If you can contribute to two qualified retirement plans, then do it.

It's net worth to them. It's worth nothing to you.

The biggest mistake is putting it off. If people can get in the mode of saving 10 to 15 percent of their income when they're young, they'll be financially well off later on in life.

Forget about your jewelry. You're not going to sell it. You're going to give it to your daughter.

This is a classic bear market rally, a sucker's rally. There has not been anything good on the economic front to justify this run-up.

People should make resolutions not to go for gimmicks.

Our emotions say that when something is going up, it's great and it will always go up. And when something is going down, it's bad and will always be going down. That leads people to buy high and sell low.

There's no magic formula to get you through this. Return to the fundamentals. Look at what's on sale.

The 401(k) can get you where you want to go, it's just a shame that you have to fund it yourself.

People who save 10 percent of their income throughout their working years, from their 20s on, are usually in good shape. You want to at least put the full amount aside to get the match.