The Antisocial Side of Social Media Have you ever wondered whether social media was having a positive or negative impact on our mental well-being? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a warning about the negative effects of social media on young kids and teens, and of course it mentions cyber-bullying. But it notes that […]
How Do You Stop Yourself from Overspending? The urge to splurge is one of the toughest challenges to a monthly budget, and leads to unhappy encounters with the credit card statement. But psychologists say there are solutions for the chronic overspender. The first thing to understand is that overspending is viewed as a way to […]
The Cost of Pets What does it really cost to own a pet? More than non-pet-owners probably realize, although if you do own a dog, cat or fish, you probably have a good idea that they’re not cheap. Start with the initial expenses. You can bring home a rescue pet—not just dogs and cats but […]
Your financial plan is about your goals and finances. But is it also about your health? In a recent blog post on the Forbes.com website, financial planner and medical professional Carolyn McClanahan suggests that your health status may be a crucial input into your overall financial plan. Why? Because it helps you know how long […]
Inflation has been pretty benign over the last 20 years, right? The U.S. Consumer Price Index has ranged from negative 0.4% in 2009 to a high of 3.8% in the awful 2008 economic year. In 13 of those 20 years, the CPI was below 2.5%, which is hardly comparable to the double-digit inflation rates that […]
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be consistently successful at complex and creative tasks, while others see only fitful success and repeated failure? The difference might not lie in talent or motivation, but simply in mindset—in the way these tasks are approached by people who take a professional mindset vs. the great […]
Companies tend to reward loyalty in their employees. Right? A recent article on the Forbes website uses simple math to suggest that loyal employees who stay employed at the same company for over two years at a time might be earning 50% less over 10 years, compared with less-dedicated workers who seek opportunity elsewhere. The […]
Probably the most forgotten minority in America is the “elder orphans”—aging retirees who no longer have a spouse (if they ever had one), no kids and no caregiver. According to The Gerontologist magazine, about one-third of 45 to 63-year-olds are single, and most of them never married or are divorced. Meanwhile, about 15% of 40-44-year-old […]
If you’re like most people, you carefully put off doing something fun—like taking a trip or treating yourself—until you finished your work. Of course, for most people, the work never ends, and the fun gets put off over and over and over again. The hidden assumption behind putting off fun is that you won’t enjoy […]
When most people think of the benefits of meditation, they get a vague image of peacefulness and tranquility, a quality of “mindfulness” that contrasts nicely with the distractions and hubub of our modern age. You might be surprised to find that scientists are finding more tangible benefits to a meditation habit. In one study conducted […]
