SavvySugar

Blame Your Genes If Market News Makes You Anxious

SavvySugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:30:49 -0800

If your nails have taken a beating along with the economy, you might be able to blame your genes for desperately needing a manicure. Nail-biting nerves are genetic, according to new research - the study showed that a person's ability to deal with market turmoil is linked to her DNA.

Subjects' DNA was tested for variations of serotonin and dopamine which are thought to be impact risk-taking behavior, and the data was used to identify individuals with high-risk profiles or high-anxiety profiles. The participants were given money and told to invest it however they wanted, and the previously identified high-anxiety individuals invested 28 percent less money in risky investments than their high-risk peers.

Still, researcher Camelia Kuhnen acknowledged that experience has a lot to do with how much risk a person can handle and said, "People may learn a lot from this crisis."

Source

Do Tell: Are You Enjoying the Simpler Life?

DearSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Layoffs, pay cuts, and stock market losses, oh my! It's a scary time for all, and though we left many bad times in 2008, we've still got a long way to go before we recover from these trying times. And since we're all undoubtedly money-conscious these days, many of us are going back to the basics. Reclaiming the simple things in life has been surprisingly gratifying to me, but do tell, are you enjoying the elementals again?

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Have We Seen the Worst of the Financial Industry's Problems?

SavvySugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:30:11 -0800

Another week, another bank bailout. The most recent recipient of government aid is Citigroup, and the government's bailout package includes a $20 billion investment in the company and a $306 billion guarantee of risky assets.

Monday's market close was met with cheers as investor enthusiasm sent the market soaring, reflecting a general investor bet that the worst of the financial industry's problems may be over. Do you think we've seen the worst?

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How Money Are You: Match the Company to Its Stock Ticker

SavvySugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:15:34 -0800

We've been watching the market's volatile ebbs and flows and let it affect our moods since summertime. Following the stock market isn't necessarily the most productive way to worry, but many people just can't keep themselves from finding out how far the Dow dropped for the day. Publicly traded companies make up the stock market - can you match the company to its stock ticker? Take the quiz!

Source

Take the quiz

Watching the Market Will Drive You Nuts!

SavvySugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:00:34 -0700

Most of you aren't fans of the government bailing out private banks, but the market reacted more than kindly to the government's announcement that it may create an agency to buy bad debt from banks. Bad debt refers to the mortgage-related assets that were the Achilles heel to once Wall Street giants Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns.

The market showed its largest percentage point gain in six years but is still down for the week. What's with the fluctuation? Markets are always sensitive to news, but a week of unexpected headlines has created an even more volatile market. For the moment, investors feel reassured that the government is planning a large scale bailout that is aimed at containing the credit crisis.

Source

Bull Market vs. Bear Market: How Money Are You

SavvySugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:30:59 -0700

Just as political parties have their token animals, so do market conditions; a bull and bear are used to characterize the state of the market.

The terms are often thrown around by financial news personalities and are on the tips of investors' tongues. Do you know the difference between a bull and bear market?

Source

Take the quiz

Three Tips For Sticking to Your Retirement Savings

SavvySugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:02:04 -0700

Unless you're hooked up with a bullet and foolproof investment plan, chances are your retirement savings have taken a beating over the past many months. You're not alone! My 401(k) has been dragged through the trenches and the result is not pretty.

Am I a sucker for pumping monthly contributions into my retirement investments? I'd like to think not, though it's tough to contain my frustration when I peek at my account's worth. Find out what rationalization I use to make myself feel better when you read more.

Here are the little gems I use to tell myself in the end, it's all going to be OK. Hopefully they'll help you feel the same way about staying on track with your retirement savings.

I'm in this for the long haul. Retirement savings are for the future and aren't to be touched any sooner than your golden years. My investment plan reflects a long-term strategy and I trust that it will serve me well in the end.
I can't control the market. The market is a cycle and it's currently at a low point. While the account's total worth is lower than I've seen it before, I'm getting more shares for my money by buying them at their cheaper price. If history is any example, the cycle will come around and turn around this bear market.
I'm not alone! Staring at your dwindling account value might lead you to conclude that you have bad luck. If that were true, than most investors would be unlucky, too! There's no glass ball predicting the future, so acknowledge that the market is in a slump and move on.

One final tip: Don't check your retirement accounts often. I only check mine about once a quarter, because there's no point aside from fulfilling curiosity. It's always a good idea to make sure your investment plan meets your risk tolerance and time horizon, so review your accounts and see if they need to be rebalanced to meet your investment goals.

Source

Off to Market Recap: Everyday Tablecloth

partysugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:50:42 -0700

For the past two years I lived without a kitchen table. But, I've recently moved and I'm very excited because my new kitchen is big enough for a small table and four chairs! I found an amazing deal on Craigslist, and I'm the proud owner of a kitchen table. Now that I have a table, I want a pretty tablecloth. Thus, I've rounded up the best cheerful and Spring tablecloths the Internet has to offer. To share them with you, I bookmarked them in the Off to Market group in the YumSugar Community. My favorite tablecloth is this light-colored ikat-printed one by Horchow. It fits in with the Moroccan-inspired look of my studio apartment. For more tablecloths, browse the collection below.

Interested in learning more about bookmarking? Read the the complete instructions here.

Off to Market: Everyday Tablecloth

partysugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:50:41 -0800

For the past two years, I've lived without a kitchen table. But I've recently moved and I'm very excited because my new kitchen is big enough for a small table and four chairs! I found an amazing deal on Craigslist and I'm the proud owner of a kitchen table. Like the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, now that I have a table, I want a pretty tablecloth. Can you help me find one? Search the Internet for cheerful Spring tablecloths and bookmark everything you find. Save the tablecloths in the Off to Market group in the YumSugar Community - that way I can share them with everyone. I appreciate your assistance and can't wait to check out your discoveries.

Off to Market Recap: Kitchen Island

partysugar — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:50:03 -0800

As you all know, I just moved. In my new kitchen, there's a large space between the fridge and cabinets. If I leave it empty, it will be wasted space, but if I get a portable work station, it will be more counter space! I asked you to help me search the Internet for the best kitchen islands. When you found an island, you bookmarked it in the Off to Market group in the YumSugar Community. Since there's only one drawer in my kitchen, I'm looking for an island that doubles as a storage unit. I'm absolutely in love with this island from Bed Bath & Beyond.

It has two drawers, a cupboard, and cabinet meaning I can store kitchen utensils, pots, and baking pans - and at $249, it's not too expensive. Check out all the islands below.

Interested in learning more about bookmarking? Read the complete instructions here.