Typically, employees have performance reviews once or possibly twice a year. You might have a performance review after your first three months in a new job, to make sure it's a good fit. If it has been more than two years since your last performance review and your last raise, you are probably overdue.Some companies schedule everyone's performance review at the same time, for example the end of the calendar year. Others conduct performance reviews at employees' anniversary dates. In either case, make sure your review happens. If your company seems to be dragging its feet, take the initiative t... view article details

Any real estate professional will give you a litany of reasons why it makes sense to buy a house. But as with everything else, it depends on who and where you are, in your life as well as your career. Despite the prevailing assumption that everybody, everywhere sooner or later should settle down and buy their own home, research shows there are actually times and circumstances when renting might be a better idea.Will you put in the time?In any investment, there's no such thing as a sure thing. What usually makes real estate a better risk than most is time. The longer you commit to a property, t... view article details

As we all know, the economic picture is and has been rather bleak the last few years. And with unemployment still far too close to 10 percent for anyone's liking, we can't tell you it's going to get better any time soon. But while you can't magically predict whether or not you'll join the ranks of the unemployed someday soon, you can be prepared for it. And we can help.These tips are good habits to get into to manage your career even in boom times. So even if you're one of the lucky ones who aren't concerned about being laid off, put the economy to work for you. Let it motivate you to g... view article details

Who has the time, interest, or confidence to pick and track individual stocks (unless, of course, it's what you do for a living)? For those of us who don't, there are index funds. Every self-help guide on investing champions index funds as the safest gateway into the stock market. As portfolios of securities, indices are designed to match the performance of the market as a whole. They are essentially mutual funds that track the market, allowing even the least savvy investor to benefit from an expanding economy in a hands-off, lower-risk way. Most people have heard of the more famous indices su... view article details

'You need to devise a savings strategy that maxmizes your return. What's the best place for your savings? Knowing about the various options can help you build greater wealth for the future.'   Money Markets and CDs   Personal savings is the base of your financial pyramid. It is the foundation of your family's well-being and it's your starting point to building wealth. Starting a sound savings program isn't difficult, but it takes some thinking, planning, and commitment. Your first savings priority should be to build the money you'll want on hand for immediate and short-term needs. This money c... view article details

Q: I have been an hourly consultant my entire career, and have been recently approached to take a permanent position with one of my part-time clients. We have successfully negotiated and agreed upon vacation, healthcare, training reimbursement, and similar benefits (including ISO stock), but we are still significantly far apart on salary.I am am asking for considerably more than the company is willing to pay, even though my salary expectations are more than commensurate with the industry and my skill set for this nearly executive position.The company says their reasoning is that they are cash-... 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

Q: I used your Salary Wizard and other sites to come up with a market value for myself. I found that I'm worth between $42,000 and $45,000 (I'm making $35,000 in base salary). When I approached my employer for a raise, he seemed extremely surprised and thought my numbers were too aggressive, and that my current salary is about right. He is going to do some research of his own and talk to me in a few days. How do I nicely get the point across that they're paying me too little? Am I wrong in my findings? What am I missing here? I'm very confused.Also, considering this, when my boss offers me a l... view article details

Q. My annual performance evaluation was conducted in February. My position was newly created, and no salary survey was conducted. I moved into this position from an unrelated one within the same company. I've surpassed all of the job duties in my job description, and have often been recognized for my excellence. I received a 10 percent bonus at my evaluation, which I expected. The median raise throughout the company was 7 percent.Since then, I've taken on more responsibilities, worked extra hours at home (without charging overtime) and discovered that a male counterpart (performing at half of ... view article details

There are many hard and fast rules that a job-seeker can learn when preparing for a salary negotiation. For example, having the right mindset, the importance of doing research, and keeping compensation numbers open-ended, speaking in terms of salary ranges vs. naming a specific number.However, one of the more difficult aspects of negotiating a job offer is adapting your approach based on the personality of the person you are dealing with.There are three phases that you must master:Develop a negotiation mindset and learn the tips and techniquesPractice and role play with someone to simulate the... view article details