How the Federal Reserve Works
Have you ever taken a close look at paper money? Each U.S. bill has the words "Federal Reserve Note" imprinted across the top. But many individuals may not know why the bill is issued by the Federal Reserve and what role the Federal Reserve plays in the economy. Here's an inside look.
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Pay Yourself First
Each month, you settle down to pay bills. You pay your mortgage lender. You pay the electric company. You pay the trash collector. But do you pay yourself? One of the most-basic tenets of sound investing involves the simple habit of "paying yourself first" in other words, making your first payment of each month a deposit into your savings account.
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Budget Check Up: Tax Time Is the Right Time
Every year, about 140 million households file their federal tax returns.1 For many, the process involves digging through shoe boxes or manila folders full of receipts; gathering mortgage, retirement, and investment account statements; and relying on computer software to take advantage of every tax break the code permits. It seems a shame not to make the most of all that effort.
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The Economic Journey of Your Morning Coffee
If you're like 62% of Americans, you started your day with a cup of coffee. Few, if any, took a moment during this morning ritual to contemplate or marvel at the complex journey that brought their coffee from farm to their kitchen table.
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