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A recent survey by PNC Financial Services Group, titled "Love and Money", has some interesting findings about how men and women view the topic of personal finance….just in time for Valentine's Day. Apparently the "Great Recession" has caused a greater disconnect between affluent couples on this sensitive subject, and the overall results of the study suggest that men and women are definitely not on the same page with regards to their views about money.

For instance, more women then men say they are more careful with money now then they were in the past, and women worry more then men about a wide range of financial issues: the recession, inflation, money to support lifestyle, declining real estate values, and retirement. If anything, this study points to the need for better communication between spouses about financial matters.

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Americans are losing faith in mutual funds as an investment option. Domestic equities, funded by mutual funds, have lost around $8 million, in the form of redemptions, by investors till June, this year. This means that mutual funds have seen 5 years of continuous withdrawals by investors.
According to research firm, Morningstar, these redemptions are coming from funds which are actively managed by a fund manager. This has overthrown the view, that fund managers can move fast and overcome anomalies in the market, adding value to the holdings.
In the 1990's, the mutual fund market held the faith of the American public, because, of the boom resulting from a return of 18% per annum, and the publicity given by stock pickers, for example Peter Lynch of Fidelity Investments. As a result around $1.3 trillion was invested into the US mutual fund market by investors, over a decade, ending Dec. 2000.
This pattern discontinues now. Investors have shunned the stock market ever since the slump of 2008 and this situation continues even after the rebound of 2009 and 2010.

© Brooks Elliott

Personal finance for many is an enigma which emerges post retirement and many people make mistakes in managing their funds the proper way. Most of the people these days possess a 401k account and need personal finance counseling.
First of all do not treat the personal finance in the form of your savings in a manner where you end up in a soup. Nearly 28% of plan participants had an outstanding 401k loan in 2010. The loan rates are low around 5% and the interest is payable to self but if you leave the job, the entire amount has to be repaid in 60 days.
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of rolling over a former employer's 401k plan to a personal finance account. The large 401k plans offer security to the creditors and also have some mutual funds that are not available in retail IRAs. Sometimes rollovers are beneficial considering the more flexible withdrawal options in IRAs.
To keep a track of personal finance, it is suggested to take a close look at how much you are paying as fees in the 401k. A lot of investors don't even bother checking their quarterly statements. Understanding the fees will be simpler from next year when companies will have to provide participants a breakdown of plan fees.