Adventure travel bargains
Lots of Americans these days want something more from a vacation than vegging out on a beach, a mojito close at hand. Some 30% of respondents to a Travel-Ticker.com survey put adventure travel on their 2012 wish list, and spending in the category has been growing 17% a year, even as economic woes slowed leisure travel overall.
Investing for retirement when you’re just starting out
My granddaughter has asked me how to invest the money she'll contribute to her employer's retirement savings plan at her first job. I suggested she either go with a 2050 target-retirement fund or divide her money as follows: 40% in an S&P 500 index fund, 40% in a small-cap index fund and 20% in an international stock index fund. Do you think she should go with the first option, the second or do something else? -- Don G.
Beat stress for less
This year the end of the holidays probably didn't bring the usual stress relief; there are still worries about unemployment, a flailing housing market, and a volatile stock market, all of which may be taking a toll on your health.
The best cities for job hunting
FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I just got a pink slip from the bank where I've worked as a marketing director for the past 12 years, and which is now undergoing a total restructuring, so I'm pondering what my next move should be. Opportunities are limited in the smallish East Coast city where I live (the bank I'll soon be leaving is the single biggest employer in town) and, having moved here solely to take the position I'm now losing, I'm not particularly attached to this area. Our kids are away at college now, our mortgage is paid off, and my wife, who is a pediatrician, really could work anywhere. So we're open to the idea of moving -- but where would I have the best chance of finding a new job? I'm also wondering, do many employers still pay moving expenses for new management hires, or is that a thing of the past? ? Footloose
15 great cars that get overlooked
They don't get featured on the covers of car magazines or feted in Super Bowl commercials. At dealer lots, they get parked in the back while newer, glitzier models are showcased in the showroom. They won't get you many oohs and ahs from the car pool kids, or a thumbs-up from other drivers. Face it -- these are the wallflowers of the auto world.
Investing overseas: Find the right balance
Whoever said that the world can be a scary place sure wasn't kidding. Consider a few of the frighteningly noteworthy events of the past year: Europe's economy slipped into a debt-induced coma; the euro went from being a potential global store of value to a currency on the brink of extinction; and growth in overheated markets like China and Brazil started to slow, prompting a nosedive in their equity prices.
Don’t rush into REITs
You'd think that investors would be leery of companies that own and manage commercial real estate. Vacancy rates remain elevated in office buildings and shopping centers. Except for apartment buildings, rents really haven't grown at all in four years. And given the possibility that the global economy may retrench yet again, things could still get worse before they get better.
Become your kid’s mortgage lender
Between slumping prices and low mortgage rates, it's a good time to look for real estate bargains. But thanks to tightened lending standards, legions of young would-be homebuyers aren't exactly in a position to take advantage of the opportunity. That's where their parents come in: One in three first-time buyers received either a gift or a loan from their families to help buy a home in 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Don’t outlive your savings: How annuities can help
Given advances in medicine, I'm worried my wife and I might outlive our retirement savings. I've started reading about annuities, but I'm confused about the difference between immediate annuities and another type I've heard referred to as a deferred income annuities. Can you explain the difference? -- Daniel R.
Managing the family finances: ‘Spying was easier’
We spoke to five families who face challenges that could keep them from meeting their financial goals. With a few tweaks to their game plan, they can get back on course. Here, the DiSilverios' story -- and the recommended financial fixes.
