CARIBBEAN TODAY


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~ A Caribbean Today special feature


How to: Finding ways to save money


Since loans are tough to
 get and retirement funds
 are shrinking fast as the
stock market crashes, we
thought we'd share some old-
fashioned penny-pinching tips.
Keep a thrifty home Unplug
electronics that aren't being
used. Replace your light bulbs
with compact fluorescents.
Seal ducts and add insulation.
Paying (and cutting) bills -
Pay biweekly instead of
monthly on your mortgage.
You'll make an extra payment
annually and save thousands
on interest over the life of the


loan.
Your ride and your routine -
Consolidate trips to save gas.
Carpool. Buy a fuel-efficient,
reliable car.
Eat healthy, pay less Cook
more meals at home and turn
last night's dinners into today's
lunch.
Go online for savings Sign
up for online polls; you can
earn gift cards.
Use credit cards wisely Get a
credit card with rebates you
can use.
Travel more, spend less Use


Hotwire or other online sites
to book hotel rooms. Don't be
afraid to negotiate with hotels
for a lower rate.
Stay fit, let savings fatten -
Lose the gym membership
and take a walk or a run.
On holidays, be a scrooge -
Shop for Christmas and other
gift-giving times throughout
the year to take advantage of
sales.
- McClatchy Newspapers.
Distributed by McClatchy-
Tribune Information Services.
0


Crafting a better financial future


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5)
bers across the United States.
The average user is a 28-year-
old earning $50,000 to $60,000,
Hedlund said. But recently, as
the depth of the nation's eco-
nomic woes became more
apparent, Wesabe has seen its
bi-I-L, growth, with a 35 per-
cent month-over-month
increase in membership.

GROWTH
 At Mint, the average user
is 30 years old with an income
of about $75,000, said Donna
Wells, chief marketing officer.
Mint has been growing steadily
since its launch in Sept. 2007 -
it has more than 475,000 users -
but in the last month, "there's
been a notable uptick in
usage," Wells said. "People are
looking for any new tool to


help them budget and save."
 Cli g media planner
Ryan RulkdJg; 24, uses Mint
to track his 401(k) plan, his stu-
dent loans, checking and sav-
ings accounts plus the balances
on his five credit cards. He
rents an apartment in a two-
flat and is working on paying
off more than $20,000 in stu-
dent loans.
 "It shocked me when I saw
I was spending $500 eating out
every month," he said.
 He has cut back, to about
$350 a month, and is working to
lower that. The ability to track
how much he spends and at
what restaurants has helped
reign in those expenses, he said.
 Rutledge is spending about
the same each month, with one
key difference: he's spending
"at least $100 more a month"


to pay off his debts.
 Rutledge is reflective of
Mint users overall. Each month
since January they have
reduced spending by four per-
cent on gifts and charitable
donations. And they are treat-
ing ilLIiI ILS a little less, too.
 "I went from spending $75 a
month to less than $40 a month
at iTunes," Rutledge said.
 But he admits to being an
impulse buyer. He couldn't stop
himself from buying the new
Keane album at the online
retailer.
 "Of course you try to save
money, but I really am spend-
ing more wisely," he said.

 2008, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-
Tribune Information Services.
0


Going green is fun, easy

 and rewarding!

* Recycle everything from glass to plastic to metal and all kinds of
 paper through Miami-Dade's new curbside recycling program.
 Sign up for recycling alerts today!

* Join the change: Participate in the Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day
 and help keep our beaches beautiful for future generations.

* Have some good clean fun with one of the County's many
 Eco-Adventures.


 For green tips, savings and more,
go to green.miamidade.gov or call 3-1-1.


Money advice: A head-to-toe guide


 KARA MCGUIRE

Dean Junkans barely
 passed high school
 biology, but that didn't
stop the Wells Fargo executive
from seeing many parallels
between the human anatomy
and investing.
 "In the human body, a
number of key organs and
body parts must work togeth-
er to sustain life. An individ-
ual investment portfolio, the
various parts of it, and the
individuals managing it, must
also work together to have a
sustainable and successful
experience," Junkans, chief
investment officer at Wells
Fargo Private Bank, writes in
his new book "The Anatomy
of In\'II g .
 Junkans links
several body parts
to core financial
planning and
investment con-
cepts. The result is
a thorough and
accessible head-to-
toe financial guide.
 Brain: The log-
ical, analytical left
brain is your invest-
ment plan, or road
map to your goals.
The right brain rep-
resents your emo-
tional side.
 In investing, individuals
shouldn't let the right brain
get too involved, especially in
uncertain times when fear and
greed can easily take over. But
you don't want to cut the right
brain out completely.
 "Add some fun and cre-
ativity to the portfolio" by
owning stocks in companies
that you know, Junkans said.

BACKBONE
 Spine: The backbone of
your portfolio is asset alloca-
tion. This is your mix of
investments such as stocks,
bonds, real estate, commodi-
ties and cash. To have a
healthy backbone, your
investment mix must be well
diversified.
 Eyes: "The eyes were put
in the front of the head, not
the back of the head, for a
reason," Junkans said. "And a
lot of investors look back-
ward...investors tend to chase
performance."
 Or, in down markets, they
tend to avoid recent bad per-
formance. I guess that
explains why billions of dol-
lars were taken out of mutual
funds recently. Investors
should really be looking for-
ward to determine how to
position themselves for the
future. Given broad market
declines, Junkans says he sees
value in all corners of the


market with the exception of
pricey U.S. Treasuries -
although he favors domestic
stocks to international devel-
oped market stocks.
 Ears: The ears have the
 big job of filtering out noise
 about the stock market and
 the economy, which can cause
 investors to think they need to
 make constant tweaks to their
 portfolio.

 SNIFFING OUT
 Nose: Use the nose to
 sniff out whether an invest-
 ment opportunity smells right.
 If the return is really high,
 check the risks. In a market
 such as the one we're in, bad
 actors tend to materialize,
 claiming that they can reverse
 your losses with their invest-
 ment scheme. Be
 wary.
 Mouth and
 S- stomach: The mouth
 and stomach feed
k k r your portfolio. This
 market might have
 demonstrated to you
 how much risk you
 can stomach. Unless
 you need the cash
 right now, Junkans
 says "generally it's
 going to be a mis-
 take to notch down
 the risk after a 40
 percent drop in the
 market." Instead, make more
 conservative current contribu-
 tions going forward.
 Neck: The neck is your
 portfolio's flexibility. Have
 cash on the sidelines so you
 can take advantage of oppor-
 tunities that arise.
 Heart: A core portfolio of
 dividend and income-paying
 stocks is one strategy for heart
 health. And don't overlook
 putting the heart into your
 financial life. Consider socially
 responsible investing with
 mutual funds that screen
 stocks based on your values,
 or supporting charities that
 matter to you, which may also
 earn you a tax deduction.
 Kidneys: The kidneys get
 rid of toxins. Cleanse your
 portfolio from time to time to
 realize tax benefits.
 Lungs: Rebalance periodi-
 cally to avoid shortness of
 breath. You'd be surprised
 what this market has done to
 your investment allocation pie.
 Arms and legs: Get mov-
 ing and pick your investment
 vehicles, but not before you
 understand how the rest of
 your body works in concert to
 realize your investment goals.

  2008, Star Tribune
 (Minneapolis). Distributed by
 McClatchy-Tribune
 Information Services.
 0


March 2009


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