“If you’re using a credit card that doesn’t offer rewards points, it’s time to make a change. For people who use their credit cards frequently, rewards points can add up fast and when you use your card at certain stores, you’ll receive up to five times the rewards points. You can use the points for travel vouchers, cash back, or merchandise.”

“In 2011 there were 330 IPOs that came to market, down 30% from 2010. Technology IPOs led the way with 24 offerings but still down from 1999 when a record 212 companies issued stock for the first time. 2012 may bring the IPO market to center stage because of one very well-known company expected to become public this year. That company is Facebook.”

“Who brings in the cash at your house? Is it you? Your spouse? Both of you? Although none of us want to think about this, what would happen if the person in your home responsible for bring home the paycheck were to suddenly pass away? What would happen if tomorrow, you had to not only bury your spouse, but you also had to figure out where the money was coming from to pay your mortgage, car loan, credit cards, school loans, and other obligations? What if you have been a stay at home spouse all of your life and are now faced with a house full of children and very little in the way of marketable skills beyond what would be considered unskilled labor in the marketplace?”

If you don’t like it, go somewhere else! With all of the options available to you, why settle for subpar service? That’s great advice when you’re evaluating where to eat dinner, but does that same advice hold true for your citizenship? You may have never heard the name Eduardo Saverin, but thanks to the recent Facebook IPO, Saverin joins the small, elite club of billionaires. Saverin is a co-founder of Facebook, but found himself in the news for another reason: Saverin renounced his United States citizenship and became a citizen of Singapore. Saverin is labeled as an expatriate under United States law.

You might remember the Troubled Asset Relief Program, well known as TARP, but in case the terrifying days of the 2008 and 2009 Great Recession are no longer fresh in your mind, let’s take a look back. In 2008, we had all been introduced to financial terms that were once foreign to us. The average consumer knew nothing of subprime mortgages, mortgage backed securities or toxic assets, and they didn’t realize that the housing market had ballooned to valuations unsustainable.

If you watch the financial news media, you’ve seen how earnings releases work. It’s like the big game on Sunday; it comes with hours, and sometimes days, of endless experts providing their predictions of what the numbers will look like, and other experts providing their strategies of how to invest or trade based on the news. Some would say that it is media overhype at its finest and if you watch the endless flurry of graphics and “earnings central” music, it’s hard to argue. 

Think back to when you were a pre-teen. Even with all of that youthful energy we wish we had as adults, the bus stop felt like it was miles down the road. What did your parents tell you? “I had to walk to school, in the snow, in the rain and then walk back.” What is the grown-up version of that story? How many Americans believe they’re just getting by when, in fact, they’re doing a lot better? Most people think they’re underpaid and overworked, but what is the true picture of somebody who is just getting by?

“Some days I wish I could just buy a deserted island and move away.” Most of us have said something like that at one time or another, but we don’t actually mean it. How many people actually go out and buy an island, and are there really that many deserted islands available? If you’re in the market for a deserted island, other than a real estate agent specializing in deserted islands, there may not be many people who can help you, but you might be surprised to know that more people own islands than you might think and they aren’t necessarily among the ultra-high net worth community. 

If there was ever a poster child for not investing in fads, rare earth metals might be perfect for the role. If you follow the investment markets you may remember that at the beginning of 2011, most people had never heard of rare earth metals. There’s no doubt that it’s a catchy name that invites intrigue, but who knew that mining for these metals took place? 

“Wall Street can be a complicated place. It’s full of products that even some of the experts don’t understand and, much like the recent events that took place at JP Morgan, sometimes complicated investments produce unexpected results. Many of the more complicated investment products are likely inappropriate for retail or part-time investors, but that doesn’t mean that stocks and mutual funds are all that are available to you. Have you considered closed-end funds?”