Roger Ma
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Articles by Roger Ma
"Tech Trends in Practice: The 25 Technologies that are Driving the 4th Industrial Revolution" eBook
Need something space-related to tide you over until today's SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink-28 satellite launch? How about a variety of books, podcasts, and audio clips from NASA - all for free? Maybe deep dive into NASA Hubble Space Telescope team's latest book (released just a week ago), or check out Perseverance Rover's clips of the first ever sound recorded on Mars, or relive history with JFK's speeches about venturing to the Moon.
"Work Your Money, Not Your Life" eBook
Need something space-related to tide you over until today's SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink-28 satellite launch? How about a variety of books, podcasts, and audio clips from NASA - all for free? Maybe deep dive into NASA Hubble Space Telescope team's latest book (released just a week ago), or check out Perseverance Rover's clips of the first ever sound recorded on Mars, or relive history with JFK's speeches about venturing to the Moon.
5 Power Moves You Can Make Right Now To Take Control Of Your Career
In the age of coronavirus, it can be natural to jump to the conclusion that it’s virtually impossible to find a job right now, and for those lucky enough to make a change, they’ll likely need to settle for a role or a company that isn’t quite the right fit.
How Building An Investment Portfolio Is A Lot Like Meal Planning
The following article is an excerpt from the book, Work Your Money, Not Your Life. For most people, investments and food are on opposite ends of the “fun” spectrum. Many would say preparing a meal or going out to dinner (pre-COVID-19 of course) is an enjoyable experience, whereas thinking about investments may bring up feelings of stress, anxiety, or boredom. Juicy medium Beef Rib Eye steak slices on wooden board with herbs spices and salt. Ready to eat ...
Job and finances under threat from COVID-19? How to get a little more financial certainty
Outside the Box Published: May 1, 2020 at 10:01 a.m. ET These hard truths may come with a silver lining Getty Images/iStockphoto The COVID-19 pandemic has made the past two months feel like a cruel roller-coaster ride, with sharp drops in the stock market, businesses closing and millions displaced from their jobs. The overall mood has been unsettling, to say the least. Want a little more financial certainty?
7 Tips For How To Job Search During The Coronavirus Pandemic
Whether you had been planning far in advance to reassess your career this year or if your job has suddenly become unstable because of coronavirus, you’re probably asking yourself the same question - is it even possible to find a new job right now? To find out, I spoke with Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopResume, a resume-writing service. The short answer is yes, it is still possible to find a job now.
Bestselling Author Nicole Lapin: How To Prevent Burnout In The New Year
Nicole Lapin, New York Times bestselling author Courtesy of Nicole Lapin What comes to mind when you think of what it means to be in balance? Like many people, you may associate balance with work-life balance, or spending approximately the same amount of time on your career and personal responsibilities. Or maybe you believe achieving work-life balance is unrealistic, and instead think of balance more as doing activities outside of work that calm you, such as a long run, yoga, or meditation.
Ramit Sethi’s Advice For How To Live A Rich Life
Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich Courtesy of Ramit Sethi What does it mean to be rich? If you were to pose this question to a random sampling of folks on the street, you’d likely receive wildly different answers. Some may think of being rich as simply making a lot of money or having a lot of money.
Forget Fee-Only - Here’s Why Harry Sit Thinks You Should Find An Advice-Only Financial Advisor
Harry Sit, founder of Advice-Only Financial Courtesy of Harry Sit As a consumer, it can be confusing and time-consuming to sort through the hundreds of thousands of financial advisors to determine the best provider for you. Should you work with someone that refers to themselves as a financial planner or financial advisor? Was it the CFP, CFA, or CPA that was the baseline credential they should have?
Millennials: Want to save money? Do what I did and join AARP
The American Association of Retired Persons isn't just for people 50 or older. Younger people can join and get AARP travel deals and other benefits. At 37, I'm proud to say I'm a member of AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons. For those unfamiliar with AARP, it is a nonprofit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for the 50-plus population. You may be wondering then, how and why did I join AARP (at age 35!).
Should I join AARP for travel deals, movie ticket dining discounts
Roger Ma, Special to USA TODAY Published 5:01 a.m. ET June 27, 2019 | Updated 3:28 p.m. ET June 27, 2019 Elizabeth Keatinge tells us about new report that tells us where the oldest people live in the United States. Buzz60 At 37, I'm proud to say I'm a member of AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons. For those unfamiliar with AARP, it is a nonprofit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for the 50-plus population.
Why Being Financially Independent Or Retiring Early Won't Make You Happy
There has been a growing interest in the financial independence, retire early movement, or FIRE for short. According to the movement, all you have to do is save 25 times your annual living expenses, and then you'll be financially independent and have the ability to retire early. Best of all, when you become financially independent, you can do whatever you want with your time, and don't have to worry about making money. It sounds amazing, right?
Pre-Tax Or Roth - How Should You Contribute To Your 401(k)
When I lead a Personal Finance 101 session, without fail, someone asks whether they should be contributing to their 401(k) on a pre-tax or Roth basis. While there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, this is how I explain to attendees what they should consider. No one can predict with exact certainty how their annual income will track, but if you are a recent graduate or only worked for a portion of the year, you may be in a relatively low tax bracket (i.e., 10% or 12% for 2018).
How Do Your Retirement Savings Measure Up?
Each year, when it's time to enroll and change up your employee benefits, do you find yourself wondering how much you should be putting into your 401(k), whether you should contribute on a pre-tax or Roth basis, and what actual investments you should use? Do you ever wonder what your colleagues are doing? If so, you're in luck.
Why I Hired A Financial Planner - Even Though I'm A Financial Planner Myself
In recent years, I've seen several articles about why hiring a financial planner could be beneficial, even for those in the financial planning profession. My gut reaction to these articles was, that's crazy talk. I love eating, breathing and dreaming about personal finance and no one cares about my finances more than me. Why would I shell out money on stuff I can do myself? Recently, though, I had a change of heart. Here's why my wife and I decided to hire a financial planner.
How The Federal Government Could Control College Costs
The rising cost of higher education is one of the most difficult realities facing Americans. According to The College Board, costs for four-year institutions have increased by 4% to 6% per year since 2000 (2% to 3% per year above inflation). As an example of what that means in actual dollars, the sticker price to attend Harvard University was $33,000 in 2000 and has increased to nearly $68,000 today.
Say Goodbye To Credit Card Price Protection Benefits
FILE - In this March 5, 2012 file photo, consumer credit cards are posed in North Andover, Mass.... [+] Payment history is a key factor for the two major credit-scoring companies in the United States. A credit card can help one buy necessary items, but if one don’t want debt, one must pay the full amount on time. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) Several credit card companies, including Chase and Citi, have recently taken steps to remove or decrease price protection benefits for their cards.
How To Save On Pricey Airline WiFi
We've all been there before — you board a plane, settle in, wait till the plane reaches 10,000 feet, and then you whip out your computer to connect to the WiFi. $35 for inflight WiFi? That seems a little ridiculous, but you end up paying the fee anyway. It's painful, but maybe it doesn't have to be. Here are a couple of ways to get free or discounted fees on inflight WiFi. Some domestic airlines, such as JetBlue, offer free WiFi on all of their flights.
At $9.95 Per Month, Can You Afford NOT To Subscribe To MoviePass?
When someone told me I could see several movies a month at nearly any movie theater in the country for just $9.95 a month, my first instinct was, what's the catch — this deal sounds way too good to be true. After looking into how MoviePass works, I'm now wondering: why would anyone NOT sign up for this service? MoviePass is a subscription service that allows you to see any 2D movie at nearly any theater, for $9.95 a month.
Do Restaurants Charge Higher Prices On Seamless Vs. Delivery.com?
If you're like me, you have your regular rotation of restaurants you order from weekly. I usually order from Seamless because more restaurants use their platform. However, when Delivery.com offers any type of discount, I'm easily swayed to order using them instead. One day, when I was ordering from one of my go-to Chinese restaurants on Delivery.com, I noticed something weird. The total price, before the promotional discount, seemed much less than what I pay on Seamless.
3 Easy Ways To Earn Cash Back In 2018
Shutterstock With the start of a new year and your wallet still recovering from holiday shopping, now may be a good time to learn how you can earn cash back on your purchases. Here are three easy ways to get money back on your everyday purchases. Loyalty Rewards Programs Many of you are familiar with loyalty rewards programs tied to a particular store. Some companies also provide you with rewards for spending across a variety of merchants.
Buying a home instead of renting isn't always better for your savings
There are a number of reasons for wanting to buy a home over renting and most are valid. Some people want to buy because their current rental unit may have restrictions on owning a pet, while home ownership would, in most cases, not have this limitation. Others want to diversify their assets beyond the stock market.
I joined AARP at age 35 — and there are benefits to membership for young people, too
I'm proud to say I'm now a member of AARP, short for American Association of Retired Persons. For those unfamiliar with AARP, it is an interest-based, non-profit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for the 50-plus population. AARP seeks to fulfill its mission through advocacy, information, and service. You may be wondering then, how and why did I join AARP at 35?
How to save more for retirement using mega backdoor Roth IRA strategy
You might have read about how anyone could sneak $5,500 a year into a Roth IRA — even if exceeding standard income limitations — through a technique known as the backdoor Roth IRA. But did you know there is an even trickier technique out there that allows some lucky people to contribute up to $36,000 a year into a Roth IRA?
5 Easy Ways To Save Money On Holiday Shopping
With core holiday shopping season just around the corner, it can be stressful thinking about all of the money you may have to shell out for presents. Don't worry, we've got you covered with five easy ways to save on your holiday shopping. If you find something you want to buy, check to see if you can score a discounted gift card to get instant savings. Sites like Raise.com typically offer gift cards with discounts off of the total cost ranging from 5% to as high as 30%.
5 Reasons Why Doc Brown Would Have Made A Terrible Financial Planner
Finding a financial planner that has the knowledge and ability to optimize your financial situation and look out for your best interest, on all accounts, and at all times, can be really challenging. Especially when you've already narrowed down the field and are left comparing two seemingly equally qualified professionals, it may be difficult to tell the difference. Sometimes it's helpful to look at an extreme example to highlight red flags.
Here's Why I Joined AARP At Age 35
I'm proud to say I'm now a member of AARP, short for American Association of Retired Persons. For those unfamiliar with AARP, it is an interest-based, non-profit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for the 50-plus population. AARP seeks to fulfill its mission through advocacy, information, and service. You may be wondering then, how and why did I join AARP at 35?
Should You Ask Prospective Financial Advisors About Their Finances?
Finding the right financial advisor for your particular situation can be incredibly tough and time-consuming. To help you begin to filter through the many financial professionals, numerous articles have been written about what questions to ask. I even wrote an article on the subject and outlined five key factors to consider: A factor I didn't mention was inquiring about an advisor's own financial situation.
Why Your 401k Employer Match May Not Be Free Money After All
Anytime you come across a personal finance-related article, chances are, you'll likely read advice from a financial advisor or "personal finance expert" preaching you should contribute money to your 401k up to the employer match because it's essentially "free money." Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this type of blanket advice is not always true and could be dangerous, especially if one is trying to pay down high interest credit card debt.
5 Things To Look For When Picking A Financial Advisor
As I wrote previously, the financial advisor ecosystem can be surprisingly complex. Nearly anyone can call themselves a financial advisor, financial planner, or financial coach, with minimum qualifications required. Consequently, it's important to be careful and thoughtful when selecting a professional to help you save, grow, and protect your savings. Here are five things to consider when shopping for a financial advisor.
Financial Coach, Financial Advisor, Or Financial Planner - Which One Should You Use?
There many financial professionals that could give you financial advice, including financial coaches, financial advisors, and financial planners, but which one is right for you?
7 ways to tell if you have a good 401(k) plan
Retirement plans have long been used by employers to attract new talent. For years, defined benefit plans (i.e. pension plans) were in vogue. These plans were great for employees, because they offered them a guaranteed monthly payment at retirement - the payment was typically determined by a combination of your average or final salary, years of service with the company, and age.
Are You Really Just Throwing Your Money Away When You Rent?
There are a number of reasons for wanting to buy a home over renting and most are valid. Some people want to buy because their current rental unit may have restrictions on owning a pet, while home ownership would, in most cases, not have this limitation. Others want to diversify [...]
Should You Waive Your Mortgage Contingency?
In some markets, the real estate market is super competitive. One way to make your offer more attractive could be to waive your mortgage contingency, but should you?
7 Ways to Tell if You Have a Good 401(k) Plan
Retirement plans have long been used by employers to attract new talent. For years, defined benefit plans (i.e. pension plans) were in vogue. These plans were great for employees, because they offered them a guaranteed monthly payment at retirement - the payment was typically determined by a combination of your average or final salary, years of service with the company, and age.
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Here's an Easy Way to Save Money on Holiday Gifts This Year
Believe it or not, the core holiday shopping season is just around the corner. Promotions around Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other general holiday sales can help you save money on your gift giving this season. But did you know there's another way to save even more money during the holidays and actually throughout the year? The strategy, known as cash-back shopping, can help you save additional money on top of existing sales, for most online transactions.
What Rental Car Insurance Do You Really Need?
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- I rented a car a couple of weeks ago and thought I had scored a great deal at $150 for three days. When I got to the counter and was asked whether I needed any insurance, I froze like a deer in headlights. I knew my credit card had some insurance coverage, but I couldn't remember exactly what it covered. As a result, I ended up opting for two pieces of insurance that, in the end, were unnecessary and increased my bill to $225.
The Backdoor Roth IRA: Personal Finance's Sneakiest Maneuver
NEW YORK -- A Roth IRA is the ultimate retirement vehicle, as it allows you to contribute post-tax dollars to a retirement account. That means a Roth IRA grows tax-free and is withdrawn tax-free since you've paid taxes on the money upfront. Essentially, consumers pay taxes on the seeds they sow instead of the robust crop they harvest in retirement. That's just peachy -- until you bump up against income barriers.
Executing the Backdoor Roth IRA, Personal Finance's Sneakiest Maneuver
NEW YORK (MainStreet) – A Roth IRA is the ultimate retirement vehicle, as it allows you to contribute post-tax dollars to a retirement account. That means a Roth IRA grows tax-free and is withdrawn tax-free since you've paid taxes on the money upfront. Essentially, consumers pay taxes on the seeds they sow instead of the robust crop they harvest in retirement. That's just peachy -- until you bump up against income barriers.
How to Decide If You Should Refinance Your Student Loans
Refinancing your student loans seems to be the thing to do lately. In the past year, I've had several friends tell me how they were able to lower their interest rate significantly by refinancing their loans with private loan providers. I decided to take a closer look at what all the student loan refinancing hype was all about and if it was really worth it.Types of Student Loans There are two types of student loans: federal and private.
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