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Rudo Boothe teaches his 19-month-old daughter, Ziah, counting and shapes. He said he hopes she will learn her multiplications before kindergarten.
Shannon Kaestle/MIAMI HERALD STAFF

The Home Economist

Learn early, make more money?

Researchers in Scotland say that increased reading and math ability at age 7 will lead to monetary success later. U.S. education experts say it’s not so simple.

  • Money Dilemmas

    Meg Green: My son took charge of my estate — and made a mess

    The dilemma: When my husband died, my son took charge of my finances and I admit I was happy to let him. He said I didn’t have to worry, that between our investments and life insurance I had over $4 million and I was a wealthy woman. We went to his advisor and put everything into joint names so he could take care of it for me. We made some investments that are not paying me income, like a $1 million mortgage on his house which he can’t afford to pay on, and some land for future development with a group of his friends. I also bought an expensive life insurance policy.

  • The week ahead

    Tom Hudson: Another deadline is near

    The federal government slowdown threatens to reduce hiring, cut into consumer spending and poison public opinion about dysfunctional governing. But the threat of a showdown over raising the debt ceiling runs the risk of significant and sustained damage to investor and consumer confidence.

  • The color of money

    Michelle Singletary: Shopping and the ACA: Know your coverage needs

    When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, one word keeps being bandied about — affordable.

  • disability insurance

    Disability insurance is a wise investment

    A disability can cripple a person’s ability to work and earn a living. It also can maim a family’s financial plan more than a death of a bread-winner, because the disabled person still has living expenses to pay, plus the medical bills necessary for his or her care.

  • The week ahead

    Tom Hudson: Congress dithers, household prosperity withers

    The eve of Obamacare, a showdown over a government shutdown, and the threat of a debt default all are ahead for investors. While those issues are rife with politics, each of them poses economic risks that can’t be ignored.

  • The color of money

    Michelle Singletary: Our looming crisis in long-term care

    I suspect many people didn’t know that the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was supposed to include much-needed coverage for long-term care.

  • Investing

    Will you outlive your savings?

    Many investors in their 50s, 60s and 70s wonder whether they will outlive their money in retirement. After all, Americans are living longer than ever, and fewer retirees are covered by pension plans that provide income for life. Those basic facts highlight the importance of building a diversified portfolio of assets during the working years. Certainly, building a large nest egg can give you more options in terms of your retirement lifestyle.

  • YOUR MONEY NOW

    Age-old question: Do I need a trust?

    Trusts can be complicated to set up, but they can simplify matters in the end.

  • The week ahead

    Tom Hudson: Examining the Nasdaq tech glitch

    We don’t know when. We don’t know where. But sometime in the future there will be another technical glitch that stops our capital markets cold. Hopefully, it will be similar to the problem on Thursday when the Nasdaq Stock Market shut down trading for three hours. After it restarted, investors didn’t flee the market en masse. Instead, they showed incredible patience and faith.

  • The color of money

    Michelle Singletary: Getting ready for the Affordable Care Act

    A marketplace like no other is opening soon.

  • Investing

    Don’t let the Fed sway your decisions on bonds

    When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke talks about interest rates, the U.S. financial markets pay close attention. In his recent testimony to Congress, Bernanke said the Fed will continue to focus on stimulating the economy by keeping rates low.

  • The week ahead

    Tom Hudson: Retailers predict disappointing back-to-school sales

    Parents are counting down the days until the new school year starts. Retailers are counting the days left in the back-to-school shopping season, getting anxious about the start of the new school year.

  • The color of money

    Michelle Singletary: What’s the deal when your company’s sold?

    This week, I came to understand the many employees who’ve experienced dread when their companies are sold. The Washington Post is being taken over by Amazon.com founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

  • The color of money

    Michelle Singletary: Can’t get a job, a loan? Blame it on the data

    The health of our economy relies on people finding and keeping jobs. If there are electronic-record systems that are preventing qualified people from getting hired or staying employed, they need to be fixed.

  • Money Dilemmas

    Meg Green: When ‘safe’ investments hit the danger zone

    The dilemma: Since I sold my business in 1992, I’ve only invested in municipal bonds. I have three different brokers who call me when something good comes up or when one of my bonds comes due or is called. I play one against the other so I always know what’s good.

  • Minimum wage

    What would $15 mean to the economy?

    Advocates for labor and advocates for business are in a heated debate about raising the minimum wage, but how would it affect consumers?

  • The week ahead

    Tom Hudson: What next in the bond market

    The bond market is bending, taking investors with it. Every day that goes by, bond market investors figure is one day closer to the Federal Reserve scaling back its monthly purchases of IOUs designed to keep interest rates low. But last week’s statement from the Central Bank left it’s strategy intact. Still, the bond market isn’t waiting for the official pronouncement. Instead, a steady climb of interest rates that began in May looks to continue in the new week.

  • YOUR MONEY NOW

    Save money with these helpful energy-saving tips

    Here are some ways to save energy at home and cut those high electric bills this summer and all year round.

  • Gabriel Rodriguez, an accountant at Advantage Income Tax Service in West Little Havana says hundreds of the firm's low-income clients are still waiting for their tax refunds.

    INCOME TAX

    Some still waiting for IRS to send tax refunds

    A late start to tax season, budget cuts hitting the IRS and new safeguards against fraud add up to frustrating delays for people who want their income tax refunds.

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