As you start to evaluate prospective information-technology career opportunities, don’t think about just the job at hand, the day-to-day ins and outs and the immediate prospect of a promotion or higher salary. Think instead in terms of both your current priorities and long-term goals. While that advice could apply to any job in any field, [...]

You’re in the market for a used car, and you’ve saved $1,500 to buy one. Lucky for you, I’m trying to sell my 1989 Toyota Camry and, according to my classified ad, I only want $1,500.
So you come to my house to talk about it. From my ad, you know that the car is rust [...]

Talk about adding insult to injury! Your paycheck gets shorted all year long, and then mid-April rolls around and you owe even more in taxes–sometimes a lot more. Sure, taxes are a necessary evil and everyone should pay their own way. But why pony up more than your legal share? There are a number of [...]

When should you retire? The answer is simple: Whenever you can afford it. Retirement is fueled by four sources.

Pension plans
Social Security
Tax-deferred savings
Basic (taxable) savings

This is a good time to evaluate your situation and come up with a workable retirement plan of action.
Do You Qualify?
Retirement before age 65 is for a select few. For those who [...]

Tax strategies for the IRS novice.
You’re a new employee and a first-time taxpayer. Now is the time to get serious about financial planning–if you have not done so already. Put accounting on your priority list and focus on serious tax savings.
Good Accounting in Place
Bruce Budofsky, a partner with New York-based accounting firm Allen Schneider, recommends [...]

Writer Peter Mayle explains his own move into self-employment by saying, “I would rather live precariously in my own office than comfortably in someone else’s.” It’s a notion that’s catching on with [...]

Do You Have What It Takes To Turn Pro as a Speaker?
You know if you’re good. You can tell immediately from the applause and audience feedback. One person says yours was the “best speech I ever heard.” Another says, “You touched my life.” You’re asked how much you charge for a speech. Should you go [...]

Disaster Preparedness: A 10-Point Plan
You must be ready to handle sudden career changes.
When I gave notice at my last job, my manager told me not to bother coming in anymore–that day was to be my last.
So, instead of enjoying a leisurely day at the office–saying goodbye to colleagues, tying up loose ends, and leaving early–I [...]

Wait Not, Want Not
You have to know when to move on.
“I really felt stuck. I stayed, hoping it would get better,” recalls Marilyn Fox, a journalist who used to work for a music Web site. “It never did.” It took Fox nearly three years to learn that her job would never take her where she [...]

A practical guide to living and working in the City of Angels.
Native Californians are perplexed by the phrase back East. Back to what? Humidity? Hurricanes? Sub-zero temperatures and slushy, grimy snow? Los Angeles has its share of problems–smog, earthquakes, floods, forest fires–but it also has bikini-clad babes blading down the boardwalk, a bright white sun [...]