It's no secret that inflation can eat away at not only your wallet or pocketbook, but your investment portfolio as well. What causes inflation? Inflation usually occurs when the government hikes the money supply. When that happens, companies raise the prices of their products or services to keep pace with the increase in the money supply. Inflation can also rise when products and commodities grow scarce. When bad weather, for example, reduces the cotton supply, prices for ever-scarce cotton are sure to rise.

No question about it, investors are in survival mode right now-just trying to hang on in a market that has given away much of last year's gains. But there is hope. Over both the short and the long haul, health care stocks, and specifically biotechs, are a good place to be for investors, even in a down market.

Many people daydream about early retirement and don't realize that it can become a reality with some simple retirement planning, investment goals, and an understanding of investment basics. Obviously, retirement planning needs will vary, depending on what age and stage of life an individual is at. But with some solid retirement goals and a set retirement plan, early retirement is a completely

Do you need help with money? Are you living in debt, and can't imagine yourself saving money, investing money, and organizing your personal finances once and for all? Many years ago I facilitated debt support groups for those looking to finally live debt free.

Retirement planning is a necessary step for anyone planning to retire. Factors such as health care costs, retirement budget, retirement benefits, and social security are to be considered when planning for retirement. Baby boomers are the generation of Americans born between 1946 and 1964. As increasing numbers of baby boomers now face retirement,

Whether you're a consultant, freelancer, hairdresser, or dog walker, a simplified employee pension plan IRA (known as a SEP IRA) offers an attractive option for entrepreneurs and small business owners. What is a SEP IRA? It's just like an IRA for the self-employed, but in this case the account is opened by the employer, rather than the individual. Once you find out how to open a SEP IRA, you can enjoy all the tax benefits of an IRA account, but you're able to contribute much more (up to $45,000 in 2007). This makes SEP plans ideal for those who need to catch up on retirement savings. Best of all, there's very little paperwork involved to open a SEP IRA-so you can focus your energies on your 'real' business.