Howard Deutch

Ways to Say “I Love You” Without Busting the Budget

You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to give your sweetheart something that says, ‘I love you.’ But no matter the occasion, you shouldn’t think that you must spend a fortune to show just how much you care. There are lots of ways to demonstrate how very much you cherish your significant other without breaking the bank. Some won’t cost you anything at all!

A gift must be meaningful, not…

How to Quiet Your Inner Critic

  It’s easy to blame yourself when things don’t turn out right. Your inner critic tells you that you’re stupid because you fell for a surefire investment that fizzled out and flopped. You’re sure you didn’t get a promotion because you’re a loser and losers never win. Whatever success has come your way was pure luck, and it’s in short supply today. And if you’re like millions of others who are…

Every Marriage Needs a Maintenance Plan

  You shouldn’t neglect your car’s maintenance needs. If you do, you could be courting automotive catastrophe. Little things, such as a worn wiper blade or unusual sound when you step on the brakes, can signal big trouble ahead that can make your car too dangerous to drive.

Your marriage needs maintenance, too. Time can take a toll on relationships. Just like cars, they are subject to wear and…

How to Outwit an Annoying Know-it-All

  We all know at least one person who hogs every conversation and acts like the world’s foremost authority on every subject. While you might welcome a healthy debate and a stimulating discussion, the know–it–all prefers to lecture us. That smarty–pants acts like he/she knows everything about everything. If you dare to offer a differing opinion, be prepared to be told that you’re wrong and you…

Retirement Security Starts With Small Steps

  You cannot just wake up one morning with gray hair and a gold watch and think that all of your years of working hard are about to pay huge dividends. If you have not properly planned ahead for retirement, get ready for a big smack of reality.

Inflation can eat away at your savings. Unforeseen health issues can prevent you from taking that part-time job that was supposed to provide supplemental…

What New Graduates Can Learn From Entrepreneurs

  Putting on that cap and gown is a time of joyful celebration and daunting trepidation. While most of today’s college graduates will follow in their parents? footsteps and become the next generation of worker bees building up someone else’ hive, some will seek a different path. They will strike out on their own and start a new business. But before America’s newest crop of budding entrepreneurs…

If You are Considering New Knee Replacement Surgery Read This

  Anyone who suffers from chronic knee pain knows how this debilitating condition can affect your life. What was once just an occasional twinge that seemed more annoying than anything serious can turn into nonstop pain that makes it difficult to walk. Knee osteoarthritis strikes more women than men, and many sufferers are turning to knee replacement surgery as their treatment of choice.

In the…

Estate Planning For Your Online Life

  Making your estate plans used to involve gathering your bankbooks, stock certificates, property deeds, coin collections and cash, and deciding what to do with these assets when you die. You prepared and then looked over the list of your assets and made provisions for passing them along to loved ones. Once assets were inventoried and heirs were chosen, all you had to do was put your plans in…

Young Adults Need a Basic Estate Plan

  Leaving the nest at eighteen and striking out on your own is a huge step that should be celebrated. But reaching that milestone presents some new problems. While preparation for freshman year at college usually focuses on finding financial aid and furnishing a dorm room, there are a couple of things that everyone eighteen or older must do to protect their future. Every adult — young or old —…

Some Assets Go Through Probate and Some Don’t

  Everything you own will not have to go through probate. How assets are titled determines if they need to be probated. If your bank accounts, home, other real estate, investments, vehicles and other personal property show ownership in your name only, the distribution of those assets when you die must go through the probate process. Only the probate court has the power to remove your name from…

Downsizing Tips to Help You Clear Out the Clutter

  Moving is stressful for anyone. But if you have to help your aging parent prepare for a move to a much smaller space, it can be very complicated and a cause of conflict. When you survey the tons of stuff to sort through, you think there are just a few things worth saving. However, your parent is likely to look at that collection and see a lifetime of treasures that would be impossible to part…

Don’t Go on a Date Without These

When kids are preparing to go to summer camp or on a school trip, they always receive a list of things to bring along. Most grownups who are getting ready to take a trip or go on a cruise prepare their own list of what to pack. But if you are reentering the dating world, you should also take the time to prepare yourself for what awaits you when you leave the comfort zone of your own home.

Here…

What You Should Know About Costco

  Shoppers who want the biggest bang for the buck find good value on the 3,700+ items in stock at Costco. While they enjoy the savings, just how Costco can offer its customers so many quality products at such low prices is a mystery to many people. What sets Costco apart from other wholesale companies’

You must become a member to shop at Costco and 72 million people have signed up. Costco members…

Fix Your Own Broken Electronics and Save Big Bucks

  Gadgets and gizmos today are quite expensive. Wouldn’t you like to make them last longer? Wouldn’t you like to be able to fix them yourself and save lots of money? It isn’t that difficult to do and you might actually enjoy breathing new life into broken electronics.

Return to the days when broken things got fixed

Anyone who is spending years as a struggling student or is trying to get by on a…

Simple Ways to Comfort Someone Who is Grieving

  When you want to comfort a friend or family member who has suffered a loss, you usually feel helpless. But small acts of kindness go a long way in helping someone who is grieving. Here are a few simple yet thoughtful ways you can comfort someone who is mourning:

1. Listen— It’s difficult to come up with the right words to say to someone who is grieving. Rather than say something awkward, just…

The Government Can Help Cut the Cost of Raising Your Kids

  Raising kids today takes a boatload of money. According to the crack statisticians at the Department of Agriculture, raising a child to the age of 18 will set you back $301,970. And that’s just for the basics.

The word must have gotten out that kids cost a lot. During the depths of the recent recession, the birth rate dropped significantly. The National Center for Health Statistics reported…

Everything You Should Know About Layaway

Those of us who were around during the 50s and 60s remember when layaway was in its heyday. But if you watch TV, look at a local newspaper or even shop online, you'll see that layaway has not gone away. It's still a popular option for many consumers for the holidays and during the rest of the year.

Smaller retailers in rural locations have known the value of offering layaway for a long time. It…