Looking Bad Can Ruin Your Career

Yes it does. Yes it will. Yes, it can. There are many studies that have found a direct influence on people between physical appearance and income. Hence, better take this clue and shape up. Hai-Hui, an executive coach in Guangxi, China, has this to say, "More often than not it is a person's physical appearance that determines whether he succeeds in the corporate world and climb the so-called corporate ladder quickly. Clothes and appearances really maketh a person". Her solution is overwhelming and effective. It's a total re-make of the person from head to toe. It also involves getting a total new wardrobe that is suitable to the type of career, or in her words - "the position that is desired and so targeted. Dress and look the position. An immediate outcome is that her clients immediately feel more confident as well.

Can you afford to top-up your petrol?

If you're waiting for petrol prices to get back to "normal," you'll be waiting a long time, experts say. The recent drop in crude prices hasn't even made its way completely to the petrol station yet. All you can change is how much you spend. How?

For starters, it's time to dump the petrol guzzling higher capacity monster that you've been driving and opt for the most fuel-efficient car you can tolerate. You'll most probably save enough to justify that new set of wheels.

Meanwhile, follow these tips to boost your MPG (good mileage = maximum distance minimum fuel):
1. Use air conditioning. It's counterintuitive, but the drag created by open windows (at highway speeds) costs you more fuel than you'll save by turning off the AC.
2. Leave a big buffer between you and the car ahead. Rather than braking every time he slows, you can just ease off the pedal.
3. You already know this, but since you aren't following the advice, stay below the speed limit and avoid sudden spurts.
4. Inflate your tires properly.
5. Lighten your load. Don't store unnecessary weight in the car just because the stuff that creates it is convenient.

Do You Need Life Insurance?

This is a common financial issue that has a fairly black-and-white solution. If you have a family that relies on your income, you need insurance.

If not, you don't, no matter what the salesman says. The more complicated question is how much insurance do you need? First, add up the assets you'll leave behind. Maxing out your financial investments builds savings that could help take care of your family. Second, estimate the obligations you want to cover--the mortgage and child care, for instance. Subtract those obligations from the value of your savings to figure out how much insurance you need.

Most people are better off with a term policy, rather than whole life, which includes a (pricey) investment component. A healthy 40-year-old man can buy a $500,000, 20-year term policy for about $400 a year. Term is a beautiful thing, because most people don't need insurance once they hit 60 as most have paid off debts, college is saved for or paid for, and retirement savings should cover survivor income.

How Do I Get My Wife to Spend Less?

Channel your inner Oprah. "You do not want to turn every issue into a formal financial summit, but this is a biggie," says Motley Fool consumer finance expert Dayana Yochim. "Start off with a touchy-feely, Oprah-style conversation about your goals. I advise couples to go on a mental shopping spree and create a wish list, with each person writing down the future events that he or she is most excited about, whether it's vacations, home improvements, paying for college, or getting chin implants." Why? "People need a carrot tied to the end of the stick," says Yochim. "If you don't know what your goals are, there's nothing to work toward." The conversation begins after you exchange lists. "If you do it right, you'll both be excited about brainstorming ways to achieve your financial goals, but the real magic of this exercise is that it makes you partners, not adversaries, in—cue the music—making your dreams a reality."

All Your Financial Worries, Solved -- slaying your financial demons

If you are the kind of guy who stresses out about money, then this economy amounts to a big financial migraine. Money is the number one source of stress for men, outstripping health, relationships, and terrorism, according to a Harris poll conducted earlier this year for the American Psychological Association. No surprise, given that your portfolio is shrinking every month, inflation is vacuuming the dollars out of your wallet, and the ugliest housing market in a generation is eroding your home equity. No wonder the needle on your tension meter is pointing to full count, two outs, in the bottom of the ninth. But stress prevents you from playing your A-game. After all, when you feel stressed, you can't hit that 3-2 pitch, you can't seduce a woman, and you'll have trouble solving the problems that are causing your anxiety in the first place. Most financial worries actually have straightforward solutions. Not to say they are easy to fix—they aren't. But once you see the path clearly, once you realize there is a solution, the tension melts away. And that frees you up to attack the problem with all you've got.

Break Free ...

Don't let the past hold you back! Change is in the air. You will feel very restless if your life if you do.