'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

Q: I work for a large organization. Each January, there is a pay raise for all employees. This year the raise was 3 percent. I was at a compa-ratio of 118, so I was told I would receive an hourly increase of 2 percent and a lump sum of 1 percent of my annual salary. Administration would not allow anyone to go over a compa-ratio of 120 percent.When I received my confirmation document, my increase was 1.6 percent. The full 2 percent would have put me over the top of the range. I also received the 1 percent lump sum. I feel that the remainder of the 1.6 percent should have been reflected on the l... view article details

 At the end of the performance review, you and your manager will sign a form documenting the results of the meeting and citing changes and plans for the future. Your manager will also collect your self-appraisal to submit to the human resources department with the other paperwork for your employee records.Employers keep records of performance reviews for their protection in case of contested terminations, failure to promote, and contested training opportunities that could arise in the future. Your employee file protects you as well since it can prevent unfair assessments and ratings in future ... view article details

An Inside Look at Why the Rich Get Richer & the Poor Stay Put Why the Rich Get Richer & the Poor Struggle Numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this month confirm what many have known for a long time: The gap between the rich and the poor in this country is growing ever wider. And while we examined the numbers behind the income gap last week, we heard your requests for an actual explanation of why it exists loud and clear. So while the numbers don't tell us why income inequality continues to climb, the experts will. Technology -- The Double-Edged Sword Just as technology has ... view article details

Higher education may be getting more expensive, but a college degree is necessary to compete for jobs in many industries. College should be healthy mix of passion and pragmatism, and it’s important to pursue the things you love while recognizing the fields that give you the best chance of finding a job upon graduation. According to research by CareerCast.com, here are the majors with the best career prospects. We also provided the median salaries of various jobs in each industry based on Salary.com data. 1) Accounting They say numbers don’t lie, but did you know they can also get you a job? T... view article details

Q. I never know what to say when the interviewer says, 'Tell me about yourself' or asks, 'Do you have any questions for me?' Most of the time I don't, because the interviewer has given a good description.Then there's 'What are your salary requirements?' I know you should not discuss pay, but how do you get around it without sounding really bad?A. To get a good idea of the job you are interviewing for, ask what expectations and objectives the supervisor or manager has in mind. You may also want to know the scope of responsibility of the job, and whom are you expected to interact with to get the... view article details

Q. Three weeks before my scheduled date of resignation, I got sick. After spending a Friday in the hospital and the rest of the weekend at home, I told my supervisor I expected to be in by the following Friday at the latest. She then told me I would be laid off because I had been absent too many times. Is it legal to fire someone because they've been out sick for several days? Is there anything I can do?A. I would suggest you read your company's sick policy first to see what steps your company expects you to take when you are sick.Time off and sick policies vary among companies. Yours may have... view article details

Q. I began working at my company one month after the beginning of our fiscal year. I recently received my first salary increase (over a year later) and found that it was much lower than I had expected. I realize the current market conditions may have driven this lower increase, but I was told that perhaps it is also because I had not yet worked a full year (only 11 months, instead of 12) when raises were decided. Would this lower my salary increase percentage significantly? If so, is it appropriate for me to ask for a mid-year review (for my second year of employment)? My company tends to have... view article details

Q: I am the IT manager at the local newspaper. I had no experience and settled for a lower wage than the position should have paid. I now have been here two years and am wondering whether I should ask for the salary your site and others say I am worth. I have a two-year degree in information management, and an A+ certification, and I'm working on my net+. I am the network administrator and implement and troubleshoot all their software systems. It's much more work than they first described. To get me to the average in our area they would need to give me a $20,000 increase.A: Even after two year... view article details

Employees in approximately one-third of all companies are eligible for bonuses of some kind. Bonuses are given to employees to serve the following purposes: to create incentives to reduce costs; to pay people for doing a good job; and to encourage employees to think like shareholders.Bonuses reflect your level of responsibility in the organization, making up a larger portion of your total compensation as you take on more responsibility. To ensure accountability and to reward you for your responsibilities, companies tie portions of employees' pay to both individual and company successes. Corpor... view article details