January 2019
January 8, 2019
From NYC to Boise, Babies are Pricey
If a new baby is in the works for the new year, prepare yourself now.
Despite the pure joy of having a child, the fact of the matter is that the basics – daycare plus a second bedroom, extra health insurance, food and personal items – are expensive even in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is at the bottom of Magnify Money’s new ranking of the cost of adding a family member in 100 U.S. major cities. Monthly expenses for an infant exceed $700 a month in Little Rock, or nearly $8,500 a year.
The big budget buster everywhere is day care, which is a financial shock for most new parents. The bills can easily reach or exceed $1,000 a month, and day care represents 70 percent to 80 percent of the money spent on a baby, whether the parents live in New York City, Birmingham, Alabama, or Boise, Idaho.
Magnify Money’s estimates do not even include the college savings parents should start socking away immediately. They do include the federal tax credits for children.
Click here to get a rough idea of what your new baby will cost where you live. …Learn More
January 3, 2019
Here’s What Our Readers Liked in 2018
We’re kicking off 2019 with our periodic review of the most-read articles over the past year, based on the blog traffic tracked by Google Analytics.
Judging by the comments readers leave at the end of the blog posts, baby boomers are really diving into the nitty-gritty of preparing themselves mentally and financially for retirement. Financial advisers also frequently comment on Squared Away, and we hope some of our web traffic is because they’re sharing our blog with their clients.
Last year, Squared Away received recognition from other media. The Wall Street Journal recommended us to its readers for the blog’s “wonderful mix of topics.” The Los Angeles Times picked up our article, “Why Retirement Inequality is Rising.” MarketWatch published our posts about how pharmacists can help seniors reduce their prescription drug prices and about a Social Security reform to reduce elderly poverty.
The most popular blogs in 2018 fall into five categories:
The Big Picture
How Social Security Gets Fixed Matters
Future ‘Retirees’ Plan to Work
Just Half of Americans Enjoy Bull Market
Personality Influences Path to Retirement
How and When to Retire
Know About the 401(k) Surprise
How Retirees Can Negotiate Drug Prices
Work vs Save Options Quantified
What’s a Geriatric Care Manager Anyway?
Geriatric Help Eases Family Discord
Retirement Pitfalls
Retirees Get a 401(k) Withdrawal Headache
Social Security Mistakes Can Be Costly …Learn More
About Squared Away
Learn more about our blog and its writer, Kimberly Blanton, a former Boston Globe reporter.
