Articles written by Ted Sherman in Personal Finance

What is Helium

About me - Ted Sherman

After Navy service in World War II, I earned a BFA from the Phila. College of Art (now the Univ. of the Arts). I was then recalled to active duty in the Korean War. Following was a 40-year career in public relations, advertising, sales promotion, graphic design,

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Personal Finance > Retirement Best places to retire in the US: 1 of 20
Before I reached age 65, nearly 20 years ago, I had the great opportunity to take more than a year to consider where I'd spend my retirement years. One of my jobs at the time was to set up and produce recognition programs for our company's insurance agents at resort areas throughout the US. I traveled everywhere, including Ca... More..
Personal Finance > Spending & Saving (Other) Federal government economic stimulus deal: How will you spend your rebate check?: 4 of 51
Oh, wow! What a great gift from Washington! I'm so thrilled about getting $600 ... that's six pictures of Ben Franklin ... I hardly know what to do with such an enormous amount of money all at once. It takes my breath away! Of course, as a retiree with piddling annual income from Social Security, company pension and investmen... More..
Personal Finance > Credit Cards Should teens have credit cards?: 6 of 62
Has anyone ever heard an 18-year-old GI say, while trying to stay alive on a battlefield, "If I'm old enough to fight for my country, I'm old enough to have a credit card." All right, I've distorted the quote a bit, but I believe some teens reach maturity and financial savvy early. Then it is time for parents to decide about ... More..
Personal Finance > Managing Credit & Debt (Other) Identity theft: How to limit the damage if you lose your purse or wallet: 1 of 10
Two years ago, I lost my wallet when it fell out of a coat pocket that was on the passenger seat of my car. When I opened the car door, grabbed the coat and ran for an appointment, the wallet hit the street and was gone forever. I didn't realize it was missing for several hours, but after frantic searching of the car, I reali... More..
Personal Finance > Credit Cards When to pay cash and when to use a credit card: 7 of 55
The answer for most people is to pay with cash whenever possible. The main reason, especially for young people starting out on their own, is that the temptation of using the credit card is more compelling than thinking of the consequences. It is so much easier just to flash the card than to dig in the wallet for cash and coun... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement Should Social Security benefits be abolished?: 8 of 60
Hey, don't do it! This retiree is already eating the cheapest brand of canned cat food. Pulleeeze! If you take away my Social Security, I won't even be able to afford to share it with my cat any more.Seriously, unless some genius can come up with a better plan that is both more economical to the government and still provides ... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement How to cut food costs as a retiree: 4 of 28
It's easy for us long retired cheap skates. Here are just a few ways we keep food costs down:1. Eat less. I weighed 180 when I retired 15 years ago. It wasn't too gross for my height, but at least 20 pounds more than I should have lugged around. Today I'm at 160 because our routine is much simpler than it was when I worked. N... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement Best new places to retire around the world: 1 of 6
With the world in such a turmoil because of war, terrorism, political upheavals, tribal killings and natural disasters, why would any senior want to look for new places to retire? It is possible to seek some remote island in the Pacific as Robinson Crusoe or a hero of a Conrad book may have found, but today's seniors are much... More..
Personal Finance > Financial Planning Should you offer financial aid to your children now or let them wait to inherit?: 5 of 26
We're now in our 80s, and our children are pursuing successful careers. Does that mean we should just stuff our money into our mattress and let them figure out what to do when we and our mattress are carried out of our house feet first? Of course not. There's much truth in the old saying that you can't take it with you. So, f... More..
Personal Finance > Investing (Other) Which is the better investment: BMW or bachelor's degree?: 2 of 10
Since no other information on this silly question is given, naturally I'd choose the car. It has to be a bird in the hand choice if there ever was one. Many years ago, I earned a bachelor's degree in a subject that guaranteed either a boring career in teaching or an exciting lifetime starving in a Paris (not France, but Texas... More..