Personal finance columnist Humberto Cruz and his wife, Georgina, did what many people dream about but believe can't be done: Retire from full-time work in their 50s on middle-class salaries, buy a new home on the beach and still have a nest egg of $2 million left. In his personal finance column, "The Savings Game," syndicated by Tribune Media Services, Cruz explores common-sense ways to manage money and build wealth. A native of Cuba who came to the United States with only $300 in his pocket, Cruz practices the basic rules he promotes through his down-to-earth, easy-to-understand columns: Spending less than you make, investing wisely for the long term, being savvy with credit and making tax-smart decisions. Cruz closely follows trends and draws on a national network of outstanding sources to provide the most up-to-date, useful information. Cruz worked as a writer and an editor for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for 30 years. "The Savings Game" began at the Sun-Sentinel in 1990 and now appears in newspapers across the country. Cruz also wrote a syndicated column "The Mutual Funds Wire" between 1997 and 2000 before retiring from full-time work. Together with Georgina, a nationally known travel writer and author, Humberto also wrote "Retire Smart," a syndicated column for savvy retirees and boomers on the road to retirement, from 2001 to 2007. In 2006, Moneysmartz.com named Cruz one of its best personal finance columnists for financial planning, savings commentary and advice. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz http://media.townhall.com/TownHall/icons/TH-feed-icon-128x128.gif http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz TownHall.com, Where your opinion counts. 128 Copyright (c) 2013 Townhall.com, A Salem Communications Web. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED jim.dearras@townhall.com (Jim De Arras) Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Exercising can be a pain when we're way out of shape (I know because I was 44 pounds overweight once). But that's exactly when we need to do it, starting slowly if we must and as part of an overall, well thought-out... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/04/22/sound_financial_planning_for_retirement 1a138527-2f92-4063-aacc-93cb6710d628 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT Too many books on investing and personal finance try to exploit the prevailing mood of the public, be it fear or greed. In boom times, they tout fancy stock-trading strategies supposed to juice up returns. In tough... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/04/21/check_out_these_timeless_books_on_financial_planning 94510227-1242-4435-9db1-f5d00065f4a2 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT Q: My wife and I have asked our financial adviser how much money we can expect to have monthly at retirement from our savings, and have not received even a clue from him. Instead, he asks us what we'll need or want.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/04/14/retirement_planning_based_on_individual_circumstances d68e0b78-9fcd-4d41-a345-a8e6732909ca Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT Q: My company is offering both a traditional and a Roth 401(k) plan this year. Is a Roth 401(k) the same as a Roth IRA? Is it better than a traditional 401(k)? A: A Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA are not the same. But... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/04/07/which_is_better_-_roth_401k_or_roth_ira ead8a7ea-2a6f-418d-abdd-356a7c2606df Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT Q: I'm researching the best time to start Social Security benefits. I'm curious if you considered filing for benefits as soon as possible, investing the money and then filing for a withdrawal of application and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/31/suspending_and_reapplying_for_benefits_could_be_risky 8635a087-936e-45a6-bf5d-70062ecbec47 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:01:00 GMT As severe as stock market losses have been, they have been made worse by our emotions. I hope a calm look at the numbers will inspire more rational investor behavior -- and better results. At least, let's recognize... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/24/dollar_cost_averaging_can_take_chill_out_of_stock_investing 7f43b1f6-c062-4136-ad0c-afd4500ec07c Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:01:00 GMT When money is tight, cutting corners on insurance may seem a tempting way to save money. But dropping needed coverage can be an expensive mistake. Better to shop around, comparing prices and services for the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/17/show_around_for_insurance 1cd41d6e-9ee0-4c1a-9749-46c23f1e7258 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:01:00 GMT I'm always amazed by the size of the refund most American taxpayers get year after year. The average refund was $2,429 last year, up from $2,324 in 2007, according to the Internal Revenue Service. I'll lay heavy odds... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/10/taxpayer_tips f23dfb48-c676-4cd3-a62a-503b98cd98e7 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:01:00 GMT I'm always amazed by the size of the refund most American taxpayers get year after year. The average refund was $2,429 last year, up from $2,324 in 2007, according to the Internal Revenue Service. I'll lay... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/08/taxpayer_tips 3895c30f-77f1-4408-8263-3333ab7e26d1 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:01:00 GMT The discounts and sales at the mall have been terrific. I needed new shirts and bought four at 60 percent off. I also replaced a worn-out pair of shoes and got a second pair at half price. And have you seen the ads... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/03/03/saving_first_can_ease_recession_worries cac4dcb0-20e0-4337-a972-72eb45630bec Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:01:00 GMT Judging by your continuous e-mails and letters, taxpayers this year are more confused than ever. I'll focus today on the two issues you've asked about the most: the so-called recovery rebate credit and the additional... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/02/22/dont_confuse_recovery_rebate_credit_with_deduction fd0745c6-d4cc-4d72-95e4-4d6f12f27ecf Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:01:00 GMT Judging by your continuous e-mails and letters, taxpayers this year are more confused than ever. I'll focus today on the two issues you've asked about the most: the so-called recovery rebate credit and the additional... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/02/18/dont_confuse_recovery_rebate_credit_with_tax_deduction 4d87cab4-9ae9-46d7-b58b-6def806a8d5e Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:01:00 GMT Ryan and Christy Schrock began married life $80,000 in debt, just days after Ryan graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2001. "We didn't have the money to pay for the wedding, so it went into credit card debt,"... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/02/15/america_saves_week_celebrates_smart_savings_habits d6216590-d6a8-459e-b255-5db2c111f545 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:01:00 GMT Ryan and Christy Schrock began married life $80,000 in debt, just days after Ryan graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2001. "We didn't have the money to pay for the wedding, so it went into credit card debt,"... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/02/15/america_saves_week_celebrates_smart_savings_habits a04362df-0bef-457d-9592-f801e30b61c5 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:01:00 GMT If Timothy Geithner can't get his taxes right, what hope is there for the rest of us? I'm poking fun at the failure of the new U.S. Treasury Secretary, later corrected, to pay past self-employment taxes. But I am... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HumbertoCruz/2009/02/10/tax_law_changes_drive_more_americans_to_tax_preparers 334a5587-f49f-41cd-870d-0cc1d571a03e Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:01:00 GMT