By J. Alan Maguire
Spend less than you earn. Pay yourself first. Save 10 percent of all of your earnings. These are some of the most basic principles of personal finance, yet millions fail to do this. There are hundreds of personal finance books that talk about these financial basics, and more […]

By J. Alan Maguire
Working in the web development industry, I get a chance to go to at least one conference, seminar, or training class every year. This way I can keep up with the latest technologies and our company benefits from my acquired knowledge. However, convincing the company my conference of choice is worthwhile […]

By J. Alan Maguire
We all want a job we enjoy and not dread going to each day. Are you just starting out and are not sure what you want to do? Or do you currently have a job, but long to be doing something else? To obtain your ideal career, you may […]

By J. Alan Maguire
What scares you? What is holding you back and affecting your financial well-being? If you were not afraid, how different would your life be? I think fear is a major problem when it comes to finances. Do you have any of the following financial fears?
Budgeting. This is […]

By J. Alan Maguire
If you are toying with the idea of starting a business, it is probably best to start it on a part-time basis while continuing with your regular job. Many small businesses fail within the first year, so take advantage of having a steady income and use your spare time to start […]

By J. Alan Maguire
One of the few shows I make sure I watch is Survivorman. For those who are unfamiliar with this show, it is about a man who strands himself in different locales all around the world with just his camera equipment and a few random items for seven days. He […]

By J. Alan Maguire
Great ideas can come at any time. More often than not, we are usually preoccupied when the lightning strikes, and we tell ourselves we will write it down later only to forget what it was that was so amazing. No matter what your profession, a lost idea is lost money. […]

By J. Alan Maguire
In her book, If You Want to Write, Barbara Ueland states, “Families are great murderers of the creative impulse…” This statement is bold, but unfortunately true for many. Many have had family members shoot down great ideas as too good to be true, too difficult or maybe even stupid.
Do you […]

By J. Alan Maguire
“I’m talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing.” — Gordon Gekko, Wall Street.
Watching Wall Street the other night, the above quote stuck in my head, specifically, “Rich enough not to […]

By J. Alan Maguire
Keeping track of what you spend your money on is a good habit to have. Why not expand your record keeping and begin a financial journal?
The benefits of financial journaling

You think clearer. People think clearer when they write out their thoughts which can help your success. This […]

By J. Alan Maguire
Starting this year, Illinois State University initiated a classroom dress code for students in marketing classes. Students taking marketing classes will no longer be able to roll out of bed, throw on whatever they feel like, and head off to class. Business casual is the new rule. According to the school, the […]

By J. Alan Maguire
We all feel we deserve a raise, but are we entitled to one. Are employers required to give raises? Unless you have a contract stating you will receive a raise at a certain point, your employer is not required to give you one. Additionally, some people work without ever […]

By J. Alan Maguire
For the first day of kindergarten, I walked in to my daughter’s classroom and at each child’s place at the table lay 3 pennies. These were fake pennies, but as our kindergarten information packet stated, they were worth something.
Every day, the children get three pennies, which they put in designated […]

By J. Alan Maguire
From time to time, things get the best of me and I let various forms of paperwork pile up, putting off today what I can do tomorrow. I become the Bizzaro Ben Franklin. This pile can end up filling a paper box or two before I tackle it.
This pile continues […]

By J. Alan Maguire
When people think about saving money or personal finances in general, they usually don’t think beyond their paycheck. There are a number of additional ways your employer can help you save and create wealth beyond payday. Here are ten ways (in no particular order) your company may be able to help increase […]