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Personal Finance> 529 Plans

Who We Are
The BlueCollarDollar was designed as a personal finance center where you will find the complicated world of investing and financial planning explained. We take a common sense approach to the money you earn, your investments (mutual funds, bonds, mortgages), retirement planning (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.), insurance, mortgages, and debt. We want you to have a financially stable retirement, that is both comfortable and healthy.

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    • Order your copy of Building Wealth in a Paycheck-to-Paycheck World by Paul Petillo. It is packed with safe, proven wealth-building strategies that cover all the major components of a balanced financial plan, including:

    • Straight talk on mutual funds, bonds, real estate, and annuities
    • Techniques for avoiding financial disasters
    • Tools to help readers track their debt and create a plan for staying out of it
    • Road maps to buying a home and saving for college and retirement


    Responsible Investing

    Sometimes investing needs a conscience and we're here to help guide you towards that peaceful, easy feeling of putting your hard earned money in the right places.

    There are several investment vehicles you can take to achieve your financial goals that will give you the confidence that the companies you are investing in do not harm animals in their production, act in an ethical manner, and are socially responsible. Remember, when you invest in a mutual fund, you are buying into companies and their philosophies. Sort of, anyway.

    Cruelty Free Investing
    is based upon the premise that to produce a product, animals need not be used to prove it's market-worthiness. If you look closely at the prospectus provided by your fund company, you will find a list of the various firms that your mutual fund advisor has purchased. This is an issue with some folks, especially when the investment strategy goes against certain principles that you might have. For example, you probably would not be happy if one of the largest holdings in your mutual fund was a cigarette maker if you were opposed to holding an investment that encouraged something you disagreed with. Same goes for animal lovers. If a company consistently goes against your beliefs, a group from Virginia, the Business Analysis Group Inc (PO Box 3534 Reston Virginia 20190-1534 US) has some direction for you. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible chasing down that comfortable retirement. .

    The business of doing the " right thing" for society at large is well established and can be a driving force in the marketplace. The folks at Ethical Investing provide some good insight into the field. Or go directly to the list of Socially Responsible funds Is your fund among them? Remember: read the prospectus before investing any money, and look at the fund with the BlueCollarDollar guidelines in mind. Is the fund a good long term performer? Are the expenses low? And has the fund manager been with the fund for more than five years? For additional links to socially responsible funds and green investing, try Social Investment Forum