, can often be difficult and unpleasant for many. But if your financial situation is dire and you desperately need money, it becomes even more tenuous. So what do you do when a company finally shows interest, but you need upfront cash for a variety of reasons? Should you just keep quiet and thank your lucky stars you have an offer, or is it reasonable to attempt to negotiate a signing bonus? Jack Chapman, our salary negotiation expert, fields this real-life question this week and comes up with an unexpected, yet sim... view article details

Mortgage Size   The first and biggest hurdle to buying your own home is money. Few buyers, if any, try to buy a home without financing because it just doesn't make sense. In addition to the relatively low price of credit in America, why would anyone pass up substantial mortgage interest tax relief? Then there's the opportunity cost. Even the most financially secure among us won't want to tie up hefty capital in real estate when it could be spread across several investments in a diversified, well-planned portfolio.Typically, home buyers pursue a loan in amounts of 80 or 90 per cent of the purch... view article details

Types of Medical Insurance  Since health benefits were introduced in the U.S. marketplace in the 1940s, they have been both a blessing and a curse. No one wants to be without them, but few of us can afford to pay full freight either. Most people get health insurance through their jobs or are covered through a family member's insurance. This is called group insurance. Group insurance is generally the least expensive kind. In many cases, the employer pays part or all of the cost. Some organizations offer only one health insurance plan and others offer a choice of plans: a fee-for-service or inde... view article details