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	<title>FiGuide - A Retirement Plan That Works! &#187; Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</title>
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	<description>FiGuide&#039;s free daily tips provides short, actionable strategies to help you achieve a successful, worry-free retirement.</description>
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		<title>Should You Really Fear a Government Default?</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/should-you-really-fear-a-government-default.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/should-you-really-fear-a-government-default.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:31:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Banking & Budgeting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.figuide.com/?p=12984</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the pundits out there beating fear drums, it’s difficult to ignore the drama playing out in Washington.  Talking about a run on banks is a doomsday prediction.  The markets, banks etc., are not going to be blindsided by this, so I think a doomsday scenario is unlikely.]]></description>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t Worry About Tax Hikes</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/dont-worry-about-tax-hikes.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/dont-worry-about-tax-hikes.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tax Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Estimated taxes]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Don't believe the hype on tax hikes.  And certainly don't spend precious energy worrying about them.A Kate and Joe were in yesterday.  They are professionals raising four kids, who, between the two of them, make around   $350,000 a year.  They were bemoaning the fact that, according to the media, their taxes are going to go up.[...]]]></description>
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		<title>Don&#8217;t Max out Your 401k</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/dont-max-out-your-401k.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/dont-max-out-your-401k.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[401k Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[401k]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retirement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Savings]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.figuide.com/?p=3505</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you were to get on the Internet and poll the financial gurus, the message you would get load and clear is: Save Money. No matter how much you&#8217;ve saved, you will be woefully short when you get to retirement.
The first suggestion of these pundits? Put money in your 401(k). (I will use &#8220;401(k) as a surrogate for all retirement savings plans: 401(k), 403(b), SEP, SIMPLE etc.) I&#8217;m not against 401(k)s. Actually, I&#8217;m a big fan. However, I think the advice is wrong.
Here&#8217;s my message: Save 10% of your income. ...]]></description>
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		<title>Is Now the Time to Get into Real Estate?</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/is-now-the-time-to-get-into-real-estate.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/is-now-the-time-to-get-into-real-estate.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Real Estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[housing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.figuide.com/?p=1696</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m not very interested in predictions about how long the   current economic downturn is going to last.  What I&#8217;m   interested is in the thinking behind the predictions.  Here&#8217;s   what I think about the segment that started the downturn:   Real Estate.
My basic formula is that we&#8217;ll see the bottom when   foreclosures have brought prices down enough so that it costs   as much to own as it does to rent. That sweet spot gives   investors the ...]]></description>
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		<title>What Should I Be Asking My Mortgage Broker?</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/tips-for-refinancing.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/tips-for-refinancing.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:19:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refinancing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.figuide.com/?p=1699</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There has been a big upsurge in refinancing of late, so a lot of people are contacting new mortgage brokers to determine how they can get the best rates.  I recommend calling at least 4 or 5 new brokers to give you a good basis of comparison.  Even if you have a current broker relationship, it is important to ask the right questions when you begin the process.  Here are the right questions you should be asking your mortgage broker:
1.How many refinances did you close in the last year? I&#8217;m ...]]></description>
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		<title>Investing Lessons We Can Learn</title>
		<link>http://www.figuide.com/investing-lessons-we-can-learn.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.figuide.com/investing-lessons-we-can-learn.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:09:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Investing Strategies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.figuide.com/?p=1704</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t blame the Madoff investors for investing in his hedge fund. Truth is, we all make some mistakes when investing. But, like Ben Franklin used to say; “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools learn in no other.” It makes sense to take a critical look at the way Madoff set up his scheme, then figure out how to avoid the mistakes his investors made.
Why Madoff had such a successful scheme
First and foremost, Madoff had a lot of credibility. He created an over-the-counter trading firm in the 1970s and ...]]></description>
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