Zecco, which is a phonetic representation of the acrononym ZCO (zero commission cost), is an online trading platform that’s been around since 2006.  The company has managed to weather a nasty economy and the related drop in small investor market participation by making a few adjustments to its approach.

Here’s a brief overview of Zecco and what it’s all about.  If you’re looking for a place to buy and sell without broker assistance or huge costs, it might be a good option for you.

Zecco’s Legitimacy

Before you start signing up to invest your money with anyone, you should ascertain their legitimacy.  Zecco appears to be a legitimate, legal entity.  In addition to the their 3-year track record and a large number of happy customers, Zecco is a subsidiary of Equinox Securities.  According to Bargaineering:

Equinox Securities (CRD# 135398, SEC# 8-66916) registered as a corporation in California on 01/21/2005 and is located in Ontario, CA. It’s currently not suspended by any regulator and has not yet had any Arbitration Awards, Disciplinary and/or Regulatory Events. I downloaded the full Equinox Securities Report and you can see Zecco Trading listed on page 4.

CashMoneyLife gives us some additional reasons to feel confident about Zecco:

Zecco is a member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which is the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. Zecco is covered by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which is an organization that acts as insurance against your broker filing for bankruptcy or otherwise going under.

Basic Structure

Finding that we should doubt the premise that Zecco might be a phony scheme operated out of low-rent motels by recent parolees is great, but being legit is only part of what makes an investment platform attractive.  The actual structure and standards for participation are pretty darn important, too.

Accounts at Zecco are free and there isn’t a minimum deposit requirement.  It takes just a few minutes to get things set up.

Right now, Zecco is charging $4.50 per trade.  If you maintain a balance in excess of $25,000 and make at least 25 trades per month, you qualify for ten free trades.  Options contracts cost an addition fifty cents.

$4.50 trades aren’t a horrific deal, but for Zecco veterans they may seem a little expensive.  That’s because the company was offering freebies to folks with balances of only $2,500 and it doesn’t appear as if there was a 25-trade requirement at that time.  The changing nature of the economy and overall decreases in stock market participation led Zecco to change their policy.  Keep that in mind when reading Zecco reviews–many of them were written before this policy change.

Overall, though, $4.50 per trade is a decent deal and the right combination of extras could make Zecco one of the best trading options available.  So, let’s look for some nice extras…

Zecco Extras

Let’s start with the Zecco Zirens.  Zecco went out and hired a handful of spokesmodels/actresses to record a series of trading instruction videos.  They named this crew the Zecco Zirens.  The videos themselves do contain some valuable information and can be really handy for newbie investors.

The cheese factor, however, is high.  I really can’t imagine that this approach is doing much to increase Zecco’s perceived legitimacy or seriousness.  If you need an attractive teacher in a little black dress to teach you about an option call, however, Zecco has that covered.   The photo accompanying this post features one of the ZZ’s.

Zecco also has a very active member community.  If you want your investment with a heavy dose of Web 2.0 interaction, it’s a pretty good choice.  The forums are hopping and Zecco makes it easy for folks to make contact and to discuss matters amongst themselves.

If you’re looking a place to manage your trades, Zecco seems like a pretty reasonable option.  They’re legit, they have a solid basic structure and at least some of their added options have real value.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  I think we’d all agree to that statement, right?  I thought so.

So, if someone tells you that there might be some cash sitting around in a state or federal government coffer with your name on it, just waiting for you to stake a claim on it, your first reaction probably involves rolling your eyes while shaking your head.  It sounds too good to be true.

In this case, though, we need to remember that the age-old expression with which we started isn’t an absolute.  That “probably” is in there for a reason.  Sometimes things sound too good to be true AND are.  So it is with unclaimed money.  There really is a lot of it floating around out there and some of it could belong to you.

That doesn’t mean you should immediately agree to pay someone a few bucks (or a percentage) to find it for you, though.  It also doesn’t mean that you should start dialing a number with an 809 area code in search of unclaimed funds.

That’s because many of the “we’ll find your unclaimed money” operations ARE scams.  They provide precious little information and no actual money while snagging a bit of your own cash in the process.  Others aren’t necessarily scamming anyone, but it’s probably going to be just as easy for you to search for your unclaimed cash yourself than it will be to set up an account with them.

The best way to get your unclaimed money, if it happens to be out there, is to visit the designated state sites that administer these programs.  Most of us don’t move from state to state every few weeks, so it’s pretty easy to isolate the places we should look.

You can find a state unclaimed funds program using Google, but here’s an even easier way to get the info.   NAUPA provides direct links to every state’s unlcaimed property and funds sites.

The actual process of checking for your potential hidden treasure is fast.  You go to the NAUPA site, use it to get to your state site and perform a quick check using your name.  I was able to run through the three states in which I’ve lived within about 3 minutes.

And guess what…  I found some unclaimed money.  An old utility deposit.  It only took a few more clicks to print the state’s PDF for making a claim and another couple of minutes to fill it out.  I’m now one stamp and a few weeks from the State Treasurer supplying me with a few bonus bucks.

Here’s the way I see it.  We live in a pretty complicated world.  We make deposits and run up credits and debits all over the place.  In time, the volume of these becomes high enough that there is a reasonable likelihood that you’re owed money from an old dormant account that you didn’t officially close, a deposit your forgot to reclaim, or something else.

It doesn’t take long to find out and there’s a decent chance that you do have something coming to you.  It’s worth checking.  I wouldn’t have bothered to check (my “If it sounds to good to be true…” instinct is strong) if I wasn’t planning to write this post, but now I’m glad I did.  I’ll get a check for around $125 because I took the time to run my name through a few government-operated websites.

I didn’t find out that I had a small fortune sitting in a safe deposit box with my name on it, or anything, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with $125, either.

The gold rush is on!  This time, though, no one is digging the stuff out of mountain mines or panning for it in streams.  The 2009 gold rush consists of people digging through jewelry boxes and knick-knack drawers searching for spare gold items that are gathering dust.

With the economy in its current lousy state, the price of gold has hopped considerably.  While some investors are interested in stockpiling the stuff, regular Joes and Janes with scrap gold in their homes are looking for ways to transform their unused “junk” into some much-needed cash.

If you can bear an hour or two in front of the tube during the afternoon, you’ll find yourself bombarded by companies who are willing, ready and able to make you a cash offer for your gold.  You send it in, the send you a check.  If you don’t like the offer, you send it back.  They then return your gold.  This previously little-known enterprise is now a TV advertising special.

Those “cash for gold” places may not be the best place to peddle your wares, though.  They’re notorious for making questionable offers and people have had problems with getting items back when they get a low-ball check in the mail.

So, if you don’t move your gold via one of those companies, what’s the best route to follow?

There’s no easy answer to that one.  If you’re looking to figure out how to sell your gold the right way, it’s probably going to involve shopping your items around for the best possible offer.  You have multiple options.  Some jewelers might be interested in the nicer stuff (or even the scrap in some cases).  Pawn shops will occasionally surprise you with a good offer.  There are folks who specialize in gold buying, too.

The quality of offers isn’t consistent across any one type of establishment, though.  That’s why you should prepare to make a few phone calls to find out what kind of deal you might get.

The trick to making this work, however,  is having a little understanding of what you’re selling and how much its probably worth.  Although the design and age of piece of jewelry can influence value, we’ll be discussing the gold itself in this post.  If you have a collectible or something that’s just drop-dead gorgeous, it’s a whole different story.

First, figure out what kind of gold you have.  Is it 24k, 14k, 10k or what?  That matters.  The karat description gives you an idea of just how pure the gold is.  You can think of it this way…  24k gold is pretty close to pure.  24 out of 24 parts are the real deal.  18k, on the other hand, consists of 18k of gold and 6 of other alloys.  It works that way right down the line.

Second, figure out how much of it you have.  Gold is generally measured in pennyweight or troy ounces.  Get access to a jeweler’s scale and find out what the weight of your available gold is.  You can even use a kitchen scale, but you’ll need to convert the weight into one of those two units of measurement.

Third, find out the current market value of gold.  You can get that number from the daily paper.

Now, you put it all together the weight of your gold, multiplied by its purity percentage multiplied by the current value per unit will render a “market value” for the actual gold in your jewelry.

Remember, however, that whoever buys it is going to need to melt it down.  They have overhead expenses, too.  Thus, you can’t expect to receive 100% of your calculation.  At least one reputable source says you should shoot for about 85% of your calculation.

Now, start collecting offers.  Call people and tell them exactly what you have.  Give them the karat number and the weight.  Now you’ll recognize it if someone is trying to take advantage of you.  It will also give you a base pooint for negotiating prices.

Do your research and find the buyer willing to offer the best deal.  Then, if it makes more sense for you to sell than it does to keep your gold, make the transaction.  If you can’t get a good number, you might want to sit on your gold for awhile.  In a worst case scenario, you can send your stuff in to one of those TV companies.  You might not get much, but you’ll probably get something.

Obviously, if you’re reading this blog you care at least a little bit about your personal financial situation.  You may already be working on improving your organization and situation or you might be preparing to make the move to better money management.  Either way, you undoubtedly recognize the fact that there’s going to be some bookkeeping, data management and record keeping involved.

You have two choices here.  

You can bust out a pencil, an eraser, a ledger and one of those cool green visors that bean counters wore back in the day.  I recommend long sleeves with the little garter thing to complete the look.  This is the “kicking it old school” approach to personal finance record-keeping.  You literally do the books.  Paper books.  It may be a throwback system, but it really does work if you have some kind of aversion to using a computer (which would beg the question as to why you’re reading this on a computer).

The second choice, which is the one you’re probably going to make, is to use your computer to help you make sense of the accounts, bills, spending, etc. that influence your financial life.  This is the recommended route, even if it doesn’t involve wearing a green visor.

So, if you’re going to run your finances on your PC, you’re going to need good software.  Being a motivated, frugal person, you might be wondering if you can get by with some cheap or free programming instead of sinking your cash into the latest edition of Quicken.

There are completely free options out there.  With a little searching on various freeware and shareware sites, you’ll find literally hundreds of completely free personal finance tools.  We’re talking about everything from handy-dandy interest calculators to budgeting tools to monthly bill-trackers.  These little programming gems won’t cost you one red cent.

Avoid them.

Here’s the problem.  Most of the freeware applications are limited in scope.  They might handle one or two things well, but they won’t even touch on other essentials.  That leaves you with holes in your system or forces you to look for more freeware to fill the gap.  You either end up with too little firepower or so many individual weapons that things become messy and insanely inefficient.  Trust me, data sharing across freeware programs isn’t always easy.

That brings us to a second option.  Open source personal finance software.  If you’re not up to speed on the open source movement, here’s a brief introduction.  Developers create a framework for a program that rivals the stuff released by the big boys (paid options).  Volunteer developers and community members tweak and adjust the code to produce a great final product.  People use Gimp to edit photos instead of Photoshop.  They rely on Kompozer to create web pages.  They use Open Office instead of giving Bill Gates their credit card number for a copy of Microsoft Office.

Open source can be great and there are options available in the realm of personal finance.  Look at About’s rundown of personal finance programs in this realm.  You might find something you like.  The nice thing about open source options is that they’re designed to be competitive with the “real deal”.  The downside is that they can be temporarily buggy, may require regular updates and that development and progress is contingent upon an active community of participant developers.

Open source is great when you want to save a few bucks to eliminate the obscene words on Great Aunt Gertrude’s t-shirt in that holiday photo.  You download Gimp instead of buying Photoshop.  However, we’re not talking about lightweight stuff here.  This is your money.  You may not feel all the comfortable pouring your time and money in setting up a workable home finance system into an open source program.  Feel free to experiment, but it feels a wee bit risky to me.

That’s especially true when you consider how good many of the paid programs are.  These babies integrate everything, allow you to experiment with your data, produce cool little charts and graphs and are generally capable of doing almost anythig you could possibly do to manage your money effectively.  When you think about the value they offer, they’re one heckuva deal, too.

So, even though the spirit of saving money and living frugally would seem to point to using open source programs or freeware, this is one of those cases where it’s probably worth prying open our wallet for the good stuff.  You can check out a list of 10 great personal finance software packages here, to get started.

If you’re not willing to pony up for something that will become invaluable as you improve your personal finances, I strongly encourage you to buy #2 pencils and a really big ledger book.  Oh, and a green visor.

According to the folks at CNN/Money, today’s tough times call for a new take on the “rules” of financial security. Number one on the list: It’s time to re-think risk.

That’s a good hook. The recent turmoil in the markets has scared people to the point of stocking up on canned goods, so anyone who’s ready to offer a new outlook on this seemingly extinct notion of security is undoubtedly going to be playing to a full house.

Security? Now? Tell me, please!

Well, that’s what CNN/Money promises to do. They have the new recipe–with 7 secret herbs and spices–that will produce some finger lickin’ good investment results. Or do they?

I’m beginning if this new formula is anything more than a repackaging of the old one, framed within a discussion of current events to make it seem timely.

Case in point: Rule #1. Basically, they’re telling us that the days of acting like a riverboat gambler are gone, reserved solely for re-runs of Maverick on the Encore western channel. Instead, we should be approaching risk with a more conservative perspective. Here it is:

“Old thinking: If you can stomach the ups and downs that come with risk, you’ll be rewarded.
New rule: Risk isn’t about your stomach. It’s about making or missing an important goal. “

In other words, you shouldn’t risk so much that you put your future needs and goals at risk. That doesn’t sound like horrible advice at all, does it? Nope.

It also doesn’t sound much like a new rule. It sounds suspiciously like the same rule every reasonable person who has invested in the market or walked into an Atlantic City casino has always used. If you can’t lose it, don’t risk it.

You see, this isn’t a new rule. It just sounds that way because it’s set against the backdrop of a DOW that doesn’t seem hellbent on reaching the five-figure mark again any time soon.

The fact of the matter is that the risk/reward factor has always been with it and will always be with us. If you want to win big, you’re going to carry more risk than if you’re happy grinding out a lower rate of return.

The people who are reading CNN/Money aren’t staring at crushed 401(k) updates because they decided to play the market equivalent of baccarat like a drunk millionaire tourist. They were on safe side of risk/reward in the first place.

There wasn’t anything widely regarded as high-risk about having some of your money in GE or GMC. Those mutual funds were assembled carefully to mitigate massive risk. Very few of those average Janes and Joes who are now wondering what it’s going to be like sleeping on their kid’s basement futon in five years lost massive chunks of their retirement investments because they were being wild.

This “new rule” isn’t new at all. Period. The article says:

“This bear market’s lesson is that how much risk you can take is a matter of how much you can lose and still meet your basic goals.”

I’m wondering when that hasn’t been the lesson? As far as I can remember, it’s always been one of the first things everyone in the whole wide world learns about investment. Risk pays more when things work out, but you shouldn’t take on too much risk if the higher likelihood of disappointment is going to cripple you.

That’s the way it’s always been. It’s the way it will always be.

They conclude the article by recommending that readers take it a little easier on stock buys due to risk, even if that costs them a little bit. That may or may not be good advice. We’ll see. But that’s market projection; it’s not an investment rule.

I have no doubt that crazed risk-taking backfired on some regular folk. Over extension by those higher up on the financial ladder was also a problem. However, pretending that the lesson of the last several months is that people need to stop doing “insane” things like buying into middle-of-the-road mutual funds packed with consistent Fortune 500 performers is make-believe.

The new rule is the old rule. People aren’t sick to their stomachs because they behaved wildly. They played by this rule all along and still ended up on the short end of the stick. There’s something sort of ugly about implying that retirement funds were smashed because of the greed of reasonable people behaving in accordance with professional recommendations (including those of CNN/Money, I might add).

Cash4Gold.  They advertise like crazy and their story is sort of appealing, especially in times like these when money is tight for a lot of people.

You send them any gold jewelry you might have gathering dust in the bottom of a jewelry box.  They look at it, assess it, and cut you a check for the stuff.  If you don’t like their offer, you can say “no thanks” and get your stuff back.  

What’s not to like about that?

Apparently, quite a bit.  If you do a little research, you’ll find a growing army of people who claim Cash4Gold is running a scam.  These gold buyers are getting a lot of negative online attention.

I’d never recommend using Cash4Gold, GoldKit or any of the other companies in the scrap gold business, but I won’t call them scammers.  They do just what they say they’ll do.  They’ll take your gold, they’ll pay you for the gold, they’ll give you a chance to take your gold back.

So, if these guys aren’t taking the gold and pretending like you never sent it, why wouldn’t I use them?  Because they pay horribly.  

Obviously, you can’t expect these outfits to pay market value for gold.  They need to cover their overhead expenses.  They want to make a profit.  They have to process the stuff and find buyers for it.  However, it does seem a bit crazy when people are getting a small fraction of market value when they send in their gold.

There have been a few people who’ve run online case studies about using Cash4Gold.  All of them are rather surprised at just how lousy the offer checks have been.  We might not be talking about pennies on the dollar, but we’re definitely in the nickel and dime per dollar range.

And to make matters worse, it’s obvious that Cash4Gold and Co. know that they’re lowballing the heck out of people.  When testers have contacted the company to reject pitiful offers, they’ve usually been treated to a higher counteroffer.  The second offers aren’t a small percentage boost over the original numbers, though.  They’re often two or even three times as high as that first check.  

What does that tell you about the kind of offers these guys are making?  

There are other reasons to be critical of these operations.  They say you have ten days to turn down the offer and to get your gold back.  They don’t tell you that the clock starts running on your ten days right after they print that first offer check.  If it takes nine days to go from their printers to your mailbox, you have one day to make the call.  It’s not ten days from receipt of the check, it’s ten days from when they came up with a number.

Those who go for the fast cash offers, where the company will make a quick direct deposit instead of sending an offer check, get the shaft even worse.  When you take the fast money you don’t get a chance to reject their offer.  That’s right, you could send off great-great grandma Lucy’s gold ring collection that’s worth thousands and if they decide to give you a five dollar bill, you’re stuck with it.

Look, those of us who encourage frugality may encourage you to sell unwanted and unneeded items.  When the economy is tough, there’s a temptation to part with things like little-used jewelry and to convert it into cash as quickly as possible.  All of that makes sense.

What doesn’t make sense is getting rid of gold by sending it off to one of these joints.  You could probably get a better deal at a local pawn shop–and we know just how generous those guys are.

If you want to sell your gold, you can send it to Cash4Gold and you will get some money.  You’ll also get a rotten deal.  No matter how desperate you are for cash, it never makes sense to take an absolutely rotten deal.

Note:  Here’s an interesting tidbit about Cash4Gold.  They’re worried enough about bad Internet “press” that they’ve offered at least one person a cash payoff to remove a critical blog post.  Reputation management is good policy for just about any business, but trying to pay off critics seems, well, a little sleazy, don’t you think?

There are so many different ways for teens to make money that it darn near boggles the mind.

Sure, we aren’t living in the olden days when a kid could just work on the family farm to earn a little spare change.  Admittedly, the job market is tighter and kids are competing for those entry-level retail jobs with experienced adults.  The days of big fat allowances are history in many households.  All of that is true.  Nonetheless, a kid who wants to raise cash can still get the job done.

The bottom line is that teens can make money and they won’t have to hit the streets every day in hopes of peddling newspapers downtown.  Shoe-shining probably isn’t going to be in most kids’ futures, either.

Here are 10 ways for teens to make money–and these are just the tip of a massive iceberg.

1.  Get a job. Yes, it’s a little tougher these days in a competitive job market, but teens can still score jobs in the familiar haunts.  Fast food joints, grocery stores, retail shops and other traditional employers of the younger set still need employees.  It could take a little bit of effort and patience, but most kids can find their way onto someone’s payroll.

2.  Babysit. This is an oldie, but it’s a goodie.  People need responsible parties to watch their kids.  It’s an almost-universal need and good, reliable, proven babysitters are always in very high demand.

3.  Snow and ice. Cold weather can put some cold hard cash in your hands. Bundle up, grab a shovel and pack of rock salt and start knocking on doors.  People will be willing to shell out a little cash if you’re willing to brave the elements clearing their driveways and sidewalks.

4.  Pet sitting and walking. Someone’s gotta take care of Fido when the Johnsons are vacation.  It might as well be you.  This is a particularly good opportunity in a tight economy.  People might be a little less willing to pay big money for a kennel when they can hire the teen down the block to make sure the pets are fed and walked.

5.  Car wash and detailing. We’re not just talking about one of those big organizational fund-raiser things.  There’s money to be made in offering custom, high-quality car washing and interior detailing.  A smart teen can probably find a way to undercut the prices charged by the pros by a big margin while still pocketing plenty of profits.

6.  Tutoring. Are you one of the smart kids?  If you are, you’re probably smart enough to realize that your knowledge and skills are a marketable commodity.  Tutoring younger students or those who are struggling can be a good way to generate cash.

7.  eBay. You don’t have to be a middle-aged person with years of accumulated stuff to start selling your leftovers on eBay.  If you have excess goodies, consider selling them via an online auction.  Those with a real knack for online sales may be able to reinvest their earnings in other items to sell at a profit.

8.  Handyperson. You don’t need a college degree to scrape paint, clean up someone’s lawn after they finish that roofing job, or do other basic repair and maintenance work.  Put on your overalls, grab a few tools and get to work.

9.  Lawn mowing. This is right up there with babysitting on the list of proven ways for teens to make money.  If you’re not suffering from extreme grass allergies, this is a good way to build your bank balance while working on your tan.

10.  Whine and beg. If all else fails, you can whine and beg to your parents.  The upside to this strategy is that it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort.  The downside is that they’re probably going to tell you to re-read the first nine options on this list.

A few days ago, I noted that handling your personal finances responsibly and effectively was relative simple.  I also drew the distinction between simplicity in ease.  Basically, I maintain that the core principles to which one should ascribe in order to do well financially are simple, but the actual implementation of those ideas can be very difficult.

The main reason for that difficulty is that they often require us to change the way we think about money and our lives.  Implementing the basics of good personal finance requires breaking bad habits, developing new ones and remaining disciplined over the long haul.  That might be a lot of things, but easy isn’t among them.

That’s a common theme for me.  I’ve mentioned that I appreciate Dave Ramsey’s efforts at putting people on the right financial track because he has a real knack for coming up with approaches that address the psychological aspects of money management.  

In that same spirit, here are a few interesting items you might want to put on your personal finance reading list if you’re looking for a way to make the implementation of simple ideas a little easier.  I don’t think any of these readings will single-handedly usher in an epiphany that will suddenly put you on the fast track to financial success.  All of them, however, contain some solid actionable information that will help you improve your relationship with money.

Remez Sasson’s Affirmations.  Remez Sasson recognizes that our attitudes toward money are often rooted in our pasts and that those attitudes can be a barrier to success.  Even if you’re not a believer/practitioner in affirmations, this blog post is a great way to start directing your thoughts toward money management in a positive, productive direction.

Debt Fighter’s Signs You Have a Bad Attitude about Money.  The first sentence echoes my sentiments:  ”When it comes to your finances or anything related to finance, it’s all about the attitude.”  This post is a gem, listing several traits that indicate a need for a mindset shift.  If you have any question about your outlook and predisposition toward money, read through this list.

NDSU’s Financial Values, Attitudes and Goals.  Family Economic Specialist Debra Pankow put together a nifty worksheet that can help you to explore where your priorities regarding money really are.  Exercises like these can be eye-opening.  You might learn a few things about what’s holding you back and a few ways to start making more progress.  (On a personal note, I’m happy to include something from a state Extension office on this list.  I’m a former employee of a state Cooperative Extension office and I really believe in Extension’s potential.)

Dollar Stretcher’s For the Love of Money.  Jill Cooper penned this piece about the way many people develop destructive relationships with money.  She poses some good questions for readers to ponder.  I wholeheartedly agree with her alternative to comfort spending and similar bad habits:  ”Whenever you have any problem, especially if it is a problem that keeps cropping up in the same way over and over, decide whether it is an emotional, physical or spiritual problem and then find a solution that is emotional, physical or spiritual.”  If we all truly embraced that concept, we’d all be much better off in every sense, don’t you think?

Readings like these may not suddenly make smart money management easy.  They will, however, give you a chance at improving your outlook and at breaking some of the habits that make it so tough for some of us to implement very simple core personal finance principles.

It’s not simple to understand the 4-point fine print on the bottom of a mortgage contract.  That boilerplate requires a combination of education and experience.

It’s not simple to understand the kind of complicated derivative investment instruments that went boom, helping to drag the economy into some ugly territory.  You need to be a pro to comprehend the nuts and bolts of those deals.

It’s not simple to run a company.  I know we all harbor some kind of overconfident belief that we’d do better running a big auto company than those yahoos who showed up in Washington, but we’re lying to ourselves.  You need to understand the business and have an assortment of various specialized skills to be a great CEO.

Basically, there are all sorts of complicated things out there.  Those are just a few examples.  The federal tax code isn’t a walk in the park, figuring out the best places to stash your saving in order to maximize investment return while maintaining necessary liquidity might be a head-scratcher, too.

And here’s the good news.  When it comes right down to it, successful personal finance manageent is pretty darn simple.  Seriously.  It’s just not complicated.

Yes, there are particular subjects that are very complicated.  Fortunately, most of us don’t really need to grapple with them.  To the extent that we do need to involve ourselves in more complicated aspects of the personal financial world, we can call on good experts to help us.

This blog ran a post recently that laid out a very simple series of steps anyone could follow in order to become a millionaire.  These were not detailed discussions of where or how to invest.  The steps were very simple things we all know already.

These tips were things like “don’t spend more than you make”, “pay off your debt”.  They were recitations of the core principles underlying sound personal finance.  They were also just about everything someone would really need to become a millionaire.

If you handle the basics properly, you’ll end up out of debt ad very happy with your positioning.  If you take action consistent with the core principles, you’ll soon find yourself accumulating cash.  Follow the basics, become a millionaire.  It’s that simple.

No, really.  It’s that simple.

Personal finance isn’t rocket science.  You don’t need to be an expert on everything.  You don’t need to be a keen financial mind.  You need to follow the basics.  Everything else falls into place when you do.

If you encounter situations that don’t make sense along the way, get in touch with a good professional in the field.  Consult with the people who do need to understand the fine print details of the financial world.  You don’t need to understand the ins and outs of everything.  You just need to follow the basics.  Day after day.

There’s nothing wrong with understanding the details.  You won’t be worse off for developing a richer knowledge of a variety of aspects of personal finance.  In fact, you’ll probably reach your goals more quickly if you do your homework.  That being said, it isn’t a prerequisite for financial success.  The only must-haves are a knowledge of core principles and the willingness to follow them.

You’ll notice that I kept saying this was simple.  Simple.  Not easy.

Personal financial achievement isn’t easy.  It’s easy to understand, but it isn’t easy to do.  The principles are simple, implementing them can be difficult.

Spend less than you make.  Simple.  Easy to do?  Not when you’re trying to buck a lifelong tendency to overconsume.  Set aside sufficient savings.  Simple.  Easy?  Not when you really, really want to spend your cash elsewhere.

You get the idea.  Follow the basics and you’ll come out fine.  Understanding the basics is simple.  Following them, however, isn’t always easy.

If you’re tracking the market, you need access to a stock ticker.

Some of us might have the luxury of a television set tuned to one of the business channels within our view at all times, but for the rest of us a free desktop stock ticker makes more sense.

There are many stock ticker options available. Here are five you might want to look into. All offer varying degrees of customization and different display options but they do have one thing in common–they’ll give you a chance to track the stock market while you use your PC. Here they are:

FreeStockTicker.com. If you’re using a Windows XP/2000 computer and have at least 1 MB of free disk space, you can use this option to track your portfolio. According to its creators,

“You can configure everything about the stock ticker in easy to access menus with drag and drop interfaces. The stock ticker has customizable skins and uses an automatic updater so that the version is always updated. The best part is that this is freeware and never requires registration.”

Free Desktop Stock Ticker. Mark Crisp offers this free ticker download. It’s a sleek and attractive ticker that can run right across the top of your desktop. Crisp doesn’t provide a great deal of information about his tracker on its website, but he is a well-known teacher and adviser.

Cool Tick. Cool Tick claims to be the web’s best stock ticker. According to the Cool Tick site, it’s a “small, scrolling stock ticker…” with an “unobtrusive design that lets you work while the market works for you”. It appears to be readily customizable, too. Based on the user testimonials, this is a fairly strong entry into the PC stock ticker field.

Ticker Tape. Here’s another desktop ticker option to check out. According to the download site,

“TickerTape is a small desktop ticker that displays your stocks and keeps you connected to other investors with a built-in message board. When messages are posted and you are monitoring the stock the stocks envelop will light up. The user needs to register on the Web site to use the message board.”

It appears as if the makers of TickerTape update the program regularly, which is definitely a quality indicator.

Stock Ticker Application Bar. This shareware offering is described as follows:

“Stock Ticker Application Bar is a software designed for continuous retrieval of stock quotes through the Internet. It is an simple stock ticker tape that resides at the top or the bottom of your screen and displays quotes of predefined list of stock and indices symbols in a form of a scrolling message. It displays quotes for up to 200 securities, automatically or manually updates data, has user defined positioning, scrolling speed, fonts selection…”

If you’re in need of a way to track the market while you do other things on your computer, these free desktop stock ticker options may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. There’s no reason to wait on delayed results or to stop everything just to find out how your investments are faring. You can get the information easily and instantly with programs like these.

CAUTION: This list of free desktop stock tickers does not represent an endorsement of any kind. These are free-standing programs and users will need to download files in order to use them. There is always a risk associated with downloads and you should do your due diligence before downloading any of these ticker programs. Better safe than sorry!