Money Matters

Local economist Dick Conway unveiled his economic forecast for the region recently, and he painted an optimistic picture, describing it as "a sunny day, with some clouds".

On this week's Money Matters, financial commentator Greg Heberlein tells KPLU's Dave Meyer that he thinks there's a good case for optimism this year.

Seattle area gas prices are currently in the neighborhood of $3.50/gallon, but that may not last long. Fuel price monitoring website GasBuddy.com is predicting the price of regular unleaded will reach a record high of $4.40 to $4.65 a gallon here by Memorial Day weekend.

GasBuddy's annual price forecast sees extreme volatility in 2012, with rising tensions between Iran and the West playing a big role. Other factors include concerns about refinery maintenance and the hurricane season.

It pays to be a bit paranoid these days. The digital age makes it easy for scammers to reach out and touch your wallet.

The Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington has released its list of the top scams seen in 2011. It includes "phishing", bogus lotteries and secret shopper schemes.

It's been hard to make money in stocks and bonds lately. 2011 was a great year to sell gold, but prices are too high to buy it now. Where does that leave us?

On this week's Money Matters, financial commentator Greg Heberlein tells KPLU's Dave Meyer that 2012 might be a great year for investing in real estate.

Greg Heberlein and Dave Meyer usually talk about ways to save and invest money. But on this week's Money Matters, they concentrate on how to give it away!

Charitable giving is more important than ever this year. Thanks to the ailing economy, federal, state and local governments have less money to help the needy. More and more people are turning to nonprofit organizations for help.

The end of the year is a great time to review your finances. Are you saving enough for retirement?

According to U.S. News & World Report, about a third of all Americans have nothing saved for retirement. Fortunately, it's never too late to start building your nest egg.

On this week's Money Matters, financial commentator Greg Heberlein and KPLU's Dave Meyer look at ways to prepare for "the golden years".

Should you spend more this holiday season and give the economy a boost? Or cut back on shopping and save your money for possibly tougher times ahead?

That's quite a conundrum.

McCormick and Schick's Seafood Restaurants are a popular dining choice in the Seattle area. The Portland-based company is being sold to Houston-based Landry's Restaurants.

On this week's Money Matters, financial commentator Greg Heberlein says the sale demonstrates why you should be skeptical about the recommendations of securities analysts.