7 best stocks for the rest of 2014- MSN Money. Capital One 360 - Online Banking. Home. Affordable Financial Planning for Everyone. 7 habits of highly effective investors. Many good comments here already. I will add only a few thoughts beyond the regular saving, buy less, postpone spending on 'stuff'. Read, read, read.
Yes, investing is a skill, but one that can be learned. If you are not willing to work at it, avoid get rich quick schemes--the new latest best thing--and go with Index funds both on the equity (stock market) and fixed income (bond) side. Watch out for initial purchase costs as well as commissions. Stay away from the investment talk shows on TV--Cramer, etc. --there may be one good idea buried in all the hype, but it is unlikely you will find it easily. If you are willing to work, read Buffett and his partner Charlie Munger, and the others who have been successful over the very long term.
Mygreatlakes.org. 12 smart year-end tax moves. I think its time to stop all welfare payments, food stamps, government workers paychecks (including president, senate and congress) until a decision is reached. Then once one is reached a new welfare reform should be put into place. This would help decrease the deficit, including mandatory drug testing for all recipients. Then form a welfare task force to check homes of recipients to make sure they own nothing, and that there are no additional working people (ex: live in boyfriends, etc...) in the homes. Next, those who still qualify would be put to work cleaning highways, government buildings, picking up trash and working in childcare to take care of those who are working and on welfare.
Next a mandatory 15% pay decrease to all government workers. And finally, a sliding scale for big corporation CEO's that their salary be in check to the salary that they are paying their employee's. Just sayin it might work for us.