Things Are Not As They Seem You too can be a millionaire!Everyone knows all it takes is a little disciplined saving and some shrewd investment, and your retirement will take care of itself. Just skip your daily latte, invest those savings, and let the miracle of compound interest do the rest. Right?Not so fast, says journalist Helaine Olen, whose new book Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry argues that the financial services industry has long been selling what, for many, is an impossible dream. Olen took a few minutes last week to answer some questio... view article details

Q:   I am in negotiation with an employer for a higher position than the one I currently hold. They are asking that I send them a pay stub. I told them you can't really compare both positions, as the responsibilities and duties are so different. However, they keep insisting. I am trying to hold my ground. Please help. A:  You know, an employer-employee relationship is based on trust and good faith. When a company asks you to produce a pay stub, it means they don't believe you are making the amount of money you claim you are making; or they are trying to validate what someone in your position a... view article details

Q. I've recently been offered a position in another company making $6,000 more than I earn now. When I gave notice, my current employer came back the next day and matched the prospective employer's offer. I called the prospective employer and said, 'My current employer offered me more money to stay. Would you consider upping the pay a little to get me?' Now, I've already accepted the prospective employer's first offer. Did I do the right thing?A. The trick with counteroffers is that nagging sensation that if they could afford to pay you more, why didn't they?But even if you're satisfied with y... view article details

 We all know the 7 Deadly sins, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, are practices that are usually best avoided in daily life. But what are the '7 Deadly Sins of the Workplace' and how can committing these 'sins' affect your career?This week, we will explain the '7 Deadly Sins of the Workplace' and reveal the results of our recent poll on the perceived career impact of these 'sins,' complete with some of our readers' real life examples from their jobs. Lust Desperately wanting a coworker's jobUsers who admit to committing this sin: 12.1%A little ambition is healthy, ... view article details

Q. I have been trying to contact my human resource department to get a fair market value (pay range) for the position I have held for 6 years. My HR department has told me they do not have the fair market value of my position. The bank I work for does have pay ranges and I have asked for those, but the HR department said the pay ranges do not mean anything because they overlap.How can I find out what I am worth? How can I get this information from my employer to compare other positions in my area?A. Pay ranges and pay grades are tools companies use to help them administer their pay programs. C... view article details

Q. I have been trying to contact my human resource department to get a fair market value (pay range) for the position I have held for 6 years. My HR department has told me they do not have the fair market value of my position. The bank I work for does have pay ranges and I have asked for those, but the HR department said the pay ranges do not mean anything because they overlap.How can I find out what I am worth? How can I get this information from my employer to compare other positions in my area?A. Pay ranges and pay grades are tools companies use to help them administer their pay programs. C... view article details

Q. I recently changed jobs, and my new employer refused to honor their verbal salary offer. Asking for a written agreement would have been out of the ordinary for the position I accepted, so I didn't even consider it. Would depositing my paychecks harm any legal actions I may take? Besides looking for another job, what should I do?A. It's never a good idea to accept a verbal offer. Some employers make verbal offers, but its always a good idea to tell an employer you will formally accept the offer only after they send you the offer in writing. If an employer for some reason doesn't make a writt... view article details

Q: Assuming employees are meeting the requirements of their position, what are the new standards of annual salary increases (percentage-wise)? Also, what happens to long-term employees who are earning beyond the position's salary range, because they steadily received 4 percent increases and are now almost 'overpaid'? Do they stop getting raises?A: Each year, salary survey companies ask employers to tell them how much their merit budgets will be for the upcoming year. Most companies don't know what their merit budgets will be until sometime in the fall. Then they report those merit budgets to t... view article details

'There is nothing more important for a person or an organization than full engagement.'That quote from Rudy Karsan, CEO and Chairman of Kenexa (Salary.com's parent company), is the basis for his book We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement. Full engagement differs from happiness in that it means employers have motivated fully engaged employees to want to go the extra mile to achieve goals. But how often does your company really give serious consideration to how engaged you are?In this podcast, Karsan talks to Aaron and Wendy about the significant implications engage... view article details

When it comes to your career path, sometimes "up" isn't the only direction in which to travel. A sideways or "lateral" move -- defined as a move either within your current company or to a new organization with similar title, pay, and responsibility -- can often pay off in the future. Here are 14 reasons to make a lateral move. Reason #1: You want to enhance your value and be more marketable A lateral move often gives you the opportunity to gain additional skills and knowledge. Reason #2: You'll work with a better boss or supervisor Sometimes making a lateral move is a good way to cement ... view article details