Personal Finance

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    I Will Teach You To Be Rich

  • Announcing the “Earn Your First $1,000 On The Side” course

    Ramit Sethi
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:02 am
    [Edit]: The course is now closed. Today I’m thrilled to announce a totally new course called Earn Your First $1,000 On The Side. The short version: An all-new course that I’ve been quietly developing for a year, which includes 16 super-specific lessons on finding a profitable idea, testing it, finding clients, pricing, marketing, all designed to help you earn $1,000 (and more) on the side — every month. Also includes hours of gorgeous HD video strategies and tactics, Master Classes from people like Tim Ferriss (4HWW) on specific topics like marketing, time management &…

  • The Briefcase Technique — to earn thousands of dollars

    Ramit Sethi
    1 Feb 2010 | 11:03 pm
    Here’s a technique I’ve used to earn thousands of dollars in salary and freelance negotiations. The Briefcase Technique God I love it This is just one simple example of the hours and hours of HD video in a new course I’m launching, called “Earn Your First $1,000 on the Side.” Live webcast tonight, Tuesday, 2/2 So tonight, I’m hosting a special webcast. In the webcast, you’ll see… 2-3 “teardowns” of people’s freelance ideas: I’ll get them on the line, analyze their freelance business, and show them how to skyrocket their…

  • This week, I’m unveiling the new I Will Teach You To Be Rich course to earn more money

    Ramit Sethi
    1 Feb 2010 | 2:12 am
    Over the past 4 years, the #1 request on this site has been how to earn more money. Over the last 3 weeks, I’ve covered earning more money in extreme detail. But over the last 11 months…I’ve been quietly working on building the I Will Teach You To Be Rich course on earning more money. This week, after previewing it to 10,000+ people, I’m ready to release it publicly. Here’s a quote from people one of my preview members: Q: What’s surprised you so far? A: “The level of polish, thought, and effort that goes into every aspect of it so far. It is…

  • Why do so many personal-finance sites focus on spending LESS?

    Ramit Sethi
    27 Jan 2010 | 1:21 am
    I’m in the middle of my private Earn1k course this week before announcing something next week. I was doing a live webcast last night and I was trying to make a point, but I wasn’t sure how to say it. It seems like 98% of personal-finance material (blogs, magazines, books) focus on spending LESS — keeping a budget, saying “no, no, no” to lattes, jeans, and vacations. Why? Why don’t they cover earning more, or negotiating, or increasing your responsibilities at work, or understanding the psychology of your own behavior, or all the other things besides cutting…

  • Recap of the 3-week course on earning money

    Ramit Sethi
    22 Jan 2010 | 1:31 pm
    This course on earning more has been a lot of fun. Instead of more useless tips on saving money on lattes and burritos, we’ve gone through case studies, exercises, and specific email scripts to earn more money on the side. The important thing is to understand that it’s not simply a series of formulaic tactics to follow. To earn money, you have to get inside your customers’ heads and understand what they really want. For example, check out the comments on this post — you’ll see that some people can do this very well, while others cannot. Here’s a recap of…
 
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    Get Rich Slowly

  • Take Control of Your Finances by Building on What You Already Know

    J.D.
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    This post is from new staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra has provided several great guest posts over the last few months, so I asked her to come aboard as a semi-regular staff writer. Good thing, too. I’m swamped with final book preparations, so my post for this morning wasn’t ready to go! Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. The most important trick to managing your finances — and maybe the hardest — is just getting started. My household finances were like an impenetrable jungle of budget formulas and…

  • Just Saying “No” to Credit Cards

    J.D.
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pm
    For nearly a decade, I lived without a personal credit card. In 1998, I destroyed all my cards and canceled my accounts in a last-ditch effort to curb my compulsive spending. It worked (sort of), and it wasn’t until 2007 that I finally felt like I was responsible enough to use credit wisely without going into debt. (And so far, it’s been smooth sailing.) What was it like without credit? Surprisingly easy, actually. Though a lot of folks will tell you that it’s impossible to rent cars or get a hotel room without a credit card, that’s just not so. A debit card lets you…

  • Carnival of Personal Finance #243: Valentine’s Day Edition

    J.D.
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    Welcome to the 243rd Carnival of Personal Finance! What in the world does that mean? Well, a blog carnival is a weekly round-up of articles on a particular subject (in this case, money). The carnival moves from blog to blog, and gives readers a chance to find new writers they may enjoy. It’s been over two years since Get Rich Slowly last hosted a carnival (it takes many, many hours to put this together), but I wanted to do one for old time’s sake. Besides, it’s a great way to support up-and-coming financial bloggers. I found several great new money blogs while looking…

  • Dinosaur Comics on the Rent vs. Buy Debate

    J.D.
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pm
    Thomas wrote in on Monday to share a comic strip related to our discussion last week about whether renting makes sense: Click on image to open a larger version in a new window. Ah, Dinosaur Comics — you gotta love them. As a reminder, I’m not opposed to owning a home. I own one myself and have no plans to move. But my recent research persuaded me that renting isn’t as bad as it’s been made out to be. Both renting and owning can be good choices; it just depends on your situation. (And how many dinosaurs you have roaming the neighborhood.) ---Related Articles at Get Rich…

  • Reader Story: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Moved in with Mom

    J.D.
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    This guest post from Lizzie is part of a new feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Every Sunday will include a reader story (in the new “reader stories” category). Some will be general “how I did X” stories, and others will be examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success. Confession time: I read Get Rich Slowly on a daily basis. Phew, that was easier than I thought! Two years ago the major confession would have been the balance on my credit cards. I found this blog about the time I was just starting my own personal finance journey. Like many new college grads, I…
 
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    Personal finance news - CNNMoney.com

  • The 401(k) match is back!

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:26 pm
    Employees who took a hit on their savings last year might finally be in for some welcome news: Companies are stepping up efforts to help them save more for retirement.

  • Don't be a financial burden on your kids

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:51 am
    Every generation has its challenges. As boomers, one of our biggest is caring for our long-lived parents, providing both physical and sometimes monetary assistance, even as we're putting our children through college and grad school.

  • Will move for work

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:15 am
    Ira and Hope Moskowitz, both 44, have lived within a 10-mile radius of Philadelphia their whole lives. City kids, they met in junior high, got married in Philly in 1989, and settled in nearby Cherry Hill, N.J., where Hope manages a hair salon and Ira headed up software administration for a mortgage-servicing firm.

  • How to score the last few beach deals

    5 Feb 2010 | 8:37 am
    It wasn't so long ago that travelers could all but name their price. During the depths of the financial crisis, unheard-of deals abounded as hotel companies did anything to lure business. These days? Not so much. The luxury travel market is coming back, with bookings up as much as 40% since mid-2008. You can still find deals this winter; you just need to think creatively -- and follow our tips.

  • Make sure remodeling pays off

    5 Feb 2010 | 6:46 am
    Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study from Remodeling magazine, the average return on value for an upgrade declined from 87% in 2005 to 64% in 2009. But these six new rules will help you maximize your return on your remodeling investment.
 
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    MSN Money Latest Articles

  • Growth won't dig US out of this hole

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm
    Wild optimism about economic growth is at the heart of the Obama administration's plans to shrink the federal budget deficit. And that's not the only problem.

  • Can we ever trust Wall Street again?

    8 Feb 2010 | 2:35 pm
    The foundation of capitalism rests on the confidence of mom-and-pop investors -- who want to believe that there are rewards for playing by the rules and penalties for breaking them.

  • Mortgage hardship applicants in limbo

    8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pm
    Chase denied an untold number of loan modifications for a reason that is now prohibited: It determined that homeowners' financial troubles were temporary.

  • 10 tax goofs many of us keep making

    8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pm
    Year after year, the IRS sees Americans committing the same sorts of mistakes on their returns. Many of these errors are easy to avoid; some are more complicated.

  • The world's simplest portfolio?

    8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
    Investment guru Charles Ellis suggests portfolios for investors of any age using just 2 funds -- with an emphasis on foreign stocks.
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    Yahoo! News: Personal Finance News

  • Forget the Mortgage, I'm Paying My Credit Card Bill (U.S. News & World Report)

    8 Feb 2010 | 12:04 pm
    U.S. News & World Report - Amid high unemployment and sliding home prices, a growing number of struggling consumers are doing what was once considered unthinkable: paying their credit card bills instead of their mortgages. A recent study developed by TransUnion found the percentage of Americans who were current on their credit cards but behind on their mortgage increased to 6.6 percent in the third quarter of 2009, up from 4.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008. Meanwhile, the share of consumers making mortgage payments on time but behind on their credit cards moved in the opposite…

  • American Capital Agency says earnings rose in 4Q (AP)

    8 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am
    AP - American Capital Agency Corp. reported sharply higher earnings for the fourth quarter of 2009 Monday as the government-backed mortgage securities it holds gained value.

  • Hanmi brings in financial adviser (AP)

    8 Feb 2010 | 4:43 am
    AP - Hanmi Financial said Monday that it has retained Cappello Capital Corp. as a financial adviser while the company pursues strategic alternatives.

  • Goldman's payment demands on AIG probed: report (Reuters)

    7 Feb 2010 | 12:12 pm
    Reuters - U.S. regulators are investigating whether the mortgage insurance market was improperly distressed in 2008 because of payment demands that Goldman Sachs Group Inc and other banks made on American International Group Inc , The New York Times reported on Sunday.

  • Consumer credit down in Nov. for record 11th month (AP)

    5 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm
    AP - Americans borrowed less for an 11th consecutive month in December, paying off credit cards while increasing borrowing for cars and other products.
 
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    My Money Blog

  • 31% Off FICO Scores at myFICO.com

    Jonathan
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:58 pm
    Still got a few resolutions left to do? Here’s a current coupon for real FICO scores and all other credit products at myFico.com. Use the promotional code MYPOINTS30 to get a FICO score for only $11 (~31% off), the best discount I could find right now: You can still use CPPSAVINGS for 20% off if this expires. Experian no longer allows Fair Isaac to sell FICO scores to consumers, even though lenders can still buy and use them. Instead, they join a bunch of other outfits selling their own FAKO (”FAKE-O”) version. But since lenders almost always use real FICO scores in their…

  • OptionsXpress $100 New Account Bonus

    Jonathan
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:29 am
    Online broker OptionsXpress is offering new customers a $100 bonus if they open an account with at least $500 and make 3 trades. You can also transfer in at least $500 of securities from another broker. Stock trades cost $14.95 if you makes less than 8 trades/quarter, and options cost $15 for 10 contracts. There are no extra fees for broker-assisted trades, as well as no minimum account balances, no account maintenance fees, and no inactivity fees. It’s not that great if you just want the bonus, but a nice incentive if you want to try them out. The strong points of OptionsXpress are…

  • How To Generate and Issue Your Own 1099-MISC Forms

    Jonathan
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:55 am
    Did you as a small business pay another person or business more than $600 total in 2009 for services rendered? You may have to provide them a 1099-MISC form. There are lots of rules, see the 1099-MISC Instructions for complete details. Here’s a summary: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires businesses (including not-for-profit organizations) to issue a Form 1099 to any individual or unincorporated business paid in excess of $600 per calendar year for services rendered. This is required whether these payments are spread out over the course of the year or are paid in one lump sum…

  • ING Direct Electric Orange Checking Reference Code: $50 Bonus

    Jonathan
    6 Feb 2010 | 12:21 am
    The online checking account from ING Direct, called Electric Orange, is offered new customers a $50 bonus if they open a new account and use the debit card for signature transactions 3 times within 45 days. Use Reference Code EM428 on your online application. Expires 2/28/2010. Open an Electric Orange by February 28, 2010, and use the free Debit Card to make 3 signature transactions (you know, the ones you have to actually sign) within the first 45 days. On day 50, we’ll put $50 in your account.

  • ING Direct Business Savings Reference Code: $100 Bonus

    Jonathan
    5 Feb 2010 | 11:49 pm
    ING Direct has an business version of their popular online savings account, called Orange for Business. It has no minimum balance requirements and no maintenance fees, while currently paying 1.05% APY. As with their personal account, you’ll need to link this account with a business account under the same legal name. You can also get a $100 bonus upon opening an account by using the Reference Code BSA298 on your online application. Expires 2/28/2010.
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    Steve-olson.com

  • Stop Wasting Your Time

    Steve
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am
    This is powerful message from a woman facing terminal cancer. She tells us to remember to live right now and stop wasting time.

  • How to Grow Your Business on a Small Budget

    Steve
    2 Dec 2009 | 9:52 am
    Have you ever heard, “You have to have money to make money?” I suppose it’s true. But you don’t have to have much. We started christinesbooks.net in 2003 with $500.00, haven’t incurred a single dollar of debt since, and grew it organically. How did we do it? Persistence, patience, and a lot of frugality. In America today, patience isn’t a virtue. Getting things done now is, regardless of the risk. Unfortunately, that type of thinking has led us into the economic mess we face today. Since the last post on our move from a home based business into a…

  • The Questions Science Can’t Answer – Yet

    Steve
    28 Sep 2009 | 12:47 pm
    Most nights after putting my 7 year old to bed, we have lengthy discussions about life and reality. While he spends most of his day repeating silly nonsense from Sponge Bob, at night, when the lights go out, he changes. He’s a night person, his brain shifts into high gear in the darkness and silence… just like both his parents. Some of his questions: Where did everything come from? Why is there something instead of nothing? Why did the Big Bang happen? How long ago did the Big Bang happen? If we went back in a time machine and watched the Big Bang, what would it look like? If…

  • 7 Things My 7 Year Old Learned From MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

    Steve
    18 Aug 2009 | 6:26 pm
    If your kids are like mine, and don’t care for team sports, MMA is an excellent alternative. My son does MMA training 3 nights a week at the American School of Martial Arts in Savage MN. When he chose to take Karate, we visited several different schools, and he decided on MMA. He liked the school, the instructor, and the structure. He can quit any time he wishes. But he knows, if he quits, it’s final, and I am never taking him back (just a little lesson about the power of decision). 7 Things My 7 Year Old Learned from MMA Goal Setting - It started with learning a Kenpo technique…

  • How to Think Yourself Free

    Steve
    6 Aug 2009 | 11:43 am
    Perhaps you’re feeling stuck, or even trapped, in some area of your life. Maybe a job or a hobby which you once loved has turned into a chore – or a relationship has gone sour. The problem is, you can’t quite imagine giving it up. You’re still clinging to the early hopes you had, or desperately trying to regain your past enthusiasm. Maybe you’ve been in your job, or engaged on a particular project, for so long that there really doesn’t seem to be an alternative. There is: and to create it, you need to start by thinking yourself free. What Would Happen If You Lost It? Let’s say…
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    The Simple Dollar

  • My Girls

    Trent
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    (And now for something a little different…) There isn’t much that I feel I need A solid soul and the blood I bleed With a little girl, and by my spouse I only want a proper house When I was in college, I was obsessed with music of all kinds. There was music playing almost constantly in my dorm room and, later, in my apartment. There are so many songs out there that speak to the problems and angst of that age, and I reveled in them. I’m now thirty one years old. My primary concern today is my family – but that’s not exactly a concern for most mainstream music.

  • “Superman Syndrome” Revisited: Money and Self-Esteem

    Trent
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
    Two years ago, I posted a nice long article about what I call “Superman Syndrome” – a tendency for people to try to demonstrate their worthiness to others by buying things for them. Just yesterday, a reader emailed me about that article: Superman syndrome is just another example of poor self-esteem and how it can entrap you and your money. It’s no different than keeping up with the Joneses or anything else like that. It’s true. We only need to impress other people if we feel that somehow we need to impress them, that we don’t have enough already on the…

  • Reader Mailbag: Kitchens and Careers

    Trent
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    Welcome to this week’s Reader Mailbag! A note: I get enough questions to do two or three mailbags a week. I’ve considered putting a second Mailbag on Thursdays. Would this be of interest to you guys? I recall a few months ago you were thinking seriously about cutting out all or most meat from your diet? Where did you get to with this? What was it inspired by? (I seem to remember there was a book that started you thinking about this?) - Eve In late 2008 to early 2009, I had a bit of a health scare that prompted me to start exercising more and eating better, a trend I followed…

  • Review: 1/2 Price Living

    Trent
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
    Every other Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal finance book of interest. 1/2 Price Living by Ellie Kay has a particularly noteworthy subtitle: Secrets to Living Well on One Income. A quick read of the back makes it clear who Kay is talking to – people who want to give stay-at-home parenting a go. I picked up this book (off of PaperBackSwap) because my wife and I are discussing the possibility of trying out stay-at-home parenting for a year – the year in which we have three preschool aged children at home. According to our math, after all of the tax implications and the…

  • The Framework

    Trent
    7 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    We all have lives that are chock full of distractions. Television. Radio. Magazines. The behavior of other people. The comments of our friends and family. We use all of these things as cues for how we should behave. Often, we even try to think ahead about these things and use them as a behavior guide. I’ll hear my mother’s voice all the time, for example, when I’m at the grocery store. I’ll think about my friends and their reactions when I look at cell phones. You can’t help but get at least a few cues planted in your head when you read a magazine or watch a bit…
 
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    Wise Bread

  • Ask the Readers: Is Valentine's Day Too Commercial? (Chance to win $20!)

    Linsey Knerl
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am
    By Linsey Knerl Regardless of whether you're madly in love, or bitter about the past, Valentine's Day has gotten to be a big deal -- especially for the companies that sell little chocolates and heart-shaped jewelry. While most people rejoice in the opportunity to get some special attention on the holiday (especially after married life and kids has started to take toll), others are burnt out by the consumer message of "buy this" and feel like it's just another excuse to buy, buy, buy. Where do you stand on the V-day debate? Are you just happy to finally get a chance to do something…

  • Buy-and-Hold Investing: 4 Ways to Make It More Effective

    WC Porter
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    By WC Porter The buy-and-hold investing strategy is kind of like my dad's 1981 Toyota pickup truck: dependable, reliable, old, and a little raggedy looking. It's been around forever and everyone always takes it for granted. But every time it breaks down, people tell him to dump it already. Enough with the 29-year old car already, they say. Buy and hold investing just had a break down and everyone is rushing to claim it's no longer a valid investing strategy. If you read the news about investing, you'd think buy-and-hold was outdated, antiquated, and broken. I do believe it needs a fresh coat…

  • Best Deals for Tuesday 02/09/2010

    Linsey Knerl
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:17 am
    96 bags of Traditional Medicinals Tea at Amazon.com for $19 + free shipping IKEA : Up to 50% off select in-store items, kids eat for free Michael Buble "Special Delivery" MP3 album download only $1 Bruno Magli Footwear 75% off , Styles from $70 + $7 Shipping! Free $25 Visa GC when you Test Drive a Kia Sorento

  • I Hate My Job -- Now What?

    Amy Lu
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    By Amy Lu You hate your job, but what can you do about it? First, assess your situation to determine what your next step should be. Learn how to survive at a job you hate, how to get out without hurting your career, and what you can do to not hate your next job. Use these links to jump ahead to any section. Assessing Your Situation Making Changes at Work Getting Out of the Job Finding a Job that Makes You Happy If you recently lost your job, take a look at Wise Bread's collection of tips and resources for the recently laid off. Assessing Your Situation 10 Important Signs Your Job Might Be…

  • Frugal Gluten-Free Living: Gluten-Free Desserts

    Sonja Stewart
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    By Sonja Stewart Being gluten-free sometimes feels like you have a rich person disease. Trouble is, I don't know many rich people these days, but I know quite a few gluten intolerant folks. So what are us paupers to do? Rejoice! You don't need to sacrifice your wallet to satisfy your sweet tooth. I've compiled a gluten-free desert list for those watching their spending. Chex Muddy Buddies (These were my first venture out into the world of gluten-free desserts. My goodness. They are incredible. Highly addicting, so baker beware!) 9 cups Chex cereal 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup…
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    Bargaineering

  • How to Combine ING Direct Accounts

    Jim
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:06 am
    My lovely wife and I both opened individual ING Direct accounts before we were married. In the latest step towards consolidating our financial accounts, we’ve decided to take all of our individual accounts and work towards combining them when it made sense. We’ve left investment and retirement accounts alone but online bank accounts are perfect for combining. Our latest move was to combine those ING Direct accounts into one. I called a CSR yesterday to discuss consolidating our accounts and learned that the process is much simpler than I imagined. You can’t consolidate two…

  • Costco/Capital One InterestPlus Online Savings Account

    Jim
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:10 am
    Costco and Capital One have joined forces to offer an InterestPlus Online Savings account that offers a fairly competitive 1.50% APY. It doesn’t appear that a Costco membership is required for this account but there is an incentive for members. If you are an Executive, you can get a $60 bonus. If you’re a Gold Star or Business member, then it’s only a $20 bonus. In terms of bonuses, these are probably the best you can expect for an online savings account but brick & mortar checking account bonuses (where you need to setup direct deposits and make bill pays) will usually…

  • Making the Most of Your Money Now by Jane Bryant Quinn

    Jim
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:36 am
    Making the Most of Your Money Now by Jane Bryant Quinn is a massive 1,200 page tome of personal finance information. The book starts with a must read introduction to Quinn and her experience with money. It goes back to her childhood days as a page at a local public library, her paycheck to paycheck lifestyle when she first started working, her first experience with stockbrokers and mutual fund mistakes, all the while picking up personal finance insights that will be expanded upon later in the book. Reading this introduction, a prologue of sorts, gives you an understanding of why Quinn is…

  • What is the Marriage Penalty Tax?

    Jim
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am
    When we were married almost two years ago, the last thing on my mind was a little tax concept known as the marriage penalty. We were worried about whether the caterer was going to get our food right, how badly our respective best man or maid of honor were going to embarrass us, and whether the night would go off without a hitch. Looking back, it was a little silly because while there were little snags here or there, it was a wonderful night and, hopefully, everyone had a great time. We were married in February so it wasn’t until a year later that I first looked at the married filing…

  • Best Free Checking Accounts

    Jim
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:57 am
    If you were to build your personal finances from the ground up, the checking account would be the first “product” you’d pick. If you’ve ever drawn your financial network map, you’ll remember that the checking account is the spoke in your primarily hub-and-spoke layout. Your paycheck is deposited into your checking account, your savings accounts are linked to your checking account, and when it’s time to pay credit cards or the mortgage, chances are the money comes from your checking account. So if you were to rebuild your personal finances or build it from…
 
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    fivecentnickel.com

  • More on Lending Club’s Reduced Interest Rates

    Nickel
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am
    As a followup to yesterday’s post about Lending Club reducing their rates for borrowers, I reached out to Rob Garcia, who is the Senior Director of Product Strategy at Lending Club. Here’s what he had to say: As you know, we constantly monitor our marketplace to provide better rates to borrowers and great returns to investors. We keep an eye on our own market dynamics as well as the overall economy trends. This time, we observed that defaults continue to trend lower, which gave us the opportunity to decrease rates to borrowers while preserving investors’ net returns (rate minus…

  • New Home, New Expenses

    Laura
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    After less than a month in our new home, we’re still adjusting to being home owners (or ‘home loaners’ as my husband likes to say). Among many other changes, we have some new expenses that we didn’t have as renters. Mortgage payments For example, our first mortgage payment is due in March. Along with our mortgage payment, we’re also putting money into an escrow account to cover our property tax bill and home insurance premiums. While we budgeted for it and anticipated paying these costs, it still feels odd to have our housing bills mapped out for the next 30…

  • Lending Club Reduces Interest Rates for Borrowers

    Nickel
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:36 am
    This is just a quick note to say that Lending Club appears to have reduced interest rates for borrowers by around half a percentage point. I first noticed this when I logged in to select notes for investment last week, and have seen mention of it elsewhere on the web. Rates now range from a low of 6.39% for those with the best credit to high of 21.64% for the most risky borrowers. As an investor, I’m not crazy about this change, as I’ll earn a bit less while shouldering the same risk that I’ve always faced. Prospective Lending Club borrowers, on the other hand, should be…

  • Save for Retirement With a Spousal IRA

    Guest Contributor
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:56 am
    This is a guest post from Adam Hagerman of Money Relationship. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed. If you’re like most people, you may think that retirement is so far away that it can be dealt with later. The reality is that it is never too early to begin planning for retirement, and there is no better day than today. But some of you out there may be wondering, “How can we adequately save for retirement when my spouse and I only have one income?” Well, you’re in luck, as there are some options available to help you meet your…

  • How to Handle a Missing 1099 Form

    Nickel
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:53 am
    Have you received all your tax paperwork? Every year around this time I get questions from people who are missing a Form 1099 and aren’t sure what to do. In case you’re not familiar with the lingo, IRS Form 1099 is used to document various forms of income, including things like: Interest earned (1099-INT) Dividends received (1099-DIV) Cancellation of debt (1099-C) Government payments (1099-G) Proceeds from broker transactions (1099-B) Retirement distributions (1099-R) Miscellaneous income (1099-MISC) There are more, but I’ve hit the big ones above. When these forms are…
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    NYT > Your Money

  • Could Now Be the Time to Buy a New Toyota?

    By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:40 am
    Toyota appears to be offering more generous incentives to spur vehicle sales, according to Edmunds.com.

  • Tuesday Reading

    By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am
    How much Americans really spend on services like Internet and cable, the price of an in-flight pillow and blanket and other consumer-focused items from Tuesday's Times.

  • As Data Flows In, the Dollars Flow Out

    By JENNA WORTHAM
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:54 pm
    The average American is expected to spend nearly $1,000 this year on services like cable, Internet and video games.

  • Patient Money: Fighting Denied Claims Requires Perseverance

    By WALECIA KONRAD
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:11 pm
    Following a few steps can make the process of appealing insurance denials easier and increase the likelihood of success.

  • Paying People Not to Walk Away

    By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:08 pm
    A company called Loan Value Group is working with mortgage providers to offer rewards for staying put to home owners likely to strategically default on their loans.
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    AllFinancialMatters

  • Madoff vs. Social Security: Which One’s the Scam?

    JLP
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:36 am
    Financial planner, Russ Thornton, posted a link to this Neil Boortz piece on his facebook page. It’s a comparison of Madoff’s scheme vs. the Social Security scheme. I like this graphic, which I copied and resized so it would fit on my blog: Boortz isn’t defending Madoff. Rather, he’s showing that Social Security really isn’t any different from what Madoff did. Anyway, I thought it was an interesting comparison. Thanks for the link, Russ.

  • My Perspective on the Deficit and “Spending Cuts”

    JLP
    4 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am
    According to an article I read in the WSJ the other day, the US is expected to run a $1.6 TRILLION deficit this year. President Obama has gone through the budget and supposedly cut $20 billion in spending. Okay, when you toss around a number like $20 billion, you might think, “Wow! That’s a lot of money.” Although it is a lot of money, I thought it would be cool to put this in perspective. So, I created a couple of graphics representing our deficit. The first one contains 1,600 squares. Each square represents $1 billion. Okay, now this second graphic represents the $1.6…

  • Maybe They Should Just Stick to Cash

    JLP
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:23 am
    From a front page article in today’s WSJ (bold mine): Norfolk County, Mass., has only a small pension fund, but it is a big player in court. Two weeks ago, the fund joined with two others in a shareholder suit against drugstore chain CVS Caremark Corp., whose stock had fallen. It was the 12th time since 2006 the pension fund has gone to court after a stock it owned declined. Twelve lawsuits in 3 years? Obviously they don’t understand the risk involved in investing. Perhaps the pension members should sue the pension managers for failing to properly research the companies they…

  • The Middle Class Will Face Tax Increases Too

    JLP
    2 Feb 2010 | 12:23 pm
    Don’t have time to discuss but thought this was an interesting piece by Terri Cullen: Backdoor Taxes to Hit Middle Class.

  • What Are Your Thoughts On These Proposed 401(k) Changes?

    JLP
    2 Feb 2010 | 7:24 am
    Interesting article on Obama’s plans for retirement savings programs. I want to focus on the proposed changes for 401(k) plans (from the article). The proposed 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act, for example, would: • Require 401k plans to disclose fees on workers’ quarterly statements as a dollar figure taken from participants’ accounts. • Require service providers and plan administrators to disclose administrative, investment management and transaction, along with other fees. • Help workers understand their investment options by providing…
 
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    Personal Finance Advice

  • A Life Without Debt: Five Myths About Being Debt Free

    Sadie Morris
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm
    Most people seem to have a lot of false beliefs about being debt free. They seem to think that those of us who are debt free never have to worry about money, or that we are somehow free from the concerns of everyday life. Some people work to become debt free because they believe that [...]

  • What’s Wrong With Staying Home?

    Jennifer Derrick
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm
    This week we had a snowstorm. To many areas of the country this is no big deal. However, where I live we don’t “do” snow. We don’t have bi snow removal operations, most of us natives don’t know how or care to drive in it, and everything pretty much shuts down until the melting happens. [...]

  • The Importance of Identifying the Cause of the Problem

    Wixx
    4 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm
    Regardless of whether you are looking to reduce spending for the purposes of debt reduction, or for saving, the first thing that must be done is to identify where you are spending money unwisely. If you are not ready to be honest about a budget breaker, a vice, or a ‘treat,’ then you are [...]

  • Get Politically Active to Save Money

    Jennifer Derrick
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm
    My state, like so many others, is awfully short on money these days. There have been budget cuts and tax increases in an effort to make up the shortfall. However, some of these cuts have threatened my bottom line more than others and forced me to become politically active to save my money. Most recently, [...]

  • The Importance of Business Cards

    David G. Mitchell
    2 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm
    The other day, I was headed to our local dog park with my wife and our puppy. We were already in the car and actually backing out of the driveway when I realized that I had forgotten my business cards. I stopped the car and told my wife that I was headed back [...]
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    FreelanceSwitch

  • 4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep

    Thursday Bram
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am
    Some clients just keep asking for a little more: a four page website design can turn into a design plus copy or even a design plus copy plus marketing. It often happens just a little request at a time, as the scope of the project creeps ever larger. Scope creep isn’t always an entirely bad thing, of course. As long as your clients are willing to pay for the work that goes along with a bigger project, it can be beneficial. Depending on the situation, there are several responses you can offer to a client with a case of scope creep.1. Glad to help — here’s a new estimateIf you can…

  • Freelance Freedom #142

    N.C. Winters
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  • From the Community: Advice for New Freelancers

    Amanda Hackwith
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am
    Recently, the FreelanceSwitch community was asked what simple, one-line advice they would give newly minted freelancers. The result was a surprising and poignant mix of wisdom, humor, and insight on topics such as clients, money, marketing, and keeping one’s sanity. Read on for the best advice from the FreelanceSwitch community! It’s a not so well-kept secret that the FreelanceSwitch community forums are filled with experts and seasoned freelancers of every make and specialization. But everyone had to start somewhere! Being a new freelancer can be an exercise in hard lessons…

  • Automate Your Bookkeeping

    Mary Shaw
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am
    As a freelancer, it’s important to focus as much of your time as possible on the work you have or getting the work you need. And that means minimizing administrative tasks. Take bookkeeping, for example.Bookkeeping is critical for maximizing tax deductions and monitoring the overall health of your business, but it’s a royal pain. In this post I’ll show you how to automate bookkeeping tasks so you can stay focused on existing jobs while marketing your talents.Decide on a bookkeeping systemMany people still hand-write their income and expenses in a notebook or Excel…

  • 7 Elements of a Successful Freelancer’s Website

    Seth Simonds
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am
    “The shoemaker’s children go barefoot.”You’re not a shoemaker but the saying still fits. Between client projects, conferences, and social obligations (okay, okay, WOW clan meetings may count as social obligations), your site has been sorely neglected. A neglected website might not seem like a big deal if you’re flush with work. But what happens when, Zeus forbid, work slows? You’ll start pushing for new work, realize that your site is a mess, and spend time working on your site you should have spent landing new contracts.As a reminder for the veterans and a…
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    No Credit Needed

  • We Are Buying A House!

    NCN
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:29 am
    I cannot tell you how excited my wife and I are.  This afternoon, we are closing on the purchase of our new house! For the past several years, we have lived in a house provided by my employer.  Recently, we decided that the time was right to buy a house of our own.  (Honestly, we have been looking for more than two years, but we really got serious about it this past fall.) Early in January, we found “the perfect house” for our family.  After a few weeks of praying about it and crunching the numbers, we made an offer and it was accepted.  Going through the loan process was…

  • Space

    NCN
    20 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pm
    It’s interesting how time and a little perspective can teach us things. When I started this site, I had just one goal – I wanted to get out of debt. With that singular goal, managing my finances became pretty simple.  Not easy, but simple. An emergency fund was funded. A debt reduction plan was created. Payments and extra-payments were made. Debt was reduced – and eventually – I was debt free. Now, nearly five years later, I’ve learned a lot about myself - How I relate to money Why I make the decisions that I make What my strengths are – and my weaknesses…

  • Lawn Mower Maintenance

    NCN
    14 Jan 2010 | 11:12 am
    After two weeks of very cold weather (for us), the temperatures have returned to “normal”.  It’s in the mid-50’s and perfect weather for doing a little yard work. Back in April, I purchased a lawn mower.  I really, really like my lawn mower, and since it has mulching blades, I use it to mulch pine straw and leaves in the yard.  Unfortunately, when I opened my shed this morning, the left-rear tire of the lawn mower was flat. I pumped the tire back up and pored some soapy water on it.  Noting the area where the soapy water “bubbled-up”, I located a small…

  • Reader Feedback Request – Alternative To New Couches

    NCN
    12 Jan 2010 | 7:44 pm
    I have a few questions for you guys, my awesome readers.  First, a little information. My wife and I have a couple of couches.  Structurally, they’re both in great shape.  However, one of them has some damaged fabric on its arms, and the other has been faded by the sunshine.  We’d love to keep the couches – they’re both very comfortable – so there’s no real (non-cosmetic) reason to get rid of them.  At this point, we’re thinking about buying some slipcovers for the couches.  (We don’t sew, so we’ll have to purchase the slipcovers.)…

  • Principles Reinforced By Favorite Television Show – Holmes On Homes

    NCN
    7 Jan 2010 | 7:26 am
    I love Holmes on Homes.  If you haven’t seen the show, you really should check it out.  Originally produced for Canadian television, episodes now air on HGTV.  The show stars general contractor and renovation specialist Mike Holmes and his crew of workers. Holmes on Homes features families who have had unsatisfactory work done to their homes.  Mike and his crew come in, assess the situation – and fix any problems.  Along the way, Mike explains how each problem was caused, how each one could have been prevented, and what he’s doing to repair them. When the Holmes on…
 
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    Uncommon Cents

  • What Matters Now: Free!

    admin
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:42 pm
    Seth Godin, noted author, has put together an electronic book in Adobe Acrobat format called What Matters Now; it has contributions from over seventy “big thinkers”, including folks like Gina Trapani (of Lifehacker fame), Merlin Mann (43 Folders), Kevin Kelly (Cool Tools), and many more. You can get it free off of Seth’s blog at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ It’s a great, quick read.

  • When My Saving Receipts Habits Really Helped

    admin
    7 Feb 2010 | 2:04 pm
    No, this is not a story about my needing to exchange something and actually having the receipt as opposed to the many folks who can never find the receipt when they need it. What this is is a story about habit and how sometimes they can really pay off. Since I’ve long been in the habit of not just keeping my receipts, but also logging them, when I’m on a business trip like I was last week and I need to keep receipts for reimbursement or tax purposes, it’s totally not a problem. This unlike my many counterparts on the trip, who had to return to restaurants or cafeterias…

  • Two Dollars is Two Dollars and Ten Percent is Ten Percent

    admin
    6 Feb 2010 | 9:10 pm
    On my recent trip to Oakland, I (ashamedly, as a Geek) never thought about checking in online until a lady in front of me at Honolulu International Airport said she checked in online. I’m not sure her boarding process–through the maze of agricultural, baggage, and TSA checkpoints–was any quicker, but it made me think about trying it on the return leg of my trip. The morning of my flight, before I left my hotel, I logged into United.com and used their online check in. It was pretty quick and allowed me to print my boarding pass (although since I had no access to a printer, I…

  • Waste and Even More Waste: Poor Proofreading Makes For Tough Decisions

    admin
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pm
    Argh. I’m annoyed with myself. I ordered a bunch of mini style (or “Moo” style, although I did not buy these from Moo) cards printed with info on my Livestrong Challenge effort, to ask people I met in real life to contribute to the cause. It took a few days but the cards–a thousand of them!–showed up at home. And the URL to my Livestrong Challenge page… was misspelled. I have no one to blame but the guy in the mirror. I didn’t proofread well enough. What to do? I thought about ordering a new batch, but that seemed wasteful–not just in spending…

  • Get Out of Debt and Stabilize Your Finances

    admin
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:55 pm
    Today’s guest post is by Jennifer Lohan, who is living proof that Uncommon Cents is very open to new bloggers; she just emailed me out of the blue and asked if she could post, asking for nothing in return, not even a link back to another blog! Thanks Jennifer! Is it very difficult to get out of debt? It is easier to fall into debt than get out of it. However, if you are in debt, you can still get rid of them although it’ll take sometime to do so. This is because there are no shortcuts to a debt free life or you cannot stabilize your finances overnight. So, if you see billboards…
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    The Digerati Life

  • How To Use Electronic Coupons With Your Grocery Card

    Silicon Valley Blogger
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:31 pm
    Want to save on groceries? Today, we are covering the pros and cons of using electronic coupons with your grocery card. We’re also sharing one shopper’s personal experience with using these coupons. Here’s an interesting concept that I wasn’t completely aware of till I read about it the other day: if you’re a loyal customer at a particular store and own a grocery card, you can actually be proactive about reducing your grocery bill by downloading electronic coupons onto your card. Now I haven’t used online coupons in a long time, but recently had started…

  • What Is Options Trading? An Analogy

    Guest Blogger
    7 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm
    I haven’t traded options before and don’t necessarily advocate this as an investment strategy for the average investor, but I’ve been always curious about more complex investment plays. Tim Parker, who runs Elementary Finance, has offered us a guest post about his experience entering the world of options trading. Image from eHow Now that I’m feeling fairly comfortable with stock market investing, I’ve decided that I’m going to expand my horizons into more complicated investment instruments. Now the obvious truth is that none of us have mastered any type of…

  • Best High Yield Savings Accounts

    Silicon Valley Blogger
    5 Feb 2010 | 8:51 pm
    Not all high interest savings accounts or money market accounts are alike. If you look at it from the standpoint of savers who decide to open such accounts, you’ll find that we’re all prompted to select savings accounts according to various reasons and criteria. Based on where we are in our lives, we tend to choose accounts according to specific requirements. Younger people in their 20’s may be particularly interested in what kind of returns to expect from their savings, and whether an account has an associated debit card or ATM bank card. Older people with some money tucked…

  • Is Your Retirement Investment Portfolio Tax Efficient?

    Silicon Valley Blogger
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:49 pm
    Most long term investment and savings goals boil down to achieving a comfortable retirement or reaching financial freedom. Many of us have shorter term financial objectives such as buying a new car or house, maybe saving up for a vacation or investing for our children’s 529 college savings plans. But why not admit it — our minds often toy around with what may seem like more distant goals. Don’t we all want to have financial freedom from the daily toils of the 9 to 5 lifestyle? How does enjoying a lifestyle and doing work independently of having a job sound? Image from…

  • Be Vigilant of Car Recalls: Lessons For Car Owners

    Silicon Valley Blogger
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:59 pm
    One of the biggest consumer stories of late has been the Toyota recall. As someone whose been shameless about only driving imports, this particular story hits home. For most of my life, I’ve had the long-standing belief that “foreign” cars are supposed to be well-made, especially compared to their American counterparts. But maybe we should take a closer look at what it really means to be American vs “Foreign Made”: when you look under the hood, you’ll realize that there’s a lot more in common between those designations. Now that the news has broken on…
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    Mighty Bargain Hunter

  • Three ways to find a cool deal using Google

    mbhunter
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:47 am
    (This guest post is by Ann Smarty, a search engine geek, social media enthusiast and a passionate blogger. She has recently started a community of guest bloggers, so if you have a blog and want to promote it for absolutely free, go help Ann build the valuable tool for that by joining and participating.) Bargain hunting is only effective when done right otherwise you find yourself using a coupon whenever you are aware of one (which causes even more spending) or always forgetting to use a coupon (how many of us first buy something and only then remember they saw a deal for the same product in…

  • So what are lenders using as criteria today for mortgage qualification?

    mbhunter
    6 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am
    I’ve been talking about some things related to the home purchase we’re doing now.  One of the conditions of purchasing our new home was ability to get financing.  Since I couldn’t buy with cash, I needed to apply for a mortgage.  What I couldn’t do was make the purchase contingent on the sale of my current home (the property we were interested in was a foreclosure), so I needed to be able to qualify for the new loan without settling my current mortgage. This seemed to be a bit harder of a condition to meet since it would mean carrying a higher debt load.  I was a…

  • Friday Fiscals: Blizzard Edition

    mbhunter
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:18 pm
    We’re in one of the areas that’s getting pummeled with snow this weekend.  Thankfully we still have power, and even Internet access.  Please be safe if you’re in the mess with us. Here are some links of interest from the past week: The Frugal Lawyer scored a TV interview on spending addiction.  (I’ll be doing a post on this as well.) The Balanced Spreadsheet is another blogger that updates their net worth. The Millionaire Nurse, for something completely different, relates money and diseases. Wise Bread has a guest post by Joel Ohman explaining why he didn’t…

  • If your bank legitimately calls you, call them back

    mbhunter
    4 Feb 2010 | 9:58 pm
    I initiated a wire transfer today from an out-of-state credit union to my home credit union.  Because the amount of money was fairly significant, they called me up to verify a few things before they did the transfer. After the woman gave her name and who she worked for, she asked for the passcode to my account to continue the transaction. I almost told her, but stopped.  Since she called me, I asked, “Uhhh, can I call you back please?  I want to verify who I’m speaking with.”  She agreed without any problem, and gave me her name again, her phone number, and her…

  • Why yes, I DID save some money on my auto insurance!

    mbhunter
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:27 pm
    We’re (hopefully) in the final stretch for purchasing a new house, and part of the paperwork for this was setting up homeowner’s insurance for the new house. We called the same company that sold us our current house’s homeowner’s policy, as well as our current auto insurance policy.  The agent was able to get us quite a good deal on the homeowner’s policy, and almost as an afterthought, she offered to check around for us on our auto insurance policy. For several years we didn’t have the best driving record.  Right before I was married (2001), I had a…
 
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    Generation X Finance

  • Social Security – What You Need to Know About Benefits, Coverage, and Eligibility

    Jeremy
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am
    Social Security Benefits and You Social Security is a sore topic for many people. The system is flawed, it’s in significant financial trouble, and the younger generations aren’t expecting to see a penny from it when they retire. While it’s true that Social Security has its problems, it still pays out benefits to tens of millions of Americans each year and will continue to pay out benefits for years to come. How the system and benefits may change in the future is anyone’s guess, but as it stands now it’s still a key source of retirement income for many.

  • Five Financial Mistakes That Can Cost You Significantly

    charissa
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:26 am
    Mistakes can be costly.  With that being said, there are two ways to get out of a financial crisis.  The first strategy involves assessing the amount of money being brought into a household on a monthly basis and employs a multiple stream of income approach to increase a family’s finances.  The second tactic involves a disciplined plan of attack that decreases expenses and pays down debt.  Each step is crucial for long-term sustainability. Without an adequate amount of money coming in, men and women have a tough time sticking to a budget.  Items that once were paid for with cash now…

  • Friday Finance Findings for February 5th

    Jeremy
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:04 am
    Another Friday, another roundup. Before we get to the links I have just a couple of reminders. First, you have until 9 pm EST tonight to get an entry in for a $25 Amazon gift card. That’s right, make sure you leave a comment on the question I asked earlier in the week: what would you do if you had a million dollars? There aren’t that many entries yet so your chances of winning are pretty good. Next, I wanted to remind you about the Generation X Finance email newsletter. You may have seen the signup form at the bottom of each post, but I just wanted to draw your attention to that…

  • What to do When You Have a Bad Financial Advisor, Planner, or Broker That Isn’t Working in Your Best Interest

    Jeremy
    4 Feb 2010 | 7:28 am
    Where to Turn When Your Adviser Does You Wrong While I’m not a big fan of how many people quickly jump on the litigation bandwagon for almost anything these days, there are legitimate situations where you may have a case against a bad broker or advisor. Even so, keep in mind that you can’t sue just because you lose money on an investment they have recommended. Certainly, losses may be a part of some underlying illegal activity, but the fact that you lost money is not enough to seek legal action. It’s also important to note that just because the finance professional…

  • How to Avoid and Prepare For a Tax Audit by the IRS

    Jeremy
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am
    You Can Avoid and Successfully Fight a Tax Audit The tax audit. Probably one of the most feared phrases in finance, but it doesn’t have to be. Yes, if you or someone you know has ever been audited, you know it’s right up there on the list of things you want to do with a root canal. An audit might not be fun, but it’s a fact of life for many. A fact of life that can usually be avoided. It’s true. The IRS doesn’t exactly randomly pick out taxpayers to harass as if it’s the worst lottery in the world to win, but they do select people that fall within a few…
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    Earn More and Invest Wisely at The Sun's Financial Diary

  • Can the Super Bowl Help Forecast the Stock Market?

    David Dierking
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am
    Like about 100 million people across the country, I spent my Sunday evening watching Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. I didn’t have a particular rooting interest in either of the teams although I did enjoy the feel good fairy tale ending for the city of New Orleans. It was mainly about the food and the commercials for me but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t interested in the outcome. Some Wall Street analysts like to try to forecast the economy and the stock market in the same way that Punxsutawney Phil likes to predict the weather – trying to…

  • ING Direct Business Savings Account $100 Bonus Promotion

    Sun
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:38 pm
    I opened an ING Direct Business Savings Account last September when they had a promotion for $50 bonus. As I have explained in the post, the reason that I wanted to have an interest-bearing savings account for my business is, of course, to earn interest for the money that I had in a business checking account at PNC Bank that earns me nothing. While like all the regular online savings accounts, ING Business Savings Account has also been cutting rate, the 1.05% APY is pretty good for a business account. If you are interested in opening a business savings account for your business, there’s…

  • How to Open An IRA Account

    Sun
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:32 pm
    As we’re getting into the tax season, how to lower tax payment legally is probably on everybody’s mind. While most techniques you could employ to reduce your tax bill for the previous tax year already expired at the end of the year from, there is still one thing you can do to significantly cut your taxes before April 15th, depending on your income level. Not only that, it will also benefit your finance in the long term. What I am talking about here is open an IRA account before April 15th tax deadline and make contribution for 2009 tax year. And if your modified adjusted gross…

  • Weekend Linkage – February 7, 2010

    Sun
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:18 pm
    I don’t know what it was like before, but for the first winter we are in Virginia, the snow we got so far was way too much, including 3 in just last week. Last December, we were lucky that we avoided the mess when we left town before last major storm hit. Not this time though. While the scene during and after the snow was nice, digging out our cars certainly isn’t. I spent nearly three hours this morning trying to get our cars out, but only was able to move them out of the parking spots. Since the parking lot was not plowed, nor the secondary road outside the apartment complex,…

  • Compound Interest Calculator iPhone App Giveaway

    Sun
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:06 am
    Are you using iPhone? If you are, then I have some freebies for you. No, it’s not the free Citi Mobile app. I was contacted by Christopher Chapin at Space Age Industries LLC the other day about sharing a cool tool with readers of this blog, the Compound Interest Calculator (Don’t know how compound interest works? My post on how to become a millionaire can give you some ideas) iPhone App, developed by Space Age Industries. Since I don’t have an iPhone, I can’t test the app myself to tell you whether it’s good or not, but I feel it can be useful. According to…
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    Money Hacks

  • Newest Trade King Promotion

    billspaced
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:25 pm
    Here's the latest promo from Trade King -

  • Interesting FICO Facts

    billspaced
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am
    Did you know that 40 percent of couples wait until they are engaged to discuss their finances? According to a recent FICO survey, some even wait a full year after they’re married – likely a statistic that supports the fact that ½ of all marriages, these days, end in divorce! FICO’s survey also found: Women were twice as likely (than men) to choose “a good FICO score” as the most important characteristic in a date while men are six times as likely to choose “good looking” as the most important characteristic in a date. Having an excellent FICO…

  • Warning: This is Not Another Wall Street Conspiracy Theory, These are the Facts

    billspaced
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:16 am
    This is an interesting story about the latest financial crisis, aka Mortgage Meltdown, Credit Crisis, the Day the Music Died… Just last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to directly pay billions of dollars to banks as part of its scheme to bail out insurance giant American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG). According to committee Chairman Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, the testimony that congressmen heard just didn’t “pass the smell test.” What really stinks about the whole mess is not…

  • This Time, It’s Different

    billspaced
    30 Jan 2010 | 6:42 am
    Have you ever heard those words before? No, me either One of my "must read" newsletters is written by John Mauldin and it's called – appropriately – John Mauldin's Weekly E-Letter. I get it each week in my inbox; I suggest you do the same. I will caution you, however, that it may scare the pants off of you! Lately (the last few years), his commentary has been rather harsh. But, hey, look at the economy! All that said, I encourage you to read this week's letter. One astonishing number came out this week: GDP growth of 5.7 percent! Yay, roll out the marching…

  • How Wall Street Ruined Main Street

    billspaced
    26 Jan 2010 | 9:17 am
    Wall Street’s Stranglehold on the Economy Is Choking Americans America’s Founding Fathers were afraid of any concentration of power in the republic. They were particularly afraid that banking interests could hijack our fledgling democracy. And yet today, 234 years later, our Founding Fathers’ worst fears have come true. Wall Street’s stranglehold on the economy threatens our very prosperity, and the future of a truly democratic republic. It’s high time we address the truth about Wall Street’s tyranny and set a course for a more secure economic future…
 
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    My Open Wallet

  • My Money Weekend

    Madame X
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:58 am
    I was out and about in Brooklyn this weekend, and that always provides fodder for thoughts about money.On Sunday, I went out for brunch with Sweetie and Mortimer. Brunch is something I always have problems with-- I think it's a nice time to have a social meal with friends, and I always enjoy the food, but it pisses me off that it's so expensive! Brunch has to be the restaurant meal with the least value for the customer and the most profit for the restaurant.We went to Sidecar, a great restaurant in Park Slope, where I paid $11 for "migas," which is scrambled eggs with guacamole, chilis,…

  • Seven Years of Earning and Spending

    Madame X
    22 Jan 2010 | 6:15 am
    In the comments on my December 2009 net worth post, someone asked about the change in my net worth since 2003 and whether I'd gotten a higher paying job or had changed any of my spending habits to enable my net worth to grow as it did. It prompted me to tackle a project I'd been thinking about for a while: a long-term analysis of my income vs. expenses.2003 is the first year for which I have full data in Quicken so I looked at that seven year window, and the results were quite interesting! First, let's just look at after-tax income vs. expenses (click on image for larger view):I thought it…

  • December 2009 Net Worth

    Madame X
    15 Jan 2010 | 8:23 am
    I am finally getting around to posting my year-end net worth. Drumroll please...$408,490Yes, I finally crossed the $400k mark! That is a good feeling... though it is slightly diminshed when I remember that in January 2008 I was hoping to hit $410k by the end of that year!During 2009, my net worth increased by 37%-- a pretty nice recovery from last year's dismal performance. The NetWorthIQ graph says it all:December 2009: $408,490, up 37% from '08, up 13% from '07December 2008: $298,700, down 17% from '07December 2007: $360,008If you just extrapolate the trend I was on until 2007, I'm still…

  • Economic Indicators

    Madame X
    11 Jan 2010 | 9:09 am
    So, what's the mood out there? Do you find yourself noticing little things that might be signs of the recession?Here's one I've been thinking about over the last week or so: crowds at the gym.I remember last year at this time, when it seemed like people were really panicking about the economy. So many companies in New York had been laying people off and things looked pretty dire. For me, my gym membership seems like one of the easiest expenses that could be cut if I had to economize, so I wondered if I'd notice a decline in the attendance at my gym.As it turned out, I didn't. Last January, my…

  • Bail-out Bankers' Compensation

    Madame X
    5 Jan 2010 | 6:44 am
    This is a fascinating-- and infuriating-- article from last Sunday's New York Times Magazine:What's a Bailed-Out Banker Really Worth?Here's a few outtakes from this story, which details how Kenneth Feinberg went about negotiating (rather than czar-ishly dictating) compensation packages for top executives at companies bailed out under the TARP program:Citigroup and Bank of America, for example, concluded that everyone in their executive suites [deserved multi-million dollar compensation packages because they were] above average when compared with peers at other giant banks that didn’t need a…
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    Almost Frugal

  • Tell Us Tuesday: How Have You Saved Money Today?

    Kelly
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    Every day I try to do something that saves money. Whether it’s cutting my family members’ hair, packing leftovers for lunch or going to the bathroom before I leave work (no, really!), it’s all in tune with the saying “A penny saved is a penny earned.” How have you saved money today? Play Nice: Share With Others! Tell Us Tuesday: How Have You Saved Money Today? | Permalink | No comments ©Almost Frugal 2007 - 2009. All rights reserved. | Five easy ways to support Almost Frugal.

  • A Beginner’s Attempt at Frugality

    A Guest Writer
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    This guest post is by Haley Drummond. When I decided last May to leave my comfortable, full-time job and go to graduate school, I wasn’t thinking too much about finances. “It’ll all work out,” I said to myself. “Isn’t it more important to be happy and feel like you’re moving forward in life than to have extra money for premium cable?” Ah, yes. But silly little me was not entirely prepared for the difference between having extra money to blow on things like a Blockbuster Online subscription or $60 boots you don’t really need, and finding yourself standing in Target mentally…

  • Does Success in Frugality Depend on Geography?

    Kelly
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    I often say that I’m the only American blogging about frugality in my corner of France (I used to include the whole of France, but blogs like The Simple Life in France have made me be more specific!).While cornering the niche can have its advantages (notably being able to say that I’m the only American blogging about frugality in my corner of France), it can also get a little lonely alone in my corner of the frugal world. For one thing, most of the specific money saving tips around the personal finance blogosphere don’t apply to me. I don’t have a Ralphs, Safeway,…

  • This is What Frugal Looks Like: Married with Luggage

    Kelly
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    This is What Frugal Looks Like is a series that highlights different ways that people can be frugal in their lives- after all, frugality doesn’t have to be drastic or just about clipping coupons. Frugality can be fun and easy. Each respondent answers the same four questions. Today’s interview is with Betsy Talbot from Married with Luggage. What does frugality mean to you? Frugality isn’t about being cheap; it is about using your money in the most effective way. A great example of this is the blender I bought this summer. I started drinking fruit and veggie smoothies for breakfast as…

  • The ABCs of Saving Money: B is for…

    Kelly
    3 Feb 2010 | 1:12 am
    The ABCs of Saving Money will appear throughout 2010. Bank accounts How many bank accounts do you have? Do they cost you money or save you money? (Do you even know the monthly charges? I don’t.) My husband and I have had separate bank accounts for a long time, but it in fact costs us quite a lot of money to do so. It was a choice made from lethargy as we never bothered to combine our accounts after we got married. We are now in the process of consolidating our accounts and changing banks, not only because we are trying to save money on monthly fees and service charges but also because…
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    7million7years

  • What is your Number?

    Adrian
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:05 am
    Well, it certainly took me a long time to ask the question (see Reader Poll: What Is Your Number?) and, it took me almost as long to answer it. Why? I’d like to say it was because I was forensically and actuarialy analyzing the results … I’d like to say it was, but that wouldn’t be the truth, which is much more mundane: it was mainly because I forgot all about it after our ridiculously long Australian summer holiday season (Aussie summer = USA winter) So without further ado, here are the results: Now, the first thing that you may notice is that the answers aren’t…

  • Are you saving enough for retirement?

    Adrian
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:47 am
    This video asks an important question, one that we asked our readers some time ago (and, will answer tomorrow). It also seems to indicate that roughly 8% is a safe withdrawal rate, at least for men who choose to retire at the standard retirement age in the USA … we’ll explore this further, through a series of posts beginning later on this week. For now, what do you think is a ’safe’ % of your Number to live off each year?

  • What would you do if you won the 2010 World Series of Poker – Part II?

    Adrian
    4 Feb 2010 | 12:58 am
    Last week I gave some unsolicited advice to those who may have finished 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th in last years’s World Series of Poker – Main Event – pocketing a tidy sum in the range of $1.2 to $1.5 million. Sounds like a lot, but not if you are aiming to retire on a helluva lot more than $57k a year (plus a $60k ‘one off’ spending spree’) … … so, what if you finish 5th, where the prize money jumps to a tidy $1.9 million? Well, where this poker-listings article suggests that you could buy a 1977 Learjet 36A, it’s probably not a smart idea if…

  • So, who’s missed the point?

    Adrian
    3 Feb 2010 | 12:19 am
    Philip Brewer, a freelance writer for Wisebread (I presume, amongst others) has had a couple of mentions here, lately; this one for a comment that he made on his review of the book: Your Money Or Your Life [AJC: snappy title]: The book has a very simple investment program that many people have taken issue with. The authors want you to invest your surplus money (a growing amount, once you make some progress on maximizing income and minimizing expenses) in long-term treasury bonds. More than a few people have criticized the program on the grounds that a diversified stock portfolio would produce…

  • Pay yourself first or last?

    Adrian
    1 Feb 2010 | 1:57 am
    Adam (a staff writer at Get Rich Slowly) wants you to “challenge yourself” by replacing the the standard ‘pay yourself first’ advice with: Only pay yourself first if you deserve it. Now, Adam isn’t suggesting that you stop saving that 10% to 15% of your gross income that the bulk of the personal finance blogosphere recommends … … what Adam is really asking is: Should You Stop Funding Retirement to Focus on Debt? [This] is one of the most heavily debated dilemmas in personal finance. Unlike “spend less than you earn” or “track every penny you…
 
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    Lazy Man and Money

  • Personal Finance Links (Super Sunday Edition)

    Lazy Man
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pm
    Today, I'm focused on three thoughts. In a few hours, I'll probably be partaking of more calories in one meal than I should have in a whole day... or two days. Many of you will probably do the same. Having spent some 90%+ of my life in Boston, I'm a New England Patriots fan. As a New England Patriots fan, my heart is with New Orleans. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? It's not too hard to root for them. Having been a Red Sox fan for some time, I understand a bit what New Orleans fans are going through. Add to that, what they've been through the last 5+ years and I'm one of the least…

  • Save Money on Valentine’s Day (Win $25)

    Lazy Man
    5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am
    [Last year I posted these tips to save money. I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to come up with more original ideas. I'm going to pay that penalty with my wallet. The person with the idea that I like the best will earn $25 via Paypal, Amazon, or Ebay gift certificate (winner's choice), from me. Just leave your idea in the comments before Monday noon Pacific Time to qualify.] Save Money on Valenties's Day: Write a Love Note - This was suggested by a couple of people. I did that last year. I was reading a book on writing that mentioned the 10 most beautiful adjectives in the English…

  • Public Storage: Problem Ignored

    Lazy Man
    2 Feb 2010 | 1:52 pm
    I love it when a blog post writes itself. I'm that Lazy. For instance, watch this commercial for Public Storage: I saw this yesterday. Fortunately, through the magic of DVR, I was set it up for my wife to watch. I asked her if she could guess why I wanted her to watch. She said, "But you have dogs playing Blackjack, not poker." (Can I get a frugality award for having a reprint or a knock-off?) Once I gave her the raised eyebrow of "okay be serious", she knew I was going at it from the personal finance perspective... and she nailed exactly what I saw. Public Storage doesn't solve this couple's…

  • Hired a Cleaning Service (and Personal Finance Links)

    Lazy Man
    31 Jan 2010 | 11:55 pm
    About 6 weeks ago, my wife and I decided to finally bite the bullet and hired a cleaning service. I'm a frugal person, so I put this off for a long time thinking that things were "good enough." For the most part they were. However, when I started to go back to work full time, I realized that there would be an adjustment period. The cleaning service looked like a clear way to minimize that adjustment. The cost for about 1200 square feet apartment and one and a half bathrooms is $90 every two weeks. I don't know if that's a good price or if that's a "Silicon Valley" price. I realize that $180 a…

  • Ask the Readers: What’s Your Take on Paid Book Reviews?

    Lazy Man
    28 Jan 2010 | 9:21 am
    I got a request a couple of weeks ago from a company to see if I wanted to review a business book. I get a lot of these as my email address seems to have gotten out on some public relations circles. Usually, the pitch goes something like: PR Person: Would you like a copy of [Insert Writer X]'s [Insert Book Title]? Me: Sure, but I must warn you, I get a lot of books and have little time to read between a full-time job, this blog, and other side projects. PR Person: It's okay, we'll ship you out a book and if you get to it, you get to it. They are almost always happy to send out the book. They…
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    No Credit Needed

  • We Are Buying A House!

    NCN
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:29 am
    I cannot tell you how excited my wife and I are.  This afternoon, we are closing on the purchase of our new house! For the past several years, we have lived in a house provided by my employer.  Recently, we decided that the time was right to buy a house of our own.  (Honestly, we have been looking for more than two years, but we really got serious about it this past fall.) Early in January, we found “the perfect house” for our family.  After a few weeks of praying about it and crunching the numbers, we made an offer and it was accepted.  Going through the loan process was…

  • Space

    NCN
    20 Jan 2010 | 6:38 pm
    It’s interesting how time and a little perspective can teach us things. When I started this site, I had just one goal – I wanted to get out of debt. With that singular goal, managing my finances became pretty simple.  Not easy, but simple. An emergency fund was funded. A debt reduction plan was created. Payments and extra-payments were made. Debt was reduced – and eventually – I was debt free. Now, nearly five years later, I’ve learned a lot about myself - How I relate to money Why I make the decisions that I make What my strengths are – and my weaknesses…

  • Lawn Mower Maintenance

    NCN
    14 Jan 2010 | 11:12 am
    After two weeks of very cold weather (for us), the temperatures have returned to “normal”.  It’s in the mid-50’s and perfect weather for doing a little yard work. Back in April, I purchased a lawn mower.  I really, really like my lawn mower, and since it has mulching blades, I use it to mulch pine straw and leaves in the yard.  Unfortunately, when I opened my shed this morning, the left-rear tire of the lawn mower was flat. I pumped the tire back up and pored some soapy water on it.  Noting the area where the soapy water “bubbled-up”, I located a small…

  • Reader Feedback Request – Alternative To New Couches

    NCN
    12 Jan 2010 | 7:44 pm
    I have a few questions for you guys, my awesome readers.  First, a little information. My wife and I have a couple of couches.  Structurally, they’re both in great shape.  However, one of them has some damaged fabric on its arms, and the other has been faded by the sunshine.  We’d love to keep the couches – they’re both very comfortable – so there’s no real (non-cosmetic) reason to get rid of them.  At this point, we’re thinking about buying some slipcovers for the couches.  (We don’t sew, so we’ll have to purchase the slipcovers.)…

  • Principles Reinforced By Favorite Television Show – Holmes On Homes

    NCN
    7 Jan 2010 | 7:26 am
    I love Holmes on Homes.  If you haven’t seen the show, you really should check it out.  Originally produced for Canadian television, episodes now air on HGTV.  The show stars general contractor and renovation specialist Mike Holmes and his crew of workers. Holmes on Homes features families who have had unsatisfactory work done to their homes.  Mike and his crew come in, assess the situation – and fix any problems.  Along the way, Mike explains how each problem was caused, how each one could have been prevented, and what he’s doing to repair them. When the Holmes on…
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    Boston Gal's Open Wallet

  • LA Times Money Makeover: Michelle and Mike Nicholson

    Jane
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:35 pm
    The LA Times money makeover: Moorpark couple want to break cycle of financial mismanagement profiles Michelle (38) and Mike (33) Nicholson who have $21,000 in credit card debt, little savings, and still reeling financially from a short sale on their home last year. Mike has about $14,000 in his 401(k) retirement account. The Nicholsons have little else saved.The couple now rent a home for $1,900 a month, significantly less than their old mortgage. But they're still suffering financial fallout from their bad housing bet. Their credit scores, once in the high 700s, have taken a hit. Michelle's…

  • Boston Globe Money Makeover: Claudette & Manny Wise

    Jane
    7 Feb 2010 | 6:48 am
    The Boston Globe Money Makeover: Falling interest rates have taken a toll on retired couple’s nest egg profiles Claudette (71) and Manny (83) Wise of Danvers, MA. The couple receives $20,000 per year from Social Security and needs to supplement that with $30,000 a year from their retirement portfolio. But the Danvers couple agreed on one thing: Falling interest rates have taken a toll on their retirement income. With money market yields now averaging less than 1 percent and five-year certificates of deposit below 3 percent, their portfolio was throwing off far less income than it used to.

  • Tighter Quarters

    Jane
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:43 pm
    The Ventura County Star article: Room rental demand, downsizing rise as more people displaced takes a look at the growing trend of room rentals in this pricey part of California. The financial strain from being unemployed for nearly two years has taken a toll. One morning she was rushed to the hospital for what was thought to be a heart attack or blocked artery, but it turned out to be chest pains from stress. Now, she’s also strapped with thousands of dollars in medical bills.Every day is a struggle. Alcaron and her husband — who has had only intermittent work as an electrician — are…

  • Cash-in refinancing - a growing trend

    Jane
    6 Feb 2010 | 11:37 am
    The Washington Post article: Cash-in refinancing could help homeowners save reports that more people are taking money out of savings and using it to lower their mortgage principal balance when refinancing their loan. A bit shocking after so many years of Cash-out financing being so popular. "It almost sounds un-American," jokes Frank Nothaft, chief economist for mortgage giant Freddie Mac. After all, Americans have grown accustomed over much of the past two decades to tapping into their equity -- pulling out a chunk of cash and adding to their debt load -- when they refinanced their…

  • “We've got financial impact we're going to deal with forever.”

    Jane
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:06 am
    The New York Times article: After Escaping Jobless Rolls, Trauma May Linger reports that finding a job and earning a paycheck again does not heal all of the harm inflicted during a period of unemployment. Mrs. Newby and her husband were forced to walk away from their home in suburban Detroit and are now living here in a rented house with their three children. They are bracing for a huge tax bill in the spring because of early withdrawals they made on her 401(k) and taxes they still owe on unemployment benefits. Their credit is in tatters, and their 16-year marriage showed cracks they are…
 
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    Free From Broke

  • TurboTax Online Deluxe 2009 Giveaway

    ffb
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:19 am
    The good people at Intuit, parent company of TurboTax have provided me with a card to giveaway for TurboTax Online Deluxe 2009! The Deluxe edition works to maximize all of the deductions you may have.  This includes both Federal and State tax returns. Here’s a little bit about what makes TurboTax easier to file with from Tax Break (the TurboTax Blog): Guiding taxpayers step-by-step. Built-in guidance for more than 350 possible deductions and credits, including the 2009 Economic Stimulus, helps taxpayers get the biggest tax refund possible. More than 95 percent of U.S. taxpayers could…

  • First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit – Who It’s For And What Is Needed To Claim It

    ffb
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:39 am
    On November 6, 2009 The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act was signed into law.  This move has resulted in the extension or expansion of the first time home buyer credit which was enacted previously.  In order to receive the first time home buyers tax credit you must first understand who qualifies and how you should proceed in order to get the most benefit from the tax credit.  Here we look at two frequently asked questions regarding the first time home buyer credit. Who qualifies for the first time home buyers credit?Anyone who is purchasing a home for the first time is…

  • Eating Healthy on a Budget

    ffb
    1 Feb 2010 | 3:57 am
    Eating is a basic human need, yet for many it is often surrounded by mystery, mystique and confusion – differentiating healthy from non-healthy is often a difficult task.  This, coupled with the challenge of eating healthy while on a budget, intensifies the issue to epidemic proportions.  Searching out the proper way to eat, while also saving on costs, can be an overwhelming task.  Below, I outline the best ways to eat well on a budget, and I hope this will aid in your mission! Before beginning, I want to point out that these are general guidelines.   As the director of fitness and…

  • Links 01-31-10

    ffb
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:22 am
    Ever have one of those weekends that you are both looking forward to and dreading all at once? We had that last weekend.  Two kid’s birthdays in one day will do that to you.  First up was our oldest daughter’s tenth birthday (happy b-day honey) where we took some of her friends to the roller rink and a party.  Right after we raced home to get our son’s third birthday going (happy b-day dude).  For our son’s we had family and friends over for appetizers, pizza, and cake.  The little guy is three so he doesn’t need a full-blown party out somewhere.  And…

  • Need Your Vote! Free Money Finance March Madness Contest Round 1

    ffb
    29 Jan 2010 | 10:18 am
    Ok, I need all of your help! Free Money Finance holds an article contest to vote on the best personal finance article of the last year.  Today my article is up in a tough bracket against The Centsible Life.My article Traits Keeping You From Being Rich is up.In order to vote all you have to do is visit the contest page here and leave your vote in the comments.  Write in TRAITS in your comment to vote for me.The contest is going through the weekend.This is mostly pride but there is a good cause behind it.  The top articles that win in the end will have money donated to a charity of their…
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    Blogging Away Debt

  • Debt Update…

    Beks
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    We still made slow progress this month. My husband only received one regular check in January and anything extra we had we put into our emergency fund. Both our jobs have become slightly more stable but neither of us feel comfortable without a sturdy safety net. Overall, the job loss was good for us. We were able to adjust and refocus but more importantly, we were able to prove to ourselves that we could survive our fear. Sometimes knowing what you are capable of is the best lesson. Here are this month’s numbers… Original Debt: $38,495.86 Paid: $19,149.13 Remaining: $19,346.73 Broken Down…

  • A trip to the emergency room… without insurance.

    Beks
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:32 pm
    I was CERTAIN my husband would be healthy and accident free until he received healthcare from his employer. He started work in mid-January and was promised coverage by February 1st. I was finally starting to feel at ease about his healthcare issue. When my husband called me from work on Friday to let me know he had injured his eye and needed urgent care he mentioned…he had no healthcare coverage. His employer had failed to send the application. We panicked. Goodbye tax refund. Possibly goodbye house…goodbye car… goodbye right arm. Thanks to some quick thinking on my husband’s part,…

  • Two Things I Never Want to See Again…

    Beks
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    1.) A car payment 2.) An elderly woman wearing pants with ‘Naughty’ crocheted across her hind quarters. While I can’t stop an octogenarian shopping at my local Target store from reliving her youth inappropriately, I can stop car payments. How? Our tax refund this year is just shy of $6,000. We will wipe out 60% of our car debt. SIXTY PERCENT!! YES!!

  • Working Toward a Cheaper Grocery Bill…

    Beks
    4 Feb 2010 | 6:09 pm
    After nearly two months of our ‘eat from the pantry and freezer diet’, we’ve finally run out of food. Sure we have a few things I was willing to attempt to serve as a ‘meal’ but decided to call it quits after I asked my husband how he liked dinner and he said, ‘It’s edible’. ‘Edible’ isn’t the response a wife wants to hear. I’ve decided to cook the inexpensive meals you suggested when I first started the ‘pantry diet’ and review them here. I’m off to the grocery store! If you have any additional meal suggestions you’d like to share, I’ll make them!

  • Saving Money With Elbow Grease…

    Beks
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    My husband is still in the process of building our fence. It’s been slow going since he started school. He’s trying to juggle school, work, helping friends and co-workers with emergency plumbing problems, building a fence, and squeeze in somewhat of a life. He finally carved out Saturday to build a large portion on the fence. Since it’s not a task he can complete by himself, he called my brothers and his brothers to help. No one was available. He looked at me, his last hope (his very last and desperate hope since I’m afraid of sunshine, bees, saw blades, splinters, and manual…
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    Clever Dude Finances & Life

  • Why It’s Time for You to Start a Blog (Yes Even You!)

    Clever Dude
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:43 am
    Copyright 2006-2010 Clever Dude. All Rights Reserved. A guest post by Henri Hi. My name’s Henri. I’m not a personal finance blogger, but I have discovered the power of blogging in the last few months that I’ve been doing it seriously. In this article you’ll learn why I think everyone should blog. We all have something to share. If you don’t have a blog or have just started, I know it can feel like you don’t have anything to say, but that may just be because you’re focusing on the wrong topic. Before I go into the blogging part, let me share my own story. My Story Before we start…

  • Announcing the Winners of the TurboTax Online Giveaway

    Clever Dude
    6 Feb 2010 | 8:26 pm
    Copyright 2006-2010 Clever Dude. All Rights Reserved. Well, the contest for free copies of TurboTax Online has ended and I’ve drawn the winning entries.  I started with 2 copies of TurboTax Online Premier ($49.95 each, on sale), and at the last minute, added a copy of TurboTax Online Deluxe ($29.95, on sale).  All 3 copies also include one free state eFile, which is an added $36.95 value. In total, this was close to $250 in prizes! And now here are the winners. Mind you, they each have 48 hours to respond, or else I pick a new winner. That’s about 11pm EST on Monday night (Feb…

  • Help Us to Rebuild Together (Opportunity to Donate)

    Clever Dude
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:27 pm
    Copyright 2006-2010 Clever Dude. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: I’m matching up to $750 of YOUR donations! Click the Paypal Donate button below! Have you heard of Rebuilding Together? Most people compare it to Habitat for Humanity, but really it’s an organization focused on the needs of low-income homeowners, primarily the elderly, disabled, and families with children by assisting with repairs rather than the building of new homes. Our church is sponsoring a home in Montgomery County, Maryland, and we’re seeking donations. While Montgomery County is one of the richest counties…

  • Win a copy of TurboTax Premier right HERE!

    Clever Dude
    31 Jan 2010 | 7:28 pm
    Copyright 2006-2010 Clever Dude. All Rights Reserved. UPDATE: I did confirm with the PR agency that these codes also include 1 FREE STATE EFILE! That’s a $36.95 savings on top of the $49.95 discounted cost of Premier for a total $87 value! Update #2: I’m adding a Turbotax Deluxe Online code to the giveaway! Actually, I have 2 copies of TurboTax Premier Online to give away! I attended a happy hour sponsored by TurboTax a few weeks ago and got some swag to give away to my readers. I’ll actually have a couple copies of the Deluxe Online version to give away later, and I’m…

  • Money Management for Children – How young is too young?

    Clever Dude
    29 Jan 2010 | 8:10 am
    Copyright 2006-2010 Clever Dude. All Rights Reserved. Guest post by Elaine Roberts The British Government recently announced that it will be incorporating compulsory money management into the National Curriculum. This means that children as young as 5 will be learning about personal finances. While many of us can see the benefit of teaching children how to manage their money from a young age, the policy has come under some fierce scrutiny from groups who claim we’re taking childhood innocence from these school pupils. Nonsense, if you ask me. The developed world has a massive consumer debt…
 
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    Don't Mess With Taxes

  • Stick it to the tax man

    skbell1
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:21 am
    Folks tend to get creative at tax time. Usually, though, the innovation involves entries on Form 1040 and associated schedules. But one crafty woman has come up with another way we can stick it to the tax man. Erin, who's known as sewsewsuckurtoe on Etsy, has created the Tax Man pin cushion you see there to the right. She says that the idea came to her "at tax time when I was busy sewing voodoo doll pin cushions and took a break to write those wonderful checks that needed to be mailed in before April 15th." Now while the inspiration for the tax man sewing accessory arrived…

  • The week's first giveaway goes to ...

    skbell1
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:31 pm
    Ashok! Congratulations on being our 11th winner of a CCH CompleteTax online tax software access code Sorry for being so late today. It's been a Monday all over! We're heading into the homestretch of this first round of tax-related contests. Four more CCH access codes will be handed out this week. If you want a chance to get one of them, all you have to do is enter. Details on how to do so are in Tax software giveaway time! Full disclosure:Just so everyone knows, I'm not getting anything from CCH except 15 tax preparation online access codes that I'll pass along over the…

  • Taking taxes directly from bank accounts

    skbell1
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm
    Tax departments are somewhat analogous to Blanche Dubois. But rather than kindness, they depend upon the compliance of strangers taxpayers. Missouri's governor, however, thinks it's time for his state to rethink its policy of waiting for voluntary payments. Gov. Jay Nixon wants state revenue officials to be able to seize delinquent taxes directly from people's bank accounts. Whoa there cowboy. You are definitely going to have to show me that this is a good idea. OK, Nixon isn't talking about Missouri tax collectors diving into every taxpayer's bank account. Rather,…

  • Talking taxes: Adjusting your withholding

    skbell1
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am
    Every year I swear I'm going to do some podcasts here on the ol' blog. Then tax season arrives and I get swamped. Thank goodness for Flexo and Tom. In addition to being podcasters extraordinaire at Consumerism Commentary, this tax season they're recording spots for TurboTax's blog Tax Break. So I was jazzed when Flexo and Tom invited me to be part of the program. It's always fun to literally talk taxes. Even better, they edited our conversation so that I sound really cool discussing why and how to adjust your payroll withholding. Thanks guys!Related posts: New year,…

  • Were you a Super Bowl bet winner?

    skbell1
    7 Feb 2010 | 7:02 pm
    Congratulations to the Saints for their win in Super Bowl XLIV. Now to the big tax question. Were you also a winner when it came to a bet on who would take home the Lombardi Trophy?If you did pocket a few (or more) extra bucks thanks to the efforts of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and teammates, be sure to share with Uncle Sam. Remember, gambling winnings are taxable income.I'm sure, however, that all those ecstatic New Orleans fans who put their hearts and money on their team won't be complaining too much.Prop bet P.S.: Well, I would have lost big on the Kim Kardashian TV shots prop bet…
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    Money Smart Life

  • Tax Credits for 2009

    Debbie
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am
    Looking for tax credits? Here’s a list of some of the more popular tax credits for 2009, and who qualifies for them: First Time Homebuyer Earned Income Tax The first time homebuyer’s tax credit was part of the economic recovery plan in 2009. It allows first time homebuyers who purchased homes in 2009 to take a tax credit of 10% off the purchase price of their home, with a maximum deduction of $8000.00. To qualify as a first time homebuyer, you cannot have owned a home anytime during the last three years that you used as a primary residence. The home you are purchasing must be for the…

  • Weekend Tax Tips

    Ben
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:18 pm
    Your federal tax return isn’t due until April 15th this year but it’s time to start thinking about gathering together all your tax forms and figuring out what you owe or how much your tax refund will be.  If you use TurboTax to file make sure to enter the contest for free turbo tax that ends tomorrow night! A big thanks to the folks at Intuit who are providing the prize!  It came out of the interview I did with Bob Meighan from Intuit and the resulting posts about the TurboTax product: TurboTax Online Edition TurboTax Software vs Manual Income Tax Returns TurboTax…

  • Do Kids Inherit Frugality?

    Ben
    5 Feb 2010 | 12:07 am
    Our son has been making me proud lately with his unexpected frugal remarks.  The first one came as he browsed the toy aisle in a CVS pharmacy while we waited for a prescription to be filled.  As he played with the trucks he said: “we won’t get these… they’re too expensive” Then the next night when I went to take out the garbage I left the door open a crack.  He jumped up from across the room and yelled: “Dad, close the door you’re letting out all the warm air” Just last night he was running around the house turning off the…

  • Turbo Tax Free Trial!

    Ben
    4 Feb 2010 | 1:59 am
    A free trial of Turbo Tax?  If you visit the TurboTax site you’ll notice buttons that say “Start for Free”.  You can actually do more than start, you can complete your whole tax return for free without even creating an account with any version of TurboTax online. You don’t have to pay until you e-file or print out your return.  I think it’s a good idea, people can see if they like the tax prep software and see how their tax return looks before they decide whether they want to buy it.  Since it’s using TurboTax online they…

  • 10 Money Tips for Couples Before Marriage

    Ben
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am
    Worried about fighting over money once you get married?  You’re not alone. A survey on couples and money released last November by Capital One pointed out that younger people (18-34) are more prone to conflicts with their partner about money: 36 percent disagree monthly (or more frequently) with their partner. Sixty-five percent of those between ages 18-24 and 41 percent of those between ages 25-34 report that they have argued about money during the last 12 months. Money problems can certainly overwhelm a relationship, particularly a relationship on the verge of marriage. Here are…
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    Being Frugal.net

  • H&R Block At Home: Review & Giveaway

    Lynnae
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Tax season is in full swing now. Many people who are getting refunds have already filed their taxes, while those of us who will have to pay are reluctantly getting our paperwork together in anticipation of slogging through the tax preparation process. Recently I had the opportunity to review H&R Block At Home. When I use tax preparation software, I want it to be clear, thorough, and guaranteed. Does H&R Block stand up to my expectations? Let’s find out! H&R Block At Home Options H&R Block at Home has 4 online options: Free, Deluxe, Premium, and Best of Both. Free. If you…

  • What Were the Best 2010 Superbowl Commercials?

    Lynnae
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Wasn’t Superbowl XLIV a great game yesterday? At the last minute, I decided to root for New Orleans, but I didn’t think they’d pull it off. Much to my surprise, they did! It was an exciting game to the end, and it was great to see the underdog win! The 2010 Superbowl commercials were lots of fun yesterday, too! At 2.6 million dollars per 30 second commercial, brands wanted to make sure they grabbed your attention! After all, that’s a lot of money, and there’s a lot of competition. I watched the Superbowl from start to finish yesterday, and I managed to catch all the ads. Did anyone…

  • Friday Financially Savvy Links – Happy Birthday Stargirl Edition

    Lynnae
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Today my oldest baby turns 12. It’s hard to believe we’re just a year away from teenhood.  It seems like just yesterday that she was learning to walk and talk. Still, I wouldn’t trade the young woman she is today for anything. I always dreaded the ‘tween/teen years. People make them out to be so awful, but really, I’m loving this age. Sure, Stargirl is opinionated, as I was at that age (and still am). But I like discussing real issues, adult to young adult. Tonight we’ll be splurging and celebrating! Stargirl requested a low key party, just a one friend sleepover. She also…

  • What Should I Do if My Toyota Has Been Recalled?

    Lynnae
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    By now you’ve seen the news stories. Stories of people driving down the road in their Toyotas, with not a care in the world. Suddenly the Toyota, seemingly having a mind of it’s own, takes off at a high rate of speed. Tragically, in some cases, this has resulted in death. Though the first cars were recalled because of a problem with the floor mats, the latest recalls have been due to the pedal mechanism itself. What to Do if You Own a Toyota If you own a Toyota, the first thing to do is check the recall list. Not every car manufactured by Toyota has been recalled, so check the status of…

  • The 5 Second Rule: A Frugal Necessity at Our House

    Lynnae
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    If you’re a mom, you’ve no doubt heard of the 5 second rule: if your kid drops a piece of food on the floor, and you pick it up within 5 seconds, it’s still good to eat. Right? My 5 Second Rule Story At our house, we live by the 5 second rule. We have to. You see, I have a picky eater. He’s pictured above. He’s also very charming. And very smart. At the dinner table, he refuses to eat anything he doesn’t like. Unfortunately for him, I don’t fix many dinners that consist entirely of chocolate and potato chips. This presents a problem for my young son. Because he would just as…
 
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    My Two Dollars

  • Lemonade the Movie: A Free, Must-Watch Documentary To Inspire You.

    David
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    If you haven’t already seen, or possibly haven’t even heard of, Lemonade the Movie, you need to go watch it ASAP. I watched it online last week for free and was terrifically inspired by the 35 minute film. It is about what people who were once paid to be creative for a living do when they’re laid off – it was great. Way too often I hear people complain about the fact that they hate their job or their boss, yet they stay in the very place that drives them crazy for years and years. Well, most of the people featured in this documentary got laid off from jobs they actually…

  • Money Quote Friday – Bible Quote Edition.

    David
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    “If a man has enough to live on, and yet when he sees his brother in need shuts up his heart against him, how can it be said that the divine love dwells in him?” – John 3:17 I am by no means a religious person – I don’t even consider myself agnostic or atheist. But this quote rings so true for me that I had to share it with you guys. Too often people only look out for themselves, including some of those who preach the “word”, which is supposedly the exact opposite of selfishness. Let’s hope that changes as we evolve. Have a fantastic weekend.

  • I Changed My Mind – Go Ahead And Walk Away From Your Mortgage.

    David
    4 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Back in February of 2008, I wrote a post titled Do You Think It Is OK To Walk Away From A Mortgage You Cannot Afford? that got a lot of attention and comments. In it, I said “I gotta say that I think it is kind of crappy – I mean, people should take some responsibility for what their financial decisions, right?” – and at the time I fully believed that. In fact, I still do – but not when the banks are taking advantage of us who have saved them from failure. And with our government telling banks to start working with homeowners facing foreclosure instead of taking…

  • Weird Studies – Why Do We Waste Money On Stuff Like This?

    David
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Taller People Earn More Money. Your Brain Thinks Money Is A Drug. Pretty people make more money; ugly men make the least. Seriously – these are findings of studies about money, not headlines from The Onion. A friend of mine sent out a link to this article on Twitter yesterday, so I knew I had to take a look. With all the real problems in the world, and all the legitimate things that money could be spent on, why are we wasting a single dime paying for a study about ugly people making money? I understand that some of this money comes from private donors or organizations and not taxpayers,…

  • Save Money & Be Green – Give Old Furniture A New Lease On Life.

    David
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Giving your old furniture a makeover is an effective and economical way to improve the appearance of a whole room. Not only is a makeover a greener option – it involves reusing what you already have – it’s also much cheaper than replacing old furniture with new. Using slipcovers is an eco-friendly, quick and easy method of updating tired looking seats, helping you to improve the look and feel of an entire room on a limited budget. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Slipcovers are a planet-friendly choice because they enable you to stick to the green principles of reducing, reusing and recycling.
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    Queercents

  • Holiday Credit Card Debt

    Clint
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:32 am
    Happy Groundhog Day, Queercents readers! It is I, your friendly neighborhood vlogger, back from hiatus with a new blog post on holiday credit card debt. I know the holidays are long gone, but if you’re young and just went through your first holiday season without school as an excuse, you probably racked up the charges on your card. It’s okay. I wouldn’t recommend doing it again, but it’s understandable. You’re not alone! Millions of others do the same thing. The only thing is, millions of others are in credit card debt and don’t save any money. Don’t…

  • Stretch Your Food Dollar: Searching for Culinary Inspiration

    Serena
    13 Jan 2010 | 5:46 pm
    Do you ever feel like you’re uninspired in the kitchen? I’ve written about getting into a food rut before, but this is a constant challenge that all home cooks face from time to time. Food ruts can be dangerous, because it’s easy to start relying on convenience foods and restaurants to fill the void – and there goes the food budget. One of my goals for 2010 is to try at least one new recipe each week. So far, I’ve been exceeding my goals. I’m so excited about trying new recipes that I’ve been making 2-3 new things each week. I’m still in the…

  • What Rights Do Renters Have When Their Landlord Goes Into Foreclosure?

    Serena
    11 Jan 2010 | 8:25 am
    Imagine you’re a renter. You’ve been paying your rent faithfully every month. Then you come home from work one day to find an eviction notice on your door. Your landlord has defaulted on the property, a bank is the new landlord, and they’re forcing you to get out. What do you do? For the past two years, the headlines have been dominated about housing foreclosures. One of the aspects of the foreclosure crisis that has received very little attention, however, is the role that rental properties have played in the housing slump. Many landlords have seen their properties go into…

  • Stretch Your Food Dollar: Making a Meal Plan

    Serena
    6 Jan 2010 | 5:35 pm
    I recently had dinner with a friend who asked me if I could teach her how to cook. She and her husband eat out every night because neither one of them knows how to cook, and it’s really taking its toll on their budget. “I need to know how to cook cheap, healthy food, and it has to be easy.” I think it’s great that she has specific goals in mind, and I’m really excited to help her achieve them. One of the first things to consider when you are learning how to cook is making a meal plan. A healthy meal has three components: protein, starch (aka “carbs”),…

  • Does Your Attitude Determine Your Financial Outcome?

    Serena
    4 Jan 2010 | 8:40 am
    It’s the New Year, and many of us are making resolutions for 2010. My 2010 goals are very similar to last year, but I’ve added some new goals, too: Track all my expenses Spend $350 a month or less on food Put $200 a month in savings Try one new recipe each week Write every day Read every day Meet my goal weight of 165 Practice daily spirituality The goal of putting more money into savings is going to be a challenge, but it’s a challenge that I am excited to meet.  It will mean slashing our entertainment expenses and keeping our utility costs in check, but I would much…
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    Personal Finance Blog by Money Ning

  • Do You Qualify for These 4 New Tax Breaks?

    Miranda Marquit
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Everyone wants to try and get the best deal they can when it comes to taxes. You’ve probably heard plenty about the home buyer tax credit, but unless you are a first time home buyer, or haven’t bought a home in several years, you don’t qualify. Additionally, there are different income eligibility requirements, depending on when you bought your home in 2009. With all these requirements, chances are good that you can’t take advantage of this one. Don’t be discouraged though, because there are other new tax breaks available for the 2009 tax year. They may even help…

  • Guess Sara’s Birth Date and Weight for a Chance to Win

    MoneyNing
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Let’s have some fun today with a giveaway! Emma’s pregnancy is at 35 weeks, 4 days today, which means that Sara will soon enter this world! I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support, and since I haven’t really done one in a long time, let’s do a giveaway! How to Enter It’s easy to enter. Leave a comment below (one comment per person please) Include your estimate of when Sara will be born along with her birth weight. For example, a comment with “Sara will be born on March 11, with a weight of 7 lb 4 oz” or something similar will…

  • How to Prevent or Avoid IRS Penalties this Tax Season

    Guest Contributor
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    With a lackluster economy, unemployment rising, and tax revenues plunging, Uncle Sam would love for you to generate more revenue for him. In fact, the IRS with increased funding has more personnel and capital than ever before, and will issue a penalty whenever you fail to file, fail to pay, or forget to file certain tax forms. Penalties are typically assessed by computers, but IRS personnel can add them to your tax bill as well. During these tough times, there are many things you can do to prevent unnecessary penalties. Below, you find the most common penalties imposed by the IRS and ways you…

  • 6 Tips to Save Money When Purchasing Appliances

    Guest Contributor
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    You can save money on appliances both before and after the purchase. The first thing to do is assess if you really need a new one in the first place. Repairs on machines that are less than five years old are generally worthwhile, so as long as the total cost is less than half the price of a new machine, go ahead and make the repairs. If done properly, the machine should last for several more years. Get Only What You Need If you determine that you really need to get a new appliance, there are things you can do to save money on the purchase. First figure out what you need. An extra large washer…

  • Ten Apps for the iPad You Could Have Thought Of

    MoneyNing
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    What do you think of the iPad? No other product has even come close to the buzz that iPad generated. We were talking about it amongst friends, family and colleagues; at dinner, home and twitter too. Yet, many of us are spending our time wondering why anyone on earth will pay for this, while others are scratching their head with its name choice. Still, there are a select few who are very excited about this announcement. These people, who are making millions with the iPhone, told me about some of the apps that they are thinking of developing. I will list 10 of these, which should help get your…
 
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    Money Blue Book

  • January 2010: Net Worth Update and Paying Estimated Taxes

    Raymond
    29 Jan 2010 | 8:41 pm
    The first month of the new year was a good month for me financially. Now you must be wondering to yourself – how can that possibly be – especially considering that my calculated net worth dropped in excess of $15,000 for the month of January. Well, because I only show a singular snapshot of my financial picture in each of my monthly net worth updates – they generally don’t reveal sufficient cash flow numbers to offer one a complete picture of my true financial health from all appropriate angles. Thus, the balance sheet numbers reflected on these reports can at times be…

  • December 2009: Net Worth Report and Financial Plans For Year 2010

    Raymond
    31 Dec 2009 | 7:14 pm
    Well, it looks like January 2010 has finally arrived. Goodbye 2009, and hello 2010! According to most public sentiment surveys I’ve seen thus far, the overwhelming consensus is that 2009 was a particularly terrible year. The economy tanked, retirement savings were largely wiped out, and home equity values were pretty much eviscerated. However, where there’s misery, there always seems to be a smidgen lining of hope. Despite most people’s vastly negative opinion of 2009, the great majority of surveys indicate a very optimistic outlook for 2010. Maybe it’s because this…

  • OptionsHouse Review: Discount Broker For Stock and Options Trades

    Raymond
    11 Dec 2009 | 12:33 am
    Special Promo Offer: 100 Free Trades For New OptionsHouse Accounts Whether you’re a buy and hold investor or a savvy trader of penny stocks, I’m pretty sure commissions and fees are a few of those brokerage conditions that you pay particular attention to. If you aren’t too concerned with them, then perhaps you ought to be. After all, high fees and hidden trading costs have a nasty way of surreptitiously consuming huge chunks of your potential stock gains and profits. Nowadays, there really is no reason why any investor ought to pay full price for his or her stock investing…

  • November 2009: Net Worth, Real Estate, and Blogging Income

    Raymond
    29 Nov 2009 | 9:11 pm
    Time for another one of my networth updates and progress reports to check up on how well or bad I’ve done for myself during the preceding month. Based on my current online bank and investment account numbers, things are starting to look up since the previous month when my stock portfolio took a slight tumble due to lingering market price volatility and recessionary jitters. In terms of the American economy finally emerging from this punishing recession, we are still not quite there yet as overall consumer spending remains pervasively sluggish and unemployment rates continue to rise…

  • Tax Credit For First Time Home Buyers Extension

    Raymond
    24 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm
    If you’re a new home buyer, or an existing homeowner who has been contemplating about selling your house or condominium apartment – you might want to start taking decisive action fast. There is free government money in the way of tax credits to be had for both prospective new home buyers and current homeowners – to the tune of either $8,000 or $6,500, depending on your qualifications. To keep this stagnating economic train running, President Barack Obama has recently signed a new bill – extending the duration and expanding the coverage of the federal housing tax…
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    My 1st Million At 33 - yes, you can do it too

  • Cat has 9 lives, and stocks may have its last

    Frugal
    2 Feb 2010 | 8:23 am
    In my projection, stock markets may make a lower high in about March timeframe. My advice is to sell and get out. Despite my general bearishness, I want to emphasize that this is NOT 1929 great depression, when deflation ruled the days. In fact, at the next intermediate long of stock market probably 8 [...]

  • Corruption in Financial Institutions Goes Unpunished

    Frugal
    18 Jan 2010 | 12:54 am
    Here is an interesting article detailing on how the “club” of financial institutions may be profiting while all of us suffer. When Enron and WorldCom debacle happened, the people who were responsible went to jail. When financial & mortgage (CDS, SIV, etc.) markets collapsed, NO ONE is even investigated. We are talking about trillions [...]

  • Brief review on my net worth for 2009

    Frugal
    11 Jan 2010 | 9:26 am
    Year 2009 for me personally was an amazing comeback year, and totally beyond my wildest imagination. I don’t know how many people out there can say this, but my net worth luckily almost recovered to the stock market peak of 2007. Without counting the 35+% loss in my home valuation, I’m just a couple of [...]

  • Some thoughts on 2010 stock markets

    Frugal
    4 Jan 2010 | 9:18 am
    As the new year begins, the stock market again continues the rally that doesn’t seem to ever end, enough to convince most participants that the bear market has ended, missing the “bargain” of the century back in March of 2009. But all good things come to an end, especially the ones that are just [...]

  • Mish blog has been removed?!

    Frugal
    21 Dec 2009 | 9:56 am
    I’m trying to read one of my favorite blog by Mish at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com, and I’m getting this message: Sorry, the blog at globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs. I hope that there is some mistake on the part of eBlogger (belonged to Google), but my personal experience with Google Adsense was [...]
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    Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck

  • Bank: Customer service or total cluster?

    Michael
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:57 am
    A close relative of mine just sent me this email: Gotta love my bank . . . I went online to check my bill and I see nothing there about me ever having a credit card… As i’m looking around I notice I have an “email” from bank of America with a new credit card number…umm…WHAT!??! So I call them…she said it has been “compromised or your card is lost or stolen.” I said umm I have it in my hand…it’s not stolen…she said, well sir mail has been sent to you regarding why this was done…I don’t have any info.” i…

  • Another ultimate free activity with apologies to those in the south

    Michael
    25 Jan 2010 | 7:32 am
    Of my top ten saving strategies is Number 4: Enjoy Free Stuff. You: How can somebody do that? Easy.  Just play on the swings or dance in the leaves. You: Seriously?  I’m an adult. Not going to lie to you – you might get some looks on the swing set.   Still, well worth it.  Or try something similar like going for a hike, visiting the beach, or taking a newspaper to the park. You: Gotcha. Yesterday, I re-discovered one of the best free activities in existence. You: Re-discovered? I chose that word because I forgot how much fun the activity was. I hadn’t done it since I was…

  • Poor Password Practices

    Michael
    22 Jan 2010 | 8:00 am
    As common as identity theft has become, I am amazed at the poor password practices of many people I interact with. You: Because I use my significant other’s name as my password? That’s one example.  But, at least according to this New York Times article, there are far more egregious examples.   When a hacker was able to get into a big web site and decided to post all the passwords, an analysis of the top passwords used featured obvious choices that could easily be guessed. The number one most commonly used password?  See below: 123456 You: that seems like a pretty easy one to…

  • Poll results analyzed!

    Michael
    15 Jan 2010 | 7:49 am
    Turns out Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck readers do like polls. You: Was that an actual survey question? No. You: Then how do you know? Based on the quantity of votes cast, some issues definitely get people energized to respond.  Here are some of the interesting results from the recent polls. While only 10% of you use cash for most of your daily spending, 67% of you use debit cards. Since I’ve always considered debit cards the second-best choice behind cash, that’s promising. Only 23% of you use credit cards for your daily spending, a percentage I’m confident is much lower…

  • What is the market going to do this year?

    Michael
    11 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
 
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    treesfullofmoney.com

  • How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 5

    Ben
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    This article is part five of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. By the end of June 2004 my family and I were 6 months into our effort to pay off all of our non-mortgage debt.  As you can see from the table to the left, we had already paid off 5 of our “smallest” account balances.  Each month that went by we were able to pay off more and more debt by trimming our expenses, working lots of overtime, and rigorously keeping track of every penny we spent. Our original $90,415 debt balance had…

  • How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 4

    Ben
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    This article is part four of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. By April 2004 my family and I were 4 months into our commitment to pay off all of our non-mortgage consumer debt. We had trimmed our monthly utility bills, cut back on our entertainment expenses, and created a workable budget. By squeezing extra cash out of our budget and selling off $16,000 in stock I had purchased through my company’s employee stock purchase program, we had already paid off nearly $26,000 in debt. Our…

  • How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 3

    Ben
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:40 am
    This article is part three of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. In the previous article I explained how my family and I started our debt snowball by quickly eliminating over $18,000 of debt (completely paying off three accounts) with proceeds from the sale of common stock I had acquired through my company’s employee stock purchase program. Only one month into our debt snowball repayment plan we had made considerable progress in paying off our debt. However, it came at the expense of cashing…

  • How My Family and I Paid Off $90,415 of Consumer Debt In Two Years: Part 2

    Ben
    4 Feb 2010 | 7:33 am
    This article is part two of a series I’m writing explaining exactly how my family and I paid off over $90,000 of consumer debt in less than two years. As I mentioned in the first article, opening up our financial records to the rest of the world for the purpose of explaining how we paid off a large amount of debt was a little unnerving. The table to the left lists my family’s outstanding debt as of 12/25/2003 before we started our debt snowball repayment plan.  Perhaps you have a similar amount of debt, perhaps you have more.  Either way, my goal in sharing our debt freedom…

  • Don’t Be Stupid, Avoid 3rd Party Automobile Warranty Companies!

    Ben
    3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Third party automobile warranty companies have stepped up their advertising campaigns and my inbox has been flooded with inquiries from readers asking if these programs are worth the cost. Don’t walk away from offers of extended automobile warranties, RUN! Mogi, Stop Repair Bills, US Fidelis, Warranty Direct, the list goes on. Every week it seems there is a new warranty company offering to “magically” make all of our vehicle’s repair costs go away! The reality is these companies are in business to make money (its a shocker, I know!) and the only way they are going to…
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    The Baglady

  • How fast is time passing for you?

    admin
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:44 pm
    It seems like it was just yesterday when we said happy new year to each other, but now it is already February.  These days are passing by so quickly for me that I hardly know how I spent all my time.  Oh right, when I am not working I am pretty much taking care of the baby.  The cliche we often hear is that “time flies when you are having fun”, and I am having fun. I tell my husband constantly that time is flying by for me and he replies to me that he feels like we have been married for ten years because to him it feels like time has been passing by really slowly.  He said…

  • Now I Am an Asian Parent…

    admin
    22 Jan 2010 | 6:25 pm
    One of the most popular posts on this blog is my take on Asian parents since apparently many people search Google about Asian parents.  Now that I am an Asian parent I thought it is time to revisit what I wrote and what I think I would do differently from the typical Asian parents. First of all, my parents still want me to get a masters degree and they actually offered to pay for it.  It is very generous, but I think I will pass for now.  If I wanted a master’s degree I can pay for it myself, and I would have done it a long time ago.  I think Asian parents do give their children too…

  • Confessions of a Working Mom

    admin
    15 Jan 2010 | 10:40 pm
    My baby just turned three months old this week and I have been back at work for about a week and a half.  I am using the rest of my 6 weeks of paid family leave one to two days per week so I will be working only 4 days a week until October of this year.  These are my thoughts about returning to work so far. I have to admit that I was really glad to be back at work after three months of being at home with the baby.  I do love my baby very much, but having time to think and interact with adults other than my husband has been refreshing.  I enjoyed the serenity of my cube, and it was nice to…

  • The Beginning of a New Decade

    admin
    3 Jan 2010 | 8:37 pm
    It is sobering to realize that it is now 2010.  It seems not too long ago we were celebrating the first  graduates of the new millennium, and now it has been almost ten years. For many of us, the 2000s is a decade that we would probably like to forget as it was fraught with natural and manmade disasters.  I think becoming a young adult in the last decade has made me more skeptical, vigilant, and perhaps a little more conservative as I witnessed first hand what uncontrolled excess can do to people and the world.  Anyway,  here is my outlook for the 2010s. I think for many people this is a…

  • A little bit of holiday cheer

    admin
    28 Dec 2009 | 12:52 am
    This week is my last week away from my day job.  I am looking forward to going back, but also feeling a little bit of trepidation about leaving the baby.  So far I have had a wonderful Christmas break with the hubby and our new child, and here are some highlights. First we were able to attend a Christmas party at our friends’ house.  There was a white elephant gift exchange, food,  and a couple other babies.  Our little ten week old is apparently almost as big as a 7 month old baby.  Since we have not gone to any social events for a while this was a great break from staying at…
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    The Frugal Law Student

  • Is Law School Worth The Cost?

    Mike
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:59 pm
    Given the economic crisis that is going on, the difficulty new lawyers are having getting jobs, and the soaring cost of law school, I’m doing a little analysis to see if law school is worth it for many prospective students. A lot of people go into graduate or professional school believing the debt and time spent will pay off in a more rewarding/higher paying career. While this may be happen for some, it’s by no means a guarantee. Let’s break this down by numbers: Cost of tuition (three years): $60k up to $140k depending on the school. Opportunity cost of not working (three…

  • 7 Ways To Save Money On LSAT Prep

    Brett McKay
    31 Jan 2009 | 12:46 pm
    In this guest post, Steve Schwartz, a professional LSAT tutor in NYC and blogger at LSAT Blog, gives 7 tips on how you can save money as you prepare for the LSAT. 1. Download free LSAT PrepTests from LSAC’s website Two LSAT PrepTests are available to download for free from LSAC: June 2007 LSAT – Free Sample PrepTest (PDF) October 1996 LSAT – PrepTest 20 (PDF) LSAC also provides an overview of the LSAT with sample questions and explanations (PDF). 2. Use Freecycle to get LSAT books for free You can search your local Freecycle group’s message board to see if anyone…

  • Why Every Law Student Should Blog

    Brett McKay
    8 Mar 2008 | 12:31 pm
    I started blogging at the Frugal Law Student during my first year of law school. When I started it, I just thought it would be a fun way to share with my friends and family the ways I’m saving money in law school. But my foray into blogging has actually helped advance my legal career. That’s why I think every law student should have a blog. Here are two specific ways a blog can help you. 1. It’s a great job marketing tool. A blog is the ultimate marketing tool for law stuents. When you go into a job interview, employers are looking for what distinguishes you from the dozens…

  • The Carnival of twenty something finances is here!

    Tony Marrone
    25 Feb 2008 | 1:30 am
    Welcome to the February 25, 2008 edition of twenty something finances hosted by The Frugal Law Student. There were many great submissions for this edition, and I’d just like to thank all of the authors for their submissions. Editor’s Picks Mark Butler presents What Does a Millionaire Sound Like? posted at The Butler Project. Steve Faber presents - Credit Score Ranges – Getting to the Next One Up Could Pay Off Big Time posted at Debt Free. f.f. presents The Dratted Engagement Ring posted at Feminist Finance. Sagar Satapathy presents How To: Manipulate Del.icio.us to Drive…

  • Health Supplements For Law Students

    Brett McKay
    6 Feb 2008 | 11:43 am
    Photo by DRB62 Law students not only need supplements for their classes, they need supplements for their health. Law school is taxing both on your mind and body. A law student can easily put in a 12 hour day of non-stop studying. When I was working on my law review article last semester, I often worked from 7 AM to 10 PM to get it done. If you’re not taking care of your body, all this work and stress can land you in the hospital. (Note: That’s what happened to me last year.) A law student cannot afford to miss a week of classes and studying! In addition to exercising regularly and…
 
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    The Dough Roller

  • How To Find A Car Mechanic You Can Trust

    Michael
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:22 am
    Anyone still using the verbiage "What you don't know can't hurt you" needs to stop now because it's exactly the opposite.  Paying someone to complete a job you know nothing about and then trusting them to do the job right is financially irresponsible and should be avoided at all costs.  Auto mechanics are certainly not the only profession where consumers can be taken advantage of, but it's one of the most prominent.Mechanics often get a bad rap because they are viewed as being sneaky, underhanded, dishonest people that are always trying to screw consumers over.  While you've probably heard…

  • H&R Block At Home Review

    Michael
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:59 pm
    Year after year, I had filed my tax returns online with TurboTax and never thought anything of it.  My tax situation was pretty simple to understand. I had one job on the books and had enough federal income tax taken out of my weekly checks to receive a nice hefty refund.  After about 10 minutes of running through the software, I e-filed and patiently awaited for my refund to be deposited directly into my checking account.This year, however, I became self-employed, which means my tax classification became a lot more complicated.  When you add in the fact that my previous employer wasn't…

  • What Credit Score do You Need to Buy a Home?

    DR
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am
    When it comes to mortgages and credit scores, there are two really important questions to ask:--What credit score do I need to qualify for a mortgage?--What credit score do I need to get the lowest interest rate on a mortgage?These different but related questions are important if you are looking to buy a home. And the second question is particularly important. With a high FICO score, you can literally save tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of a home loan. So let's take a look at both questions.What credit score do you need to qualify for a mortgage?The first thing to keep…

  • How to Find the Best Prepaid Card for a College Student

    DR
    6 Feb 2010 | 4:04 pm
    Prepaid cards are gaining popularity among college students (and their parents) for several reasons. First, with a prepaid card, you don't have the risk of going deep into debt, high interest payments, or late fees. Second, if parents are involved in the finances, they can easily add money to the card online. And finally, under the new credit card law that goes into effect this month, students do not need parental consent to get a prepaid card like they will for a traditional credit card.A prepaid card, sometimes called a prepaid credit card or a prepaid debit card, acts like a debit card but…

  • Everbank World Currency CD

    DR
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:42 pm
    When you think of a certificate of deposit, you probably think, safe, boring, and low interest rates. And that does describe most CDs, including all of the CD interest rates we track. But Everbank offers a unique option among CDs--the World Currency Index CD. With Everbank's World Currency CDs, you not only invest in certificates of deposit, but you also gain exposure to a basket of foreign currencies. So how do these CDs work?As with most CDs, Everbank's foreign currency CDs offer a fixed rate of return. The fixed rate depends on the length of the CD and the basket of foreign currencies you…
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    Moolanomy Personal Finance

  • Rent-to-Own: Consider Saving Up Instead

    Miranda Marquit (Staff Writer)
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Over Christmas, my husband’s parents came to stay with us for two weeks. We have an extra bedroom, but no bed for it. While the air mattress is fine for a couple of nights, we didn’t want my in-laws to have to sleep on it for two weeks. We’re not quite ready to buy another bed, so we decided to rent one. My husband called the rent-to-own places here in town, and we found one willing to rent us a new, never-been-slept-in bed for a month (they wouldn’t do it for two weeks). In spite of the fact that I once got a payday loan, I had never been into a rent-to-own place…

  • New Car Buying Tips: How To Get The Best Deal On A New Car

    Craig Kessler (Staff Writer)
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Buying a new car is a big deal, especially when it is your first.  In 2002, when I was 17, my parents bought me a beat up black 1999 Grand Prix that I absolutely loved.  I put that puppy through a lot and it was passed down to both my younger brothers before making its way back to me.  This past summer, my beautiful baby died — about a year earlier than I hoped and left me stranded. I have no debt and despite the preaching of many to never by a new car, I felt it was the right move for me because I plan on keeping it until it eventually dies.  Since this was my first time buying a…

  • How to Have a No-Spend Weekend

    Jill (Staff Writer)
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Sometimes you just need to stop spending money for a few days. Maybe you are already over budget, or close to it, and the month isn’t over. Maybe you have savings goals with attached deadlines, and need to kick a little extra towards one of those goals before the deadline comes and goes. Or maybe you just hate to see your hard-earned dollars fly out of your wallet on trivial things. If any of these things describe you, I suggest a no-spend weekend. What is a no-spend weekend A no-spend weekend is pretty much just what it sounds like — a weekend where no money leaves your wallet or…

  • An Introduction to Mutual Fund Fees

    Craig Ford (Staff Writer)
    3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    A mutual fund represents money contributed by multiple investors.  That money is managed by an individual, or more likely, a whole slew of individuals.  Not surprisingly, those folks who help manage and oversee your money do not do it on a volunteer basis.  They get paid.  Do you want to guess who pays them?  You do – through your fees assessed by the mutual fund.  As an investor, mutual fund fees is one of five things everyone should know about mutual funds. What are the Different Mutual Fund Fees? When you look at the mutual fund prospectus, the mutual fund is required to…

  • 25 Best iPhone Apps for Personal Finance

    Kelly Whalen (Staff Writer)
    2 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    iPhones are often criticized as expensive and ostentatious. Why buy a smart phone when you can make calls from a $10 pay as you go phone? It may seem like a waste of money, but used properly an iPhone can be a powerful tool in your personal finance arsenal. Here is just a small sampling of the best personal finance applications that are available for your iPhone or iPod Touch. These are my top 25. Finances and Banking iPhone Apps Mint.com iPhone App — Mint is a well known personal finance management site, but its’ app is the #1 app that was mentioned by iPhone users while I was…
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    Fabulous Financials & Fitness

  • Fitness on a Budget

    Single Ma
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am
    People avoid working out for many reasons.  To name a few: Limited time Too tired Too hard No motivation Dislike pain Frustration from slow results Weather Physical limitations Lack of money All of these are poor excuses – some I’ve used many times by the way – but I think the last one (lack of money) is the most ridiculous.  Why does exercise need to cost anything at all?  It’s usually because the person wants a bunch of fancy doo-dads before beginning a new fitness routine.  They want to join a gym; attend group classes; hire a personal trainer; buy individual…

  • Prayer Journal Message of the Week

    Single Ma
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:36 am
    Prayer Journal Message: Long distance runners train themselves to think of the finish line.  They visualize it just ahead.   They say this keeps them from wanting to give up somewhere along the way.  The reward of crossing the finish line is worth more than any pain or discomfort on the way. Dieters can learn from this.  Instead of dwelling on how hungry we are or how much we long for rich foods, we should continually think in terms of the rewards that await us at the end.  Christians follow Christ with hope of a heavenly reward.  Faith means we await something yet to come.  Dieting…

  • Health & Fitness Results and New Goals

    Single Ma
    6 Feb 2010 | 7:21 am
    Results for the week of Jan 31 – Feb 6: Water Intake: still chugging along between 20-30 oz. I only drink water – no soda,  juice, or coffee – so I’m ok with my intake.  I drink when I’m thirsty. Fitness: I completed Week 5 of C25K.  I was very excited about running 20 minutes without stopping.  Huge accomplishment for me! Nutrition: I prepared every meal at home this week.  Some were good, but most were a bust.  We’re still taste testing new dishes and finding what we like.  However, I need to rein in on the mindless eating and late night…

  • Major Fitness Milestone

    Single Ma
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:44 pm
    I did it! I did it! I did it! Today I completed Week 5 Day 3 of C25K.  I’m so excited because it was my first day with ALL running and NO intervals – no walking breaks at all.  That means I ran for 20 minutes (1.6 miles) without stopping.  This is a first.  A major fitness milestone.  It’s huge.  I mean HUGE.  I. ran. for 20 minutes. WITHOUT STOPPING! OMG I did it! GO ME!! Copyright © 2010 Fabulous Financials & Fitness. This Feed is for personal, non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at…

  • Eat Breakfast

    Single Ma
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:10 am
    I’ve always heard nutritionists say breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but I never really understood why. Yes, it gives you energy, helps to jump start your day, blah blah blah. But why can’t brunch do the same thing? And why doesn’t my body want to eat first thing in the morning? The whole ‘breakfast is important’ spiel always went in one ear and out the other until I ran across this article on 8 ways to control your cravings. First it explains why we having cravings: Cravings are all about blood sugar. If your levels are consistent throughout the…
 
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    Gather Little by Little - Personal Finance with a Christian Perspective

  • How to Properly Prepare for Filing Your Taxes

    Mike
    9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am
    The following is a guest post from Manuel Davis. Manuel is a tax accountant and writer for BackTaxesHelp.com and helps individuals with various IRS problems. How to Properly Prepare for Filing Your Taxes While April 15th may seem far away, now is the time to start thinking about your taxes to ensure that your tax filing goes smoothly. The main causes of tax filing errors are rushing and not having all necessary tax documents on hand. Even if you plan to use a tax professional, it is important to start working with them early since it is likely they will be rushed towards the end of tax…

  • What will you do with your tax refund?

    Stew
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    A couple of weeks ago, I asked, Should a believer contribute to IRA’s, 401K’s or other retirement accounts? The post generated some interesting comments and discussion. While I still think that some form of retirement savings is a good idea, my financial focus was challenged by that thought: Am I really storing up treasure in heaven? Or am I focused on comfortable life here on earth? This weekend, I finished the bulk of my tax work. I have just about all of the numbers entered and I am waiting for a few documents to arrive before I submit my final filing through Turbo Tax. It…

  • Friday Gathering: Signing Day Edition

    Stew
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    If you are a college football fan, this was a big week. All the fans in my state are upset about all the top recruits that signed to play out of state . . . Here are some articles that I found interesting this week: I am not quite sure what to think of Lynnae’s post about her 5-second rule. I tend to be a little like Jerry Seinfeld when it comes to germs. Maybe that’s why Lynnae is “being frugal” and I’m just Stew . . . I do not think I have a shopping addiction, but I read the Silicon Valley Blogger’s ten questions just to make sure. Ron asks, Would you…

  • Cash ISA Guide

    Mike
    4 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am
    I have been contacted by MoneySuperMarket.com to publish an informative post on Cash ISA accounts. This is a financial product available to residents in the United Kingdom. Since we have UK readers, I thought it would be a nice initiative. In fact, it is pretty similar to the TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) in Canada on the taxation perspective. Anyone in the UK who’s interested in saving some money for a rainy day should definitely consider a cash ISA account – they make great financial sense, and are nowhere near as complex as their predecessor the PEP. This guide will go some way to…

  • Our Bank Network

    Stew
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    I am a numbers guy . . . a little obsessive compulsive . . . I like organization and strategic planning. I understand if some of you might think this kind of information is a little “wonky”, but I thought I would lay out our bank set-up for you and see what you think. This is the bank set-up that Mrs. Stew and I have used for almost four years now: Every year, we each open a new Chase checking account with $125 bonus coupons. Chase allows for one coupon per customer, per calendar year and an extra $250 every spring is nice to have. So far this year, I have yet to find one of the…
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    Money & You® -Excellerated Business Schools®- DC Cordova

  • A Wealth Expert’s Perspective

    DC Cordova
    28 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pm
    Lee Brower is a multigenerational wealth expert and founder of The Quadrant Living Experience, LLC, an internationally recognized educational and philanthropic organization teaching a radically successful system called The Brower Quadrant. Lee offers realistic roadmaps for achieving a lasting legacy that can stand the test of time. Lee is a noted authority on helping prestigious families create enduring legacies that flourish generation after generation, he is also an accomplished teacher and mentor for entrepreneurs and CEOs. Most recently, he was featured in the blockbuster book and film…

  • A Social Entrepreneur’s Perspective

    DC Cordova
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:59 pm
    Money & You from a  social entrepreneur’s perspective – Roger Hamilton is a world-renowned speaker in wealth creation, best selling author, and founder of The XL Group, the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs, educators and leaders. Roger and the XL Group are driven by the concept of World Wide Wealth: empowering social enterprise and global change by increasing our collective ability to create and contribute wealth. In the past 12 months, Roger has spoken in front of over 30,000 entrepreneurs and professionals in 15 countries.

  • Visualize a Sustainable Future

    DC Cordova
    14 Jan 2010 | 6:07 pm
    Meet Peter Meisen, who shares his “Entrepreneurial Stimulus” I was fortunate to take the “Money & You” program with Marshall Thurber in 1980, while Buckminster Fuller was still alive and providing the core Generalized Principles of Universe. I heard Bucky speak at a Hunger Project Board meeting in 1983 where he encouraged all of us to read “Critical Path,” which was just published. Bucky died a few months later. Reading “Critical Path” changed my thinking and my life. Here was someone who committed himself to make the world better for all,…

  • Peace of Mind – With Fries?

    DC Cordova
    12 Jan 2010 | 5:20 pm
    Another great article for our Entrepreneurial Stimulus series… The other day I was noticing how much more I enjoyed getting a hamburger at In-N-Out Burger than I did at McDonald’s. Obviously the simple taste of the food, price and time of delivery were all important. I noticed another even more important aspect of my visit… the young people who worked there truly enjoyed each other’s company even while they were working. The “Supersize” factor just didn’t apply. Everyone was simply EMOTIONALLY AWARE of what they needed to do and just did it. More…

  • Managing the Wealth

    DC Cordova
    12 Jan 2010 | 4:24 pm
    I received this wonderful note from one of the participants for our next Money & You, and I wanted to share the inspirational message with you…. as part of our “Entrepreneurial Stimulus” Thank you so much for sharing your generous spirit and open heart, and for all the work you have put in to create your systems, to support so many others, and to make the world a better place. More than 18 months ago I discovered Jack Canfield’s Transformational Leadership Council, and among all those leaders, it was your voice and Lynne Twist’s that really called out to me.
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    Hustler Money Blog

  • OptionsXpress $100 Bonus

    Hu$tler
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am
    OptionsXpress, an online option & stock brokerage, can help you use options to protect portfolios, maximize returns on stocks, and increase investment income. With its innovative tools, they reduce the mystery and complexity of options to execute suitable options investment opportunities. You will find that optionsXpress site is easily to navigate and accessible. Opening an account takes less than five minutes online. Their excellent services include live help online, by phone and prompt email responses. There is no fees. They have been featured in Forbes.com, Businessweek.com, voted best…

  • Bank of America $25 Upromise Mastercard

    Hu$tler
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pm
    With Bank of America’s Upromise Mastercard, you can get $25 bonus after first purchase. First, you need to join Upromise Rewards program which is completely free. They are currently running a $250,000 scholarship giveaway. Then sign up for the Bank of America’s Upromise Mastercard to gt maximum cash back and a $25 bonus. There is no annual fee, and you get 10% EXTRA on college savings on participating grocery and drugstore items, 2% EXTRA college savings on eligible Exxon and Mobil gas purchases, and EARN 1% on college savings on every purchase. Join Today! What is Upromise?

  • $150 SunTrust Bank Bonus Nationwide No DD

    Hu$tler
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:09 pm
    It’s very hard to find banks giving out bonuses without doing direct deposit. However, Suntrust Bank is giving you up to $150 bonus by using their online Bill Pay. Sign up by April 30th, 2010 and sign up their online banking Bill Pay to meet their promotion. To get the first $50, make 3 bill pays within 2 months of signing up. To get another $100, do 3 bill pays each month for another 3 months. There is no direct deposit requirement. Offer is available nationwide. If you get an error message, call them to complete the application. I’ve been told that there is no hard pull per CSR.

  • Gevalia, Dell Netbook, McDonalds McNuggets, Wii Keyboard, Nero 9

    Hu$tler
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:34 am
    Some of the best deals I found: As always, use Mr. Rebates ($5.00 bonus) to shop in order to get maximum cash back. BCB = Bing Cash Back. Gevalia 3 Boxes for $3 + Free Mug – Choose 3 boxes for $3 & a FREE travel mug. The world’s most tempting coffee delivered right to your door. Get free delivery on all scheduled shipments and a free stainless steel travel mug. Dell EPP Dell Mini 10 Netbook for $249: Atom N450 1.66 GHz, 1GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, WiFi, Bluetooth, 10.1″ 1024×600 Screen w/ Webcam, 1-Yr LoJack, Win 7 Starter with this $50 coupon McDonalds is offering 50…

  • Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Freebies!

    Hu$tler
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:49 am
    Here are the latest freebies on the web. As always, use a junk email and never give out your real phone number or credit card number. Use your real address for sending you freebies is okay. Make sure to check out MyDealsBlog daily for up to date everyday freebies. Free Travel Guides Free Colgate, Acuvue, Purell, and more Free 2 Pack Lysol Disinfectant Spray Free Clorox Green works Cleaner Free 2 boxes of Cheerios Sandwich Thins Free Party Pack for hosting a House Party Free Pin from American Heart Association Three Free Issues Of Chevy Enthusiast Magazine Free Subscription to Surfer Magazine…
 
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    American Consumer News

  • Citibank Agrees To Extend Free Checking Account Benefits

    trisha
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pm
    Seeming to take courage from the implementation of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD) only this month, the Attorney General of New York, Andrew Cuomo, had this to say in response to Citibank’s previous decision to start charging customers fees for checks on their EZ or Access Checking Accounts; “Adding unexpected fees to consumers’ checking accounts can hit families very hard in these times”. The EZ checking account, otherwise referred to as the Access checking account, was introduced by Citibank as a totally free account option. It operated…

  • Better Business Bureau Lottery Scam

    trisha
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:16 pm
    Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing! A new lottery scam has spread across the country using the name of the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has built a solid reputation upon its eight foundation standards; Build Trust Advertise Honestly Tell the Truth Be Transparent Honor Promises Be Responsive Safeguard Privacy Embody Integrity Clearly if some unscrupulous party had intentions of projecting an image of trust and safety, there can hardly be a better organization to use in its ruse and this is exactly what has happened. Lottery scams are probably the most…

  • Businesses Hope for Super Profits from Super Bowl

    Debbie Dragon
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:40 pm
    With the up-and-down economy in the United States, businesses are struggling to stay alive. Business owners welcome any occasion that can bring a boost in sales, even if it’s temporary. For some, the Super Bowl provides this boost, albeit temporary. On February 7, 2010, the city of Miami, Fl will host Super Bowl XLIV at Land Shark Stadium, which was previously known as Dolphin Stadium. The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts compete for football’s elite prize, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the legendary Green Bay Packers coach. It’s safe to say that business owners in…

  • Social Networking Can Damage You Outside Your Social Circle

    tisha
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:51 am
    Think your daily rants about your egocentric boss are funny? Well your next employer may not think so. The social networking phenomenon may seem like all fun and games until it ends up costing you your current job, your future job, or even your next line of credit. How can it work against you? Here are just some of the current trends in social networking sites: Hiding From a Debt? They’ll Find You Collection agents, not always known for their above-the-line practices, will often scour the internet in search of your contact information. Since many debtors will refuse phone calls or ignore…

  • Try Alternative Therapies for Stubborn School Sores

    Debbie Dragon
    30 Jan 2010 | 4:43 pm
    Impetigo or school sores are caused by either of two bacteria, Staphylococcus or Streptococcus, and are not, as was once thought, from poor hygiene. These bacteria live harmlessly on our skin or in our nose, but any cuts, abrasions or eczema can allow the bacteria to enter the body. Called “school sores” because they affect mostly children, and spread rapidly in the close contact environment of school, they are more common in warmer temperatures where bacteria thrive. The infection is dangerous to new babies who haven’t developed their immune system. What are the symptoms? Pimples or…
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    Cash Money Life

  • How to Find a Reputable Debt Relief Company

    Guest Contributor
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am
    In a previous post, I addressed the various types of debt relief that are available. Once you’ve chosen the best method to pay down your debt, the next step is to make sure you’re working with a reputable and reliable debt relief company. This is one of those situations where a little common sense and some research will be invaluable. Go with your gut Follow the old adage of, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” If a company is making you promises that sound so great you can’t believe it, then don’t. If you’re gut is telling you something isn’t right, go with…

  • Be Careful What You Say and Do at Work

    Patrick
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:21 am
    Do you know who is watching and listening to you at work? It’s probably not just the person in the cube next to you. The chances are very good that your employer has the ability to monitor your e-mails, phone calls, instant messages, and internet usage. Our company’s IT department actually has the ability to take control of our computers remotely (I found this out one day when I called our IT department with an issue and the tech took control of my laptop while on the phone with me, made some changes, and returned control of my computer to me). While it sounds like a breach in…

  • H&R Block at Home Giveaway

    Patrick
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:15 am
    Last week I wrote a review of H&R Block At Home to take a look at some of the changes to H&R Block’s do it yourself tax software. In addition to the name change (it used to be known as TaxCut), there are a few other changes, including an enhanced interface, more user friendly terminology and instructions, free audit support, and more. One of the best features is the ability to try it out for free; you will only have to pay for it if you print it or decide to e-file. There are different versions to handle almost any tax situation, and you can give it a free test spin here (only…

  • Managing Your Money With Mobile Phone Apps

    Patrick
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:54 am
    I don’t consider myself a techie – I’m usually a little late to the party when new technology is released, and I tend to let other people pay the early adopter’s tax for me. But I admit that I love the capabilities that the new smartphones have when it comes to games, apps, and other utilities. A couple years ago I didn’t think phones would be this powerful, now I have become accustomed to them! Managing your money with mobile apps If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or a smartphone that runs apps, then you can probably download multiple apps that make it easier…

  • How to Buy Super Bowl Tickets

    Patrick
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:14 am
    My coworker and I were discussing our bucket lists, you know, the list of things you want to accomplish or see before you die. He mentioned his dad’s biggest wish was to go to the Super Bowl, and we got on the topic of buying Super Bowl tickets. All we knew about buying Super Bowl tickets was that it is very expensive, and it helps to know someone. So we looked it up for fun. How to Buy Super Bowl Tickets The first thing you need to know is how the NFL distributes Super Bowl tickets. The distribution of Super Bowl tickets goes to a mixture of players, coaches and NFL personnel, season…
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    Grad Money Matters

  • The Secret to Finding a Part-time Job in Tough Economic Times

    3 Feb 2010 | 8:47 am
    (This is a guest article by Caroline Fraissinet*)Part-time jobs are sometimes necessary for students to earn enough money to pay for their education. In these economic times, it can be difficult to find part-time jobs. However, that does not mean that all hope is lost. There are some great resources and places to start which students (or anyone, for that matter) can use to search and apply for jobs. Here is a list of a few general tips and sources for finding a part-time job:Take A Walk Around Town – stores or local businesses sometimes have “Help Wanted” signs on their windows. Many…

  • Apply for Scholarships, Not Loans!

    27 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm
    (This is a guest article by Caroline Fraissinet*)Let's face it... most college students are always a little short on cash. That means that the opportunity to get a little money is always welcome and very much appreciated. One of the best ways to get some money to finance your education is through scholarships: it not only serves the purpose of paying for all the necessary expenses and allowing you to finance more ambitious goals and projects, but it’s also a great thing to put down on resumes because it shows that the student is hard-working and skilled in a particular field. It doesn't…

  • Four Simple Tips for Saving Money in College

    20 Jan 2010 | 7:28 pm
    (This is a guest article by Caroline Fraissinet*)An education is one of the best investments that you can make…but that investment can mean that a little extra cash might come in handy while you’re earning your degree. However, there are a few small things that you can do to spend the money that you do have more effectively. Here are four quick and easy ways to save money:Cook! – Pizza and take-out may be quick, convenient and relatively cheap, but it can add up over time. Generally, buying ingredients to make your own meals is much more cost-effective (and usually tastier, too!) For…

  • How Higher Education Can Make A Difference

    16 Jan 2010 | 8:59 pm
    (This is a guest article by Mary Acheson*)There are a number of reasons why higher education plays a vital role in furthering your career; no matter what profession you plan to pursue. Some careers and career advancement opportunities will be limited - and sometimes eliminated - by not having sufficient post-secondary schooling. Even in careers that don’t require specific post-secondary education, having more qualifications and knowledge will give you a step up on your competition. Screening applicants Employers screen new job applicants all the time. They are constantly looking for…

  • Selective Amnesia: 5 Things to Consider Before You Buy a New Home

    11 Jan 2010 | 7:51 pm
    (This is a guest article by Donald Farber*)The picture is so vivid in your mind you might as well be watching it on glorious high definition television. Stretched out on your private deck soaking in a beautiful sunset while sipping wine with your loved one thinking how lucky you were to find this gem. In fact, you’re so wrapped up in your daydream you just nod politely when the realtor tells you that the reason for the low price is the high-rise slated for development across the street. It’s selective amnesia and it’s more common for homeowners than you might expect."You simply can’t…
 
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    brip blap

  • in the salt mine

    Steve
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Modern corporate life has warped some of my perspectives on careers, the nature of work and even the way people relate to each other. No experience did more damage to my sweetly naive belief in the goodness of humans and the purity of the capitalist model than my time with a company I’ll call The Salt Mine. One lesson in particular stands out:  the importance of visibility (or lack thereof) versus the importance of output. At The Salt Mine, we did large projects for clients. We estimated the number of hours we would need to finish a job, then take the “official” rates of…

  • our debt to the future and past

    Steve
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:46 pm
    What do you owe to the future and the past – if anything? Do you owe anything to your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and other people from the generations before you? What, if anything, do you owe to your children? Many people are in the habit of speaking of debts and dues in regards to the future and past generations of their family, but what do you really, truly owe? I want to take a simple example. If your parents paid for your college education, do you have an obligation to pay for your children’s college education, or does the “college education…

  • linklings, sickness and productivity edition

    Steve
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:32 pm
    I’ve been sick for a few days – nothing serious, just a head cold – but nothing puts priorities in perspective like even a small drop-off in energy. Getting the dishes washed – or even, frankly, the hair washed – becomes a struggle when you don’t have energy.  Too often I think productivity gurus focus on the way to get things done rather than the energy needed to get it done.  I could have the greatest productivity system in the world, but if I’m exhausted it won’t do much.  Exercise, diet and proper bodily maintenance (vitamins, etc.) have…

  • the farmer’s daughter

    Steve
    28 Jan 2010 | 4:13 am
    Once there was a farmer with a beautiful daughter. Men came from miles around to ask her father for her hand in marriage, but he was the old-fashioned type, and wanted to make sure his daughter would have a husband who provided for her – strong, sensible and industrious. So finally he settled on three likely young men, and told them he would ask them a question to decide which one could woo his daughter. The three young men nervously waited while he prepared his pipe. Finally, he asked all three of them a single question: “If you are working in the fields and find there’s a…

  • linklings, my ache-y break-y tooth edition

    Steve
    27 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    Nothing like trying to prepare a post while dealing with the dull, thudding ache of repaired teeth. I had to have a few (three) fillings removed and replaced today (plus some crown repairs and a small-but-critical preventative procedure that was too technical and boring to explain here).  Other than a few fillings – almost all from my distant past – and a lone root canal four years ago, I’ve had healthy teeth.  But I guess as you drift on into middle age, problems are inevitable.  The fillings, for example, have nothing to do with how I’ve cared for my teeth –…
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    Think Your Way to Wealth

  • Is Self-Reliance a Lost Art in this Day and Age?

    RC
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:50 am
    Self reliance seems to be somewhat of a lost art in this day and age. 75 years or so ago, I think it was a lot more common for people to do many things themselves, that these days seem out of the ordinary for many people. Self reliance, or self sufficient living, can mean different things to different people. It can mean practicing sustainable living, simplicity, homesteading, or just learning to do more things yourself and for yourself, that you might have to pay , hire, or depend on someone else to typically do. When I refer to self reliance, I generally think of doing more things my self,…

  • Charitable Donations To Haiti Relief Effort Tax Deductible for 2009 Taxes

    RC
    28 Jan 2010 | 4:16 am
    Charitable donations made to Haiti Earthquake relief efforts are tax deductible immediately, according to the IRS, which means they can be deducted on your 2009 tax return if you itemize. Taxpayers can choose to deduct the donations made to Haitian relief efforts on either their 2009 returns which they will be filing shortly, or on their 2010 tax returns to be filed in 2011, but obviously not both. Only cash contributions ( as opposed to property or goods donations) made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text…

  • Personal Finance Links- Saints in the Super Bowl Edition

    RC
    26 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm
    Well, the reports are in, and it’s official. Hell has frozen over, as you can see from the accompanying photo. The New Orleans Saints have finally made it to the Superbowl after 42 years. It’s still hard for me to believe, and I have not been suffering the full 42 years as I am a little younger than that. Win or Lose, they had a great season (although I think they will win, of course), and the irony on playing against a Manning (the 1st family of football in New Orleans and probably the rest of the NFL as well) makes it an even more exciting match-up. I can’t wait! On to…

  • E-File 101- Options for the Fast and Simple Way to Electronically File Your Taxes

    RC
    23 Jan 2010 | 9:57 pm
    E-filing, or electronically filing your taxes, is becoming more and more popular every year. Last year, IRS e-file delivered 95 million tax returns, 66 percent of all returns filed. According to the IRS, the error rate is 1% for efiling vs. 20% for paper returns, meaning everyone should consider e filing to reduce their chance of error. You might think efiling is only for those who are receiving a tax refund, but according to the IRS, for those who owe additional tax, e-file is still the best option. People can file now and pay later, as long as the payment is received by April 15. As someone…

  • Get Cheap DVD Rentals with redbox

    RC
    19 Jan 2010 | 7:13 pm
    I’ve known about redbox some time ago but never even really knew how it worked until recently, when a redbox showed up in front of a gas station a block from where I work and I decided to try it out. Redbox is basically a vending machine for renting DVDs, and the great part of it is that it is only 99 cents for a one night rental, if you return it by 9 pm the next night. It is a great alternative to the video stores or pay-per-view on cable, that charge 3.99 or more  for a rental.  Also,  if you are like me and don’t rent very many movies at this point in your life, it is a…
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    Poorer Than You

  • Net Worth Update: January 2010

    Stephanie
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:17 am
    Happy Groundhog Day! Hopefully we won’t get sucked into a Bill Murray or Buffy-in-the-episode-Life-Serial style time loop! If we do, I’m going to spend that time learning something really awesome, like juggling fire clubs or glass blowing. Barring timeline errors, we’ve got some money stuff to talk about… Change: $527 or 1.41 % Another month climbing up out of the valley! As The Boyfriend pointed out looking over my shoulder at this graph, I’m almost up above the point where I took out my very last student loan. A very cool feeling, indeed! Here are the highlights: Retirement: +$506…

  • Coupons from the Entertainment Book, Act 2

    Stephanie
    22 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am
    We didn’t get one last year because we were moving from one area to another, but this year, we’re all nice and settled. To put it bluntly, the boyfriend and I are coupon whores. We hate eating somewhere if we don’t have a coupon. Wow, that makes it sound like we’re being cheap. Frankly, we are. Unless we have some reason to eat somewhere without a coupon (meeting friends somewhere, special occasion, whatever) we just don’t. Or, we sometimes eat without a coupon… begrudgingly. Nearl all of the coupons we use right now come in the mail. You’d be surprised the amount of junk mail…

  • 10 Places to Make Money Online

    Stephanie
    20 Jan 2010 | 5:32 am
    One of the most frequent reader questions on Poorer Than You is “How do I make money online?” This week’s guest post tackles 10 ways you can do just that, legitimately and with no start-up costs. This guest post is from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degree programs for OnlineDegreePrograms.org. Grads who are interested in making extra cash can find plenty of opportunities online. Some of the opportunities provide enough income to leave the daily grind behind, while others offer just enough…

  • Savings Snowball: New Year 2010

    Stephanie
    18 Jan 2010 | 5:13 am
    Ah-hem! It has been brought to my attention that I haven’t done a “Savings Snowball” updates since May of 2009. Thankfully, I’ve been sticking with the snowball since then, just not writing about it at all. There hasn’t been an update because nothing has really changed… until now. When we last left my savings snowball, it looks like-a-so: Name Goal Total Progress Monthly Payment Bro’s Wedding $0 $25+ Emergency Fund $10,000 $571 $10 Future Car Fund $10,000 $106 $10 Charity Fund Infinite $106 $10 Retirement Infinite $62 $5 For those of you not familiar with the concept,…

  • Listen: Graduating and Job Hunting in the Recession

    Stephanie
    13 Jan 2010 | 5:30 am
    This is well worth an hour of your time, whether you be a recent grad, a young job-hunter, or a student with graduation in your upcoming future (juniors and seniors, I’m looking at you!). This program is an hour from yesterday’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, an show here on the Washington D.C. NPR station WAMU. It’s titled “A Slow Start for Young Workers” and host Kojo Nnamdi talks with a panel of experts and callers about the struggles we recent grads are facing in this tough job market. While national unemployment hovers around 10%, unemployment for 16-24 year olds in America is twice that.
 
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    The Wisdom Journal

  • Is It The Right Time To Buy A Car?

    Ron
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:55 am
    Buying a car can be exhilarating. But before you get swept up in the negotiation process, consider your lifestyle and budget. Do you really need a car? Can you afford one? Are you sure? Do you know the various expenses associated with car ownership? To you have room in your budget for some unexpected expenses? My daughter just turned 16 and is looking for a car. Several seasoned car salesmen have told me that buying a car between January and May isn’t a good idea. Why? Costs are inflated for one reason: tax rebate checks. Wait until May and most of my contacts have said that I’ll save as…

  • Does Being “In A Rut” Get A Bad Rap?

    Ron
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:35 am
    We regularly read about the dangers of being in a rut. I’ve written about it myself (several times), but are there circumstances where being in a rut is a good thing? Does being “in a rut” get a bad rap? It really depends. There are GOOD ruts – we call them ROUTINES. Most of life is routine – dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street. Ben Nicholas I can make this one promise: show me your daily routine and I can come close to predicting your…

  • What Should I Add To My RSS Reader?

    Ron
    6 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am
    Four years ago, I was bored with the Internet. It seemed like I read and visited the same sites over and over – mostly news and politics with a little weather and stock quotes sprinkled in. I did my taxes via the Internet. I check my bank balance. I bought a few things on eBay but I was very bored with what I was reading on a daily basis. Then I discovered blogs. I quickly gobbled up these new sources of ideas and information and the Internet was new again. Then I discovered how to use an RSS Reader and suddenly I was really plugged in! New ideas, new posts, and new articles were at my…

  • What Are Estate Planning Directives?

    Ron
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    After you’ve written your will, you probably will want to have a say in how other wishes are carried out. These wishes are called planning directives, and without them, any decisions about your assets (while you’re still alive), or health care decisions (such as your admission in a nursing home), or authorization for medical procedures could be made by an someone you wouldn’t choose, possibly even by a court. Planning Directives Almost everyone who has a will should also have personalized estate planning directives. These documents, known as powers of attorney, letters of…

  • Writing A Will 101

    Ron
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    How to write a will There are two ways to write a will: by yourself or with the aid of a professional. “Do it yourself” wills: Writing a will by yourself is less expensive than working with an attorney. Expect to spend between $30 and $100 for will writing software. If you have a relatively simple estate, going this route is probably acceptable for your personal situation, but if your situation is at all complicated, “do it yourself” tools (forms, software, and websites) simply can’t ensure 100% compliance with state and federal guidelines. Work with a lawyer: An attorney…
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    Everybody Loves Your Money

  • Free Grand Slam Breakfast at Dennys TODAY (Feb 9th)

    Hazzard
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:20 am
    If you feel like braving the lines, you can get a free Grand Slam breakfast from Dennys today (Feb 9th) from 6am to 2pm. Here is the information: http://www.dennys.com/superbowl/splash2.html

  • Commercial Real Estate – Observations from Our Weekend Drive

    Hazzard
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:45 am
    I’ve read more than a couple articles predicting gloom and doom for the commercial real estate industry.  Many are concerned with an impending collapse of the commercial real estate market and what that is going to do to the many banks that have billions in loans supporting it.  Not being an expert on anything related to the subject, all I could do was ponder whether these people are right about what’s coming. This weekend we had lots of errands to run.  Normally I do most of the driving but this weekend my wife wanted to drive so I sat back in the passenger seat and just…

  • Friends Are Finally Back at Work – Let the Spending Begin

    Hazzard
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am
    We have some friends that have been really scraping by because one of them lost their job almost a year ago. Well, they are both finally working again and you can sure tell the pressure is off. After being back at work for only 3 days, they’ve gone out and bought a big screen television. Apparently all their fears and worries about how they were going to get by have all fallen away. If only I could shake them a bit and get them to think about building an emergency fund and paying down some of their massive debt before they embark on a new quest of materialistic hedonism. Oh well, I…

  • Walking Away From a Mortgage – Is it Okay?

    Hazzard
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:37 am
    David over at My Two Dollars blogged about whether he thinks it’s okay to walk away from a mortgage. Originally, back in 2008, he said he didn’t think it was okay and was just wrong. Fast forward to today and he has changed his mind. He now believes, in light of all the government support the banks are receiving (and not really passing it on to their customers) that it’s okay to walk away. I completely agree. I was just talking to my neighbor about this last week. I’ve mentioned him before. He bought the house across the street back in 2006 right at the peak of the…

  • Want to Take Over the Lease on a BMW M3?

    Hazzard
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:22 am
    I was browsing around on Craigslist and came upon this ad: BEAUTIFUL M3 White exterior / Black leather interior Dual clutch system Technology Pkg. Fully Loaded Carbon Fiber Roof Premium Sound System Navigation You can either buy it outright for $56,000 or assume my lease of $1309.10 per month for the remaining 20 months of the lease term. Residual is approx. $36,000.00 Seriously? A monthly LEASE payment of $1309? Or you can buy it outright for $56K which is $4000 over invoice on a brand new one. I wonder if this guy is good with his money. I’ve never heard of a lease payment on a…
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    CreditCards.com

  • Oregon Trail reaches the Rich Life Carnival

    Tyler Metzger
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:20 am
    My long journey on the Oregon Trail -- which was really just me ordering computer parts, getting my card information stolen and then blogging about the experience -- continues to roll on. The post was included just down the road a piece in the 45th edition of the Rich Life Carnival. This week's carnival boasts a downright smorgasbord of articles. We've got posts on technology, healthy living, hobbies and, of course, personal finance. Be sure to check 'em all out. A carnival on these here Internets is when a blogger hosts multiple stories from different writers about one topic. We generally…

  • Emily's list: Super Bowl edition

    Emily Starbuck Gerson
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:46 am
    We are just two days away from Super Bowl Sunday! It doesn't get any more American than this -- millions of us will be in front of our flat-screen televisions drinking beer and eating wings and watching highly anticipated commercials. Oh, yeah. There's a football game, too. One thing I marvel at when I occasionally watch professional football is how ridiculously huge some of those men are. The linebackers practically look like Shrek. It amazes me that the offensive players from the other team are ever able to get past these big guys. I'm sure it takes tons of momentum and motivation to defeat…

  • When plastic and pigskin collide: 9 credit card Super Bowl ads

    Jeremy Simon
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:15 pm
    Are you ready for Super Bowl XLIV? You may have the big screen TV, snacks and beer on hand, but you aren't truly ready for Sunday's football game until you're prepared for the commercials. While any credit card industry ads aren't likely to generate as much controversy as those starring a Mr. Tim Tebow, for example, if commercials from past Super Bowls are any guide, the latest crop of credit card commercials could still get viewers talking. Here, in reverse chronological order, are the credit card industry's best, worst and most mediocre Super Bowl ads from years gone by:Capital One -…

  • Identity theft on the Oregon Trail

    Tyler Metzger
    1 Feb 2010 | 2:59 pm
    For the first time ever, my identity was stolen. And all I was doing was shopping with a small dog. Well, more accurately, shopping on a Web site named after a small dog. It was Jan. 8, 2010, and my MacBook Pro was hurting. The laptop, or as I named her "MacieMcGees," was struggling to open even the smallest of programs. So I traveled over to the Small Dog Electronics Web site off a recommendation from a friend. I found what I needed -- 2 gigabytes of RAM -- and made the $51.49 purchase with my debit card. I got the memory within a week, and MacieMcGees was happily running the classic game…

  • Charity rewards blog included in the Carnival of Personal Finance

    Connie Prater
    1 Feb 2010 | 7:44 am
    Last week's blog about the pros and cons of redeeming credit card reward points to donate to the American Red Cross for Haiti earthquake relief efforts was included in the 242nd edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. Blog carnivals rotate to different hosts each week and feature a roundup of recent blogs written about a particular topic (i.e., personal finance). This week's carnival host was Cash Money Life, who selected the best of 80 different blog submissions for the roundup. See related: Haiti disaster brings out charity scams 
 
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    Single Guy Money

  • What Should You Do With Your Pay Raise?

    SingleGuyMoney
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am
    If you are among the lucky few that recently received a pay raise or will be getting a pay raise this year, you are probably wondering the best way to put this extra money to good use.  The most important thing to remember is not to increase your standard of living (expenses) to match your new income. It's amazing as I look back over the years and see how my standard of living increased to match (or sometimes, exceed) my income. If I was living comfortably on $30,000 a year, why couldn't  I continue to live on $30,000 as my salary increased. Just because my salary increased should…

  • Monthly Budget Review

    SingleGuyMoney
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am
    The first full month of my new zero-based budget was a success. My new budget plan is to set aside the amount of money I plan to spend at the beginning of the month in my checking account and any deposits are sent to my money market account. Once the money in my checking account is gone, I can’t spend any more money for the month. Income:  My income was a little bit higher this month due to getting my company bonus. The majority of the bonus was deposited into my rental property savings account to cover some upcoming maintenance items that need to be completed. Expenses: Nothing really…

  • Toyota Recall – Are You Affected?

    SingleGuyMoney
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:27 pm
    I’m sure you guys have probably heard this by now but if not, there are several Toyota models being recalled due to two different safety issues. The first recall, "Floor Mat Entrapment," regards the potential for an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in the wide-open position. The second recall, "Pedal," is being conducted because there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. Here is…

  • Tips To Rebuild Your Credit After Bankruptcy

    SingleGuyMoney
    2 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am
    According to the Wall Street Journal, personal bankruptcy filings are up 32% from 2008. Sometimes, your personal financial situation is so bad, bankruptcy is the only option. While bankruptcy may wipe your financial slate clean, unfortunately, it will also kill your credit score and stay on your credit report for at least 10 years. While filing bankruptcy may hurt your credit for the first few years, you can take steps to rebuild your credit. The first and most important thing to remember is to not to get back in a situation where you end up over your head in debt. I’m not saying that all…

  • Yes, the Small Amounts Matter

    SingleGuyMoney
    28 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am
    The other day, some of my co-workers and I were discussing the amounts that our paychecks changed due to the increase in the cost of our benefits.  I asked one of my co-workers if her paycheck changed and she said she did not know. I thought she was joking but after awhile I realized, she really did not know.  She could tell by the look on my face that I thought it was weird that she didn’t know how much her paycheck was. Her reply was that she doesn’t know exactly how much her paycheck is, she just looks at the first 2 numbers in the email. (We get an email 2 days before payday…
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    Smart Money Daily

  • 9 Reasons Dave Ramsey Hates HELOCs

    JS
    31 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pm
    There is little room for doubt as to how Dave Ramsey feels about home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and he tends to pull no punches when it comes to expressing his views upon these lending devices. It’s certainly hard to argue with many of his points, and his extreme reaction is based in large part upon his experience in speaking with people who have encountered the darker side of these loans. Here are a few of the main points that I have taken from what Dave Ramsey has to say regarding HELOC loans and why they might not be as innocent as they seem. 1. Misunderstanding the Loan As…

  • Inflation and Prices clearly Explaned

    JS
    10 Dec 2009 | 8:32 pm
    I’ve been reading a lot about inflation lately and wanted to write a quick post about what inflation really is. How the government reports inflation is grossly inaccurate, so I attempt to provide a clear example of how inflation is a cause of higher prices and not the other way around. In order to understand the effect that inflation has on prices, we need to understand three relationships: The relationship between an item and its value The relationship between supply and demand and prices The relationship between dollars and prices Once these three relationships are understood the…

  • A Cat With A $200K Trust Fund

    JS
    10 Dec 2009 | 6:42 pm
    It was August of 2007 when the billionaire hotel queen, Leona Helmsley, passed away, leaving behind $12 million dollars to her dog named Trouble. Unfortunately, for the pooch, the Queen of Mean made a bone-headed, estate-planning blunder that resulted in her Maltese getting a $10 million haircut. What was the error and how could she have avoided it? In August of 1997, Princess Diana tragically passed away, leaving her two sons, William and Harry, a considerable fortune. Unfortunately, both Princes could have avoided Britain’s 40% estate tax, or approximately $14 million, had the royal…

  • How to Stop Debt Collector Harassment

    JS
    22 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    How many people do you think get their rights violated daily by debt collectors? The number is probably quite astounding. As a college student, I’ve been on both sides of these conversations. I worked a medical billing company where we collected past due debts, and I have past due debts. So I know how tough both can be. However, I will almost never side with a debt collector because they almost always do something wrong. For instance, debt collectors can’t tell you that your wages will be garnished if they really have no intentions to garnish your wages or no means to do so. They also…

  • No Job? Create your Own!

    JS
    12 Oct 2009 | 8:51 am
    Turn a negative into a positive How many of you have been fired or laid off and are currently looking for another job? Maybe the answer isn’t looking for a job. Maybe the answer is creating a job.  It sounds crazy but more and more people are starting their own businesses in these tough economic times. The idea is that looking for a job that isn’t there won’t make you any money. In fact, it will probably only make you lose money. However, creating a job that there’s a need for will have a much better chance of surviving the times. In the 1920’s, Madame Alexander did just that. It…
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    Smart Money Daily

  • 9 Reasons Dave Ramsey Hates HELOCs

    JS
    31 Jan 2010 | 9:20 pm
    There is little room for doubt as to how Dave Ramsey feels about home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and he tends to pull no punches when it comes to expressing his views upon these lending devices. It’s certainly hard to argue with many of his points, and his extreme reaction is based in large part upon his experience in speaking with people who have encountered the darker side of these loans. Here are a few of the main points that I have taken from what Dave Ramsey has to say regarding HELOC loans and why they might not be as innocent as they seem. 1. Misunderstanding the Loan As…

  • Inflation and Prices clearly Explaned

    JS
    10 Dec 2009 | 8:32 pm
    I’ve been reading a lot about inflation lately and wanted to write a quick post about what inflation really is. How the government reports inflation is grossly inaccurate, so I attempt to provide a clear example of how inflation is a cause of higher prices and not the other way around. In order to understand the effect that inflation has on prices, we need to understand three relationships: The relationship between an item and its value The relationship between supply and demand and prices The relationship between dollars and prices Once these three relationships are understood the…

  • A Cat With A $200K Trust Fund

    JS
    10 Dec 2009 | 6:42 pm
    It was August of 2007 when the billionaire hotel queen, Leona Helmsley, passed away, leaving behind $12 million dollars to her dog named Trouble. Unfortunately, for the pooch, the Queen of Mean made a bone-headed, estate-planning blunder that resulted in her Maltese getting a $10 million haircut. What was the error and how could she have avoided it? In August of 1997, Princess Diana tragically passed away, leaving her two sons, William and Harry, a considerable fortune. Unfortunately, both Princes could have avoided Britain’s 40% estate tax, or approximately $14 million, had the royal…

  • How to Stop Debt Collector Harassment

    JS
    22 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    How many people do you think get their rights violated daily by debt collectors? The number is probably quite astounding. As a college student, I’ve been on both sides of these conversations. I worked a medical billing company where we collected past due debts, and I have past due debts. So I know how tough both can be. However, I will almost never side with a debt collector because they almost always do something wrong. For instance, debt collectors can’t tell you that your wages will be garnished if they really have no intentions to garnish your wages or no means to do so. They also…

  • No Job? Create your Own!

    JS
    12 Oct 2009 | 8:51 am
    Turn a negative into a positive How many of you have been fired or laid off and are currently looking for another job? Maybe the answer isn’t looking for a job. Maybe the answer is creating a job.  It sounds crazy but more and more people are starting their own businesses in these tough economic times. The idea is that looking for a job that isn’t there won’t make you any money. In fact, it will probably only make you lose money. However, creating a job that there’s a need for will have a much better chance of surviving the times. In the 1920’s, Madame Alexander did just that. It…
 
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    One Frugal Girl

  • Big Snow Storm Keeps Us Stranded Out West

    One Frugal Girl
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am
    Due to the big snowstorm back east my husband and I have been stuck out west for the past three days. Originally scheduled to fly home on Friday we're now heading to the airport for a late Monday night flight. Southwest cancelled two of our three scheduled flights so we're hoping this flight actually heads home. My husband enjoyed the extra three days by snowboarding from sunrise to sunset, but unfortunately I've had a cold since we arrived and I'm definitely ready for the comforts of home.

  • Frugal Tip #5: Organize

    One Frugal Girl
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    Although it will take some up-front time to organize it will save you eons of wasted hours and dollars in the long run. If you create a place for every object in your home, you'll never find yourself asking, "where did I put that?"Whenever my husband asks a question like, "where are the scissors," "where is the serving platter," or "where can I find wrapping paper," I almost always know the answer. While you don't have to know where every single item is it certainly helps to know the location of the majority of your stuff.Before I organized my life I often found myself running out to the…

  • I Am Lucky

    One Frugal Girl
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Last week I wrote a post called Feeling Lucky Today. Well as luck would have it I've won three online contests since I published that post. I won a book, cash, and a personalized vitamin pack. Considering I only enter a handful of contests each week that's pretty remarkable!

  • Frugal Tip #4: Buy Items on the Cheap and Stock Up

    One Frugal Girl
    2 Feb 2010 | 7:20 pm
    I know that busy people cannot spend hours driving around from store to store in search of the best deals, so I won't propose that solution. I will however suggest that you spend just a few minutes each week looking over the drugstore circulars.Most of the major brands like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens now post their weekly advertisements online. I won't suggest that you drive to the drugstore every weekend just to buy one tube of toothpaste, but I think you should try to keep an eye out for sales and head to the store when a number of items you typically buy are on sale at the same time.It…

  • Do You eBay, if So How Much Do You Intend to Save?

    One Frugal Girl
    1 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    I typically shop around quite a bit before making an online purchase. Even if the item is relatively inexpensive I still take a few minutes to compare prices. Froogle is my favorite site and I typically punch in the description and search around the cheapest websites before making a decision.Lately I've found myself shopping at eBay more and more often. If I don't need an item particularly quickly I'll find the price at other online retailers and then search for the same item on eBay. If the item is significantly cheaper than I'll watch the item or bid.If the eBay bid comes within a few…
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    My Dollar Plan

  • When is the Tax Deadline?

    Madison
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am
    When is the 2010 tax deadline for your 2009 tax return? As a tax junkie, the date is etched in stone in my mind. However, I realize that not everyone knows when taxes are due. The 2010 tax deadline for your 2009 tax return is April 15, 2010. Tax Deadline Postmark Whether or not you meet the tax deadline is based on the postmark. You must have your taxes postmarked by the deadline, but the IRS doesn’t need to receive your taxes by the tax deadline. If you are using TurboTax, just make sure to print out your entire return and have it to the post office before closing time on April 15.

  • How to Get a Free Credit Report

    Jill
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am
    Like many people, you may have resolved to pay off debt or otherwise get your finances in order this year. If so, one of the first things you should do is pull a credit report on yourself and your spouse. If you are planning to purchase a house or apply for any other large loan, you should pull a report before securing financing, even if it means paying. For everyone else, you should take advantage of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and get a free credit report from each of the major credit bureaus every year. Why Checking Your Credit Report is Important Your credit report is like a biography…

  • TradeKing $100 Referral Bonus

    Kate
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am
    It’s Free Money Friday and this week’s is a good one! TradeKing is offering existing customers $100 for referring a friend. Hurry because the offer only lasts until February 11, 2010. How to Get Your TradeKing Referral Bonus Log into your TradeKing account, or sign up for a new TradeKing account if you don’t have one yet. Enter your friends’ email addresses in their Refer a Friend dashboard and press “Send.” Every time someone you refer funds their account with at least $1,000 and executes a trade, TradeKing will deposit $100 into your account. TradeKing Terms…

  • Credit Terrorist or Twisted Genius?

    Madison
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:28 am
    I find the story about Craig Cunningham very intriguing. His debt collection story was featured in Better Off Deadbeat. When credit was free flowing, he borrowed over $100,000 and invested in risky stocks and the sub prime mortgage industry. The greedy extension of a well planned credit card arbitrage strategy. Of course, the recession hit, and now he’s in up to his eyeballs with bill collectors. Except, instead of paying them back, he sues them. And he’s actually quite successful at it; he’s earned settlements totaling more than $20,000. He’s sues the debt collectors…

  • Throw a 50th Wedding Anniversary on a Budget

    Amanda
    3 Feb 2010 | 5:29 am
    Over the holidays I had the privilege of being a part of a very momentous occasion: my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Celebrating 50 years of love, triumph, children, tears, and joy was such an overwhelmingly wonderful feeling, and one that I hope all of you can experience in either your own milestone anniversary, or through the celebration of others’. For the occasion our family all chipped in and threw a party with 120+ guests (a couple meets many friends and acquaintances over 50 years of marriage!) We basically threw a second wedding, complete with a DJ, mini-bar, food and…
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    My Financial Journey

  • Retirement Nestegg Report – January 2010

    MFJ
    30 Jan 2010 | 11:34 am
    Well the market turned a little south this month, but my retirement nestegg actually grew at a pretty good pace this month. This was entirely due to the fact that I am now fully vested in my company’s 401k matching money. My company has a very generous 401k matching program where they match dollar for dollar up to 4% of your salary and that money is 100% vested from day 1 of employment and is deposited in your 401k account with each paycheck. They also contribute another 5.5% of your salary in matching funds regardless of whether or not you contribute to your 401k at the end of each…

  • Retirement Nestegg Report – December 2009

    MFJ
    31 Dec 2009 | 5:26 pm
    Well 2009 has come to an end and my retirement nestegg is at an all-time high. Despite things being so horrible and everything being in shambles with the economy my retirement nestegg grew 76% this year and to be honest other than these reports I barely noticed or barely cared. In fact I am to the point now where I can go a month or more without even looking at a stock market ticker or knowing whether the market went up or down, and to be honest I think this is a really good thing. I’ve learned a lot over the past 4-5 years – I had lots of fun seeing my nestegg grow and my stocks…

  • Retirement Nestegg Report October 2009

    MFJ
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am
    Short and sweet this month. Pretty flat – although down about 4% from my interum nestegg report where I broke $100,000 for the first time. Traditional Rollover IRA – $10,334.01 (-3.37%) My Roth IRA – $30,592.09 (+1.54%) Wife Roth IRA – $16,801.79 (+4.59%) Current Traditional 401k – $39,156.17 (+0.06%) Roth/Traditional % = 48.92 % (tax free) Total Retirement Nest Egg $96,884.06 (+0.09%) Copyright © 2010 My Financial Journey. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are…

  • Interum Retirement Nestegg Report – I broke $100,000 !!

    MFJ
    15 Oct 2009 | 7:26 am
    Traditional Rollover IRA $10,782.36 My Roth IRA $31,604.25 Wife Roth IRA $17,183.87 Current Traditional 401k $40,916.17 Total Retirement Nest Egg $100,486.65 Well as you can see from above nestegg report I broke through the 6 figure mark for the first time in my life. What does this mean in the grand scheme of things – pretty much nothing, but it is a fun milestone to know that the value of my retirement nestegg reached $100,000 shortly after I turned 30. On the flip side another milestone that I reached a little late is I now have contributed over $100,000 to my retirement accounts in…

  • Retirement Nestegg Report – September 2009

    MFJ
    1 Oct 2009 | 1:49 pm
    My retirement nestegg report for this month. Slowly but surely approaching a six figure retirement nestegg account. Traditional Rollover IRA – $10,694.27 (+3.89%) My Roth IRA – $30,126.74 (+4.66%) Wife Roth IRA – $16,065.05 (+4.41%) Current Traditional 401k – $39,132.26 (+9.73%) Roth/Traditional % = 48.10 % (tax free) Total Retirement Nest Egg $96,018.29 (+6.53%) Copyright © 2010 My Financial Journey. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright…
 
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    MoneyCrush

  • Demystifying IRAs

    Jackie
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    The basics of opening an IRA are simple in theory: Decide which type of IRA you want and qualify for (Traditional or Roth, if any) Choose a trustee Fill out some application forms Choose what you want to invest/save your money in Start sending money in — up to the applicable contribution limit or what works best in your situation. In practice though, there’s a little more to it than that. In fact it’s common to be confused about just what an IRA is exactly. Let’s start with what an IRA is NOT: An IRA is not stocks, mutual funds, index funds, real estate, money market…

  • How Does $100 Per Week in Spending Money Sound to You?

    Jackie
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    I read Smithee’s blog post at Consumerism Commentary about how his first week with only $100 went. I gotta admit, when I first saw the title I thought “What does he mean, only $100? $100 is a lot!”. Then it dawned on me. I have absolutely no idea how much I spend in an average week. I could tell you how much I spend in an average month, on everything including things like the house payment, but…figuring up how much I spend on average on the kinds of things he mentions in his post is another matter. So I decided to check, and quickly discovered that maybe I ought to…

  • Financial Priorities: Then, Now, and Everywhere in Between

    Jackie
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    Every now and then my husband and I sit down and talk about our financial priorities, etc. We talk about things that we’d like to do or buy, and how we can get to where we want to be. We also occasionally literally list things that we want out on paper or in a spreadsheet. My husband pulled up our most recent list, and it just cracked me up. Here’s the majority of our list from last year: crock pot new drinking glasses shower curtains new thick fluffy towels in dark green & burgundy or brown new salt & pepper shakers (or possibly just salt) Pool/Spa First, can you say…

  • Don’t Burn Out on the Road to Debt Reduction

    Jackie
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    We set out with the best of intentions: we’re going to stick to the budget this time, cook every meal at home, and pay off our debt in record time. At first we do great! We’re pumped. But…then we pass our favorite restaurant on the way home one day after work. We’re tired, and hungry, and we just don’t feel like cooking. So we stop and pick up takeout. The next day comes, and a bill we’d forgotten about shows up. We figure we’ve already blown the budget, so what’s one more thing? Before we know it, it’s the end of the month and things are…

  • The Culture of Immediacy

    Jackie
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    I listened to an interview with Tim Ferris recently as part of the Internet Business Mastery Academy’s “Grill the Guru” series. In the interview, Tim mentioned the culture of immediacy that we live in. Essentially, there’s this growing expectation that everything ought to happen immediately. If we have to wait 15 seconds for a web page to load, we move on. If someone doesn’t reply to our email within minutes, we wonder if they’re ever going to respond and grumble impatiently. Unfortunately, this tendency toward impatience (and an increasingly skewed sense…
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    Million Dollar Journey

  • A Frugal Valentine’s Day

    Kathryn
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am
    I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a huge fan of days that are purely commercial. Valentine’s Day is one of those. I’m sure it’s a huge money maker for card makers, chocolatiers and restaurants. Yet I’d be somewhat disappointed if the day passed and nothing was acknowledged. Valentine’s Day should be about appreciating the one you love. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Here are some ideas for celebrating a frugal Valentine’s Day. Cook a romantic dinner together Find a new recipe. Buy the ingredients together. Get a bottle of wine, light some candles, put on some…

  • Roadside Assistance Comparison

    FrugalTrader
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am
    I’ve never really given thought about buying roadside assistance protection before as I considered it just another unnecessary cost.  However, with an alternator failure the other day in our 8 year old car, it made me think about what it would cost to get a tow truck should I ever need one.   Along the same line of thought, the idea of roadside assistance started to appeal to me.  Being the comparison shopper that I am, I started to do some digging around on the available roadside assistance options out there. From my research, there seems to be quite a few players in the…

  • Six Common Myths about Stock Market Returns

    Ed Rempel
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am
    “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.” – Yogi Berra How did you do with the 12 questions in the first article of this series? We have found that most investors have quite exaggerated views about long term stock market returns, mainly believing they are much more erratic than they are. Here are the facts regarding some of the most common misconceptions and myths of stock market returns. 1. Stock market returns are random. Most people believe that market returns are essentially random. They believe that the odds of a losing year are always the same, regardless of what…

  • How I saved over 70% on my grocery bill

    Guest Blogger
    3 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am
    One of my simple pleasures in life is grocery shopping. I enjoy the smell of the bakery, the freshness of the seafood, the meat department, and the florist department. Although I enjoy spending time at the grocery store, the more time you spend in the grocery store, the more money you spend. The average spent is about $2.17 per minute, according to the Food Marketing Institute (http://www.fmi.org). I have developed a great grocery shopping system that requires good planning, math skills, and discipline that saves me time and money. To demonstrate my system just look at a recent receipt from a…

  • Beware of the Upsell

    Kathryn
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am
    Before my husband left for a 5 week business trip to India, someone kindly gave us a gift card for a steak dinner. Not ones to turn down a steak, we went. We’re not huge eaters. We simply wanted a basic steak dinner. My husband ordered a drink. I ordered water, not to be cheap but because I felt like water. “Bottled or seltzer?”, our pleasant server asks. “Just tap water is fine, thanks.” “For an appetizer?” “I think the classic dinner would be plenty, thanks.” “Would you like a side caesar salad with that? An extra helping of vegetables?” “No, thanks.” “Could we…
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    Bible Money Matters

  • Questions About The New Car Sales Tax Deduction Answered

    Peter Anderson
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:19 am
    I have been getting a lot of questions lately about the new car sales tax deduction that people can claim for cars bought in 2009.   A lot of people are getting ready to do their taxes, and they’re wondering if they qualify for the tax deduction. In the interest of answering some of the most common questions about the deduction, I thought I’d do an updated Q & A right here. New Car Sales Tax Deduction Facts Fast facts about the sales tax deduction, who is eligible, how to claim it and more: How much of the sales tax can I claim? State and local sales and excise taxes paid on…

  • Non Financial Considerations Of Selling Your Home: Should You Sell Your House?

    Jason Price
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am
    As a reminder, this is the second post of a two post series helping you answer the question:  Should you sell your house? The first post looked at the financial considerations of selling your house.   I discussed costs in selling and buying, interest rates, whether or not selling will help you get out of debt sooner, how long you’ve been in the house and the current tax credit consideration. Other Considerations For Selling Your House This week I’m going to cover some of the non financial considerations in deciding to sell your house.  These considerations shouldn’t stand by…

  • Deciding How Much to Allocate In Your Budget

    Guest Poster
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Bryce Bartruff, senior director and COO of American Missionary Fellowship, leads a personal finance workshop called “Fiscal Fitness.” For more information about attending or hosting a workshop in your area, give him a call at 610-527-4439, ext. 104 or email him through the contact form. “Do you know how to make God laugh?” my nephew, RJ, asked as we walked to the parking lot. “I must admit, I don’t know,” was my response. “Just tell Him what you think you are going to do tomorrow,” he replied. I just smiled. RJ was so right. We make all kinds of plans and think we know our…

  • Tips On How To Obey “Thou Shalt Not Covet”

    Guest Poster
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    This is a guest post from Mr Credit Card from askmrcreditcard.com. If you are looking for a credit card, check out his list of best credit cards recommendations. A few weeks ago, my Pastor from church was preaching about “Thou shalt not covet” – one of the Ten Commandments. He said that it was not one of the most talked about commandments but was nevertheless very important and so easy to break. He gave the following analogy. He said that if he was caught reading a “Playboy” magazine in his office, it would be a scandal! But if he was seen reading “Kitchen…

  • How A Little Blogging Insider Information Can Help You Find Trusted Financial Information Online

    Craig Ford
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    Isn’t the web an amazing thing?  This blog would certainly be a different thing without the net.  Because there is so much information online it is occasionally hard to know where to go for accurate financial information. Peter just finished off a fantastic series on How To Make Money With A Blog.  Non-bloggers can also learn some important information from some of those posts because a little insider blogging information can actually help you find good financial resources online.. How to Find Trustworthy Financial Information Online Lessons from SEO and Niche Websites Since I’ve…
 
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    Canadian Personal Finance Blog

  • I Spent How Much Last Week

    bigcajunman
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:40 pm
    Quicken is a useful tool for me, to track my family’s spending habits, but last week was an interesting week for me. I started working full time in 1986, so some might say more than a generation ago (depending on how you count), and when I was first hired, I was paid a reasonable wage (not an exorbitant one, but reasonable). My wife and I lived on this income in a reasonable apartment, and we lived a frugal but reasonable life. Flashback to last week, where in two purchases I eclipsed my yearly gross income for 1988 (2 years after I had started working full time). What did I buy? A…

  • Employment Improves While Market Burns

    bigcajunman
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:32 pm
    Friday, Stats Canada published their monthly update on the Labor Force Survey for January and the numbers were a little better than the prognosticators were guessing, as employment increased by 43,000 jobs last month (the number bandied about I had heard was 15,000), which actually pushed the unemployment rate down 1/10% as well. This is relatively good news, given the gloom and doom from the stock markets and the commodities world of the past few days (at the end of last week). Employment gains in January were driven by women aged 25 to 54 and youths. This was the first notable increase for…

  • Video: Cliff Stoll Hacker Catcher

    bigcajunman
    5 Feb 2010 | 11:13 pm
    Cliff Stoll is an interesting “hero” for techno-geeks like me, and seeing that he did a talk for Ted, made me want to share it with you, good reader. His book The Cuckoo’s Egg is a very interesting read. He found a KGB hacker, even though his expertise is in Astronomy, but he decided to figure out how all this Internet thing works, and became a techno-sleuth while doing it. His frenetic pace and stacato delivery is both wild but also refreshing to hear (OK I don’t think I could work with him, he might drive me nuts, but he is still an amazing person to listen to).

  • Random Thoughts: Financial Shock Collar?

    bigcajunman
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:37 pm
    As my regular readers see, sometimes my mind wanders to weird places and I must admit I am not sure where most of this came from. On Sunday night at 5:00 PM I had nothing to write for Monday, but looked at the GPS I had just received from Christmas, started writing about a Financial GPS and from their we got to Financial Shock Collars and here we are Friday with a whole week of very odd postings by me. I empathize with those in dire financial quandaries, but in some cases the Financial Shock Collar may be the only answer. As Mrs. C8j pointed out in a comment she made, a lot of issues with…

  • No Bank Would Do That!

    bigcajunman
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:49 pm
    It has been pointed out that my post yesterday about a Real Service for Chronic Over Spenders is at best naive at worst unlikely to ever happen. Why wouldn’t a bank run a service like this? The answer is simple, it does not make them any money. Banks make money on: Customers who carry balances on their credit cards. Customers that use the over-draft service available to them. Folks with bad credit that don’t get preferential interest rates. Consumers who do not carry the minimum balances in their bank accounts to get free banking (and thus pay $25 a month in service fees) Debtors…
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    DebtFREE-Revolution

  • Company Match in Investment Plans at Work

    Ana
    19 Jan 2010 | 3:36 pm
    Back to my semi-Saturday series of “investing fro complete and utter idiots (and dummies too)” which is my tongue-in-cheek attempt to understand the super-complex world of investment and then explain it to others like me who have no background in the subject.  I’m going to go ultra-basic today, and tackle the idea of a company match in your investment plan at work. First up, I don’t have any investment plan at my work.  LOL It would be sweet if I did, but the boss lets us students do homework on the clock when business is slow, so I guess I can’t complain.  I…

  • My Tuition Paid Finally

    Ana
    22 Aug 2008 | 2:03 pm
    I finally got things squared away with registering for fall classes.  Good thing … the semester officially starts tomorrow!  I start on Monday at the indecent hour of 0800 (8 AM for civilians), but that was the only time biochemistry is offered this fall. I had my tuition money saved up and tucked away, but it still hurts authorizing a $2021 payment.  Especially after all the headache, pain, and phone calls needed to simply accomplish registration!  Apparently I hit some kind of odd glitch, even though the registrars office refuses to call it that.  I ended up talking to the…

  • Paid Tuition for Son’s School

    Ana
    6 Aug 2008 | 12:17 pm
    Yeee-OUCH!  I just got back from paying son’s private school tuition, and I honestly cannot remember writing a check that large before in my life.  No joke, I just wrote a check for $5900.  Wow. I have not only been expecting this, but have planned for it all summer long.  Next week I will probably be authorizing an online payment for my own tuition, so August is the dreaded “tuition month” for us.  I’m expecting my tuition to run $2300-2500, and that will seem easy after this one. The good news is son’s tuition is for the entire school year, and frees up…

  • Economic Reality and Delivering Pizzas

    Ana
    1 Aug 2008 | 6:37 pm
    Last weekend I mentioned the numbers on the economics of delivering pizzas changed with the new pay scale that went into effect with the increase in minimum wage.  Today in between deliveries, I ran hard numbers from the last two weeks of this new pay scale and it wasn’t pretty. Minimum wage went up 70 cents an hour, and to compensate the boss man cut our per-delivery pay by 53 cents per delivery.  Since I could only find two nights recedntly where I only ran one delivery per hour or less, this is actually a PAY CUT for me.  Last weekend I was running 2 or 3 deliveries per hour. Gas…

  • Carnival of Debt Reduction 150: College Tuition Bills

    Ana
    28 Jul 2008 | 10:16 am
    No fancy theme for this week’s Carnival of Debt Reduction, as I just spent almost an hour on campus doing the academic advising thing so I can finally register for classes.  Yeah, a little late in the summer, but I had to figure out how to switch my major and my academic advisor and the college’s website does NOT make that an easy task.  It was so much easier to do when you had to go talk to a real person and fill out a paper form!  Next step: registering for classes on “drop day” then paying the bill right afterwards.  “Drop day” is when the registrar…
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    Pecuniarities

  • Resisting the Urge to Splurge

    Penelope Pince
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:10 am
    I received the following comment today from a reader about my earlier post Simple Solutions to Staying Out of Debt: “All good advice – sadly, it is harder than it sounds. But then again, the more you make the more you can spend, so figuring out how to live within your means is a lesson we should all learn at an early age!” Yes, it is harder than it sounds; almost everything is. But what it all boils down to is common sense, self-discipline and keeping your priorities in mind. It is true that it would be ideal to learn such lessons at an early age, but there is no reason why…

  • Guide to Safe and Smart Traveling with Pets

    Penelope Pince
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:40 am
    There is nothing like a vacation with the whole family. Four-legged family members add a lot of fun to the trip, but they also add a lot of work and responsibility. (I’m thinking maybe each two legs is the equivalent of one two-legged person’s worth of energy.) As I mentioned in my previous post, Frugal Travel Begins Before the Trip: Vacation Preparation Checklist, it is the preparation that determines how much fun you will have; the better prepared, the more you will be able to enjoy your trip. And again, the way to travel frugally is to travel prepared. So to follow up that…

  • Monopoly Game Expansion #2: Personal Checking Account

    Penelope Pince
    6 Feb 2010 | 1:36 am
    Expansions Difficulty/Complexity: Easy This is a cash-free version of the game wherein all transactions are handled through personal checking accounts and recorded in individual check registers. Each player is responsible for his own account and must record all transactions – payment and receipt of rent, taxes, bribes, etc. in his check register. Objective To teach children (and some adults) how to accurately record transactions and balance a check register. How to Play Download and print the Bank of Monopoly Personal Check Register (includes rules) Instead of distributing cash at the…

  • Patchwork Berets from Fabric Scraps

    Madoline Hatter
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:23 am
    Fabric scraps are the natural by-product of a sewing project. Bags and Bags of fabric scraps are the natural result of many sewing projects and the frugal impulse to keep every potential resource. While these collections of small and irregular pieces tend to be a nuisance, they are usually of beautiful or expensive materials that I could not throw away with good conscience. My spring cleaning therefore begins with using up these scraps as fast as possible and disposing of the remaining shreds. One easy way to use fabric scraps is to make patchwork berets which are highly individual and as…

  • Go on, cut that cable! Websites for Watching Free TV Full Episodes, Movies and News Online

    Penelope Pince
    4 Feb 2010 | 1:18 am
    I will be the first to admit that I LOVE television and movies. I have been an avid TV-watcher since I was a kid. To this day, I can still remember the schedule for my favorite show, a cartoon called Doraemon, when I was 6 years old and living in Japan – Friday nights at 7:00 on Channel 10. Despite being a pretty intelligent kid — I read a lot and got good grades — I loved television. Some of my favorite shows as a kid (now living in the States) were Flipper, Lassie, Saved By the Bell, Full House, Growing Pains, I Love Lucy, etc. I haven’t changed a bit as far as this area of…
 
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    Early Retirement Extreme

  • Should I go back to work?

    Jacob
    9 Feb 2010 | 1:14 am
    Question: I am 34 years old and have about $250000 in investments that pay enough to pay for all my needs and most of my wants and keep up with inflation for the rest of my life. Lately, though, I have been wondering whether I am missing out by not having a career. Everybody I know seems to think that a career is important. Answer: I think many financially independent early retires have thought about returning to work at some point. A lot of people go to work everyday and at least some of them say they love it and that they are very passionate about it so I can see the attraction of spending…

  • How to avoid career opportunity costs

    Jacob
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:43 am
    A middle class career is often presented as the only worthwhile lifestyle to strive for(*). Here the idea is to get an education and then work for a good 30 or 40 years while slowly saving a little bit every month for the day one can retire from the career and do something else and perhaps become what one always wanted to be—self-actualization. Of course, it is in the middle class’s interest that employees align their self-interest with the employers’ interest much like self-sacrificing worker ants align their interest with the hive. The way that education has been…

  • Maybe nobody knows how to cook?

    Jacob
    6 Feb 2010 | 11:22 am
    A scary thought just occurred to me. With stores being cleared out in the DC area for toast bread, milk, and eggs, presumably because the residents otherwise feed themselves with take-out food; and combined with the observation that one would actually be hard pressed to cook anything out of the ingredients found in a regular walmart (not a super walmart) and the fact that walmart are ubiquitous and thus representative of profit maximizing consumer patterns: Could it be that people—at least those partaking in this frenzy and it’s quite a lot—frankly have no idea how to cook…

  • Sympathetic magic and the church of positive thinking

    Jacob
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:39 am
    Magical thinking is the cognitive mistake of confusing correlation with causation. It is a very common mistake and is due to a lack of critical thinking. A person is particular prone to this mistake if he is incapable of thinking “statistically”. To think statistically one must be able to reason alternative scenarios leading to alternative explanations. For instance, imagine that we have a digital clock. Now, thinking statistically, we realize that if we look at this clock, the first two digits can show 12 or 24 different values. The last two can show 60 different values. If,…

  • Making tortilla chips

    Jacob
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:20 pm
    Ingredients: Tortillas, corn or flour, 6″, 8″, 10″, … it doesn’t matter. Some kind of food grade oil, … it doesn’t matter. Salt (sodium chloride, though, that matters) and other spices. Use a pizza cutter or a knife or simply tear the tortillas into whatever forms you prefer. If you have a 2 pound bag, you can really make a lot! Put the pieces on a baking sheet, dutch oven, pan, … it doesn’t matter. Use a brush or a finger, … it doesn’t matter, to spread a thin layer of oil on the top side of the tortillas. Sprinkle salt or…
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    The Happy Rock

  • DD’s Monthly Expenses - January 2010

    Debt Destroyer
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:43 pm
    I must be getting old, because time is really flying by.  Hopefully that means spring will be here soon. Below is my family’s expenses for January: $840.39 - Mortgage $759.20 - health Insurance $507.48 - Groceries $450.00 - Preschool $382.55 - Electricity $305.88 - Contacts $168.36 - Clothing $134.07 - Household Misc $120.00 - Student Loan $111.22 - Dining Out $108.65 - Phone & Internet $85.00 - Tennis $65.00 - Donations $63.43 - Water, Sewer, & Garbage $61.91 - Bedding $42.94 - Gas $41.34 - Hair Care $40.00 - Pearl Jam $39.12 - Medical $34.08 - Gifts $30.53 - Yoga $23.50 -…

  • DD’s Annual Debt Checkup

    Debt Destroyer
    20 Jan 2010 | 9:04 pm
    Tonight at dinner I told me wife that we were down to only $3500 left on her student loan. She gave a chuckle and said that she has forgotten almost everything she learned in college.  I told her that was alright since the stuff she did remember was probably out of date anyway. I figured it being January and all that it was time I gave a look to see how we are sitting debt-wise.  Last January when I did this we still had $99,625 in debt. This was comprised of: $94,274 - Mortgage $5,350  - Student Loan As of today we now owe……..drumroll……$96,055, which is comprised…

  • DD’s Monthly Expenses - December 2009

    Debt Destroyer
    9 Jan 2010 | 8:16 pm
    Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I have been having a difficult time getting back into rhythm after the holidays.  Hopefully I can get back on track soon.  Until then here is my family’s spending report for last month. $840.39 - Mortgage $759.20 - Health Insurance $637.27 - Christmas Presents $472.44 - Groceries $450.00 - Preschool $223.42 - Household Misc $211.99 - flip video camera $155.83 - Gas $152.66 - Dog $150.00 - Student Loan $148.35 - Boots $146.64 - Electricity $145.79 - Bed $103.65 - Phone & Internet $70.00 - Donations $66.78 - Clothes $65.20 - B-Day…

  • Black-Market Christmas - Zhu Zhu Pets

    Debt Destroyer
    17 Dec 2009 | 7:10 pm
    Now that Black Friday is well behind us, it’s time to get serious about finding that great gift. As luck would have it, my daughter wants one of the hottest toys for 2009. You guessed it, she wants Zhu Zhu Pets!!! For those of you who are lucky enough to not know what they are, watch this commercial: She first told me about Zhu Zhu Pets a couple of months ago, after she saw a commercial for them during Saturday morning cartoons (darn cartoons). She made me come and watch it with her so I knew what she was talking about.  They seemed cute, but nothing special. They didn’t look…

  • DD’s Monthly Expenses - November 2009

    Debt Destroyer
    12 Dec 2009 | 11:35 pm
    School has been kicking my butt lately.  I’ve never looked forward to Thanksgiving as much as I did this year, and then it flew by way too fast.  Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to squeeze out some posts during finals week. As you long time readers know, I track my family’s expenses.  Below is the damage from November: $840.39 - Mortgage $759.20 - Health Insurance $600.32 - Dishwasher (Repair & Replace) $520.49 - Groceries $450.00 - Preschool $176.73 - Household Misc $155.00 - Student Loan $152.56 - Christmas Presents $148.19 - Electricity $141.73  - Beauty…
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    PFBlog.com: The Unique Personal Finance Blog Since 2003

  • Monthly Update - January 2010 ($970,356, +$452)

    webmaster@pfblog.com
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:54 pm
    If I can only add less than $500 to our net worth tally every month, it will take us another five years to reach the 7-figure milestone. On the other hand, the tiny improvement in January is not exactly bad, considering the brutal market condition. On the income side, we started the year with a positive note. Aside from our regular income, many long-term business relationships are again generating cash results, which helped our cash stockpiling. We continue to save about 40% of our regular income. The result from the investment side is cloudy at best. After suffering some loss, we continued…

  • Fidelity Offers $7.95 Commission and Free ETF Trades

    webmaster@pfblog.com
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:17 am
    As reported by New York Times, Fidelity is lowering its online stock trading commission to $7.95 in response to Charles Schwab's earlier move of cutting commission to $8.95. In addition, Fidelity is upping the ante by aggressively competing in ETF trading as well. In fact, it is now offering free trades on 25 iShare Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) managed by BlackRock. Those ETFs available for commission-free trade represents a wide spectrum of asset classes: READ FULL POST ... Hot Deal: 5% cashback on everything from Citi CashReturns Mastercard Read more news like this from PFBlog.com, The…

  • Losing 37% a Year for 10 Years Straight

    webmaster@pfblog.com
    25 Jan 2010 | 2:15 pm
    Yes, the past decade of 2000s didn't treat investors well. If you invested in the DJIA, you lost 9% for the decade. A S&P 500 investor lost 24%. And a NASDAQ investor lost 44%, thanks to the fact that we started the decade at the height of the dot com bubble. All the above figures are absolute, un-annualized returns. That is, your original 10,000 dollar investment will end up at approximately $9,100, $7,600, and $5,600 respectively. But how about losing at an annualized rate of 37% a year for 10 years? That's what Frontier MicroCap (FEFPX) has managed to treat its investors. If your crystal…

  • Berkshire Hathaway Completed 50-for-1 Split

    webmaster@pfblog.com
    21 Jan 2010 | 10:51 pm
    I waked up this morning, and was surprised to find my net worth dropped by over 40 grand overnight. Yes, the broad market was down, but not to this magnitude! Are we back to the Lehman Brothers days? Then I realized what happened. January 21 was the date when the B shares of Berkshire Hathaway underwent a split of 50-for-1. My 12 shares of the conglomerate led by the Sage of Omaha is now 600 shares, and my personal accounting software was not smart enough to pick that up. Stock split is technically a net-zero event, but as USA Today concluded, the split of one of the most expensive stock on…

  • Income Tax Law Changes in 2010

    webmaster@pfblog.com
    11 Jan 2010 | 7:10 pm
    Our legislators in D.C. are determined to challenge everyone's intellectual capacity in handling ever-growing tax code every year. What will 2010 bring? TurboTax maker Intuit compiled a good list of the new tax code that will govern our tax life in 2010 (and future years). Among the changes, the most important one for savers will be the Roth IRA conversion change (emphasis is mine): Roth IRA Conversions Starting in 2010, individuals with any amount of modified Adjusted Gross Income are free to switch a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Conversions are fully taxable at your regular tax rate. For…
 
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    2million's Personal Finance Blog

  • 2009 Investment Performance Review (+34.31%)

    2million
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:30 pm
    Since we have been paying close attention to our investments via monthly reports on this blog, its pretty easy to do a quick analysis of our annual performance. These year end results are awesome - wish I could see this performance on a more regular basis :-). Jan-09 Net Contributions Dec-09 Midpoint Dietz Return Taxable Accts $ 83,438.34 $14,642.78 $130,039.82 35.21% Retirement Accts $ 36,129.37 $11,558.00 $ 61,241.56 32.34% Total $119,567.71 $26,200.78 $191,281.38 34.31% Benchmark (VTI) $13,045.86 $ 425.00 $ 17,388.87 29.55% Explanation of Midpoint Dietz method to calculate rate of return…

  • Investment Performance December 2009 (+1.95%)

    2million
    31 Jan 2010 | 3:48 pm
    This is an ongoing monthly update on how our equity investments are performing. Please see this background on the investment tool I developed and how I am using it to track our performance against a benchmark to measure our progress or lack thereof. The only equity investments not covered are: 1) my 401k which is invested in institutional index funds through my employer that I haven't found a tracking symbol for. 2) investments roughly worth less than $500, simply because I don't have the time and energy to keep up with them. I am thinking I will sell these off at some point and add the…

  • Moving From MS Money to Mint.com?

    2million
    29 Jan 2010 | 10:49 am
    Back in June 2009 MS Money was officially killed off so it is only a matter of time before I need to find a new tool to help manage our personal finances. Given I had some time it seemed like the start of the new year was the perfect time to start looking at alternatives tools. After a quick review I thought my best potential options were Mint.com or Quicken Home & Business. Mint.com Pros: Free! Web based so no software required and could access on any computer. Web design seems very slick for categorizing expenses, etc. Cons: Transactions limited to web access financial accounts. No real…

  • 2009 Dividend Income Summary

    2million
    27 Jan 2010 | 4:22 pm
    2009 was a rough year for dividend income. For the past couple years I have been tracking a 30-50% growth rate in dividend income, but 2009 was the first year our dividend income actually shrank despite a net increase in stock holdings for the year. Its largerly explained by the dividend cuts of a number of blue-chip companies. For us the announcements of Pfizer, Wachovia/Well Fargo, and GE dividend cuts in 2009 all had significant impacts to our dividend income. I pay close attention to our annual dividend income because its one piece of the passive income we are going to need once we hit…

  • The Finanical Effects of Transitioning To Parenthood

    2million
    24 Jan 2010 | 9:40 am
    When we sit down and think about it, our transition to parenthood has really had a snowball affect on our finances. While before our child I would have easily recognized the expenses of a hospital birth, diapers, formula etc, with a baby there have been a lot less obvious effects on our finances. Loss of 1 Income- My wife did not pursue a full-time position when we returned from China. Since we were expecting and we both believed it was very important for at least one of us to stay home with our daughter, my wife decided not to look for a full-time teaching position when we returned to the…
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    Wealth Creation Strategies | OnMoneyMaking

  • 6 Sites to Make Money Online From Writing

    admin
    25 Jan 2010 | 1:44 pm
    Having been an online content producer for some time now, I’ve found myself lucky to stumble across what I consider some of the better sites for online writers. In most instances, before you begin work with an online content site, it’s a good idea to conduct your due diligence. Read some reviews by those who have used the site, look for reports of problems with payments or service, and consider testing the site with an article or two before committing any real work to it. Here are a few of the sites that I’ve had contact with and some of what I’ve learned and liked about each site. 1.

  • A Look At Google Sniper

    admin
    28 Nov 2009 | 6:33 pm
    This blog is primarily about how to increase our income in order to live out our dreams. Unfortunately for many folks, a substantial increase in income is going to be difficult (if not impossible) barring a major career change, and so it’s a good idea to look at ways outside of our nine to five jobs by which we can create additional streams of revenue. I have personally used the Internet to create a moderate amount of passive income, and have been looking to expand my efforts in order to pad my wallet further. This desire has lead me to try and experiment with many different systems and…

  • Free Courses for Establishing a Home Based Business

    admin
    24 Sep 2009 | 9:29 pm
    The Internet is filled with money making opportunities, and most are mediocre at best, if not down right fraudulent. I would like to tell you about one of the better opportunities I have come across, and it’s absolutely free so you really have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. This opportunity is offered by Kevin Potts, founder of the website CambridgeBusinessAcademy.com. Before establishing this website, Mr. Potts worked in the corporate world, was involved with venture capitalists and was even a full time religious minister for 8 years. While growing his congregation from 200 to 600…

  • Professional Resume Services Online

    admin
    5 Sep 2009 | 11:02 pm
    The process of landing a job usually requires a resume, but with so many people of all backgrounds looking for a job, you need a resume that truly stands out from the rest. Writing and re-writing your own cover letter to be tailored for each job is a must, but whether it is for executive resumes or jobs for felons, having a great resume usually requires an outside advice. To that end, it is essential to get your resume looked at by a professional resume writer, and if necessary, revised by them. For instance, consider the services offered by the website TopSecretResumes.com. This site…

  • Online Loan Comparison

    admin
    24 Aug 2009 | 8:56 pm
    Since the recession is not truly over, many people are forced to rely on loans of any type to pay bills. However, finding a company or financial institution that would be willing to offer loans and credit cards that are payable at convenient terms, can be frustrating and time consuming. Moreover, the terms and conditions for car loans, home loans, credit cards, etc’ are often filled with jargon and legalese, making them hard to understand. An example of a site targeted for this problem is http://www.compare2save.com.au/. The site provides a list of trusted, regulated financial service…
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    FIRE Finance

  • Free McAfee Internet Security

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:48 pm
    [This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).]Bank of America is offering FREE McAfee Internet Security for 12 months to their customers. This will keep your PC safe and secure. McAfee® Internet Security for one year is worth $69.99 which is now yours for FREE.Free McAfee Internet Security LinkFor those of you who are new to McAfee Internet Security, here is a list of its features which protects you from:» Viruses, spyware, and adware» Detects, blocks and removes them» Phishing» Alerts you to websites that may try to steal your identity» Spam»…

  • The Human Camera - Stephen Wiltshire

    5 Feb 2010 | 6:59 pm
    [This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).]Have you ever heard of a human camera? Well, we hadn't too until we stumbled upon Stephen Wiltshire. This autistic man is a human camera! With his immaculate memory he draws entire cities from memory right down to the true number of doors and windows of each building. Absolutely mind blowing isn't it? Check out this video which shows how he draws the entire city of Rome on five and half yards of paper after a 45 minute helicopter ride.Stephen was born in London to West Indian parents on 24th April, 1974.

  • Restaurant.com - Special Discount 60% OFF + Receive a $15 FTD Reward

    5 Feb 2010 | 6:09 pm
    [This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).]Feb 05, 2010: Today we came across a great deal from Restaurant.com. Since we are frugal diners this special discount on their dining gift certificates is a welcome break for us. Hope it helps in saving some dining dollars.Beginning now, Restaurant.com is offering 60% OFF on their dining certificates + Receive a $15 FTD Reward!This means that their $25 dining gift certificates that normally sell for $10 have been reduced to $4 ONLY.Promo Code: Enter BLOOM at checkout.Hurry! This offer is valid through Feb…

  • Donating An Old Car May Not Be Tax Deductible

    4 Feb 2010 | 3:26 am
    [This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).]Feb 04, 2010: For many of us, our cars are prized possessions. As all good things come to an end, so does a car. Maybe it is time to get a bigger or better car for the family. Perhaps it has run a good 150k miles. Whatever be the reason a day might come when we have to part with our dear automobile. If it has a good resale value selling it to a private party or a dealer is an option. However we do have another choice - donating it to a charity for a good cause. Even if the car is not in a proper running…

  • TurboTax - Quicken Bundle - $25 OFF Special Discount Coupon Deal

    1 Feb 2010 | 6:39 pm
    [This post is written and copyrighted by FIRE Finance (http://firefinance.blogspot.com).] Feb 01, 2010: TurboTax and Quicken (Intuit Inc.) have tied up together to offer some great combo deals. Now we can track our income and spending in one place and enjoy a faster tax prep in one go.Limited Time Offer(s)» FREE Quicken Willmaker ($69.99 value) with the purchase of any Quicken Desktop SoftwareClick on this link to get it - Quicken - FREE ShippingFor a limited time Amazon is offering a special rebate which will save you $25 when you buy a Quicken product with your TurboTax software. This…
 
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    Ranjan Varma

  • Dozen Rules For An Economist To Remember

    Ranjan
    20 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am
    I receive a newsletter from Sundaram BNP Paribas Asset Management Company and it’s worth reading. I guess you need to invest in their funds to get that newsletter. I found the “Rosenberg Dozen” in that newsletter and I am sharing that with you. David Rosenberg, Chief Economist at Gluskin Sheff, has the following economist’s dozen of rules : In order for an economic forecast to be relevant, it must be combined with a market call. Never be a slave to data, they are no substitute for astute observation of the big picture. The consensus rarely gets it right and almost…

  • How to Sell ULIPs to Unsuspecting Customers

    Ranjan
    18 Jan 2010 | 10:24 pm
    Recently, I was an unannounced visitor to my Aunt’s place where a bunch of people were explaining a financial product. It turned out that the people were Branch Head and Advisor of a private insurance company and they were selling a ULIP. My Aunt is a successful Doctor and seeing me, she immediately offloaded her burden of understanding the product to me. Even though I hate ULIPs, I pretended to be another uninformed customer. I listened to their articulate description of the benefits, their customer service policies, their ethics, etc. They said that the product will no longer be…

  • The Iceberg Theory of Money Management

    Ranjan
    25 Nov 2009 | 11:31 pm
    I have seen smart people make stupid money mistakes. I see smart marketers of our financial institutions hiding more than they reveal. Ofcourse they have all the financial jargons to their support. I have also seen seemingly dumb guys making a pot of gold for themselves. I have wondered why people avoid money management before. But this post is about the visible and the hidden components of money management. In other words, the iceberg theory of money management. Iceberg Theory of Money Management As I said, knowledgeable people make financial mistakes too. This happens because despite…

  • Indibloggies Award: Vote Please

    Ranjan
    25 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am
    India’s first (established 2003) and very own desi blog awards, the Indibloggies are publicly-chosen awards conferred on bloggers from India. A jury sifts through the numerous blogs that are openly nominated by the fellow bloggers, to contend for the title of the Best Indiblog in each of the 17 categories. An open vote is then conducted to pick out the winning blog from the nominations. This Blog has been nominated in the Best New Indiblog category. It feels special to be nominated and will be really thrilling to win the award. I write this blog to share what I know with my readers. I…

  • Advantages of Investing Through SIP

    Ranjan
    25 Nov 2009 | 2:38 am
    A recent Economic Times report throws up some interesting trivia. India’s top equity diversified funds have returned 16% to 18% in the last 3 years. However, SIP (systematic investment plan) investors would have earned returns in the range of 25% to 28% during the same period. That too by investing in the same funds! So what makes all the difference is this – lump sum investors would have invested at only one level of the market. In this case, it would be 13,680 on the Sensex as on November 23, 2006. Their investments would then have subsequently gone through a rollercoaster ride…
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    How I Save Money.net

  • 6 Questions To Get To Know Each Other Financially

    LuLuGal
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:47 am
    I saw this post over at Budgets Sexy and thought it was a good way for us all to share a little bit more. I encourage you to fill out your own responses in the comments below so that we can all get to know each other a little better. 1) How do you spend: cash, debit or credit? Cash? What’s that? I spend mostly using my rewards credit cards and pay them off in full every month. I do need to use quarters to do laundry so I get a roll of those every so often when I run to Walmart. I have a debit card from ING but have not used the card except for the time when they are running a promotion.

  • Tracking My Finances In 2010: February Week 1

    LuLuGal
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:50 am
    I have decided to post my weekly spending for the previous week on Fridays so you know how my cash has been flowing for the week. Please note that I get paid on the last day of the month so my cash flow net effect will usually be negative until the last day of the month. This does not mean that I am adding to my debt, it just means that the money coming in is less than the money going out because bills are due starting on the first but I don’t get paid until the last day. So again to clarify (since I get so many questions), this shows the cash FLOW for the month. On Day 2 of every…

  • No Spend Month: February 2010

    LuLuGal
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:47 am
    My last No Spend Month (January 2010) did not go as well as I had planned because of a number of unexpected crises. I did do less shopping but I ended up spending more money on bills that completely ate away any savings that I might have had from buying less. I am going to try another Financial Fast this month and try to have a No Spend February. Here are a few of the things that I already know I should not buy this month because I already have enough to last me until the next month: toothpaste toothbrushes antiperspirant/deodorant mouthwash body wash bath soap laundry detergent toilet paper…

  • No Budget And No Clue

    LuLuGal
    1 Feb 2010 | 4:40 am
    In addition to Getting Mad About Getting Paid there are people who have No Budget and No Clue. Recently someone complained about all the high fees her family was paying in overdrafts every month. She thinks that she was paying about 3 overdraft fees every month because of not knowing who was withdrawing money or having late deposits. I offered to help the individual and even set up a spending log so she could track her spending to get an idea of where the money was going. The person said she would fill in the sheets on the weekend and I reminded her every few days. On the Monday following our…

  • Month End Financial Check Up January 2010

    LuLuGal
    31 Jan 2010 | 6:47 am
    It is the end of the month and I am pleased to report that I came out in the black this month at a total of $42.20 even after all the drama. It is a little bit strange because my paycheck for this month was down by $9.30 as my withholding amount went up. I have no idea why this happened because I did not change anything but I did reduce my zero based budget by $10 to account for this reduction in income. I got my adsense payment and it really helped to bolster the differences between spending and saving this month. I also got some tiny payments in from Lending Club and Prosper from loans that…
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    Funny about Money

  • Low-key and DIY burglar repellents

    funny
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:46 am
    Last weekend my now-former research assistant, who bought a house in the neighborhood shortly before Her Deanship announced the university would close our office and can us all, reported that the house was burgled while she and the kids were at church. The burglars missed her laptop, which was recharging in an out-of-the-way spot in the family room, but they did grab her husband’s laptop and cleaned out all her jewelry, most of which consisted of keepsakes from her mother. Understandably, she’s feeling pretty disturbed and vulnerable, especially since the burglars entered with…

  • Tracking down an insurance policy

    funny
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:56 am
    Now that Medicare is coming up, I have to find an insurer from whom to buy a Medigap policy. Yesterday I found an unexpected and valuable resource for insurance consumers, which I’ll describe below. First, by way of background for those who have not yet enjoyed the privilege of trying to navigate the astonishing maze that is Medicare, the system works like this: You can choose “Traditional” Medicare, a type of indemnity plan cobbled together with Medicare Part A (which covers approximately 80 percent of most hospital bills and which is free) and Medicare Part B (covering a…

  • A couple of small household hints

    funny
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am
    This week two interesting articles in the Make It from Scratch carnival caught my attention: Tammy at Simply Beck’s Bounty ruminates on the practicality of cloth napkins relative to paper, and Beth at Fake Plastic Fish explains how to make ice packs and heating pads without benefit of plastic. Tammy points out that you can make napkins from bath towels and face towels, among other handy sources of fabric. When I’m here alone, one of my favorite napkins is a waffle-weave dish towel. They’re very absorbent, soft on the hands, and big enough to cover your lap generously. If you…

  • Moments of Fame

    funny
    6 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am
    This post crashed last week when FaM went down, just as I was almost done writing it. Today I haven’t much time…so this will have to be ultrashort. Three carnival masters kindly included Funny this week: Patrick at Cash Money Life hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance (Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage?). If you haven’t visited this round-up, you should, if only for its interesting and strangely hilarious theme. Sarah at Glory in the Clutter hosted the Make It from Scratch Carnival (We Don’t Need No Steenking Laundry Detergent). The Pragmatic Environmentalist hosted…

  • Here come the new taxes…

    funny
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:57 am
    The City of Phoenix, strapped to the point of having to lay off firefighters and police officers, has decided to institute a sales tax on food sold in grocery stores, which we’ve never had before. The new bite will be 2 percent, added on top of the existing 8.3 percent tax we pay on every other retail item. This will raise our retail tax, effectively, to 10.3 percent. Doesn’t stop there, though: the state is about to float a referendum asking taxpayers to approve a “temporary” (har har!) 3 percent sales tax. This would raise our extra gouge in the grocery store to 15.3…
 
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    Rule #1 Blog: Phil Town on Investing

  • That 70’s Show (continued)

    Phil Town
    19 Jan 2010 | 3:55 am
    In my last post I wrote about how there is a parallel between government policies in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s and now.  And that I believe there will be a similar stock market reaction to those policies. And since money to pay for these entitlement and international programs doesn’t come out of thin air, the way politicians try to have their cake and eat it too is predictable: Tax the rich and print the money.  In the last post I tried to show you how taxing the ‘rich’ predictably reduces jobs and stops the stock market in its tracks.  No new jobs and no stock market…

  • That 70's Show

    Phil Town
    17 Jan 2010 | 6:37 pm
    The stock market is well on its way to a repeat of the market from 1965 to 1983 – 18 years of an indexed 0% market return.  We have all the ingredients.  Here was the situation by the early 70’s:-       We were ending an expensive war-       We were spending massive federal money to create a ‘great society’-       We were massively intervening in financial markets-       The stock market was flat after the end of a long bull market-       Inflation was on the wayThese things have a big effect on stock prices.  When the American people forget that the government has…

  • Phil Town on Merger Arbitrage

    Phil Town
    11 Jan 2010 | 9:20 am
    Nick asked me about doing arbitrage on mergers.  His point is that the market has jumped massively since last March when I said to get back in and he's made out well ... but what now?  Is this an opportunity to profit from buying into potential mergers?So called 'merger arbitrage' is a risky business that Mr. Buffett plays from time to time.  It can be a Rule #1 strategy.  Here's how it works: Rupert Murdoch wants to buy the Wall Street Journal.  It is selling its stock for $36.  He makes an offer and its accepted by the WSJ board - $60 a share.  On the announcement of the deal, the…

  • How the Rich get Richer

    Phil Town
    15 Dec 2009 | 10:36 am
    I wanted to share a recent comment from Markus and my reply:"HiPhil Town, there are two points I still have not yet understood: 1. If I only buy stocks at the MOS price I calculated using your tools, when should I rebuy, after having sold them (because of 10-days-line, MACD- and stochastic indicated to sell)? Should I wait for the stock's price fall again to the MOS-price? This might take a long time of being solely in cash and waiting for Mr. Market to turn crazy again... 2. Should I buy a stock which has gained 50% and more during the last 6 months in a perfect stable trend but which…

  • Phil Town recommends website

    Phil Town
    9 Dec 2009 | 2:55 pm
    As you guys know, I almost never blog about someone else’s blog, but you know the old saying about the apple falling not so far from the tree?Well, this person’s writing is phenomenal.Really.The fact that the blog is written by my daughter, Danielle, has nothing to do with praising her work.Nah. I can’t be bought for love or money….. Well, make that, I can’t be bought for money.Love is another story altogether.I love my daughter and I do whatever I can to help her go forward in her life, including subjecting you guys to a brief blog on her new website,BrownButterandBourbon.comFirst,…
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    Timothy Sykes

  • $25,000 Profit Day On These 6 Cool Penny Stocks

    Timothy Sykes
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    This was sent to TIMalert subscribers at midnight this morning: .

  • A Great Lesson For Buying Hot Penny Stocks

    Timothy Sykes
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    You might’ve read in last night’s post about my weirdest trade ever and how TIMalert subscribers and I profited $22,000+ when NXTH tanked, but you didn’t hear about the those who lost. Because not everyone loves the frustrations of trying to find shares to short and not risking... .

  • Weirdest Trade EVER & How We Accidentally Made $22,000 In An Hour

    Timothy Sykes
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:05 pm
    To truly learn about this trade and the other 2 setting up like it, tune into special livestock tonight 6-7PM EST when i discuss this trade Over .

  • 7 Interesting Penny Stocks To Watch

    Timothy Sykes
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    This was sent to TIMalert subscribers at midnight this morning (the daily video watchlist of the 2 best stocks were sent to PennyStocking Silver Subscribers): .

  • Timothy Sykes Scam?

    Timothy Sykes
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    ..or Tim Sykes Scam or Timothy Sykes fraud or Tim Sykes fraud…I get lots of website traffic by people searching these keywords. See Timothy Sykes Newsletter Reviews It’s pathetic! How can I be a scam/fraud when I detail all my trades (most are telegraphed ahead of time in my premarket... .
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    Lending Club

  • Fighting Identity Theft in the Era of Social Networks

    Renaud Laplanche
    28 Jan 2010 | 1:37 pm
    Identity verification is a critical fraud prevention tool used by banks, credit card companies and other lenders.   Lending Club has recently begun to leverage the information available on social networks to help confirm a potential member’s identity. We continue to rely on methods of identity verification used by traditional lenders, but in an era of online identity theft, Lending Club is continually redefining industry best practices. We cannot disclose our exact methodology, practices, or sources of information, as this could simply empower the fraudsters we are trying to disarm. But…

  • Last 2 Days: Nominate Lending Club for Shorty Awards

    Patrick Gannon
    27 Jan 2010 | 6:44 pm
    Lending Club award-winning approach to investing and borrowing has been recognized through the years by organizations such as Harvard Business Review, Webby, WebAward, and W3 Awards.  But we had never been considered for something as unique as the Shorty Awards. The Shorty Awards honor the best people and organizations creating content on Twitter. These unique awards are for the Twitter community, by the Twitter community to recognize the creators of the best "short" content, activity also known as "Micro-blogging". So if you have a minute, help us rack up the votes: Nominate @RobGarciaSJ in…

  • 2009: The Year Lending Club Became the World Leader in Peer-to-Peer Lending

    Rob Garcia
    27 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am
    I did not expect to be reminiscing about 2009 this early in the new year.  But I now find myself looking back and marveling at how Lending Club went from half-operating in 2008, to getting through the registration process with the SEC in October of 2008, to then become a world leader in peer-to-peer lending in 2009 due to a hugely successful year. In 2009, Lending Club originated nearly $52 million dollars in loans while we turned away almost half a billion dollars in demand.   In December 2009 alone, Lending Club issued $7.1 million dollars in loans, more than 3 times the rest of the US…
 
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    Mint.com: Personal Finance Blog

  • Mint Map: State of the Unions

    Ross Crooks
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:44 pm
    In 2009, the number of union jobs in the public sector surpassed those in the shrinking private sector. As job loss and business failure has become increasingly commonplace, the face of unions is changing. We take a look at the prevalence of unions as a percentage of the total workforce around the country, and highlight a demographic breakdown of union membership. Embed the above image on your site personal finance – Mint.com

  • Ready, Set, Action! What TV Characters Teach Us About Money

    Lori Johnston
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am
    Being a couch potato may have an impact on your wallet if you’re mimicking the financial choices of some of TV’s characters. Sitcoms, dramas, and even reality shows often include intriguing plot lines and decisions by characters or contestants that offer lessons about money… though they’re usually framed as “good TV” rather than “teachable moments.” Some glorify the idea of celebrity and make especially younger viewers think it’s easy to achieve the lifestyle lived by Hannah Montana or the New York City teens on “Gossip Girl.” Other programs show characters with a…

  • Making the Most of a Windfall

    Matthew Amster-Burton
    3 Feb 2010 | 1:34 pm
    You’ve heard the story of the lottery winner who burns through his millions like Monopoly money and ends up in a trailer park. And if you haven’t, here’s a roundup of eight such cautionary tales. It’s an appealing story. You and I are never going to win the lottery, so we can tell ourselves, hey, I’d never be that much of a dumbass. Yes, I deserve a big pat on the back—except, wait, I’ve made the same mistake on a smaller scale. Repeatedly. Big hunks When a professional financial adviser says “windfall,” they are generally talking about an amount of money that would kill you…

  • How Local Economies Benefit From Big Sporting Events

    Joshua Ritchie
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:35 pm
    (DaveyNin) Local economies are historically the biggest victims of recessions. When the market takes a turn for the worst, it is local shopkeepers, restaurant owners, hotels and other merchants who feel the squeeze most personally. Accordingly, most cities are eager for any economic stimulus they can get. Over the years, one of the great economic boons to any major town or city has been major sporting events. No matter how bad the economy has been, there is nothing like a World Series, Super Bowl, or World Cup game to infuse some much-needed vitality into local markets. Many fans believe the…

  • Will Obama’s Middle Class Tax Cuts Impact You?

    GE Miller
    1 Feb 2010 | 11:03 am
    Source: WIkipedia In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama announced proposed tax cuts and other programs aimed at easing the financial burden on the middle class. The proposed changes were the brainchild of the Middle Class Task Force (MCTF), chaired by Vice President Biden. The MCTF released a fact sheet addressing some of the proposed middle class assistance. Here’s a breakdown of some of the proposed changes that may impact you. The Saver’s Credit The ‘Saver’s Credit’, also known as the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit, would be…
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    Wesabe: Your Money. Your Community.

  • File your taxes with your iPhone?

    Marc Hedlund
    29 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm
    I hadn’t heard about this — Intuit has released an iPhone app (awkwardly) named TurboTax SnapTax that lets you take a picture of your W-2 and file your taxes right from your phone, if you would file with a 1040EZ. Impressive. This app isn’t going to work if you have dependents (as one reviewer notes) or if you have anything but the simplest tax filing to do. I also can’t imagine you’re getting optimal tax advice for all situations from such a simple process. But, whatever! If you have a simple tax situation and especially if you might otherwise file late,…

  • Protecting “Cloud” Secrets with Grendel

    Marc Hedlund
    4 Jan 2010 | 11:27 pm
    More and more web applications are storing sensitive data for their users, a trend of which Wesabe is certainly a part. Security breaches like the RockYou hack show what can happen when a popular web application stores sensitive data unencrypted and then has a lapse: millions of people can be affected at once. As some of the coverage of the attack pointed out, it was a good reminder not to store sensitive data unencrypted. Wesabe has worked hard to come up with tools to protect our members’ data, both because the nature of our application requires that we ask for extremely sensitive…

  • A great first week

    Marc Hedlund
    30 Nov 2009 | 9:17 pm
    I wanted to post a quick thank-you for the fantastic first-week reaction to our new site for banks and credit unions, GetSpringboard.com. I somehow expected that the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. would make the first week slow and easy. I was wrong! George Pasley perfectly nailed why we’re excited about GetSpringboard.com: Wesabe is doing something that is unheard of in the financial industry. They are offering an online, consumer facing banking product that a FI can have up and running in HOURS. Think about that for a moment. Your FI’s CIO could go the Springboard website, select…

  • Introducing GetSpringboard.com

    Marc Hedlund
    23 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pm
    Today, Wesabe launched a new product line for banks and credit unions: GetSpringboard.com. Earlier this year, we started offering Wesabe tools to banks and credit unions, but this new product site allows financial institutions to get pricing, sign up, deploy, and configure their Wesabe Springboard site, all through the web. Instead of the traditional banking software sales process — where it can take months and tens of thousands of dollars just to get new software launched — GetSpringboard.com puts leading personal finance management (PFM) software into financial institution…

  • Happy Birthday, Wesabe!

    Marc Hedlund
    17 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pm
    Three years ago today, November 17th, 2006, we launched the Wesabe site to the public for the first time. We were the first of what has become a wide and varied field of online personal finance applications. Our site has changed a ton since our launch, too, as we’ve learned from our users and the market. I was asked the other day whether I thought that online personal finance applications are now a “defined” market — that is, have the borders of the space been set and is all that is left figuring out who can get the most users. “Uh, no” was all I could…
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    Personal Finance Buzz - Published news

  • Rent-to-Own: Consider Saving Up Instead

    Stephen
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:08 am
    Over Christmas, my husband’s parents came to stay with us for two weeks. We have an extra bedroom, but no bed for it. While the air mattress is fine for a couple of nights, we didn’t want my in-laws to have to sleep on it for two weeks. We’re not quite ready to buy another bed, so we decided to rent one. My husband called the rent-to-own places here in town, and we found one willing to rent us a new, never-been-slept-in bed for a month (they wouldn’t do it for two weeks)....

  • Carnival Of Debt Reduction

    Canadian Finance
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:11 am
    This week's edition of the Carnival Of Debt Reduction.

  • Impact On Credit Cards - Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009

    chandrastepup
    7 Feb 2010 | 4:57 pm
    This is a complete list of changes that will come in effect starting 22nd February. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 with The Bill of Rights will be effective. In Coming months it will have an impact on our Credit Score and it will be much difficult to get a credit card.

  • February’s Financial Checklist

    MMarquit
    5 Feb 2010 | 8:14 am
    One way you can keep your finances on track is to create monthly checklists, breaking things down in smaller portions in order to better manage your cash flow.

  • A few great ways to save money

    ChristianPF
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:48 am
    These are some of the many things I've done to save money
 
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    Free Money Finance

  • Anyone Buy Physical Assets?

    NA
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:45 am
    I was at breakfast the other day when my friend (a financial advisor) said that he was buying lots of silver. He had it in both bars and coins and was getting it from a contact he had in Texas. No, he wasn't trying to sell it to me, it just came up in casual conversation. He said he was buying it as a hedge against inflation as well as in case of an economic meltdown. (FYI, he was storing it in his home.) He said he preferred silver because it had both investment value as well as utility uses (in manufacturing) and he felt it would hold its value no matter what happened with the economy. A…

  • How to Get a Raise in the Worst of Times

    NA
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:29 am
    Here's an email I recently received from a reader: I greatly enjoy your blog which inspired me to manage my career actively. I’m an engineer with Master's degree and MBA. I’m a very hardworking professional, always do more than my usual responsibilities and do my work with utmost clarity. I show great leadership at my work, and often give money saving and revenue generation ideas to management.  Due to economic reasons, there are no salary raises at our company. I promised myself to get a raise to prove that a bad economy is not a hindrance for career/salary growth. Last year, using my…

  • The One Thing You Can Do to Make Your Resume Stand Out

    NA
    8 Feb 2010 | 1:45 pm
    The Wall Street Journal tells us how the hiring process really works. But the part I really noticed were their comments on the one thing you can do to get your resume out of the slush pile. The summary: What's more, recruiters will only review applications that show a person meets a job's basic qualifications, based on screening questions, she says. One common exception many firms make: A job hunter who is referred by an employee or other trusted source. A referred candidate may be given immediate attention, potentially speeding them to the interview stage. Michelle Vasquez, 43, says she…

  • Office Depot's Strange Way of Applying Coupons

    NA
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:45 am
    A week or so before Christmas I had a bit of personal and stocking-stuffer shopping left to do. So I headed to Office Depot armed with my "$10 off a purchase of $50 or more" coupon. My purchases looked something like this (I'm approximating prices and leaving out tax to make this example simple -- but how the discount was applied is 100% true): Plastic chair mat: $25Desk accessories: $15Stocking stuffer #1: $5Stocking stuffer #2: $3Laptop table: $20 Total: $68 Most stores would ring this up as $68 less the $10 coupon equals $58. Not Office Depot (at least not mine.) They took the $10 savings…

  • BOM Carnival #37

    NA
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am
    The latest Best of Money Carnival is up now with the winning post being Should Married Couples Have Joint or Separate Bank Accounts? Enjoy!
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    Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green!

  • Is Credit Card Debt Ever Acceptable?

    Mrs Money
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:43 am
    photo credit: TheTruthAbout… A few months ago we purchased a new dishwasher from Home Depot to replace the one that stopped working correctly over a year ago.  We picked out a pretty nice model; not too expensive, but much nicer than what we had before.   We got a really good deal on it because we bought it on Black Friday sale, and have been really pleased with its performance so far.  The only downfall about the situation?  We put it on a credit card and haven’t paid it off yet. Now, before you start throwing stuff at me, I have to explain that we were able to take…

  • Should We Switch our Main Checking Account to ING?

    Mrs Money
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:41 am
    Since the bank that we hold our main checking account at has been purchased by another bank and is merging, we’re going to be getting a new type of checking account and new account numbers. The benefits and features should stay the same, but I’m kind of nervous about the changes.  I don’t want to have problems with fees or funds availability.  So I’ve been thinking about switching our main checking account to ING.  It’s funny, because I received an email the other day from ING, saying that if we open up a checking account and make three signature-based…

  • Sunday Link Love- Snowboarding Edition

    Mrs Money
    7 Feb 2010 | 3:01 pm
    photo credit: s1dny00 I just spend the better part of my day snowboarding, and boy am I homesick for Colorado now. I’ll get over it though. It was fantastic, and I didn’t even fall once! There’s just something about being outside that is good for the soul! Now I’m going to spend the rest of my day off with my sweet hubby. Here are some links to posts I really enjoyed this week: -Too Much Credit @ Man vs Debt -New Tax Law Changes for 2010 @ Budgets are Sexy -Three Common Qualities of High Net Worth People @ My Journey to Millions -Don’t Wait Until It’s Too…

  • Kitchen Remodeling on a Budget

    Mrs Money
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:08 am
    When we bought our house almost three years ago, we had no idea how to paint, how to install laminate flooring, or even replace light switches. Over the past few years, our house has undergone a transformation into our home.  We’ve put a lot of work into it, and hopefully, when the day comes to sell it, we’ll come out a little ahead. Today I’m going to share some pictures of our frugal kitchen transformation.  We pretty much just painted the walls, ceiling, cabinets, and replaced the cabinet knobs.  We were on a pretty limited budget because this was something we wanted…

  • Frugal Haircuts At Home

    Mrs Money
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:39 am
    Picture this: Mr. Money sits down, ready to get a haircut from his talented frugal wife (me), and out comes the camera. “…what are you doing with that?!” He asks. “I want to take a picture of you, honey.” I reply. “Why?! You aren’t going to bl… you’re going to blog about this, aren’t you?” “Do you really think that I would- ok, yeah.  I am going to blog about it and I need a before and after picture.” [blank stare from Mr. Money] Without further ado, I present to you, my husband, victim recipient of a $0 haircut,…
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    ITA Wealth Management

  • Stay Invested

    Physlab
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:45 am
    The current market correction is not the time to panic and sell.  Stay invested with your well-diversified portfolio.  To support this position let me show you three periods of information from a special worksheet I developed for the Quantext Portfolio Planner (QPP) spreadsheet.  In this first data table we are looking at ten ETFs with equal amounts invested in each.  The time interval for this first table runs from 2/8/2007 to 2/8/2010 representing the current period.  Note that seven of the ten ETFs are indicating a “Buy” position.  Now scroll down to the next table. In…

  • Karl Jenkins: Stabat Mater

    Physlab
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:15 am
    ITA Wealth Management readers who appreciate past recommendations of Karl Jenkins compositions will certainly enjoy Stabat Mater.  The third, (Vidit Jesum in Tormentis) and fourth (Lament) cuts are particularly beautiful. Photograph: The Pleiades Cluster – a young galactic cluster containing about 100 stars, formed 60 million years ago.  Each of the hottest stars in the cluster is surrounded by the blue glow of its own light reflected from the surrounding interstellar dust. Here is hoping football fans enjoy a good game.  I’ll be watching.

  • Investment Checklist

    Physlab
    6 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pm
    Early in January I encouraged investors to set out on a new path of investing.  Let’s run through a checklist to see how well you are doing. Investment Checklist 1.  Portfolio Policy:  Have you written up a portfolio plan or put it into a spreadsheet format? 2.  Saving:  What is the plan to save on a regular basis?  Portfolio planning us useless unless one is saving to build a portfolio.  Remember the first chapter of Ellis and Malkiel’s book, “The Elements of Investing” and how it recommended a savings plan? 3.  Books:  What is the education plan?  What…

  • Portfolio Performance Update

    Physlab
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:32 am
    This morning I updated a few more portfolios that are tracked using the TLH spreadsheet.  In most cases, the portfolios lost ground to both the ITA Index benchmark and the VTSMX benchmark.  When the gaps are quite large this closing process is to be expected.  As I’ve mentioned before, it is extremely difficult to construct a portfolio that will perform better than the broad market.  Thus far, we have been successful with the majority of portfolios.  However, one should never become cocky when it comes to performance results. Continue to keep an eye on the Information Ratio (IR) as…

  • Portfolio Performance Update – 4 February 2010

    Physlab
    5 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am
    The data table below contains performance information on nineteen portfolio tracked by ITA Wealth Management.  Included are IRR values for each portfolio, comparisons to the Vanguard Total Market Index fund which we use as a primary benchmark, comparisons to the ITA Index customized benchmark, and the Information Ratio (IR). Portfolios tracked by Captool are updated as of 1/29/2010.  A few portfolios tracked using the TLH spreadsheet are current as of 2/4/2010 and more will be updated early next week.  Recent market movements dealt a harsh blow to a number of the portfolios, but overall,…
 
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    Money Crashers

  • Benefits of Buying a Slightly Used Car

    Chris Bibey
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Before you find yourself roaming the new car lot, you may want to take a step back and think about buying used. There are many benefits of buying a slightly used car, and once you know what they are, you may start to consider this route. While buying used is not for everyone, you should at least consider the benefits of buying a slightly used vehicle. You may be surprised at what you discover. Before we go any further, what does “slightly used” mean in terms of buying a car? Most people consider this to be less than two years old with no more than 30,000 miles. Of course, you can set your…

  • 5 Simple Tips To Save You Money

    Mark Riddix
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    Let’s start the week off right and help you start saving money right away. There’s a huge debate about whether or not people should worry about the little purchases in life like the “latte factor” effect, which involves getting rid of the smaller luxury purchases in life. We don’t find anything wrong with indulging in a delicious latte every now and then, but we do believe there are small steps you can take and habits you can form to help save you money on a regular basis. Here’s five tips to help start saving money right away. Avoid late fees. Paying on…

  • 10 Ways to Get a Cheaper Honeymoon

    Sally Aquire
    6 Feb 2010 | 3:29 pm
    After the wedding is over, most couples choose to go on a honeymoon to celebrate their new marriage. Unfortunately, once you’ve covered the wedding costs, there may not be much left over to pay for a nice honeymoon. If you find that your honeymoon funds are going to be on the limited side, you don’t need to ditch your plans altogether. But, you will need to do some serious shopping around to get the most out of your budget and alter some of your original ideas as a result. Here are 10 ways to cut the costs and still have a honeymoon to remember! Use a honeymoon gift registry…

  • Only You Can Create New Jobs For This Country

    Erik Folgate
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm
    If you’ve been following the financial news today, then you saw articles like this one from Yahoo Finance about the unemployment rate falling to 9.7%, which is a five-month low. That sounds like good news, and it could be, but when you look deeper into the numbers and throw some logic into the equation, it doesn’t make sense that the unemployment rate would fall that much. Does this mean the numbers are cooked? Are we on the road to recovery for job loss? I really hope so, because it’s the single most glaring eye sore to our economy right now. It’s the one road block…

  • Is Active Investing Right For You?

    Mark Riddix
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm
    I recently wrote a post about the pros and cons of passive investing earlier in the week. Now I would like to take a look at active investing. Active investing is an investment strategy where the individual investor is more involved in the buying and selling of securities. Active investors believe that by managing their own money they can beat the return of the stock market. Investing With Mutual Funds The most popular investment for active investors is a mutual fund. The majority of funds sold by mutual fund companies are actively managed. Most retirement accounts and brokerage…
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    Mighty Bargain Hunter

  • Three ways to find a cool deal using Google

    mbhunter
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:47 am
    (This guest post is by Ann Smarty, a search engine geek, social media enthusiast and a passionate blogger. She has recently started a community of guest bloggers, so if you have a blog and want to promote it for absolutely free, go help Ann build the valuable tool for that by joining and participating.) Bargain hunting is only effective when done right otherwise you find yourself using a coupon whenever you are aware of one (which causes even more spending) or always forgetting to use a coupon (how many of us first buy something and only then remember they saw a deal for the same product in…

  • So what are lenders using as criteria today for mortgage qualification?

    mbhunter
    6 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am
    I’ve been talking about some things related to the home purchase we’re doing now.  One of the conditions of purchasing our new home was ability to get financing.  Since I couldn’t buy with cash, I needed to apply for a mortgage.  What I couldn’t do was make the purchase contingent on the sale of my current home (the property we were interested in was a foreclosure), so I needed to be able to qualify for the new loan without settling my current mortgage. This seemed to be a bit harder of a condition to meet since it would mean carrying a higher debt load.  I was a…

  • Friday Fiscals: Blizzard Edition

    mbhunter
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:18 pm
    We’re in one of the areas that’s getting pummeled with snow this weekend.  Thankfully we still have power, and even Internet access.  Please be safe if you’re in the mess with us. Here are some links of interest from the past week: The Frugal Lawyer scored a TV interview on spending addiction.  (I’ll be doing a post on this as well.) The Balanced Spreadsheet is another blogger that updates their net worth. The Millionaire Nurse, for something completely different, relates money and diseases. Wise Bread has a guest post by Joel Ohman explaining why he didn’t…

  • If your bank legitimately calls you, call them back

    mbhunter
    4 Feb 2010 | 9:58 pm
    I initiated a wire transfer today from an out-of-state credit union to my home credit union.  Because the amount of money was fairly significant, they called me up to verify a few things before they did the transfer. After the woman gave her name and who she worked for, she asked for the passcode to my account to continue the transaction. I almost told her, but stopped.  Since she called me, I asked, “Uhhh, can I call you back please?  I want to verify who I’m speaking with.”  She agreed without any problem, and gave me her name again, her phone number, and her…

  • Why yes, I DID save some money on my auto insurance!

    mbhunter
    3 Feb 2010 | 11:27 pm
    We’re (hopefully) in the final stretch for purchasing a new house, and part of the paperwork for this was setting up homeowner’s insurance for the new house. We called the same company that sold us our current house’s homeowner’s policy, as well as our current auto insurance policy.  The agent was able to get us quite a good deal on the homeowner’s policy, and almost as an afterthought, she offered to check around for us on our auto insurance policy. For several years we didn’t have the best driving record.  Right before I was married (2001), I had a…
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    Rebel Traders

  • Elizabeth Warren – Wall Street Bonus Babies

    Chuck
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:22 pm
    Elizabeth Warren has penned an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, and she holds nothing back. […]Banks and brokers have sold deceptive mortgages for more than a decade. Financial wizards made billions by packaging and repackaging those loans into securities. And federal regulators played the role of lookout at a bank robbery, holding back anyone who tried to stop the massive looting from middle-class families. When they weren’t selling deceptive mortgages, Wall Street invented new credit card tricks and clever overdraft fees. In October 2008, when all the risks accumulated and the…

  • Marc Faber – The United States is Junk

    Chuck
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pm
    Marc Faber has blunt words for Tim Geithner and the United States. If the nation was a corporation, the credit rating would be junk.

  • Market Summary for February 8 2010

    Chuck
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:50 pm
    Market summary video for February 8, 2010 is now available on the videos page. Tuesday Schedule: 10:00 Dec Wholesale Inventories (last 1.5%), Mexico Jan Consumer Prices 13:00 US Treasury’s $40B 3-yr note auction 16:30 API Crude Oil/Gasoline/Distillate Inventories   Earnings: Before the Open: ACM, AGCO, AGU, AHCI, ALLT, ANR, ACLI, ATRO, BIIB, BJS, CAM, CE, CNC, CHD, KO, CTSH, CVH, CYNO, ENER, IT, GET, IACI, IFF, KVHI, LCAV, MLM, TAP, NOOF, NYX, PCH, PHM, RTIX, RBCN, TIN, GTS, VSH, WMG, ZBRA After the Close: ATAC, AGAM, AFG, ASEI, AHL, BIDU, CFN, CERN, EXBD, CXW, DIOD, DNEX, DSCM,…

  • Market Summary – February 7 2010

    Chuck
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:26 pm
    Weekend market summary is now available for viewing on the ‘market update videos’ page. (sorry for the late video folks, over 2 feet of snow here kind of made a mess of schedules) Monday Events: no significant economic data releases Earnings: Before the Open: AMRI, AGNC, BWP, CGA, CHDX, CNA, CVS, GWR, HAS, HS, LFUS, L, LO, MCY, NDAQ, NVE, SIRO, VTNC After the Close: ADCT, ANDE, ATML, AXS, BWY, CPT, CRL, CMP, CCRT, CRK, CUZ, CUTR, ERTS, ECPG, ESLR, FWRD, HAR, HIG, HIMX, HMN, LNCR, LNC, NUAN, OTTR, OMI, PKY, PIKE, PPS, PPDI, PFG, QGEN, RENT, SKH, SWI, SRX, TMRK, TWTC, VECO, VMC, WRB, WCN,…

  • Market Holds On A ‘Technical Bounce’

    Chuck
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:48 pm
    The action in the market today was driven mostly by the technical’s. That is, the end of day reversal was upon the channel support discussed over the past two days in the market videos. On the hourly chart of the S&P 500 E-Mini’s we discussed the channel (green lines), and today that channel offered support towards the end of the day. Today’s rally into the close appears to be simply a technical bounce and nothing more. I will cover this in much greater detail in the weekend video. (click chart image for larger view)
 
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    Rich Credit Debt Loan

  • Getting Out of Debt Quickly pt 4

    Rich Leverage
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:23 am
    This is part 4 of a 4 part series on getting out of debt quickly. Make sure that you read all four parts in order to get the most out of this sequence of hints on getting yourself or your family out of the debt trap. If lenders happen to be offering an interest rate that is a percentage point lower than the rate that you are currently paying, then one of the things that you are going to want to consider doing is refinancing your mortgage. Not only will this lower your monthly payment by lowering the amount that you have to pay overall on the loan, but it also may extend your mortgage loan…

  • Easy Personal Finance Tips

    Rich Leverage
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:20 pm
    When you’re trying to save for the future and still manage to eat, it can be tough to find that right balance. We all need to plan ahead and having a savings account really is essential. This can be a cushion or that “rainy day” money that you need, and it is never too late to start putting away money towards your retirement. However, a lot of us can get bogged down when it comes to handling our own finances and it is all too easy to be like the grasshopper in Aesop’s Fables and put it off until tomorrow. You can’t put off saving for your future until tomorrow, because there is a…

  • Avoiding Late Fees

    Rich Leverage
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:13 am
    The absolute last thing that we need right now considering the economy is unnecessary late fees. The average fee that is charged for a late payment by a credit card company is a surprising $39 dollars. But when you are literally living from one paycheck to the next and trying to juggle the due dates for so many different bills, sometimes these painful late fees can seem completely unavoidable. Not only do late fees add to your mounding debt, but they also put you at risk of an increase in your credit card interest rates, because falling late on your payments makes you appear as if you are a…

  • Shopping Professionally pt 1

    Rich Leverage
    7 Feb 2010 | 9:07 pm
    One of the best ways that you can save money is to shop professionally, which is learning how to develop skills and talents in shopping that allow you to shop smarter and save more money than ever before. When you learn how to work with a tight budget, you can find it possible to pay down other debts, put money into savings and buy the things that you need. Here are some ways that you can save money by shopping professionally. Before you leave the home - It is vitally important that you have a good working budget before you begin the process of shopping professionally. When you take the time…

  • Start Saving Money Today

    Rich Leverage
    7 Feb 2010 | 9:05 am
    Here are five ways that you can begin to save money, beginning today. Americans are not saving enough money in this day and age to help ensure their stability financially. If you have enough money in your savings account, then it is going to be able to protect you from financial hardships like becoming sick, getting divorced or losing a job. If you want to be protected from the impact of these hardships, then you need to make sure that you have enough money saved away. Even if you can only get the ball rolling with a small amount of savings, every dollar will help to grow your savings over…
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    Spilling Buckets

  • Free Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast: Tuesday February 9th

    Ry@SpillingBuckets
    7 Feb 2010 | 7:16 pm
    In case you missed the three hilarious chicken horror commercials at this year's Super Bowl XLIV, Denny's will be again offering a free Grand Slam breakfast on Tuesday February 9th, from 6AM to 2PM. Lez and I tried to attend last years free breakfast offer but decided not to endure the 2 hour wait.  It is fun to see everyone get excited, get up early, scrape the snow off their cars, grab their friends, drive across town, and wait in line.  Don't forget: Free Denny's Breakfast on Tuesday February 9th Oh, and in case you missed those commercials: Published at SpillingBuckets.com

  • Who Receives Tax Refunds?

    SpillingBuckets
    6 Feb 2010 | 4:19 am
    Lez and I are planning on filing our taxes this weekend having pretty much completed them over the last week using Turbo Tax.  It looks like I am going to be receiving a few hundred dollars back and Leslie, my dear Leslie, owes a nice chunk to the tune of about a thousand dollars.  It seems like Uncle Sam wants a piece of her free gradschool scholarship money. Oh well....doing our part to help out the good folks in Washington. I came across an interesting graphic about filers and who gets a refund.  The results make sense to me.  I am…

  • How Much Would You Pay to Recover Your Phone?

    Les@SpillingBuckets
    5 Feb 2010 | 8:25 am
    Last weekend Ry and I went to the Rochester Philharmonic concert featuring Charles Ross on Timpani. It was an awesome show, and the first time I had seen the drums featured in a solo. (I think it was actually the first time the RPO had done this type of show before) We both had a lot of fun. But the night didn't end the way we expected... That night we made a great pressure cooker meal for dinner, then went out for an ice cream dessert. We were running a little late to get to the theater, so I kept checking the time on my phone, and absentmindedly stuffed it in my outer jacket pocket as we…

  • Understand the Obama 2011 Budget - Visualization Collection

    SpillingBuckets
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:18 am
    The 2011 fiscal year budget process is a complex web of (mainly) mandatory untouchable entitlement spending woven with discretionary initiatives converging to show where our leaders hope to direct our behavior.  From research to healthcare to defense and education, with political philosophy's aside, the direction of our country's resources is an important thing to understand.   Where is the government's money coming from?Where is it going? and why?How does this process work and who influences it? To help us find the answers to these questions…

  • Obesity Intervention and the Fat Police!

    SpillingBuckets
    3 Feb 2010 | 1:07 pm
    Today I happened to stumble on two similar stories from two very different sources. The first was a CNN video on how Whole Foods is encouraging its employees to be healthy and lose excess weight by offering those with lower Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) a higher percentage employee discount. Employees with the most favorable BMIs can get up to a 30% discount, which is nearly 10% higher than those who are overweight.Is this right? Does it strike nerve?Is it discrimination to allow some people higher discounts for BMI alone, or is it simply segmenting the consumer marketplace? Whole Foods is…
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    Saving to Inve$t

  • 2010 Consumer Financial Goals and Intentions - How Do You Measure Up?

    6 Feb 2010 | 10:44 pm
    Early in the year, it looks like American consumers are still licking their wounds from the Great Recession of 2008/2009 and are taking a cautious outlook for the year ahead. The latest American Express Spending & Saving Trackerthe fifth in a monthly series, reports about consumers’ views about the economy, their financial goals and intentions, and overall spending and saving trends. It found:89 percent of consumers have set a financial goal (like reduce my credit card debt by 50%)83 percent have laid out a clear savings strategyOn average, consumers plan to save a big chunk of their…

  • 6 Reasons You Should Be Inspired to Save Money

    5 Feb 2010 | 1:55 pm
    While many people will tell you money isn’t everything, it’s hard to deny that having a bit of it can make life easier. With that being said, many of us still find it difficult to motivate ourselves to save. Inspiration is often lost in the ‘here and now’ among all the wants and needs of everyday life. And when we do end up stashing a little cash away for a rainy day, it often ends up being spent on Christmas gifts, a new set of tires for the family vehicle or repairs to the furnace, and then we’re back to square one. So what are some reasons to start buckling down and saving…

  • Taxing The American Middle Class and Rich - Fair or Not?

    2 Feb 2010 | 6:39 pm
    President Obama has released his latest budget and one of it's the hallmarks has been an increase in taxes on the "rich". This would be done by reinstating 10-year-old income tax rates of 36% and 39.6% for single Americans earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000 (currently 33% and 35%). In addition the President has proposed that the long-term capital gains tax rate would increase to 20%, up from 15% currently. The provision would also reinstate so-called phaseouts for high-income households, which would essentially reduce their eligibility for a host of personal…

  • Obama's 2011 Budget - Business Tax Cuts, Making Work Pay Extension, Social Security Payment, Pell Grant Increase and More Stimulus Spending

    1 Feb 2010 | 10:45 am
    President Barack Obama has unveiled a multi trillion-dollar budget focused on creating jobs and reducing the nation's high unemployment rate. The job focused budget would boost the deficit to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion, an increase of 5.7 percent for the current budget. It is also forecast that spending would rise another 3 percent in 2011 to $3.83 trillion. Much of the spending surge started in 2008 and reflects the cost of massive economic stimulus measures passed by Congress to deal with the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The surge in the deficits reflects not…

  • Filing Your Taxes For Free - Online IRS Free File Options From TurboTax, HR Block and CompleteTax

    29 Jan 2010 | 7:39 pm
    When it comes to filing your taxes, there are a lot of options and a number of leading tax software providers provide free e-filing options via the IRS’ free file program which provides free federal income tax preparation and electronic filing for eligible taxpayers. Free Tax Filing via Electronic Software – This option is only free for those who file via approved providers of tax software and meet certain income based restrictions. Most tax software provides guidance through the filing process via asking simple questions and putting your answers on the right forms. If does all the math…
 
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    Fix My Personal Finance - Personal Finance Advice - Money Management Advice

  • A Guide to Savings Accounts

    moneyexpert
    29 Jan 2010 | 4:19 pm
    There are so many different savings accounts available it can be difficult to know which one is best for you - The price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com advises that you use their search tool in order to find which savings option would suit you best. Of course, you can compare accounts all you like, but what should you be looking for in the first place? This short guide aims to highlight a few options, in order to help you make an informed decision. Cash ISAs Cash ISAs differ from ordinary savings accounts as they actually benefit from higher interest rates. Cash ISAs also pay out the…

  • How to Obtain Low Cost Teenage Car Insurance

    moneyexpert
    23 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am
    Life is tough as it is without having to pay for insurance, but one way or another they give you peace of mind. There’s the fact, however, that there are just some types of insurance required by the law, such as auto insurance. One topic that you might want to be more knowledgeable about in terms of that is how to get low cost teenage car insurance which might seem extremely difficult to get these days is surely not impossible. Shop around. Rates vary considerably as with all goods and services. Get quotes from different insurers. You can try to do this online, which will save you on the…

  • Other Goodies - continuation

    moneyexpert
    16 Jul 2009 | 5:02 am
    Child care assistance. A few years ago, workers at Xerox got what the American rank and file would kill for:  child care grants (up to $2,500 per year) for any employee earning under $50,000.  Most companies aren’t quite so generous, yet fully eight out of 10 today provide some type of help with child care.  For example, 12% -more than double the number in 1993 -now offer emergency child care facilities.  If your regular sitter gets sick at the last minute, for instance, your child could spend the day (or before and after-school hours) at an on-site company facility.  Because these…

  • 1st page - Other Goodies

    moneyexpert
    14 Jul 2009 | 4:51 am
    In this age of diminishing corporate givebacks, there is some good news.  More companies are willing to offer so-called family-friendly benefits -perks that tend to be easy on the corporate coffers and, in turn, raise job satisfaction among employees.  Some of these perks may be unwritten, and still others may be up for negotiating.  So check out the ones below, and if your employer doesn’t offer them, try politely to push for a change in policy: Flextime. Not long ago, Jackie O. was one of the few working women who could dictate her job schedule and keep the paychecks coming.  But…

  • Retirement Plans

    moneyexpert
    12 Jul 2009 | 3:23 am
    If you work for a company that will help finance your golden years, consider yourself lucky.  Since 1990 nearly 50,000 U.S. Firms have axed the traditional, company-paid pension.  This benefit is quickly becoming a relic of the past.  In 1988 close to 80% of the nation’s small- and medium-size companies offered this type of retirement package.  That figure is closer to 65% today.  Instead, the majority of companies are asking employees to fund their own retirements, most typically with 401(k) accounts; nonprofits often offer similar vehicles, known as 403(b) plans.  Named for a…
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    PennyJobs.com

  • Stock Market Tremors Continue as Investors Struggle to Find a Safe Place

    5 Feb 2010 | 1:41 pm
    Here we go again.  2010 could see another global meltdown like we saw in 2008.  Global stock market tremors continue as the Dow dropped 130 points before recovering after many of the major markets dropped overnight. Investors are worried about just about everything.  Several EU nations appear to bankrupt and threatening the strength of the Euro.  At the same time, the U.S. is planning to spend $3.8T to fund its bloated government entitlement programs, which threaten the value of the dollar.  Japan is a mess and China is very upset about resent U.S. arm sales and…

  • Obama's Budget is Impossible to Finance and Congress Will be Forced to Reject it

    4 Feb 2010 | 9:48 am
    Obama's budget is impossible to finance because our bankers will not give us the requested line of credit.China, India and Japan don’t have the money to lend us.  They cann't give us the money to borrow and spend if they wanted to.That means the Treasury will have to print the $1.4T difference. But the Treasury cannot print money any faster than they are already without the world discovering how much money they have been printing for years, which could create a panic sell off.  If Obama’s budget were to pass the Senate, global investors will sell the dollar and…

  • Obama’s 10 Biggest Lies and Why the Recession Was Caused by Far-Left Policies

    3 Feb 2010 | 9:45 am
    Instead of accepting responsibility for his failed policies, President Obama has the audacity to continue pushing his agenda even without regard for sacrificing the value of our currency.   Last week in the State of Union address to the nation and the world, I couldn’t believe what I heard.   President Obama repeatedly lied about many things and blamed the previous administration for everything. It was like watching a child throw a temper tantrum when he didn’t get his way. I‘m usually not this critical of the President, but this time I feel compelled to set the…

  • 7 Steps to Lift Yourself Out of the Recession: Part 3: Accept the Truth

    2 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am
    In short, it is impossible for the economy to recover without a long process of deleveraging, whether by a contraction of the money supply or by massive inflation. This is Part 3 of an article series which takes a look at a 7 steps to lift you out of the recession, no matter how deep it gets. Let me say that again.  It is impossible for the government to stop the process of deleveraging from taking place. The laws of economics are like gravity, they cannot be broken.  At best, the government can delay the process, but the trade-off for delaying the process are much worse than…

  • 7 Steps to Lift Yourself Out of the Recession: Part 2: There is No Use Complaining

    1 Feb 2010 | 12:30 pm
    It seems like complaining has become part of American past time, despite the fact that we live in the richest nation in the world. This is Part 2 of an article series which takes a look at 7 steps to lift you out of the recession, no matter how deep it gets. Most of the time complaining is based on coveting, which is wishing you had something that someone else has and thinking that you deserve to have it just as much as someone else.  Complaining starts as a condition within our mind and if nurtured, results in disastrous words and actions. Complaining can be very dangerous when…
 
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    Girls Just Wanna Have Funds: Personal Finance Blog For Women Taking Charge Of Their Finances

  • Turbo Tax Snap Tax: Snap, Prepare and File + TurboTax Giveaway!

    Ginger
    18 Jan 2010 | 8:12 am
    If you’re like me, then you dread filing your taxes in the face of the looming April 15th deadline.  It conjures up thoughts of going through endless receipts, spending hours going through yearly expenses and W2s to reconcile everything for Uncle Sam. Well, there’s an app for that!  Enter Turbo Tax Snap Tax. Got some time to kill?  Live in California?  This app will take you step by step through the process of filing your taxes, all on your iPhone. How does it work?  Here are a few screenshots that walk you through the process: 1. Snap a photo of your 2009 W-2 with your…

  • Unplanned Expenses = Why You Need An Emergency Fund

    Ginger
    5 Jan 2010 | 8:01 pm
    Well, that should read why I ended one but I already have one.  If you’ve been following my tweets then you know that my car was broken into today and they tried to steal the GPS and possibly the car itself. Police caught someone trying to break in my car outside the school. I am PISSED!! http://twitpic.com/wsuak I was pissed!  Beyond pissed but it didn’t really show, I was just relieved they caught the guy and even better I have car insurance.  Who am I kidding, having to pay $1000 in unplanned expenses doesn’t conjure up happy thoughts! $500 – Deductible $110…

  • Should Single Women Compromise Their Financial Requirements In A Potential Mate?

    Ginger
    29 Dec 2009 | 8:40 am
    Surely you’ve seen the newest video or article going around discussing the single black woman’s plight around finding a mate within the black community.  If you haven’t, read on, the overall comments on the subject will be interesting. After watching the video yesterday, the part that jumped out at me was the discussion around money/finances in a relationship and the ladies’ requirement in a mate.  Steve Harvey asked whether or not the man has to make 150,000/year if she makes that amount? What say you? If you made 6 figures, is your requirement that he make 6…

  • Stop Being Sad/Angry About What 2009 Wasn’t And Make Plans For What 2010 Will Be!

    Ginger
    28 Dec 2009 | 12:03 pm
    As of December 31, 2009, 2009 will be the year that was, not what 2010 will be.  I’ve gotten so many messages from readers pouring out their hearts about how horrible 2009 was partnered with the insecurity of what 2010 will bring. STOP! Stop being sad/angry/mad/ about what 2009 wasnt and make plans for what 2010 will be. I know that 2009 sucked majorly for some of you, and it was probably your worst year ever on record in your short live but do not make that the blue print for 2010. Jobs were lost. Families torn apart. Business deals went sour. Businesses went belly up.

  • Living On $30k In The DC Area-Possible or Far Fetched?

    Ginger
    24 Dec 2009 | 12:01 pm
    DC is no stranger to the high cost of living you often see in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles.  But can you live on $30,000 a year there?  This question came up on a listserv I frequent and the responses were equally divided amongst those who felt it would be damn near impossible and others saying it’s hard but doable. Here’s how it started and I’d like your thoughts on the matter. Here’s the job posting: Job Title: Festival Assistant @ The Kennedy Center Department: International Programming Job Type: Full-Time, Regular Salary: $30,000 – $33,000 / Yearly…
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    The Finance Buff

  • Overhyped: The Smartest 401k Book You'll Ever Read

    TFB
    28 Jan 2010 | 6:11 am
    I wasn't so impressed by Dan Solin's previous book, but I was willing to take a second chance on his The Smartest 401k Book You'll Ever Read because it got endorsements from John Bogle, founder of Vanguard, William Bernstein, whose books I like, and Taylor Larimore, a co-editor of The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning, to which I contributed a chapter. I don't know what's wrong about publishing these days. Or maybe it's always been this way. It seems you have to make an outlandish claim in order to grab people's attention. The book isn't…

  • Spending Other People's Money

    TFB
    26 Jan 2010 | 6:22 am
    Someone bumped into my car in a parking lot but wasn't decent enough to leave a note. The hood of my car was damaged. I went to two reputable body shops. One quoted $850; the other quoted $740. As body work goes, it's a small job. Because the bill isn't much more than my deductible, I decided to pay out of pocket and not bother with an insurance claim. Both body shops told me if insurance is involved, the repair bill will be over $2,000. They will have to fix it "the right way." Instead of just repairing the hood, they will have to replace the hood and repaint the…

  • Why Is ACH Slower At Some Places Than Others?

    TFB
    19 Jan 2010 | 6:10 am
    ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. It's low-cost method to move money from one account to another. When you have payroll direct deposit, it's done by ACH. When you give your bank account to an insurance company for automatic monthly payments, it's done by ACH. When you transfer money from a checking account to an online savings account or to a brokerage account, it's done by ACH. ACH is everywhere. ACH transfers take longer at some places than others. When I transfer money from Fidelity to my checking account, I see the money the next day. When I do the same from…

  • The Origin of Solo 401k

    TFB
    14 Jan 2010 | 6:22 am
    As I wrote in a previous post Rollover IRA to Solo 401k, I rolled over substantially all pre-tax money in my traditional IRA to my solo 401k plan in 2009. My traditional IRA was left with non-deductible contributions plus a little bit of earnings. For 2010, I made another non-deductible contribution before I converted the whole thing to a Roth IRA. Because the traditional IRA had mostly non-deductible contributions, I will not pay much tax for this conversion. I plan to do the same contribute-then-convert move in 2011 and beyond unless Congress changes the law. Having a solo 401k made things…

  • My Future Is Not a Game

    TFB
    7 Jan 2010 | 6:06 am
    I beat the market in 2009 … in a mock trading game. My return from $100,000 fake cash was +48.6%. Among more than 100 Vanguard mutual funds, only 5 had a higher return in 2009 than I did in the game. I only made 12 trades in this game. I did not buy on margin. Except one trade, I only traded ETFs, not individual stocks. I always had at least 25% of the portfolio in cash. The good results are primarily driven by timing. I bought a few ETFs in February. Then I bought more in the first week of March. I took some profit in April and May (too early). When it was clear GM was going to go…
 
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    Amateur Asset Allocator

  • The Importance Of Paying Yourself First

    Kyle
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Sure, it seems like you owe everybody money each month. While you do have bills to pay and financial responsibilities, your first priority for payment should be to yourself.  After all, you can borrow money for most of the big purchases in life, and you can even declare bankruptcy if need be (pay close attention to asset protection if you’re thinking of going that route), but there’s one thing you can’t borrow money for:  retirement. How Much Should You Save? There is no right answer to this question. You should set up savings goals that meet your needs for the immediate…

  • Automated Saving Makes Saving Money Easy

    Kyle
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pm
    When it comes to saving cash, research shows that people just don’t do it enough (although we’re getting better). As more and more families find themselves living paycheck to paycheck, it seems there is rarely ‘left over’ money after the bills are paid.  But not paying yourself first, even if it comes in the form of paying down high-interest credit card debt, is a financial disaster waiting to happen. You Need A Budget! Developing a financial budget for your self or your family should be the starting point of any financial plan. Start by tracking each and every expense you make…

  • Why I Ditched My Vanguard Money Market Fund In Favor Of ING Direct

    Kyle
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    For several years, I kept my emergency fund in the Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund (VMMXX).  For a while, this Vanguard money market fund was yielding over 5% while most high yield savings accounts were stuck in the 4.5% range (those were the days, huh?).  This made perfect since, because while online savings accounts are FDIC insured, money market mutual funds are not;  I interpreted the yield differential as being compensation for taking on slightly more risk. All figures are accurate as of the date of publication:  2/8/2010. And Then Came The Crash… 2008 was a bad year for…

  • Sunday Links And Carnival Roundup

    Kyle
    7 Feb 2010 | 8:37 pm
    Another week, another round-up. Carnival of Personal Finance This week’s carnival of personal finance was hosted by Cash Money Life and included my post 5 New Rules Of Credit Cards.  This week’s theme revolved around how fun taxes can be! Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage? by Funny About Money.  I waffle back and forth on this one.  On the one hand, the numbers often show that keeping your mortgage is the better move financially.  That said, it’s difficult to overstate the benefits of being debt-free, especially if you value cash flow over net worth. Confusing Frugality…

  • Should You Lease Or Buy A New Vehicle?

    Kyle
    6 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pm
    A car loan is one of the biggest monthly financial obligation next to a mortgage for most people. A vehicle is a necessity to get to work and for all other transportation needs so it stands to reason, at some point most people will end up buying or leasing a new car (although I prefer used cars). However, the difficult part comes when a decision must be made regarding the purchase or lease of a vehicle. Some will find that a lease suits their lifestyle and driving habit perfectly, while others are not convinces. Here is a rundown of both vehicle finance options to consider: The Purchase…
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    Tip'd / Published News

  • 6 Ways to Find Free Money!

    RedeemingRiches
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:57 am
    Who doesn't love finding cash in their pocket they forgot about? Here's some other ways to find some money!23 Tips (http://www.redeemingriches.com)

  • Social Security – What You Need to Know About Benefits, Coverage, and Eligibility

    marubozo
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am
    Social Security is in trouble. We all know that. But even so, it continues to provide benefits to tens of millions of Americans each year and will continue to provide benefits for years to come. So, here's what you need to know about it for now.16 Tips (http://genxfinance.com)

  • 8 Principles For a Frugal College Student to Follow

    savingsaccountau
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:22 am
    Being a frugal student or living a frugal student lifestyle does not mean you have to give up all material things and stop going to the movies or enjoying dinners at restaurants. Instead, being frugal is really more about being smart with your money10 Tips (http://studenomics.com)

  • Don’t Get Too Carried Away with Tax Deductions

    MMarquit
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:28 am
    Before you deduct, double check to make sure that you are completely eligible for the deduction, and that you have proper documentation to back up your claim in case the IRS audits you.13 Tips (http://www.peakpersonalfinance.com)

  • Why the Type of Life Insurance you Buy Doesn't Matter

    Clarifinancial
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm
    It doesn't matter if you buy whole life, term insurance, or some other type of life insurance. Here's why...11 Tips (http://www.myjourneytomillions.com)
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    No More Spending

  • Savings Goals Part 1: Going into attack mode!

    no more spending
    7 Feb 2010 | 12:17 pm
    Next week is all about savings goals on No More Spending :-) After our financial meeting this week we decided to move some money around and change some of our savings goals; a result of our new circumstances, paying for some new windows and re assessing our priorities. We're moving abroad in 2012 {Portugal} and we have some specific saving targets we want to reach before we go - before my husband changes his job {we also have some house renovations to complete} So after spending too much money in January, which might have been was a reaction to being debt free I'm now…

  • Keeping it {non} frugal

    no more spending
    1 Feb 2010 | 9:20 pm
    I've just finished off my spending diary inputs for January and it's not pretty. For some reason I've stopped earning money and started spending it instead. Please bear in mind that my strict £100 personal budget didn't start until the 18th so some of this was left over money from my last wage packet/bonus but it looks on paper like I was trying to wear out my debit card {which by the way is perhaps going in the freezer} Some of the highlights: £31.00 Train fares -London to visit my daughter £21.91 Lunch Out - treat for daughter £1.50 Newspaper - forgot my book for train journey £6.04…

  • Our Monthly Finance Meeting

    no more spending
    31 Jan 2010 | 9:59 pm
    We run our family finances like a business. I'm the treasurer and my husband the chairman, but with equal ranking! Every month I do a {funny} presentation to him detailing where we're at with our budget, savings etc; doing it this way keeps the communication going on our finances and makes it fun at the same time. The change in my work situation has bought about some major changes to our budget, {and some major changes, for the better, to our daily life} but it's still business as usual; we still have goals to work towards and it's important to us that we keep…

  • A whole lot of love for blogging

    no more spending
    31 Jan 2010 | 8:43 am
    I'm working on being a better blogger. I love blogging, I love this little blog, I love my readers and I love reading other peoples blogs. Writing this blog keeps me accountable and motivated and will keep me from ever going back into debt. So I wanted to ask, what do you like in a personal finance blog? What subjects do you most like to read about? Do you like to see what people spend their money on, what budgets they set, how they make some extra money? You tell me {please} What do you love in a personal finance blog? Subscribe here for free updates.

  • February 2010 Mini Goals

    no more spending
    30 Jan 2010 | 3:38 am
    I'm back to monthly goal planning. I didn't really set any in January and it shows as I was a little aimless. The best way for me to attack my 5 year plan is to break it down month by month and work on progressing it all the time. So here are my goals for February: Finances: -Make £200 in extra money from clearing this -Keep groceries within budget Home: -Paint the bathroom Simple and Greener Living: -Elimate plastic bags and bottles from our household Business/Work: - Research at Library Personal: - Get up at 6am every day - Lose 5lbs - Read this book Are you setting goals this month? If so…
 
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    Bill MacKay

  • IS POVERTY A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION?

    7 Feb 2010 | 6:47 pm
    Is poverty a human rights violation when a bank CEO still gets a $9 million dollar bonus?If I am not mistaken wasn’t it just 2008 when a fraternity of financial institutions run by the equivalent of a small family were being bailed out by the very taxpayers who had suffered a greater decline in their invested assets than in the Great Depression?THE FORGOTTEN PLEDGEThe long standing cry to give the world’s poor a voice has fallen on deaf ears. The injustice to be corrected in this instance was intended for those living in wretched third world conditions. Few countries have lived up to…

  • MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

    31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am
    Make the easy-living lifestyle a dream come true by starting a plan today.Reverse the under saving, over spending course you adopted during exuberant times when ‘more’ meant more stuff, more space, more power, more debt, and more stress.Because wanting more seems like a natural inclination of a consumer culture let’s stay with the ‘more’ theme. But this time gear up to more that would support and sustain the chance of actually creating a lifestyle that is not only possible but also highly probable if you manage three simple things.1. MORE AWARENESS OF YOUR SPENDINGFor starters, be…

  • BANKING ON OBAMA FOR RETIREMENT SECURITY?

    24 Jan 2010 | 6:35 am
    Are you banking on Obama for your retirement security? Don’t.He may be going after the banks but what’s coming after you retire?That we will see a return to the “good ol’ daze” is a fantasy. Nor should we want to. What existed before was about as stable as a recovering alcoholic. SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS ARE POLITICALLY INTRACTABLEThe cost of health care was escalating. Defined benefit pensions were disappearing. Job security was as good as your next pay check. If you had a house you probably borrowed against your equity to keep up your standard of living. So what’s the state of your…

  • Confidence in Obama Post Haiti

    17 Jan 2010 | 3:52 pm
    Shows of responsive governance and personal leadership give Obama media visibility as he commits and expedites disaster relief to this utterly broken country. But only time will prove if it takes the focus off domestic unemployment, bankers’ shameless behavior, and all the other ills facing his Presidency. Notable in this context, is America’s national debt.Haiti’s corruption takes many forms. Most visible today is the most tragic…the physical decomposition before our eyes of the dead and dying citizens of that failed state. By any measure, it is clear for all to see that the previous…

  • 5 REASONS CONFIDENCE IN OBAMA DYING

    10 Jan 2010 | 3:36 pm
    The white knight of the Democratic Party and world peace is fading to grey. Here’s why.1. AL QAEDA IS WINNINGDenials to the contrary are silly. Our lifestyle is being forcibly changed. America has put up walls and is building them higher. The global air travel industry and its passengers bear the cost. Watch for more airline bankruptcies. Full body scanners are the next incarnation of defense. Interesting, isn’t it, how so many of these machines are suddenly available for deployment around the country. The underbomber was a timely excuse.Afghanistan is taking lives. Seeing this as…
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    ThinkMoney.com

  • Advantages of using a debt management company

    9 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am
    There is no single reason why you should use the services of a professional debt management company when setting up your debt management plan - it`s down to personal preference. But there are various reasons why many people choose to do it this way.Full article: Advantages of using a debt management companyVisit: www.thinkmoney.com

  • IVA: the creditors meeting

    9 Feb 2010 | 2:45 am
    If your debt problems have become so serious that you don`t think you`ll ever be able to pay off your unsecured debts, an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) could be right for you.Full article: IVA: the creditors meetingVisit: www.thinkmoney.com

  • Debt management - is it Government-backed?

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:01 am
    There are a number of debt solutions that may be available to people struggling with their debts, and some are more formal than others. For example, there`s the formal, legally-binding IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) - but a debt management plan (a less formal debt solution) might be more suitable for some people.Full article: Debt management - is it Government-backed?Visit: www.thinkmoney.com

  • Student debt guide

    5 Feb 2010 | 1:02 am
    Student debt is a worry for many people. Many graduates are shocked at the amount of debt they find themselves in after university.Full article: Student debt guideVisit: www.thinkmoney.com

  • Can an IVA help with unmanageable debt?

    3 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am
    Dealing with unmanageable debt can be extremely difficult - but there is help available. When you call a debt adviser to discuss ways of clearing your debts, one solution they may recommend is an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement).Full article: Can an IVA help with unmanageable debt?Visit: www.thinkmoney.com
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    Maximizing Money

  • Dollar Rental Codes and Thrifty Car Rental Discount Codes

    MaximizingMoney.com
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am
    Dollar Rent-A-Car and Thrifty car rentals have introduced new car rental discount codes to provide you with cheap vehicle rental rates when you rent your next car. Take advantage of these Dollar and Thrifty rental discount codes for incredible deals on vehicle rentals in popular locations across the U.S. These are great discounts for vacations where you’ll need to rent a car, as they’re available in premier destinations for U.S. travel. Dollar Rental Discount Codes Take advantage of these Dollar.com discount codes for savings on vehicle rentals from Dollar. Rent a Standard-size…

  • Union Bank Bonuses $200 Business Checking, $50 Personal Checking, and More

    MaximizingMoney.com
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:59 pm
    Union Bank is currently offering several banking bonuses including a $200 business checking account bonus, a $50 Nijiya Gift Certificate bonus with the free personal checking account, up to $395 in merchant services discounts, and a 25% discount off TurboTax. Take advantage of these Union Bank bonus offers to get extra cash rewards when you open a new bank account with Union Bank. These Union Bank Business Promotions offer additional rewards for business and merchant accounts with Union Bank. $200 Union Bank Business Checking Bonus Get up to $200 when you open a free Union Bank business…

  • ING Direct Promotional Code for $50 Electric Orange Checking Account Bonus

    MaximizingMoney.com
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am
    ING Direct is offering a $50 cash bonus when you open a new Electric Orange Checking account and make 3 debit card purchases. You must open your new Electric Orange Checking account with the ING Direct promotional code FEELESS in order to qualify for this $50 bonus offer. Then activate your ING Direct Electric Orange Debit MasterCard and use it to make 3 signature-based purchases within 45 days of opening your new account. Your $50 ING Direct bonus will be deposited into your account on the 50th day after the account opening date as long as you make qualifying debit card purchases. Check out…

  • Best Western Promotion Stay Twice to Earn Triple Rewards at BestWestern.com

    MaximizingMoney.com
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:35 pm
    Best Western is currently offering triple Best Western rewards when you stay twice between February 7th and March 28, 2010, at hotels booked through BestWestern.com. You may have seen the recent Best Western rewards commercial that has been running steadily for this promotional offer. This is a great opportunity to sign up for the free Best Western Rewards Program and earn bonus hotel rewards for your stays. You’ll earn triple rewards for 2 qualifying stays at Best Western hotels when you book your hotel stay at BestWestern.com, or you’ll earn double rewards for 2 Best Western…

  • Chase Business Checking $100 Coupon Codes Offer through 3/15/2010

    MaximizingMoney.com
    6 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm
    Chase is now offering $100 coupon codes for opening a new Chase Business Checking Account, valid through March 15, 2010. Just open a Chase Business Checking Account with a Chase promotional code and make a $500 minimum deposit to your new account to receive a $100 Chase business banking bonus. Visit this Chase Business Promotional Page to request your $100 Chase coupon code via email. You’ll need to click on the Get Coupon Now button and enter your email address to receive a $100 coupon code directly from Chase Bank. To qualify for this offer, you must open a Chase BusinessClassic…
 
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    Freedom from Creditors

  • Mortgage lenders pursue homeowners even after foreclosure

    Allan H.
    3 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm
    Debtors with mortgage deficiencies are not in the clear as they think they are. Creditors are waiting for the opportune time to take the unknowing debtor to the cleaners and garnish everything they own and have worked hard for. If debtors don’t protect their assets and them self from the affects of mortgage deficiencies banks will sue and obtain a judgment for the deficiency. The court will allow the creditors to freeze the debtors bank accounts and garnish their wages for years to come. Read this heart wrenching story on the reality behind foreclosure: Mortgage lenders pursue…

  • Out of control interest rates?

    Allan H.
    18 Dec 2009 | 1:11 pm
    One card that we recently found out about has a 79.9% interest rate. Now if that is not a legal loan shark what is? To read more about this credit card company scam check out this article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34468260/ns/business-personal_finance/

  • What is the Uniform Commercial Code In The United States?

    Allan H.
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pm
    The Uniform Commercial Code is a set of uniform laws written by the American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws governing commercial transactions. It took over ten years to originally draft the UCC, and a further fourteen years for the UCC to be implemented across the United States. The creation of the UCC began in 1940 in an effort to “attack major commercial problems with comprehensive legal solutions.” The Code became effective at midnight on June 30, 1966 , and applies to transactions entered into and events occurring after that…

  • Judgment Liens

    Allan H.
    27 Oct 2009 | 11:14 am
    A judgment lien is a court ordered lien that is placed against the home or property when the homeowner simply fails to pay a debt. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when the homeowner has a judgment lien against his or her home and wants to sell it, the judgment lien has to be paid in full before the home or property can be sold. Judgment liens can be placed against the property for a variety of reasons such as unpaid credit card bills, utility bills, department store bills, landscaping or home improvement bills, and just about any bill that the homeowner has failed to pay in a…

  • Banks are Getting Hammered with Loan Losses

    Allan H.
    16 Oct 2009 | 9:59 am
    It’s’ no big surprise that banks are trying to collect from the hoards of debtors who have defaulted on loans recently. As you can see from this article , Bank of America has lost 36 Billion dollars. Don’t feel bad if your among these borrowers. The government is bailing the bank out. Also, as you can tell by the numbers, you’re not alone when it comes to debt problems. The banks have more problems than you do.
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    Darwin's Finance

  • Is Paying Kids for Good Grades Wrong?

    Darwin
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:47 am
    I watched an inspiring 60 Minutes episode on the Canada Harlem Children’s Zone project whereby several blocks of a blighted section of Harlem were transformed into a safe area spanning many blocks and the charter schools within were staffed and run completely differently than the NYC public schools.  The program employs very innovative techniques and is under the leadership of a really incredible guy named Geoffrey Canada. The message of the project is “aimed at doing nothing less than breaking the cycle of generational poverty for the thousands of children and families it…

  • Easy Ways to Find the Best Finance Blogs

    Darwin
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:14 am
    There are a few ways people like to keep track of their favorite personal finance and investing blogs.  There’s the old fashioned way of just bookmarking a site and visiting when time permits to check out the latest posts.  That’s very inefficient and sooo 2000. Then, there’s the RSS and Twitter option.  I recommend following both if it’s a site/blogger you like.  For a primer, see this video on how RSS works but basically, it’s like opening a newspaper each day and seeing the title of tens or hundreds of articles from your favorite writes – which can…

  • Rethinking the College Investment

    Darwin
    6 Feb 2010 | 2:51 pm
    Kids entering your life? It’s never too early to start planning, we’re told. When a seven pound bundle comes through the front door with enough equipment to fill the room that used to be your office, all of a sudden planning becomes less of an option and more of a requirement. For the last couple of decades, college planning has become an additional career for a lot of families. Specialized tools and plans have developed, to the point that today you can find many an online calculator and a maze of tables designed to tell you whether you’re making the grade. The relatively new – and…

  • Highest Saving Account Rates OnLine

    Darwin
    5 Feb 2010 | 10:27 pm
    As of February 6, 2010, these are the highest savings account rates that can be easily achieved online without geographical restrictions, credit union restrictions, military service requirements, etc.  While these interest rates may seem somewhat anemic, they are actually among the highest in the country given a 0% Fed Funds rate and the cost structure benefits of online banking over conventional brick and mortar outfits.  The nice thing is that the interest rates on these larger established banks have been relatively steady compared to some other bait and switch banks I’ve seen that…

  • Weekend Reading – “There Will Be Blood” Edition

    Darwin
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:05 am
    This week it was announced that New York Attorney General’s office is filing civil charges against the former CEO of Bank of America Ken Lewis, saying he misled investors about Merrill Lynch when it acquired the bank in late 2008.  Whether this is politically motivated or there is legal merit, it is evident that after over a year of populist simmering over the fallout of the financial crisis, this is probably just the first in many such announcements.  There Will Be Blood. With that backdrop, the good news is that I want to share my favorite reads from the past week from around the…
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    Do You Dave Ramsey

  • Discover, You’re An Idiot

    Dave Ozment
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    I received a letter in the mail the other day that was equal parts shocking and appalling… and sadly, genius. Discover, a credit card I’ve held for a couple years and last used nearly that long ago, sent a letter offering me $500 and encouraging me to rack up massive amounts of debt in the process. The hook was obvious.  Who doesn’t want five crisp bills?  But the catch was brazen and laughable and dangerous.  Simply notify Discover that you want to make them your credit card of choice and then proceed to spend $2000 a month on the card each month for the next four months. …

  • Give To Get

    Dave Ozment
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Today I have a new, old storyline.  Several media outlets I follow spent time with the topic back in September but I decided to wait.  Sure, the story may have had a short shelf life, or it could age like a fine wine – getting better and more interesting with the passage of time. Fortunately it was the later, and now it is ready.  The proper weight and balance have been achieved and the current context now better serves the value of the message. Today is Friday.  Two short days before the most amazing sporting spectacle we’ll ever witness, until next year at about this time.  The…

  • Goal Setting – February 2010

    Dave Ozment
    2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Introduction So January is down… when did that happen?  2010 is already 1/12 complete.  Have you accomplished 1/12 of your goals for the year? Hey, it’s a fair question and to be honest with you, I have not.  I guess it’s part excuse and part explanation, but I’ve been snowed under at work in a way that I did not anticipate.  That’s a good thing, job security is what my grandfather calls it, and as right as that is, it also serves as a wake up call to my dedication and motivation to accomplish my goals in other areas. So here’s the recap.  I trust…

  • Debt Sucks!

    Steven
    29 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    This article was written by Steven, author of Hundred Goals, a blog about achieving your goals while managing your finances. Steven writes about his journey of traveling the world and working towards completing a life list of 100+ goals, including skydiving and becoming debt free. Sign up for email updates and be sure to join him and hundreds of other readers on the Hundred Goals Facebook Page …and paying it off sucks even more, right? You work your ass off every single day of your life, only to fork over your money to faceless companies called Visa, MasterCard and Bank of America. You…

  • Financial Infidelity

    Dave Ozment
    26 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    So, when was the last time you cheated on your spouse?  What?  It’s a fair question, no need to get all bent out of shape.  We all cheat on our spouses from time to time.  Heck, I know I’ve done it twice, at least that I can recall.  Some folks consider it sport or simply a normal way of life.  That’s just how some households roll. Now to be sure, I am not talking about marital infidelity.  That is a serious and life altering violation. Rather, I’m referring to infidelity as it relates to the household budget.  How many times or how often have you made significant purchases…
 
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    WalletPop News

  • 15 Worst College Crime Areas

    1 Feb 2010 | 7:55 am
    NeighborhoodScout has identified the Top 15 College Neighborhoods for Property Crime in America. These neighborhoods have the highest estimated rates of property crime per 1,000 residents of any college neighborhoods in America. These neighborhoods do not necessarily have high rates of violent crime, which is not included in the analysis.

  • Best cheapest restaurants in NYC?

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:38 am
    Sure, you can grab a hot dog or slice of pizza in New York for cheap, but a balanced meal for $10 or less? In Manhattan? That's the idea behind the new site CheapEatery.com. But does the food pass the test? Our panel of judges--former staffers of the recently closed, Gourmet magazine, let you know.

  • Rumor: Apple to Offer $30 Unlimited TV Package

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:13 am
    Rumor has it that Apple wants to revolutionize the way we get our television delivered by offering all you can watch TV for $30. If true, Apple would be attempting to capture the attention and eyes of 100 million iTunes account holders with a plan that puts streaming TV on any device with iTunes.

  • You Can Afford Trip on New, Biggest Cruise Liner

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am
    Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas will be taking its maiden voyage later this month. It will be the largest cruise ship on the planet, towering 20 stories over the waves. On board, there's space for 6,300 paying guests, 2,000 crew members, a 1,300-seat theater, some duplex cabins, an ice rink, an indoor/outdoor park, and a cocktail bar that travels from deck to deck via an elevator system. Normally, when flashy new ships are launched, it becomes the hottest ticket in the market, and prices reflect the tight demand. But not this time ...

  • "Hot" Products to Avoid Online

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:10 am
    Retail theft is on the rise, but not from hard pressed consumers looking to make ends meet. Rather, organized groups or gangs are hitting stores, stealing large quantities and reselling the goods, often online. The National Retail Federation issued a detailed list of products, including many popular brand names, of products for shoppers to steer clear of on auction sites. See which products to avoid.
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    AOL: Retirement News

  • Retirement: What not to do

    20 Jan 2010 | 3:51 pm
    Do you have a solid retirement plan? Maybe not. According to Wells Fargo's fifth annual retirement survey, most people make three major mistakes when it comes to planning for their golden years.

  • Top Scams That Target Seniors

    17 Dec 2009 | 11:36 am
    Seniors are one of scam artist’s favorite targets. More than 25 million seniors were victims of fraud last year according to the Federal Trade Commission. Seniors become targets because they are easy to reach by phone, are often home during the day, often live along, and are often more willing to talk to strangers. Today, personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com expose seven top scams that target seniors. Even if you aren’t a senior yourself, keep reading and warn the seniors in your life about these scams.

  • Retirement: What not to do

    13 Nov 2009 | 9:46 am

  • Social Security Payments to Stay Flat

    15 Oct 2009 | 3:55 am
    The Social Security Administration has some tough news for seniors. In 2010, there will be no cost of living increase for Social Security recipients, the first year without one since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.

  • The Right Way to Unretire

    23 Sep 2009 | 11:43 am
    Has a portfolio swoon put a crimp in your comfortable lifestyle? Maybe it's time to get a job. Try these techniques to help you land one that works for you.
 
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    Young and Frugal

  • What We Used to Have

    Daniel
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:26 pm
    When was the last time you looked at the world through the eyes of a child? The eyes of curiosity that see everything with an innate sense of wonder? The eyes it seems we all used to have. As we grow older everything seems to move at a faster pace, and in the interest of time we begin to accept things instead of wondering about the intricacies of why. We easily forget our curiosity that once wasn’t even satisfied by answers; we lose the curiosity we all used to have. As adults we all too often look at the simplest items and see them for what they are; a pencil is a pencil. We forget…

  • Thinking Aloud

    Daniel
    14 Jan 2010 | 11:11 am
    You know that horrible mental state that you get in when you haven’t gone out of your way to spice up life in a while? Call it a slump, a funk, or a rut…I’m in one; it’s not just writers block either, it’s my entire mental state. I feel like I have to do something to get out of it, and for me this typically means creating something to look forward to…entrepreneurially. Seth Godin say’s that “you can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones,” and while I’ve generated a lot of bad ones,…

  • Live Like No One Else

    Daniel
    23 Dec 2009 | 11:05 am
    In school my favorite professor would always preach “live like no one else now, so that you can live like no one else later,” this phrase seemed to always get lost amongst a crowd of in the now college students, but he kept saying it with the true heartfelt emphasis of a teacher who really loved his students. In a moment of self reflection today I looked back and remembered this and it was as if the dots all connected. While this phrase can be applied to almost any aspect of life, it really hits home on the financial front. Think about what it would mean to live like no one else…

  • The Art of What Not to Post

    Daniel
    22 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pm
    Recently I read a blog post by a young woman who had been fired from her job. She went to lengths to complain about how she felt betrayed by the company, then somehow backtracked and explained how she understood why the company fired her…because she was a horrible employee. She didn’t say it in those exact words, but she lead me to believe that she was a horrible employee. As I read her post, I repeatedly asked myself “what is this girl thinking!?” She might as well just write “Horrible Employee, Don’t Hire Me” on her resume. All it takes is for one…

  • Why I Blogged a Tweet

    Daniel
    30 Sep 2009 | 6:14 pm
    On Monday I posted the following: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antione de Saint Exupéry All 135 characters of this quote fits snugly into the 140 character limit of Twitter, but instead of just tweeting it (which I did), I blogged it. I think it’s fairly obvious why, but at the risk of having excess I will explain. I had a whole blog post centered around the quote, but the rest wasn’t an improvement on what he wrote, it was excess. All I can say is that throughout our lives we surround ourselves…
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    Bible Money Matters

  • Questions About The New Car Sales Tax Deduction Answered

    Peter Anderson
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:19 am
    I have been getting a lot of questions lately about the new car sales tax deduction that people can claim for cars bought in 2009.   A lot of people are getting ready to do their taxes, and they’re wondering if they qualify for the tax deduction. In the interest of answering some of the most common questions about the deduction, I thought I’d do an updated Q & A right here. New Car Sales Tax Deduction Facts Fast facts about the sales tax deduction, who is eligible, how to claim it and more: How much of the sales tax can I claim? State and local sales and excise taxes paid on…

  • Non Financial Considerations Of Selling Your Home: Should You Sell Your House?

    Jason Price
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am
    As a reminder, this is the second post of a two post series helping you answer the question:  Should you sell your house? The first post looked at the financial considerations of selling your house.   I discussed costs in selling and buying, interest rates, whether or not selling will help you get out of debt sooner, how long you’ve been in the house and the current tax credit consideration. Other Considerations For Selling Your House This week I’m going to cover some of the non financial considerations in deciding to sell your house.  These considerations shouldn’t stand by…

  • Deciding How Much to Allocate In Your Budget

    Guest Poster
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Bryce Bartruff, senior director and COO of American Missionary Fellowship, leads a personal finance workshop called “Fiscal Fitness.” For more information about attending or hosting a workshop in your area, give him a call at 610-527-4439, ext. 104 or email him through the contact form. “Do you know how to make God laugh?” my nephew, RJ, asked as we walked to the parking lot. “I must admit, I don’t know,” was my response. “Just tell Him what you think you are going to do tomorrow,” he replied. I just smiled. RJ was so right. We make all kinds of plans and think we know our…

  • Tips On How To Obey “Thou Shalt Not Covet”

    Guest Poster
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    This is a guest post from Mr Credit Card from askmrcreditcard.com. If you are looking for a credit card, check out his list of best credit cards recommendations. A few weeks ago, my Pastor from church was preaching about “Thou shalt not covet” – one of the Ten Commandments. He said that it was not one of the most talked about commandments but was nevertheless very important and so easy to break. He gave the following analogy. He said that if he was caught reading a “Playboy” magazine in his office, it would be a scandal! But if he was seen reading “Kitchen…

  • How A Little Blogging Insider Information Can Help You Find Trusted Financial Information Online

    Craig Ford
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    Isn’t the web an amazing thing?  This blog would certainly be a different thing without the net.  Because there is so much information online it is occasionally hard to know where to go for accurate financial information. Peter just finished off a fantastic series on How To Make Money With A Blog.  Non-bloggers can also learn some important information from some of those posts because a little insider blogging information can actually help you find good financial resources online.. How to Find Trustworthy Financial Information Online Lessons from SEO and Niche Websites Since I’ve…
 
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    Frugal Upstate

  • Menu Plan 2/8

    Jenn @ Frugal Upstate
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am
    I’m back from the Blissdom women’s blogging conference (where I was a speaker) and in “conference recovery” mode.  That means that I have my own sleep to catch up on, unpacking to do, laundry for the entire family and usually some pickup/reorganization to do with the house.  As a result I like to keep the first few days after a conference very easy on the meal front. Monday: Spaghetti & Meatballs with Canned Veggies Can’t get much more simple than that. I’ve got frozen venison meatballs that I made downstairs in the fridge.  I’ll add jarred…

  • Frugal Update-The Packing Edition

    Jenn @ Frugal Upstate
    6 Feb 2010 | 7:27 am
    I filmed another Frugal Update before flying out for the Blissdom conference on Wednesday. This one runs about 10 min long-enjoy! I’d love to hear what you think of the video-even if it’s just “liked it, keep doing them”. . . Related Posts:The Frugal UpdateFrugal Fashion-Eleven Ways to Wear a ScarfDon't Buy StuffQuick & Easy Halloween Treat~Halloween Hands!New Vlog: Fall Porch Decoration

  • Recipe: Citrus Rice

    Jenn @ Frugal Upstate
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:45 am
    We love rice, and my rice cooker makes it very easy to whip up a batch as a side dish. . . but sometimes it can get,1 well, boring. A little lemon juice, a little orange peel, a little dill and you’ve got yourself  something out of the ordinary Photo by Su-lin Citrus Rice 1 C rice 1 tsp dried orange peel 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp dill 1 tsp salt 2 chicken bullion cubes-crushed 1 TBS butter 2 C water Mix all ingredients well in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer & cover. Cook until all liquid is absorbed-15-25. or. . . .Throw it all in the…

  • $50 Giftcard Winner

    Jenn @ Frugal Upstate
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:11 am
    Congratulations to Cathy at the Chief Family Officer-she is the lucky winner of the $50 Walmart Giftcard. Everyone else, stay tuned-I’ll be reviewing and giving away a copy of “$3 Low Calorie Meals” very soon! Related Posts:Congratulations Merry Madagascar Winner!Congratulations!Family Game Night Gift Card Winner!Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Winner!E.L.F Large Studio Makeup Kit Winner!

  • Reader’s Question: Homemade Flavored Water

    Jenn @ Frugal Upstate
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:22 am
    Photo by Mary Muses Hi Jenn, I have a question for you regarding flavored water.  Generally I enjoy the taste of buying the flavored water however I also find it way too costly.  I do try to buy it when its on sale-but there has to be an even better way. Do you have suggestions for making my own flavored water? Thanks, Jennifer Well that is a great question! I have to admit, I don’t know any way to give you the exact flavor that you get from those expensive store bought, chemically enhanced waters.   Instead I can give you lots of tasty and inexpensive ways to add a little…
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    Christian Personal Finance

  • 14 Rules For Money Fights With Your Spouse

    Craig
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:54 am
    I wish we could call it a discussion about money.  The fact is that many couples don’t have discussions about money – it’s an all out fight.  Money topics are often so sensitive and so tender that it is hard for couples to effectively deal with money disagreements.  There are so many good marriage tips, but few that deal specifically with money disagreements. While there are ways to help you improve your money relationship in marriage, this post will focus on money-fights and how to know when/if you need marriage counseling to help resolve the issues. One of the best things you can…

  • Planning a Wedding on a Budget: 4 Tips for Saving Money

    Linda
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:27 am
    The first way save money on your wedding is the most important: you have to want to save money. I’ve noticed in the past few years that some things are worth paying for, and some things are not. But just because you don’t pay for something doesn’t mean you can’t get great results (and sometimes better results) by using your creativity. Here are a few simple tips if you are planning a wedding on a tight budget. They all involve creativity, so open your mind and get creative (or call you sister or friend or aunt in the room to help you out). 1. Do it yourself. When Bob…

  • How to Raise a Child on Less Than $266,698

    Joe
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:19 am
    How much does it cost to raise a child these days? According to Baby Center web site, the cost of raising a child from baby to adulthood is $266,698. Now that you have pulled yourself up off the floor, I want to assure you that it is OK to bring babies into the world even if you aren’t sitting on a nest egg.  It has been a few years (our youngest is 30), but Janice and I somehow managed to raise four children without spending an extra million dollars on them.  Whether you are just getting started or already have several children, this article should help you keep a rational…

  • Giving God Control

    Guest
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:57 am
    The following is a guest post from Rick Anderson. Find more about him at his website: RickAnderson.com Millions of high paying manufacturing jobs lost to trade agreements. Nearly every street in America has foreclosure signs on it. Corporate globalization is effectively pooling the worlds poverty rather than creating prosperity. There’s a church in every neighborhood and even with all this pain folks aren’t coming through the doors. We worry about our bills and the stuff we’re about to lose. As a nation we are reaping the fruits of what we have sown. We debate the cause of…

  • Getting To Know the ChristianPF writers

    Bob
    5 Feb 2010 | 10:25 am
    In case you haven’t noticed, there over the last couple months there have been quite a few new faces around here. One of my goals for ChristianPF in 2010 is to add a lot of new voices to the mix. I fully understand that for CPF to be what God intends it to be, I am going to need the help of some like-minded folks who earnestly desire to help people become better stewards of what God has given them. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to read the About page, I will tell you a little about myself. My name is Bob and I started CPF in 2007 and my goal was to make it a resource…
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    Give Me Back My Credit

  • Oops -they did it again. Mortgage Servicing Company Creates Wrongful Foreclosure...

    Denise Richardson
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am
    Michael and Marilyn Elliott's mortgage was paid in full but that didn't stop their mortgage servicing company Ocwen Bank from moving to foreclosure on their home. Marilyn and Michael Elliott learned that a default judgment had been entered against them and that their home was sold in a sheriff's sale to the lending bank, J P Morgan Chase Bank. Trouble is, Chase had no record of this foreclosure. Here are a few facts of the case as noted in the Indiana Appeals Court Opinion filed for publication February 3, 2010.On September 17, 2007, the Elliott's filed a consumer complaint with the…

  • Beware of Credit Card Inactivity Fees

    Denise Richardson
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:25 am
    More and more credit card companies are taking steps to ensure that all of their credit card accounts are profitable and that means cutting credit limits, raising interest rates, charging annual fees and initiating inactivity fees.Up until recently, credit card inactivity fees were a rarity in credit card terms of service agreements. Most customers avoided credit card offers with these fees in the same manner they avoided credit card offers with annual fees. So credit card companies would instead use other tactics, such as canceling or suspending inactive accounts. However, as credit card…

  • Bank of America charged with Fraud

    Denise Richardson
    4 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm
    The New York Attorney General's office announced today that they're charging Bank of America and its former CEO Ken Lewis with fraud. The charges stem from BofA's disastrous merger with Merrill Lynch and their alleged failure to disclose important information about the deal to shareholders or the federal government.This investigation drives right to the heart of the financial crisis and taxpayers deserve to have all the facts. Tell Bank of America to come clean with all the information surrounding the Merrill Lynch dealIf proven true, these fraud charges could expose the shady nature of the…

  • Florida foreclosure problems are brewing ahead!

    Denise Richardson
    3 Feb 2010 | 6:17 am
    Existing laws and policies don't seem to be enough for lenders here in Florida when it comes to foreclosures. Claiming that finalizing foreclosures are both "time-consuming and expensive" they're looking to speed up the process.   If members of the Florida Banker's Association have their way, homeowners facing foreclosure could have as little as three months before having to leave their homes. That isn't much time considering it takes at least that long to modify or refinance a loan -or simply try to clean up erroneous credit reporting caused by mortgage servicing abuses. Florida…

  • Journalists Tracking Education Stimulus Spending -- and how you can help!

    Denise Richardson
    2 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am
    The recent economic stimulus package included billions of education dollars. We all know that whenever large sums of money are involved, it is of utmost importance to follow its trail -- right from the start!  How else do we know where the money goes and how it's being spent?  Well, a new project supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation hopes to tackle that very problem. A national project spearheaded by the Education Writers Association, a journalists organization for journalists and their communities created -EdMoney.org and they are going to track education stimulus…
 
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    Prime Time Money

  • Use Google Docs to Save Big and Make Life Easy

    Austin
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am
    Two weeks ago Google Docs unveiled a new feature which allows users to upload any file type to their account, essentially making Google Docs your flash drive in the cloud. We all have emailed a file to ourselves for quick access, but this is Google’s way of clearing your inbox and organizing your life for free. Since it was first introduced in 2006, Docs has shown that it is the future of word processing. With its tight integration with Gmail, Google is in for the long haul when it comes to how average people like you or I write, present, and organize our lives. Google even has an…

  • Orchard Bank Credit Card: 4 Options for Building Credit

    PT
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    This is an updated review of the Orchard Bank Credit Card. The Orchard Bank Credit Card is actually a product of HSBC, the well known international bank, who also owns HSBC Advance, the online savings account product. The Orchard Bank series of credit cards are perfect for someone who’s credit situation is not the best and needs to work on rebuilding their credit. Whether you have no credit history, poor credit history, or if you’re recovering from a bankruptcy, this card can help you get your credit back. Building credit history takes time though, and a credit card, whether…

  • Make Extra Money with Freebie Trading

    PT
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am
    This post is the third in my series of interviews with real people making extra money online. Leslie is a Blogger/Entrepreneur who teaches people how to make money online with Freebie Trading. His blog at TheFreebieGuy.net teaches people how to get started with Freebie Trading and his Community at CaliStyle101 is one of the premiere Freebie Trading Communities on the Internet today. 1. What is freebie trading? Freebie Trading is a relatively new industry that’s built on the concept of Affiliate Marketing, in a way that makes it much easier to get started. It involves Freebie Sites that…

  • Stay Slim on a Trimmed Budget: Inexpensive Healthy Foods

    Yasmeen
    7 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am
    Expensive Healthy Foods Is it me or do grocery prices seem to get steeper with every new year? Within my host of New Year’s resolutions, eating healthier and getting in my Five-A-Day of fruits and veggies is always a hard one to keep. Eating healthy, one would think, theoretically, would be cheaper than eating processed foods or fast food, but it’s often more expensive and more work to prepare, which is why most of us don’t do it. Recently, I took a trip to Whole Foods, the Neiman Marcus of all grocery stores and was floored by my bill, though happy with my experience and the natural…

  • File Your 2009 Taxes for Free

    PT
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:18 pm
    This is an updated list of some of the top places to file your 2009 taxes for free. It’s tax time! This is a big weekend for filers. Will you be filing your taxes this weekend? I may try and do my taxes prior to the Superbowl kicking off. That should give me some nice motivation to hurry it along. You should have recieved most of your tax forms and information by now (what to do with an incorrect 1099). Go gather up all your required documents (see tax prep checklist), grab your beverage of choice, crank open your PC or Mac, and let’s get started. Before you send everything over…
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    RetirementRevised

  • How to be a successful consultant

    Mark Miller
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:14 pm
    If your second act involves going solo as a consultant, read Richard Greenwald’s article in The Wall Street Journal exploring the factors that drive success for freelancers and solo entrepreneurs. Greenwald notes that high unemployment and corporate downsizing has made solo consulting the new normal–and a permanent condition for many. He cites statistics indicating that more [...] Related posts:Jobless rate has doubled for older workers since 2007Six secrets for a successful retirementReinvention wake-up call: Half of lost jobs are gone forever

  • Reader mailbag: How to draw down savings in retirement

    Mark Miller
    3 Feb 2010 | 9:14 pm
    Q: It’s been suggested that I withdraw about 4 percent of my retirement savings ($430,000) each year in addition to my current income of approximately $3,000 per month. I am 70 and my wife will turn 64 this year. We have no mortgage payments, although we do have a $550 monthly car payment for the [...] Related posts:Reader mailbag: Working while receiving Social Security disabilityReader mailbag: Social Security COLAs and spousal benefitsReader mailbag: Rules for Roth IRAs, minimum withdrawals

  • AARP offers career transition scholarships for 40+ women

    Mark Miller
    29 Jan 2010 | 12:38 pm
    The AARP Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Circle will accept applications starting February 1st for its 2010 Women’s Scholarship Program, which helps fund career training and education to women over age 40 who have limited economic resources. AARP says the scholarships are awared to “women who are entering 2-3 year technical or skills up-grading programs or in the [...] Related posts:WhatsNext.com offers free career change guideProject Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career WomenAARP award points toward best areas for 50+ jobs

  • Online resource launches for intentional communities movement

    Mark Miller
    29 Jan 2010 | 8:19 am
    A national group that supports grassroots aging-in-place communities has launched a web portal to support its movement.  Village to Village Network (VTV) provides assistance and consulting services to intentional communities–a small but fast-growing grassroots movement to support seniors who want to age in place, rather than move to retirement communities. They do so by providing [...] Related posts:WSJ: Making suburbs age-friendly communitiesLearn how to create age-friendly communities at D.C. symposiumRetirementRevised Facebook page launches

  • Feds offer website to boost women’s financial literacy

    Mark Miller
    29 Jan 2010 | 7:59 am
    Women tend to outlive men–but far too many face poverty in old age. That’s due mainly to the continuing income gap with men, which affects contributions to Social Security and retirement accounts. But researchers also have documented that many women have a financial literacy gap that leads to poor decisions about saving, investing and debt–all [...] Related posts:Too many women run the risk of retiring into povertyHow income annuities can boost retirement securityWomen face high risk of outliving their money
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    Your Money Relationship

  • Debt Update: January 31, 2010

    Adam
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    January was a fairly good month for us. Even after depleting our emergency fund and them pumping it back up to $1,000, we were still able to pay off over $1,400 in debt. Also, keep in mind that the $1,400 we paid off is only the reduction of principal and doesn’t count the interest we paid. So technically, we are making over $2,000 worth of debt payments per month. For those of you who don’t read my weekly article over at Frugal Dad, I recently announced that I got a new job in Washington, DC. The job doesn’t start until mid-April, but it will be a HUGE income boost for us.

  • Friday Feed Frenzy – The Debtor’s Mind

    Adam
    29 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    Well, it’s been a little while since I had a roundup so I thought I would get back in the mix. It’s tough for me to read as many blogs as I used to. I can’t read blogs at work like many other bloggers can. Frankly, it stinks. I feel so much more disconnected than I used to be. I hardly Tweet and I very rarely comment on other blogs. Hopefully, I can find a new routine that will allow me to do more of that. We’ll see! In other news, I will be starting a series on the blog called “The Debtor’s Mind”. The series is going to be about the things that we as…

  • Why We Use Mvelopes and How You Can Save 25%

    Adam
    27 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    I haven’t really talked about our budgeting system yet. I guess I’ve held back because we have a different situation than most (in not all) of you. Since I live in another state during the week, we need to be extra careful about our budget. Being away from each other can create some miscellaneous expenses here and there. Not to mention that we have added expenses related to my weekday living arrangements. I have been a big fan of the envelope system for quite a few years. For those of you who are unaware of the envelope system, let me give you a very brief overview. The envelope…

  • Even a Small Emergency Fund Can Bail You Out

    Adam
    20 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    Having a small emergency fund while getting out of debt is critical. As I mentioned in other posts, one of the first steps to getting out of debt is not adding to it. Having a cash reserve, no matter how small, can make that step even easier. Our $1,000 Emergency Fund When we started thinking about our plan to get out of debt, we knew we had to save up some cash. Being a (mostly) big fan of Dave Ramsey, I knew that $1,000 was a good number to strive for. It’s what he recommends in his book and on his radio show. $1,000 is a relatively easy amount to save and would cover most financial…

  • Why I Don’t Stress About My $23,000 Pile Of Debt

    Adam
    13 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    The following is a guest post Daniel Packer from Sweating the Big Stuff. Be sure to check out his site! I’m in quite a bit of debt, but it doesn’t really bother me. I know that I won’t be getting out any time soon, but I’m ok with it. I don’t need to worry, I don’t need to make drastic changes to my life, and I don’t need to take a second job. Why? I Have a Plan I have a budget and I know that I’ll be paying off this pile of debt for the next few years, but my plan is to have a positive net income in 18 months. If I continue to save and pay off…
 
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    MoneyMinding.com

  • Wow, it was nice to hear from so many of you!

    sue
    28 Jan 2010 | 9:31 am
    When we recently announced Project M, we had no idea so many people were hungry to learn how to build a financial foundation that included doubling their income every month. MoneyMinding is the practical application of focused financial training. It is all about results within the proper foundation. The response was overwhelming and it took longer than expected to contact all who applied. If we have not spoken personally, then you missed us saying how committed we are to getting results and not being exclusive to people with money or from a certain background. Project M participants will be…

  • Ryan’s Story

    Nancy
    25 Jan 2010 | 9:40 pm
    This entry is different than most of our posts. It has very little to do with money, and everything to do strength, belief, and hope. It demonstrates one of our core beliefs – that we are a community at MoneyMinding, and we carry the dreams and the hopes of each and every one of you with us. Ryan is a financial planner, living in Calgary. He is a husband, a father, an uncle and a son. Like all of us, he has dreams and aspirations, not just for himself, but for his family. His mother is a MoneyMinding member, and she shares her son’s story of his struggle to survive against his recurrence…

  • Are You Financially Unsure?

    Tracy
    8 Jan 2010 | 8:03 pm
    I would like to reach out to anyone who knows what I mean when I say …financially unsure - not to sell you something you don’t have money for or don’t want, but to find out if you would like to participate in a very special MoneyMinding 2010 project. I want to talk to people who understand what it means to feel… • Unsure of not having enough money • Unsure of running out of money • Unsure something will break and you won’t have money to replace it • Unsure someone will find out that you don’t have as much money as you appear to have • Unsure you won’t be able to…

  • Will You Be the Next Victim of Fraud?

    sue
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Sometimes what you don’t know can hurt you! In fact, blind faith and lack of knowledge make you more vulnerable to becoming a victim. A lack of financial understanding is no excuse, yet is the reason why millions of people suffer from financial anxiety and thousands end up getting fleeced. You may think you’re doing all the right things by asking professionals about financial transactions, but this is no guarantee that you won’t be ripped off or make an inappropriate investment. Getting your education from a financial professional who has a vested interest in selling you a product…

  • 3rd Party Says Improving Financial Literacy Needs Behavior Understanding Too – Exactly What MoneyMinding Delivers!

    sue
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:44 pm
    Gary Rabbior, president of Canadian Foundation for Economic Education says, “The recent calls for more Canadians to know more about their finances is a great opportunity for change…” and outlines all the benefits of the MoneyMinding system and training in his recent article called 10 Tips to Improve Canada’s Financial Literacy published on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/investor-education/10-tips-to-improve-canadas-financial-literacy/article1361343/ He also says, “It takes incentives and more than education to change our…
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    Rate Nerd

  • Chase $100 Checking Account Coupon – Daily Deal

    Rate Nerd
    8 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am
    It’s baaaack…the Chase $100 coupon for new business checking accounts. Request your $100 Chase cash bonus checking account coupon here.  Redeem it when you open a new Chase business checking account with a deposit of $500 or more. You will enter your e-mail address, then click “get your coupon” to receive your $100 Chase coupon. 3 easy steps to redeem your Chase $100 checking account coupon Print out the e-mail you receive. Bring it to your nearest Chase branch. Open a new qualifying business checking account with a deposit of $500 or more. This offer is valid until March 15,…

  • 5 Small Business Tax Tips

    Joel
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    Small business owners usually find thinking about taxes just as fun as paying taxes but one thing that we can all appreciate is saving some money on taxes. Here are 5 tax tips for small businesses that can hopefully help you to do some smart tax planning for your business. #1 Get Organized Yes, this tip is somewhat broad and not directly related to paying taxes because after all there is nothing in the tax code that will give you a tax deduction for being organized (although there are requirements for record keeping). That being said, you can save yourself a lot of the hassle that is usually…

  • 4.01% High Yield Checking Account – Daily Deal

    Rate Nerd
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:04 am
    Get 4.01% APY on this free high yield checking account up to $25,000. easyGROW Checking is a FREE, high yield account that rewards you with an amazing rate (4.01% APY), PLUS automatic ATM Fee Refunds worldwide each cycle in which you meet three simple qualifications: Make 10 purchases with Visa® Debit card. Have 1 Direct Deposit or 1 Automatic Payment from your checking account. Enroll in e-Statements to receive your checking account statement electronically. As an added benefit to easyGROW Checking, you also get: No minimum checking account balance No monthly service charge (Other fees may…

  • Best CD Rates for 1 Year CD’s Up To 2.07% – Daily Deal

    Rate Nerd
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:49 am
    We found the four best CD rates paying at least 2.00% APY on a one year CD. CD rates change daily, so move fast if you want to lock in some of the best CD rates available right now. All four of these credit unions are members of the NCUA which insures your CD deposits up to $250,000.  Any of these CD’s could make a good addition to your CD ladder. Alliant Credit Union – 2.00% APY 1 year CD Rate.  $1,000 minimum.  Alliant Credit Union. America’s Credit Union – 2.00% APY 1 year CD Rate (actually 13 months!).  $500 minimum.  America’s Credit Union. Southeast…

  • How Much Will You Spend On Valentine’s Day?

    Rate Nerd
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am
    Valentine’s Day Shopping Survey Reveals That Spending Will Remain Steady With An Average Spend of $86.90; Men Will Continue To Outspend Women By More Than Double. Discover Card’s fourth annual Valentine’s Day Shopping Survey highlights consumer shopping trends and intentions for the upcoming holiday. The poll also revealed insights as to why some consumers may spend differently this year. Economic Conditions Hardly Sway Purchase Intent According to the results, respondents who plan to buy a gift for their spouse or significant other this Valentine’s Day will spend an…
 
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    Investoralist

  • Why the idea of an “Asian century” is steeped in exaggeration

    Dana
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:32 pm
    Someone has taken a chill pill and examined whether the idea of an “Asian century” has any bearings to reality. The way those arguments go, not so much.  It turns out that advantages accumulated over centuries will not disappear over night, or even decades, for that matter. As much as the Asian economies have shocked and awed the rest of the world in their speed of growth, a rapidly aging population, wealth disparity, income inequality, political turmoil, and the lack of any kind of “Asian consensus” will make the emergence of a united Asian block highly unlikely. Whether measured by…

  • Taking Japan’s kawaii cultural phenomenon a step further

    Dana
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:15 pm
    A while ago, I wrote about Japan’s export of soft power through its kawaii culture, spear-headed by Hello Kitty, and now complete with culture ambassadors wearing Lolita uniforms. The same thread was picked up by Wilson Center, whom viewed the phenomenon through more cynical lenses.  Is Japan’s obsession with cuteness merely a reflection of an increasingly infantilized and emasculated culture? A clue as to what’s really going on may lie in the career of artist Takashi Mura­kami, an Andy ­Warhol–­like figure who has played a big role in taking cute global. In 2005 he curated an…

  • Testing the limit of cultural relativity

    Dana
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:06 pm
    Most of us recognize the existence of cultural relativism, right?  Like, one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter, someone’s religious devotion can be construed as adherence to superstition and voodooism, etc etc.  There are cultural gaps and differences that we simply just cannot imagine buying into.  Like, ever. Or, can we? Consider this situation Roger Cohen was recently confronted with.  The practice of dog-eating, in China. As it happened, our meal came shortly before the eruption of a furious online debate in China over a proposed “anti-animal maltreatment” law…

  • Australia may save us all

    Dana
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:33 pm
    Unlike its OECD brethrens, Australia is facing a population crisis, in the other direction! Australia now has the fastest population growth in the developed world, surpassing that of the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and even many developing countries, including Indonesia and China. Nice.  Except in a rather Malthusian twist, Australia has limitations when it comes to natural resources, and even more trouble catching in terms of infrastructure. So what to do? Australian businessman Dick Smith is opposed to population growth and says Australia should cut its skilled migration intake, and…

  • What do the Scandinavians get right? E=MC2

    Dana
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:12 pm
    Along with a heavily distributive society, what else do the Scandinavians get right? A review of The Spirit Levelfinds the following: Deep down, Norway and the other Scandinavian societies still have it right because there are a host of other social policies (affordable child care and greater paternity leave for men among them) that are sustainable on the back of a redistributive economy, but which themselves provide the basis for a more caring society. So it’s not merely the act of wealth distribution that result in the happier, safer, and nicer societies as outlined in Wilkinson and…
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    The Financial Blogger

  • 2010 RRSP Contribution Limits, RRSP Contribution Deadline and other RRSP FAQs

    The Financial Blogger
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:29 am
    I’ve been pretty busy with the RRSP campaign where I work. Since the beginning of January, I have been meeting with my clients to deposit their RRSP contributions. Therefore, I guess you will probably meet with your financial advisor for your 2010 RRSP contribution in the upcoming weeks. So I thought of gathering a few RRSP facts and FAQs: How much can I contribute to my RRSP for 2009? -         The general rule is 18% of your declared income in 2008. -         However, if you have pension plan, you must take a look at your Federal Notice of Assessment (the document sent to…

  • A Car Insurance Story

    The Financial Blogger
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    Picture this: a nice evening with friends, they take 2 cars to go somewhere after a nice dinner, the road is a bit slippery (it’s a real winter in Montreal after all ), the first car does a U turn since he just missed his turn, the other car follows… BANG! We have a bumper that just kissed the door of the other car. How stupid do you feel? You just hit… your friend’s car. Of all the car accidents you could have, this is probably the best story to tell when you are with your friends around a pitcher of cold beer. Well, this is exactly what happened to 2 of my friends a few weeks ago.

  • Financial Ramblings

    The Financial Blogger
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:52 am
    Funny enough, we are only at the beginning of February and I am almost done with my RRSP campaign The fact that I have started at the very beginning of January helped a lot On the weight side, I am at 183 lbs. However, I have a meeting with my trainer next week to change my training program. I will put more emphasis on weight loss instead of weight lifting I’ll give myself about 2 months to lose another 10 pounds and be around 175lbs before spring. I’ll just have to remember my goals when I am in front of a sugar pie over the weekend Here are some good reads for this week: Canadian…

  • Cash ISA Guide

    The Financial Blogger
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    I have been contacted by MoneySuperMarket.com to publish an informative post on Cash ISA accounts. This is a financial product available to residents in the United Kingdom. Since we have UK readers, I thought it would be a nice initiative. In fact, it is pretty similar to the TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account) in Canada on the taxation perspective. If you live in the UK and want to start saving your money, you should consider a cash ISA. They’re not as complex as some people would have you believe, and in this article I will explain exactly how a cash ISA works, how it can benefit you, and how…

  • February Net Worth Update (+0.7%)

    The Financial Blogger
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    This year will be quite interesting in terms of our financial situation. Since September 2009, I work 4 days a week at my day job in order to devote more time to my online business. While my wife quit her job in 2009 to stay home with our children, I have managed to reach the milestone of a 6 digit income. In 2010, we are looking to accumulate $31,000 to pay back the loan to my parents. Since having taken the decision to look at my net worth on a monthly basis, I tend to be more careful with my spending and I always have my parents’ loan in mind. So here’s where I stand after the first…
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    Intelligent Speculator

  • Hell has frozen over

    IS
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    A few days ago, Eric Schmidt, the Google CEO had hinted on his Twitter page that “Can’t wait to watch the Superbowl tomorrow. Be sure to watch the ads in the 3rd quarter (someone said “Hell has indeed frozen over.“). Why? Because Google is not a company known for spending money on advertising, very far from it. It has been known as the ultimate example of viral marketing. Build a product good enough and users will promote the brand by themselves. And that is indeed what happened. Over the years, Google went from zero to the ultimate leader on the internet without even…

  • New trade: Long Apple (AAPL) & Short Amazon(AMZN)

    IS
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    I have written a few times about Apple and found it very interesting to see the reaction to the launch of the tablet a couple of weeks ago. Seems like expectations were so high for Steve Jobs that there was no way it could live up to the hype. But Apple remains very solid and I still expect sales of Ipod’s and Iphones to provide the high sales that are expected. The Ipad is a longer term project that does have a future and I do think that it will eventually become a solid contribution to Apple’s revenues/earnings. I also think the recent direction of Apple into advertising and…

  • Financial Ramblings: Super Bowl Special

    IS
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:35 am
    Good morning to you and welcome to the most important weekend of football and the biggest annual sports event in the world. The Super Bowl brings together die-hard fans (some passionnate enough to send a kid back home from school because he has the opponent’s team shirt on!), casual sports fans who do not watch all year long but are more than happy to see the Saints and Colts battle it out, but also all of those other fans who are either planning a Super Bowl party or attending one elsewhere. Global Reach I think that the Super Bowl’s real success is how it gets even non-fans to…

  • Yahoo (YHOO)…the next AOL(AOL)?

    IS
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    When I think about Yahoo, what comes to mind is a group of different segments that used to dominant in their fields but never were upgraded enough to remain at the top of their fields. Yahoo dating used to be a leader in the field. Of course now, other players such as IAC Interactive have websites that have a lot more traffic and revenues. Then, think of Yahoo Finance, which used to be the ultimate financial resource. It was a great property to generate advertising revenues and seemed far ahead of any competitors. But look at the website from a few years ago and you will hardly notice any…

  • 2010 Stock Picks: REIT ETF’s

    IS
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    An important part of the collapse of the US & world economy was because of the huge real estate and debt bubble that had been created. Now, as things get back to normal, there are deals to be made in the real estate arena. I know of quite a few people who have gone to buy real estate properties in places like Nevada, California and Florida. When you compare the prices of real estate to those of other areas or those of even a few years ago, it certainly looks like a very good investment. And when buying a well located house or condo in Miami or Fort Lauderdale for 140-150K, how much lower…
 
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    Kingdom Calling Advisors

  • Two Types of Leverage

    Wes Bridel
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    1) Leveraging other people – Let’s say that you have assets to invest, but aren’t sure what to invest in.  You have a friend who has expertise in a particular field but can’t capitalize on it as much as the potential is there for without more capital.  You can each leverage what the other has to bring more value to the market and more income or capital gains to yourselves.  Both parties win.  Of course, the flip side to this is that if something goes wrong, it could potentially be within the area of expertise of your partner and thus somewhat out of your control.  Of course,…

  • When Analyzing an Investment, What are the Underlying Economic Principles that Make it Work?

    Wes Bridel
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Don't jump into an investment just because it sounds excitng if you are buying above the true value of the investment. Every investment opportunity, financial product, or business opportunity must take advantage of economic principles to be successful.  It’s important for you to understand what these are so you have a basis for knowing the dynamics  involved in bringing success to your overall financial planning. Whether you’re looking at a real estate, stock, bond, gold, silver, hard money, or any other investment, you should understand the principles you expect to be at work to…

  • Economic Update & Financial Forecast

    Wes Bridel
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Today we’re posting the first economic update video after shooting The Coming Storm in November.  If you have not seen The Coming Storm, you can do so for free by clicking HERE.  It is an indepth look at the economic and spiritual season that we are entering.  You really should make it a priority to see this so that you are not caught by suprise and are actually prepared.  This update is the first in what will be a periodical series detailing events as they transpire.  Many big changes are happening in the world right now and the news is available, but you won’t usually see…

  • How Do You Decide if an Investment is Right for You?

    Wes Bridel
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    It’s easy to decide not to invest in an investment opportunity if it doesn’t sound good right off that bat.  But what if it does sound good?  Most investments proposed to you will likely sound compelling or the person telling you about it wouldn’t be doing so.  So how do you decide if you should move forward with this hot stock tip or that “can’t miss” real estate venture? Obviously you want to pray and seek the Lord’s guidance in any decision. Sometimes He’ll make the decision clear and easy.  But often, He leaves it up to you to work through the decision.  At that…

  • How Can You be a Better Investor?

    Wes Bridel
    2 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    What is the best way for you to build up your investments? We are starting a new series with the goal of making you a better investor.  We expect this to be a long topic and perhaps it will actually be more like a series of topics, but wanted to give you an idea of where we’re going.  We haven’t written this material yet, so it can certainly veer from these ideas, but we’ve put together a rough outline and thought you’d like to see it. It’s important to know the difference between having a macro (or top down) investing style versus a micro (or bottom up) investing style and the…
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    Satori Alliance

  • A Vicious Circle, Snarling Louder

    Dan Noble
    12 Jan 2010 | 8:20 pm
    Now that the barn door is open and the horses have galloped off into a landscape of foreclosed homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has developed guidelines to help people more aware that they’re entering into dubious mortgage arrangements. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/ramh/res/respa_hm.cfm) took effect on January 1, and represents a whole new set of guidelines lenders must follow in order to keep consumers from doing stupid things and avoiding common sense entirely. Part of RESPA is the requirement that lenders deliver a new…

  • Letting Go Even More

    Dan Noble
    5 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pm

  • Looking for George Bailey and Finding Mr. Potter

    Dan Noble
    30 Dec 2009 | 9:59 am
    As longtime readers of this blog know, my goal for DBNR Investments has been simple: to put people into homes who want them, can afford them, and will improve their situation in life through home ownership. Without apology, there is more than a little altruism there, a throwback to the philosophy espoused in that Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life. I believe, as Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey did, that at the heart of all our actions is simple human decency, however you characterize it - as a concern for humanity or the planet or people or just making a difference.

  • Rewriting The Real Estate Rules

    Dan Noble
    15 Dec 2009 | 9:00 pm
    The late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill used to say, “All politics is local.” That used to be true about the real estate industry too. In order to make investments, you needed a local expert, someone who understood the market and could guide your way. The evidence continues to mount that the world is changing in that regard. I’ve talked frequently about the increasing number of opportunities for private individuals to invest in real estate anywhere, circumventing the need for assistance from traditional players in the real estate and financial community. Part of it is, of course,…

  • Balancing the Mundane with the Mission

    Dan Noble
    8 Dec 2009 | 7:21 pm
    One of the hardest parts about starting a business, I’ve learned over this past year, is balancing the mundane with the mission. The mission, of course, is being successful. To achieve this, we’re engaging in planning sessions for 2010, setting strategies and mapping milestones. Our goal for 2010: becoming wildly profitable. Unfortunately, most small businesses don’t do this. It’s difficult to keep your eyes on the horizon because the items on your desk need attention too. Each one is a distraction to the other, but each is necessary. Admittedly, sometimes I get bogged down in my…
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    Don't Quit Your Day Job

  • Attempting the Secret Ripoff

    PKamp3
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:38 am
    “If you have to ask…” is a phrase you may have heard before, once or twice, in conjunction with the price of some luxury item or service (the implication being: “you can’t afford it!”).  Perhaps you’ve heard or said it inside a boutique store, where no price tags are present.  For a silly example, perhaps you’ve noticed that many restaurants don’t list the price of alcohol on their menus.  The internet is supposed to spur open competition and a free market for the retailing of goods.  However, minimum price laws force many companies to…

  • Checking in on Inflation!

    PKamp3
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:18 am
    Every once and a while I like to check in on the market’s inflation predictions.  This is for my own personal curiosity, and possibly to entertain you, dear reader.  You’ll be interested to know that inflation expectations have tempered somewhat over the last few weeks; it all goes to show that throughout all of the howling on raising debt ceilings and mudslinging in politics, the market still believes in the general stability of the United States dollar.  My method is the classic “subtract real treasury yields from the yield curve rates”.  All information is…

  • Carnivals and Links, Week of February 1st

    PKamp3
    3 Feb 2010 | 9:57 pm
    Links We Liked! “The Five Worst US State Quarter Designs” – C’mon!  That’s hilarious! “House Confusion at the New York Times” – Frank at Bad Money Advice catches the Times’s Chief Financial Correspondent in a mess of an article.  I’ve always preferred the other big New York newspaper (no, not the Post!). “Investing in a Shaky Market” – I always like to read a well thought out article on dollar cost investing.  Even though I’ve argued that if you have a lump sum you should invest it quickly, most continuous…

  • Giving Time, Part 2

    PKamp3
    1 Feb 2010 | 11:36 am
    For whatever reason, my articles recently keep coming back to charitable giving and volunteering.  Here I am again with another post on the BLS’s recent release of volunteering statistics.  Reader Patrick of Cash Money Life wondered if the reason that married parents volunteered in such high numbers was because many have children who open up volunteer activities.  On the surface, this is a very good theory; younger kids play baseball, soccer and other sports, become Boy and Girl Scouts, and generally do things which occasionally ask people to volunteer to help (like go to school!). …

  • Revolve Debt to Fund an Emergency Fund?

    PKamp3
    31 Jan 2010 | 7:50 pm
    CNN’s Walter Updegrave fielded a question this weekend which, simply, sort of shocked me.  A reader wanted to know if he and his wife should temporarily stop paying the full balance on their credit cards in order to build up an emergency fund.  Is this really an option that some people are considering? What To Do! As Walter states, the only thing you should be doing if you don’t have an emergency fund is planning how to start and fund one.  While financial planners differ on whether to start one when you already have a good deal of credit card debt (for example, here’s…
 
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    Money Saving Tips: All - billeater.com

  • Dish Network, DirecTV: Who's Cheaper?

    Jessica Bosari
    6 Feb 2010 | 3:22 pm
    The competition between DirecTV and DISH Network is heating up as the Superbowl approaches. Competition has been so fierce that the story has even been covered by major news sources like ABC News and the Boston Herald.  Read the rest...

  • Online bank: A good deal?

    Kara Stefan
    6 Feb 2010 | 2:56 pm
    If anything good comes from the enormous credit, mortgage, and banking mess of the last two years, it’s that new models of business may emerge. Customers will flock to the companies that solve their problems and make their lives easier. In the banking world, that means lower fees and higher interest rates. One bank has already begun to lead the way. In 2009, GMAC Bank rebranded itself with a new name and a new way of doing business:  Read the rest...

  • How To Save Money At the Post Office

    debbiedragon
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:41 am
    Whether you only visit the post office to mail out bills and letters to friends or you go to ship countless packages from you eBay business, you really can save some dough when you go. It’s no surprise that postage rates are on the rise and will likely continue going up since the cost of fuel and transportation in general is going up all the time. But you don’t have to spend as much as usual if you do a little homework. Here are some tips that will help save you time and money at the post office: Weigh Your Own StuffRead the rest...

  • Save Money On Pet Care

    debbiedragon
    4 Feb 2010 | 7:25 am
    As a pet owner you are responsible for providing the necessary care for the pets in your charge. This goes beyond simply providing food and shelter, and in some cases can be quite an expensive undertaking. Certain pets require minimal care while others look to you for their very survival. With this in mind it is important for pet owners to understand that when it comes to the health and safety of your pet, money cannot be an issue. Unfortunately this is not the case with many families who are struggling to stay afloat in these tough economic times. How do you save money on your pet care costs…

  • Little household things that add up to big savings

    Jessica Bosari
    3 Feb 2010 | 4:21 am
    It’s true that it’s the little things in life that really count. Money saving is not much different. When you’ve cut all the big expenses and think there’s nowhere else to cut, it’s time to start looking at the smaller ways in which money is leaking from your wallet. These small household tips and tricks can save you hundreds if not thousands on your grocery and household expenditures. A Little Dab Will Do Read the rest...
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    Manisha Thakor

  • Are You Dating a (Financial) Deadbeat?

    mthakor
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:55 pm
    Ahhh, it’s February – the month of romance.  While thoughts of love are in the air, down here on the ground the financially savvy person might want to give some solid thought to whether their sweetie is in the red or in the black when it comes to their personal finances. While this may not sound romantic, it’s very practical. Money is routinely cited as one of the top causes of fights in marriage and one of the top causes of divorce. So here are five questions to find out if your honey has trouble with money. 1. Does your sweetie always insist on picking up the check at a big…

  • Live It, Love It, Earn It: Marianna Olszewski

    mthakor
    24 Jan 2010 | 8:52 pm
    This is an interview with the Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Marianna Olszewski… super inspiring money expert, life coach, and author of the newly released book Live It, Love It, Earn It.  Marianna is the embodiment of the American Dream. From a modest start (living over a butcher shop with her parents and four siblings) she climbed her way to the upper echelons of Wall Street as the founder and CEO of Madison Financial Management LLC, a broker-dealer and hedge fund marketing company. Here’s what Marianna has to say on the subject of achieving financial prosperity. 1.

  • 3 Common Credit Card Problems… and How to Deal with Them

    mthakor
    11 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am
    This is the second of two guest posts from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), a non-profit dedicated to improving the financial literacy of all Americans.  I frequently get asked for unbiased web-resources for financial literacy, and am thrilled to be able to bring this great organization to your attention. NEFE operates the site Smart About Money and have developed a selection of Economic Survival Tips, worksheets and articles focused on financial education related to Housing, Spending, Credit and Job Change. Join me in following NEFE on Twitter at @nefe_org (1) I missed…

  • Seven New Years Financial Resolutions for 2010

    mthakor
    2 Jan 2010 | 9:38 am
    Are you looking to get on top of your finances in 2010? Do you wish you had a simple go-to resource for unbiased financial information as you work to better manage your money?  If so, you are not alone… and the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) can help. This is the first of two guest posts from the great folks at NEFE, a non-profit dedicated to improving the financial literacy of all Americans. NEFE operates the site Smart About Money and have developed a series of articles filled with tips to help you make 2010 the year of financial freedom.  You can also find…

  • The Expense of Expectations

    mthakor
    29 Nov 2009 | 6:22 pm
    This is a guest post by Francine Jay, author of “Frugillionaire: 500 Fabulous Ways to Live Richly and Save a Fortune.” Francine also offers money-saving tips and advice on her thought-provoking blog, www.Frugillionaire.com. * * * * * * * * * * In my book “FRUGILLIONAIRE,” I offer 500 tips on living a frugal, yet fabulous, life. Tip #485 is “Lower your expectations.” It may seem odd advice in our “shoot for the stars,” “fake it ‘til you make it” society. But expectations are a powerful psychological influence over our spending; and they can, indeed, spell the…
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    FiLife.com - Family Finance

  • Avoiding the Financial Sharks

    8 Feb 2010 | 8:16 am
    There is blood in the water and financial sharks will do their best to consume any weak, floating prey. More than ever, investors are now looking for answers in these perilous economic waters. It behooves investors to arm themselves with the knowledge and questions necessary in dealing with financial predators.Unlike other professions, the hurdle in becoming a 'broker,' 'adviser,' 'financial consultant' or other glorified title is much lower than entering careers like medicine, law or accounting. Basically, if you pass an exam or two, you are ready to do business and handle the financial…

  • Swoon-Worthy Valentine's Day Gifts for Sweetheart's on a Budget

    8 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am
    With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we know many of you frugal lovebirds are frantically searching for gifts that will inflate your lover’s heart without deflating your savings account. Read on for a few gift ideas your sweetheart (and accountant) will love.You want to get him: Cuff linksWhether you’re looking for timeless silver with a small diamond accent or something a little funkier Overstock.com offers bargain-hunting lovers a wide-array of options.Price: $29-$115You want to get her: ClothingMost women would love a dress from Victoria Beckham’s lovely collection but the…

  • Out of Work, but Owing Taxes

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:58 am
    It's a perfect example of adding insult to insult to injury. You're out of work collecting unemployment: that's the injury. The first insult comes with the taxes you may have to pay on those benefits. The second insult comes with possible underpayment interest and penalties if you failed to have sufficient withholding or to make estimated payments on your unemployment income.The last possible date for making timely estimated payments on 2009 income has come and gone, so what's a poor jobless person to do? Fortunately, all may not be lost taxwise, even if it is jobwise. Consider the…

  • What is Equitable Relief for the Victims of a Ponzi Scheme?

    5 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm
    A Ponzi scheme uses money from later investors to pay unrealistically high returns to earlier investors. Accordingly, earlier participants are more likely to have received a financial benefit than later investors. When a Ponzi scheme unravels, a key question is how to fairly distribute any recoveries to the victims. Should earlier investors be required to return the amounts they withdrew? Should the recovered funds be distributed in proportion to the amounts invested (net of any withdrawals) or in proportion to the amounts reported on the last account statements? Similar issues were argued…

  • Retirement: Financial Planning Tools

    4 Feb 2010 | 1:48 pm
    A key component of every financial plan is a retirement projection mapping out the type of lifestyle the client would like to enjoy, and how they are going to obtain their goals. This calculation depends on several key factors: the client's current age, size of their nest egg, expected retirement date, desired lifestyle during retirement, and a projected life expectancy. Other variables to consider are the rate of return the client's investments can achieve (both before and after retirement), how much the client can contribute to their nest egg before retiring, and the effects of…
 
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    Money Matters

  • 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day On a Budget

    strandslucia
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pm
    According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual Valentine’s Day survey, the average consumer will spend $103.00 this year on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise such as cards, flowers, jewelry, candy, etc. That’s a lot of money for the average consumer, especially if you’re on a budget. It doesn’t take expensive gifts or fancy dinners to show your love for someone, so if you’re on a budget, it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate this year. To help you save money this Valentine’s Day, we’ve put together a list of 10 low-cost ways to show your loved one how…

  • The Rise of Internet Banking

    strandslucia
    29 Jan 2010 | 2:47 pm
    Last month a friend of mine from Michigan and I were talking about banking and I explained that all my banking is done online through an Internet-only bank. She was shocked by the fact that, even if I wanted to stop in to a branch, I couldn’t, because my bank only exists on the Internet. Internet banking is nothing new, it’s been around for over 10 years and now most of the large financial institutions (Bank of America, Chase, etc.) now offer both a physical and online presence. However, more and more Internet-only banks are rising out of the woodwork (Charles Schwab, ING, eTrade Bank…

  • The cost of owning a dog

    strandslucia
    15 Jan 2010 | 5:32 pm
    I’m a huge dog lover. I had one growing up and have wanted my own dog since moving out of my parent’s house many years ago, but because of my lifestyle, living situation and financial situation I could never get one. Over the past year, the stars began to align and just a few months ago my wish came true. On November 1st we welcomed a nine week old Boston Terrier, which we named Lola, into our family (that’s her in the photo). On that Sunday afternoon, our plan was to meet her, to see if we liked her and if there was a good connection (as they say in all the dog books). We had no…

  • 4 steps to starting the New Year off right

    strandslucia
    8 Jan 2010 | 10:33 am
    Its a New Year (and a new decade!) so start it off right with these 4 steps to managing your finances: STEP #1 Review your finances Take a look at last year’s finances to get an idea of how much you made and how much you spent so you can re-evaluate your goals for the upcoming year. If you’re a registered moneyStrands user, you can easily do this by logging in and looking at your analysis tab. There are a number of charts that will help you visualize your income and expenses by month and/or year. The balance of flows widget will show you your total income and expenses for the year. This…

  • Personal Finance Roundup: Setting your New Year’s Resolutions

    strandslucia
    31 Dec 2009 | 9:13 am
    2009 is coming to an end and not only do we begin a new year, but we begin a new decade of our lives. What better time than now to sit and think about what goals you have in life and make a commitment to achieving one or more of those goals. In the past few days we’ve come across a number of great articles and blog posts with advice on how to create meaningful resolutions and stick to them. Here are some of our favorites from around the web: Before you go overboard with your list of resolutions, learn about the 3 Rs' of resolutions from this post on CreditCards.com- New Year's resolutions…
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    Sound Money Matters

  • Are Credit Cards Evil Traps?

    Aryn
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Today USA Today ran a familiar story about various people who are choosing not to use credit cards.  I’ve seen similar stories in The Los Angeles Times, Money Magazine, and various blogs. The quotes are similar – we didn’t want to be slaves to debt, we spend more with credit cards, bank are evil. Personally, I don’t understand this fear of credit cards, but what I found even more interesting were the comments on the article. Whoo boy – the lines are really staunchly drawn there. Today I look at the “credit cards are evil” argument. The “Credit Cards Are Evil” Camp The…

  • Should You Move Your Money to a Small Bank?

    Aryn
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    There is a movement afoot that encourages people to move their money from the big six banks into smaller community banks. I fully understand the emotion behind this desire to punish the banks for business as usual, but I’m not 100% convinced that it’s the best idea, or that it will make a big difference. The Idea Behind Move Your Money The idea behind move your money is that the big banks don’t care about the people. They don’t lend to small businesses. They don’t care about the community. Smaller, community banks are supposed to be more responsible and personal because you know the…

  • What Happens if You Default on Student Loans

    Aryn
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:57 am
    In addition to some people opting to walk away from their mortgages, the temptation to default on student loans is growing. Unfortunately, defaulting on student loans can have even worse consequences than defaulting on a mortgage. So, let’s go over what will happen if you default, and options for avoiding default. What Qualifies as Default? The government gives you many chances to keep up on your student loans. You only enter default if you fail to make any payments or repayment arrangements for 9-12 months. What Happens If You Default? Unlike some types of debt that will eventually become…

  • Should You Be an Innovator or a Laggard with New Products?

    Aryn
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    In college economics, I learned about the stages of adoption of new technologies or ways or doing things. Marketers love innovators and early adopters, but does it make financial sense to be an early adopter every time? What are the pros and cons? What Are the Stage of Adoption? There are five stages of adoption: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Innovators take the risk of buying everything when it comes out. Marketers love them because these initial buyers help them work out the kinks. Early adopters are the next to buy – when it’s still cool, but…

  • Tips for Filing FSA Claims

    Aryn
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:03 am
    I’ve only recently begun filing FSA (flexible spending account) claims, but I’ve learned a few things about the process. Use Your FSA Debit Card If you have an FSA card, swipe it first. My HR department recommends using it in the pharmacy, rather than at the checkout. If you need to buy over-the-counter items, wait until you need to pick up a prescription and ring up the whole thing at the pharmacy counter. Save Itemized Receipts If you’re buying over-the-counter items and don’t have a card, keep the itemized receipt for filing your claim. I’ve noticed that both CVS and Costco list…
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    Quizzle Blog - Home, Money and Credit

  • What the Credit CARD Act Means for You and Your Wallet

    Guest Blogger
    4 Feb 2010 | 9:58 am
    By: Will Tumulty, CEO of Ready Financial Group The new Credit CARD Act recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama goes into effect just a few weeks from now on February 22, 2010. The CARD Act contains a number of provisions designed to make credit card disclosures more clear for consumers and [...]

  • Fed Makes Good on Promise to Keep Rates Low for “Extended Period”

    Ann-Marie Murphy
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:14 pm
    Our smart friends at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced today that they will again hold its Fed funds rate at the 0 percent to 0.25 percent range. (What the heck is the Fed funds rate and why should I care?) While the decision to hold rates at current levels was expected, the dissenting vote [...]

  • 3 Ways You Can Make Your Resumé Stand out

    Ann-Marie Murphy
    22 Jan 2010 | 8:33 am
    With a national unemployment rate of 10 percent, it’s no surprise that more than half of Americans pick unemployment as the top economic issue facing the country today, according to a new CNN poll. Chances are if you haven’t lost your job during the financial turmoil of the last couple of years, you know someone – [...]

  • Why You Shouldn’t Wait for a Lower Rate on Your Home Loan

    Guest Blogger
    21 Jan 2010 | 8:38 am
    By: Chris Klau The following question is one that we get often at Quizzle.com, the free and easy way to manage your home, money and credit – all in one spot. To give you the best possible answer, we’ve brought in Home Loan Expert Chris Klau. Chris has nearly 10 years of experience in the mortgage industry [...]

  • How to Improve Your Home on a Budget

    Guest Blogger
    20 Jan 2010 | 9:13 am
    By: Jenny Zhang For most of us who are first-time home buyers, home improvement isn’t something with which we have experience – nor do we have thousands of dollars to spend on construction crews to improve our homes. Chances are your first home isn’t perfect and you’ll likely want to make a few changes to suit [...]
 
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    How to Get Out of Debt - Free Help

  • How Can My Boyfriend in American Get Out of Debt? I’m in the UK. – Heidi

    Steve Rhode
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:52 am
    “Dear Steve, I’ve been reading your blog with great interest! Our situation is as follows: My boyfriend is American and has debts with Sallie Mae, CapitalOne and Federal/State taxes (he lives in the US). I live in the UK (a long story) and have very little knowledge of the US finances and what help is available. We have been together for two years and hope to marry as soon as possible but with the debt there is little chance of that happening in the near future. I have attached his finances in PDF format – at present his debts with Sallie Mae and CapitalOne are “in…

  • How Can I Find a Good Credit Counseling Company? – Landi

    Steve Rhode
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:33 am
    “Dear Steve, Hello. I seem to have gotten myself deep in debt. I don’t want to file bankruptcy. Is there a good credit counseling, debt relief company/group that can help me lower payment or cut my debt. I have heard most freeze your accounts and it shows up on your credit. Thanks for your help. Landi” Dear Landi, Basically your question is all about who can you trust. First, step would be to investigate your different debt relief options. You can click here for credit counseling information or click here to find a local bankruptcy attorney, you might even want to click here…

  • We Went Into Program With DebtWave and Ended Up With Johnson Law. – Gary

    Steve Rhode
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am
    “Dear Steve, My wife went into a program with DebtWave that was turned over to Johnson Law, but the legal papers keep coming. My income is has diminished as I have taken a very low paying job to survive. If she cannot continue these very large payments, as my low paying job will soon end, and has to declare bankruptcy, will they go after our home? Her debts are not joint, in her name only. We live in California if it matters. My credit rating is still good. Gary” Dear Gary, It sounds like what DebtWave did was to sell you into a debt settlement program with Johnson Law, either out…

  • Boyfriend is Paralyzed With Debt After Divorce. – Michelle

    Steve Rhode
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:16 am
    “Dear Steve, My boyfriend was divorced last year. His ex-wife “walked away” from their marriage, but not before charging up the credit card balances substatially. She decided she didn’t want to deal with their newly purchased home, so she legally signed her rights away and he bought her out for $1.00. After adding lawyer divorce fees to the credit cards, he now has about $20000.00 in credit card debt. Unfortunately, he is now paying $1800/mo for a mortgage that it took both of them to qualify for. He is barely keeping his head above water but has very little…

  • Should I Continue to Make Partial Payments to Cap 1? – Irv

    Steve Rhode
    7 Feb 2010 | 9:36 am
    “Dear Steve, I am retired with no assets and only SS income. All of my creditors have set up a hardship program with reduced interest, no fees and lower payments. Capital 1 has refused to do this. I have 3 Capital One accounts totaling about $11,000. I have been trying to make partial payments but the interest and extra fees added each month are more than I am paying. The only relief they offer is to pay amounts that I can not pay. They continue collection calls pretty much on a daily basis. Is there any way to negotiate with them with a long term lower payment reduced interest plan?
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    FasLip

  • The True Cost of Text Messages and Movie Theatre Popcorn

    Matt
    2 Feb 2010 | 4:15 pm
    I found an interesting article on yahoo today. I am sure it will not stop most of us, myself included, from enjoying these from time to time but it may cause you to reconsider how often. In the article it explains how text messaging is a cash cow for cell phone carriers. Especially if you [...]

  • National Grant Conferences Scam

    Matt
    8 Oct 2009 | 9:42 pm
       This week a friend of mine received a letter in the mail. Upon opening the letter there was a newspaper type page folded up, two tickets and a voucher for a $500 gift card. Of course the gift card requires you to make a purchase prior to receiving an actual gift card. The literature was inviting her to come [...]

  • Bank of America, BB&T and JPMorgan Chase to Change Overdraft Fees

    Matt
    29 Sep 2009 | 4:47 am
    Bank of America, JPMorgan and BB&T a week later have announced significant changes to their overdraft fees policy.      In what appears to be a proactive move by banks to attempt to regain the confidence of consumers several banks are making major changes to their overdraft policies. Though I agree these changes are good I still [...]

  • Obama Wall Street Finance Speech Federal Hall

    Matt
    17 Sep 2009 | 5:01 am
         On September 14,2009 President Obama gave a speech in New York’s Federal Hall outlining goals that he feels are necessary to bring Wall Street in line to protect Main Street’s consumers. His plan does include some necessary measures but thanks to lobbyist I do not think it will reach for enough. I have captured [...]

  • Yale Student Annie Le Murder

    Matt
    14 Sep 2009 | 3:11 pm
    Yale Student Murdered. The body of Annie Le has been identified and reporters allege a suspect is in custody.
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    Broke as a Spoke

  • Save on Baby Formula

    Corrin
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:53 pm
    This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy if you have any questions If you’re a new parent, you know that the added expense of a new baby can be astonishing. Hospital bills, diapers, baby wipes, car seats, cribs, and formula – the list is seemingly never ending. Thankfully, major retailers, such as Kmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart all sell store brand baby formula which can help save up to 40% per ounce (that can add up to $600 per year!) when compared to brand name formula. And the quality is…

  • January Paid Blogging

    Corrin
    3 Feb 2010 | 8:42 am
    It was a much needed good month in the world of blogging! I set my January goal at $100 and ran circles around it. PayPerPost = $61.00 SocialSpark = $50.00 Sponsored Tweets = $16.36 Freelance = $335.00 Total = $462.36 I had several great advertisers secure spots for the coming months which made this month a huge success. I’m staying optimistic and raising February’s paid blogging goal to $250. Did you make any money blogging this month?

  • What would you do with an extra $100?

    Corrin
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:28 pm
    What a question! Since I’m technically unemployed and we’re still settling into our new surroundings in Austin, I have about 100 uses for an extra $100! Money is a lot tighter than we thought it would be, and unfortunately, I don’t think it would stretch as far as I’d like it to, but here are some practical ideas… Texas licenses Texas plates and registration Visa bill Dinner at a new neighborhood restaurant Groceries Gas New suit for job interviews Ink and paper to print resumes What would you do with an extra $100? Kodak and JuiceBoxJungle sponsored me to write…

  • Frugal Valentine’s Gifts

    Corrin
    1 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    I know I’m not supposed to promote frivolous spending, but I love Valentine’s Day too much to resist. Everything I’ve included is either FREE or well under $20, so it’s more like responsible frivolous spending to show your equally frugal-minded Valentine how much you care. 1. $8.00 What I Bought Journal 2. FREE Printable Coupon Booklets from American Greetings 3. $9.75 RuMe Bags from Delight – environmentally friendly and worthy of a few cents off your next grocery bill at most grocery stores! 4. $8.40 $5 Dinner Cookbook 5. Under $5 Carnations – as long as…

  • Office Pod

    Corrin
    30 Jan 2010 | 9:53 am
    I’ve always dreamed of having a little shed in the backyard, that I could rig up with electric and air conditioning and all my ’stuff.’ Somewhere to get away and work and blog and relax. The Office Pod is almost exactly what I had in mind. I saw it on a design blog (sorry, can’t remember which!) and thought it was perfect. Maybe a bit bigger to put a comfy chair to lounge and read. I’d be scared to find out how much it costs, but it is mighty practical and dream worthy.
 
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    Personal Finance Firewall

  • 9 Unusual Valentines Gift Ideas

    Jesse Michelsen
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am
    Not to be redundant of yesterdays post but after reading through these, I had to post this guest post. These are some very creative ideas to keep things under budget and still very memorable. Time is running out really fast as the 14th of  February is just a few days away so if your mind is still stuck and you are confused regarding the gifts you should give to your loved ones please don’t worry because we are going to share 9 unusual effective frugal Valentine’s Day gifts ideas which will help you to make your Valentine Day more special and much more romantic. So without further ado…

  • 8 Tips to Save Money at Valentine’s Day

    Jesse Michelsen
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:27 am
    Today we have a guest post from Tom Becker all about saving money during Valentine’s day. Personally I used to go all out on Valentine’s..flowers, chocolates, fancy dining. If only I had known these tips earlier It might be an understatement to say that things can get a bit out of hand when it comes to expenses and Valentine’s Day. Sometimes it’s hard to restrain your spending when it’s on the one you love. However, when money is tight and you really can’t afford to go all out for Valentine’s Day, it’s important to know how to save some money. If you still want to make…

  • Linkworthy: Couples, Commercials and Catching Up

    Jesse Michelsen
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am
    I’ve got a bit of catching up to do here but I wanted to bring the light to some great articles I read during the last quarter of 2009. My personal favorite for this group has to be Anna’s article from ABDPBT titled What Everybody Ought To Know About Buying a New Mattress, my favorite for obvious reasons. Anna’s post gives some tips about how to deal with the salesmen and gives some info about the mattress industry that I certainly didn’t know. Check out the article, especially point #1 and if you’re still not convinced that you should start saving and eventually…

  • Delayed Gratification and a new Mattress

    Jesse Michelsen
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:08 am
    Delayed gratification is something that kids now don’t even hear about anymore . Everything in today’s world is “on demand”. You can get any TV show, movie or video clip on your TV or on the computer, any time you want. Listening to music is no longer a passive activity and you can download any song you like from the web, or right from your phone or music player to listen to instantly. Just about anything you can think of is available in a very short amount of time but is that really good for us? I could go on and on about the problems instant gratification create such…

  • This Is What Frugal Looks Like

    Jesse Michelsen
    28 Jan 2010 | 8:10 am
    Over at Almost Frugal, she runs a very cool series called This Is What Frugal Looks Like where she interviews others to find out what they do that is frugal, traditional or unusual. I had the opportunity to join her list of interviewed. I probably fall into the more unusual category of those she has interviewed but it was great fun and hte series is pretty popular because readers can find out what real people actually do in their daily lives that is frugal, not just frugal theory. So head on over a check out my interview there: http://almostfrugal.com/2010/01/28/this-is-frugal-pffirewall/ And…
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    Freedom From Creditors Blog

  • Mortgage lenders pursue homeowners even after foreclosure

    Allan H.
    3 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm
    Debtors with mortgage deficiencies are not in the clear as they think they are. Creditors are waiting for the opportune time to take the unknowing debtor to the cleaners and garnish everything they own and have worked hard for. If debtors don’t protect their assets and them self from the affects of mortgage deficiencies banks will sue and obtain a judgment for the deficiency. The court will allow the creditors to freeze the debtors bank accounts and garnish their wages for years to come. Read this heart wrenching story on the reality behind foreclosure: Mortgage lenders pursue…

  • Out of control interest rates?

    Allan H.
    18 Dec 2009 | 1:11 pm
    One card that we recently found out about has a 79.9% interest rate. Now if that is not a legal loan shark what is? To read more about this credit card company scam check out this article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34468260/ns/business-personal_finance/

  • What is the Uniform Commercial Code In The United States?

    Allan H.
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pm
    The Uniform Commercial Code is a set of uniform laws written by the American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws governing commercial transactions. It took over ten years to originally draft the UCC, and a further fourteen years for the UCC to be implemented across the United States. The creation of the UCC began in 1940 in an effort to “attack major commercial problems with comprehensive legal solutions.” The Code became effective at midnight on June 30, 1966 , and applies to transactions entered into and events occurring after that…

  • Judgment Liens

    Allan H.
    27 Oct 2009 | 11:14 am
    A judgment lien is a court ordered lien that is placed against the home or property when the homeowner simply fails to pay a debt. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when the homeowner has a judgment lien against his or her home and wants to sell it, the judgment lien has to be paid in full before the home or property can be sold. Judgment liens can be placed against the property for a variety of reasons such as unpaid credit card bills, utility bills, department store bills, landscaping or home improvement bills, and just about any bill that the homeowner has failed to pay in a…

  • Banks are Getting Hammered with Loan Losses

    Allan H.
    16 Oct 2009 | 9:59 am
    It’s’ no big surprise that banks are trying to collect from the hoards of debtors who have defaulted on loans recently. As you can see from this article , Bank of America has lost 36 Billion dollars. Don’t feel bad if your among these borrowers. The government is bailing the bank out. Also, as you can tell by the numbers, you’re not alone when it comes to debt problems. The banks have more problems than you do.
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    NLP - Your Pathway to Wealth Health and Success

  • Create Wealth - Shift How You Think About the World

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:43 pm
    By John ParksWealth is not always something that you are born into. In fact, there are many ways to find what you need in this world. The Law of Attraction is an important piece of obtaining everything you want in this world. After all, if you make yourself the very best person possible, people will flock towards you. If you can shift how you think about yourself and the world, you will be able to obtain happiness of both a physical and mental sort. The following includes some tips for how to go about using the Law of Attraction to get what you want out of life.First, you need to really…

  • BOOK REVIEW: Lessons From The Apprentice - Chapters Four to Six

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pm
    By Audrey OkanekoSince I love to read fiction novels, I don't often have the opportunity to pick and choose which chapters of a book to read.I loved reading The Lessons from Apprentice, as each chapter stands on its own, allowing you to read only those chapters that you wish to learn from. As I've gone through each chapter, I've looked at the lessons learned to see how these lessons can be applied network marketing.Each chapter focuses on one idea or one concept. In chapter four, Mr. Trump talks about the product. The chapter looks at how different people can take the same product and some…

  • BOOK REVIEW: Lessons From The Apprentice - Chapters One to Three

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:37 pm
    By Audrey OkanekoI have enjoyed watching a few seasons of The Apprentice. Although my business is a network marketing business, the strategies I have learned from the show have been numerous. I've always loved watching how the teams who find the most creative forms of advertising often are victorious over their opponents.I was excited when I found The Lessons from Apprentice during a recent shopping excursion. I smiled all the way through this book. Many of the lessons I learned from the show were shared in the book.Right off the bat, Mr. Trump speaks of both name and location. In the first…

  • BOOK REVIEW: The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:29 pm
    By Joe MaloneDavid Bach AKA David Millionaire wrote this fairly simple, logical book, which teaches you how to look at your finances, and find ways to save and invest your money for the future. This book is full of insightful ideas on how to secure your future. Let's take a look at the key points of his book.The Latte Factor. This is the term that turned David Bach into David Millionaire. This is a simple little trick to make some big changes in your life. It focus on looking at your daily spending. What little things do you waste money on everyday? Is it a latte? Is it eating out? Is it…

  • How an Average Person Can Become a Millionaire

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:32 pm
    By Warren GreenidgeThe psychology of success is simple.It starts with a desire or a goal. It starts with satisfying some need or lack be it money, time, health etc. Then comes the real value, the good changes you make to become the person that reaches every goal or desire.That is all a millionaire really is, it is not the money but the type of people they are and that any average person can become. It is more what they do daily, their habits, their actions that make them the money that then labels them millionaires. If you were to take that money from most millionaires you can be assured that…
 
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    Alternative Investment Guide to Freedom

  • QROPS - Choosing the Right One For You

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:18 pm
    By James Bowles Choosing a QROPS is an important decision, with many complex factors to take into account. It is not something that an investor should tackle alone. In any event, all QROPS schemes will not accept an instruction from an investor who is not represented by a professional. However, FSA regulated, well qualified QROPS advisers are available to help you with this task. Simply contact one, explain the details of your current pension and your plans for moving abroad, and they will let you know which QROPS providers could be suitable for you. Here are some of the issues that your…

  • OPINION: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - Where Do We Find Them? Is President Obama on Track?

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pm
    By Richard S Pearson We anticipated, waited, and listened intently to President Obama's State of the Union address to Congress. There is no question the President inherited a recession and near economic disaster. But he has been in office for over a year now and we all expected some positive results on employment - especially when the administration promised a net increase of 3.5 million jobs for $787,000,000,000 - the cost of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The fact is, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have 5.2 million fewer people working at the beginning…

  • OPINION: The Stimulus Plan - Is it Working?

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:12 pm
    By Marshall Crum Many billions of dollars have been spent as part of the multi-billion dollar stimulus plan enacted by Congress last year. There have been countless news articles about projects the money was spent on, but my observation was that a lot of those were projects that were started before the economic meltdown occurred and getting information about new projects that may offer new jobs is difficult to impossible. Aside from a few road signs that "This project funded by ..." there have been few indicators that the stimulus plan is actually working. General Motors and Chrysler still…

  • QROPS - 5 Minute Guide

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:08 pm
    By James Bowles Sometimes reading about financial services can be the last thing your want to do - even if it relates to your own pocket. So to keep things simple, here is a potted guide to QROPS, giving you a brief introduction to the types of schemes that are available and some pointers about what you should be asking your QROPS adviser. What are QROPS? A QROPS is a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme which has been approved by the government for the transfer of UK pensions. They were introduced in 2006 as part of the Pension Simplification initiative, although it could be argued…

  • OPINION: Government Intervention Into Financial Markets Caused the Economic Crisis

    Dr Robert Muller
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:05 pm
    By Shane Flait The recent boom and bust crisis of our financial markets is not the failure of free market capitalism. It's a result of government intervention into the financial markets. It's this intervention that prevents the free market forces from bringing markets into balance to offset the possibility of runaway booms or busts. The changing price for any commodity, good, or service in a free market supplies information about the markets associated with that product, coordinates the supply and demand for that product, and supplies incentives or de-incentives about supplying or demanding…
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    the ¢entsible life

  • Valentine’s Day giveaway from Red Door Spa

    Kelly
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am
    I’m soooooo excited to offer this giveaway to all the viewers from the 10! show (hello!), and my Philadelphia area readers. As part of my frugal Valentine’s ideas, I shared that Red Door Spas sell their fabulous products, so even if you can’t make it to the spa, you can have a spa session at home. Red Door also has an amazing promotion where you can purchase a $100 gift card and get a bonus $15 gift card! (limit is $300 and 3 $15 cards). That’s like getting a 15% discount! The offer is valid to February 14th, so this is a great last minute gift idea for those of you…

  • Frugal Valentine’s ideas and the 10! show

    Kelly
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    photo credit: Andrew Stawarz Last week I got to share 15 frugal Valentine’s gifts on SpringPad. SpringPad is a cool tool that you can use to “spring” or save various ideas. Lists, events, products, even tasks can all be saved and shared. I’m looking forward to using it more over the next few weeks, feel free to follow me at SpringPad/KellyWhalen. I will be appearing on the 10! show this morning between 11am and noon to present some of my gift ideas to the Philadelphia area audience. (video will be posted later tomorrow) Here are a few of the ideas I shared on…

  • car #2: how to buy a new car

    Kelly
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:03 pm
    Well we did it. I hemmed and hawed about it, but we really do need a second car. We may not need 2 cars every day, but our schedules are only getting busier, and the inconvenience, time, and money spent driving out of my way every day over the winter was just too much. My husband researched the car he wanted based on fuel economy, price, and value. With a key factors being: resale value cost to own cost to insure: contact your insurance company, USAA rocks for this. Why is value so important? It can save you THOUSANDS of dollars over the life of a car. I’m going to say something…

  • Centsible Life roundup: New look

    Kelly
    6 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pm
    Have you seen the new digs? I purchased the The Thesis Theme for WordPress*, and changed things around. I’m still not done, but I’m kind of impatient (and I don’t know how to build a development site). Have suggestions on improving my look/layout, I’d love to hear them. If you are reading this in email, or on a feedreader, you will have to click through to the Centsible Life. This week I wrote at several other spots, you can find me at: Moolanomy: 25 best iphone apps for personal finance-we all know iPhones are expensive, but these apps will help you save money, and…

  • Help for Haiti totals

    Kelly
    6 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am
    photo credit: USAID_IMAGES Sorry for the delay in getting these totals up, I’m dealing with a viral infection which has cause some asthma symptoms. I’ve been ordered to rest as much as possible. Not easy with 4 kids, and busy schedules. Here are my total ad sales for January. $9.27 $11.77 $22.90 (from your comments!) $1.05 $3.75 Total ad revenue= $48.74 Who says blogging is a good income producer? Not me. I did get paid as well for some work I did in December, so I am rounding up to $50, and doubling it. I have also had some offers to double my contributions, so I will be in touch…
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    Canadian Finance Blog

  • Would You Invest In The O’Leary Funds?

    Guest
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    Whether you’ve seen him on various television shows such as BNN’s SqueezePlay, or as a ‘dragon’ on the CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Kevin O’Leary is truly a colorful character. With his recent move from BNN to the CBC’s The Lang & O’Leary Exchange, along with his appearances on ABC’s Shark Tank, chances are, you have seen this cat on the tube.  One thing is for certain – this guy is one busy man. But have you heard of his funds? And could they offer sound investment opportunities to for you and your hard earned dollars?  The Canadian billionaire who made his fortune in the…

  • Carnival Of Debt Reduction

    Tom Drake
    8 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    Welcome to the Carnival Of Debt Reduction! Reducing debt is an important process for anyone that has debt and knows they should work towards eliminating it. With that in mind, this carnival provides some good tips on the one thing that will most likely provide the best return for your money; becoming debt free. I hope you enjoy these great articles! While you’re here at Canadian Finance Blog, consider signing up for the RSS feed or email subscription. Both deliver the latest articles directly to you everyday! Have a Twitter account? Then follow me for all the latest posts or to send me any…

  • Friday Links – Anniversary Edition

    Tom Drake
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    After a year of blogging, I’ve networked with many great people and now follow over 100 blogs. But before I started Canadian Finance Blog, there were only six blogs that I read every morning for almost a year. While they have all been included in my Friday Links many times, I wanted to do something special to highlight the sites that inspired me to start my own blog. I asked the guys behind each site to let me know one of their favorite posts that they have wrote over the years. I also looked back to find one of my favorites from each blog as well. Million Dollar Journey Their favorite…

  • Reducing Your Spending While Intoxicated

    Guest
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    A question we all ask ourselves after a night out is whether we spent too much without realizing it, due to the fact that we were far too intoxicated. I have heard many stories from friends and relatives from their nights out where they ended up spending hundreds of dollars on either alcohol, junk food or even just cab rides around the town. Now as we attempt to save money and reduce our debt, partaking in such reckless spending definitely does not benefit us at all. I am in no way an angel; I too have made mistakes and have learned from them. Today’s lesson will be one on spending smart,…

  • Introducing Alan Schram

    Alan Schram
    3 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am
    I’d like to welcome Alan Schram, who is joining me as a writer here at Canadian Finance Blog. While many of you may have read his posts in the past, for those who haven’t, I’ll let Alan introduce himself to you. -Tom Just over a year ago I realized that most of the stress that was in my life was related to money. I was thinking about proposing to my girlfriend, I was living paycheck to paycheck, and I had no idea where I was going to get the money to buy her an engagement ring, let alone pay for a wedding and support a marriage. Every day I was waking up and going to sleep…
 
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    CreditShout

  • Discover Credit Cards

    Dawn
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    From a single card introduced in 1986 (and originally owned by Sears), Discover now has a broad array of credit cards to fit a variety of consumer lifestyles. This article looks at some of the company’s top offerings. Discover More (Cash Back) Escape by Discover (Travel Rewards) Miles by Discover (Travel Rewards) Discover Student Card (Student Cash Back) Discover Open Road (Gas Rewards) Discover More Ranked the best cash back credit card out there hands down” by CreditShout, Discover More remains at the top of our list. With a 0 % intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, no annual…

  • Best Cash Back Credit Cards for Business

    Dawn
    7 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am
    In today’s economy, many businesses are reducing their travel budgets and other expenditures. This leads many business owners to look for a credit card that rewards you for everyday business purchases. And what better reward than cash back? We evaluated dozens of cash back credit cards for business to find the best. It should be noted that excellent credit is required to qualify for any of the cards covered here. American Express SimplyCash Business Card In a post written a little over a year ago, CreditShout recommended the American Express SimplyCash Business Card as “among the best of…

  • How To: Avoid Currency Exchange Fees

    Dawn
    6 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pm
    Travelers abroad often neglect to factor what could be a significant expense into their budget: currency exchange fees. Major credit cards like Mastercard and Visa (still the two most commonly accepted worldwide) often hit users with currency exchange fees up to 4% of the purchase. If you spend only $1,000 overseas using your credit card, you’d pay an additional $40. (And if the exchange rate for the country you’re visiting is not in your favor, your money won’t go as far.) Fortunately, there are a few ways to minimize – or avoid altogether — currency exchange fees. 1. Use a…

  • American Express Business Platinum Card Review

    Dawn
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:41 pm
    Verdict: The American Express Business Platinum card offers big benefits for big business spenders. Points accrue quickly and can be redeemed for many travel-related luxury rewards, from airline tickets to luxury getaways. It’s unusual that I research a credit card and find myself virtually drooling over the perks and benefits. As a frequent traveler, this card makes me wish I ran a medium-to-large size business, just so I could have all the benefits of being an American Express Business Platinum Cardmember. Overview: As with most cards in the American Express family, the Business Platinum…

  • Chase +1 Student Credit Card Review

    Dawn
    3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am
    Verdict: For students looking to establish credit but would rather not get a secured card, a student credit card is a great option. The Chase +1 Student Credit Card offers a variable APR slightly higher than the national average for student cards, but provides other benefits that make it worthwhile. Most importantly, this card gives students a head start on using credit responsibly, with free tips and tools for building credit and a behavior-based rewards program. Ideally, students will pay off their balance in full before the 20-day grace period ends, so the relatively high APR won’t…
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    blogstash.com

  • What Is Search Engine Optimization?

    satrap
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    What is SEO or Search Engine Optimization? It’s a question on minds of many people. I am sure most of you have heard of search engine optimization, how important it is, and how it can effect the success or failure of your blog. Some of you may know it very well and some might not. [...] Related posts:11 Important Search Engine Optimization Tips Do Bad BackLinks Hurt Your Search Engine Ranking? 7 Ways To Achieve Higher Search Engine Ranking

  • How Much Money Can I Make With Google Ad sense?

    satrap
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    Google ad sense is one of the top ways to make money online. And without a doubt one of the best first monetization options any newbie bloggers/webmaster considers. I think most people are drawn to ad sense because of a couple of thing. Its easy to set up, it’s well-known and has been around for a log [...] Related posts:7 Ways To Make More Money With Google Ad sense 2 Proven Ways To Maximize Your Ad sense Earnings How do you make money blogging?

  • Article Marketing- 3 Tips For Writing Articles That Guaranty More Traffic And Sales

    satrap
    30 Jan 2010 | 2:38 pm
    Article marketing is a powerful tool that many people use it online. Almost all online money makers from affiliate marketers to bloggers and anyone in between benefits from article marketing in some way or another. Article marketing can help you build quality backlinks, promote a product as an affiliate marketer, drive targeted traffic to your [...] Related posts:Achieve Article Marketing Success By Avoiding These 3 Common Article Submission Mistakes Powerful Traffic Secrets For Achieving More Traffic And Sales! 3 Powerful Ways To Find Ideas For Your Next Blog Post And Drive Highly Targeted…

  • 5 Ways You Can Make Money Affiliate Marketing Without Owning A Website

    satrap
    29 Jan 2010 | 4:28 pm
    Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money online. Becoming an affiliate in an affiliate marketing program is often quick and easy, and for most affiliate programs, signing up is also free.  But despite these and all the benefits being promised by affiliate programs, many people are still hesitant to get into [...] Related posts:What Are Some Free Ways To Advertise My Affiliate Marketing Website? What’s Affiliate Marketing And How To Make Money With Affiliate Marketing With These 5 Steps? 4 Ways To Earn Bigger Commissions Instntly With Affiliate Marketing

  • 4 Ways To Determine A Successful And Reliable Forex Trading System/Strategy

    satrap
    28 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am
    To be successful and make money trading in Forex market, you need to have a plan, a strategy. A strategy that will help you make the right decisions in terms of when to buy and when to sell. A Forex strategy is simply a system that will guide you in trading currencies in any Forex [...] Related posts:3 Best Forex Trading Strategies To Help You Make More Money Trading Currencies Forex Trading For Beginners- What Is Forex And How It Works (part 1of 7) Forex Trading For Beginners- What You Need To Know About Currency Trading (part 5 of 7)
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    Baddest Credit Fixed

  • Advertisement

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    Copyright © 2010 · All Rights Reserved · Bad Credit Repair by Great Eagle · Log in Powered by Yahoo! Answers

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    8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    Bad Credit Bad Credit info & resources Bad Credit Loans Credit Repair Reviews Credit Report Finance Finance And Money Finance1 Archives February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 October 2008 September 2008 July 2008 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 Blogroll 6 Credit Repair MythsBad Credit FinancingCredit Rating Secrets!Credit Secrets

  • Bad Credit Personal Loans Review

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    Receive A Loan Or Credit Card Even With Bad Credit. Guaranteed Approval Click here to find complete information about Bad Credit Personal Loans. Loans and Credit Cards For Bad Credit CreditSources.org has been created to help those with

  • eNews & Updates

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    Sign up to receive breaking news as well as receive other site updates! Featured Video You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video. Share This

  • Business Credit Secrets Review

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    Who Else Needs to Discover the Secret to Establishing an 'Excellent' Business Credit Rating in 60 Days or less Like Magic... Guaranteed! Click here to find complete information about Business Credit Secrets. Small Business Lines Of Credit-
 
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    Getdebthelp.org - by American Debt Counseling, Inc

  • New Tools for Job Seekers

    Barbara Stark
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:35 am
    Anyone looking for a job or contemplating changing jobs knows it’s tough out there and they are right: the national unemployment rate is at 10 percent and the administration forecasts only marginal improvement to 9.8 percent by the end of this year. That means this is not the time to sit back and wait for better times.  It is up to you to take action but the good news is there are an infinite number of creative and effective ways to find a new job. Get ready! It’s important, even if you’re in panic mode, to take some time to get organized before you start a job search. 5 Things to Do…

  • Set Yourself Up For Success – Not For A Rip Off

    Barbara Stark
    28 Jan 2010 | 9:47 am
    I’ve been talking to several of the certified credit counselors at American Debt Counseling, Inc. who tell me that since the January credit card bills have begun hitting mailboxes, people are concerned about how holiday spending may throw a kink into plans they have made to get out of debt. One answer to debt management is of course to find more money.  Unfortunately, without a windfall inheritance or lottery win, there are generally only two ways to put extra money in your wallet: reduce your expenses or earn more. One great way is generate more income is to turn a skill or hobby into a…

  • Credit, Risk Assessment Score and Budgeting

    Barbara Stark
    20 Jan 2010 | 4:57 am
    This informative presentation covers the following areas; understanding what a Credit Reporting Agency is, understanding on how to request and interpret your credit report, understanding what a FICO score is and so much more. We hope you find value in our slides. View more presentations from American Debt Counseling Contact American Debt Counseling, Inc. at 1 888 DEBT USA – today.

  • 7 Do’s and Don’ts for Hammering Holiday Debt

    Barbara Stark
    8 Jan 2010 | 4:54 am
    Don’t let your holiday high turn to holiday blues by your post-holiday debt.  Follow the 7 do’s and don’ts below for getting your life – and debt – on track for 2010. Don’t add more debt. Put your credit cards away for now.  If you stop swiping, you’ll stop adding to the holiday debt damage. Do give it all you’ve got. Make more than the minimum payment each month.  In fact, pay as much as you can because the more money you put toward your credit card balances, the faster the mountain of debt will erode. Don’t ignore your bills. It may seem easy to pretend your holiday…

  • Are you in Debt Regret?

    Barbara Stark
    5 Jan 2010 | 9:30 am
    Many of us get so into the season of giving and gifting that we charge full steam ahead, literally.  Take this 8 question quiz and find out if Debt Regret is arriving with the January bills: Did you spend more than you intended for holiday gifts?  Yes___    No___ Are you near, at, or over your credit card limits?  Yes___    No___ Are you feeling guilty about the money you spent? Yes___    No___ Are you sweating about being able to make the minimum payments? Yes___    No___ Is worrying about your debt keeping you awake at night? Yes___    No___ Have you tapped into your…
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    How to Escape the Rat Race

  • Affiliate Marketing Guide - How to Become an Affiliate

    9 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am
    Majority of businesses online depend on the concept of affiliate marketing because it is cost-efficient and they earn from it. In fact, some companies hire in-house affiliate marketers just to promote their business, products, or services on the Internet. With its potential as a money-making initiative, this model is regarded as one of the most sought after business or positions online.If you are the type of person qualified to become an affiliate marketer but does not know where to begin, here are some things that you can start on.Your main goal as an affiliate marketer is to bring traffic…

  • Generating Wealth - Formula To Success

    4 Feb 2010 | 12:41 pm
    Everybody says, if only I made a little more money, I would be better off. They think that an increase in their income would make their lives less shabby than it is today. What that ‘little more money,’ they would be able to afford better food, better clothing, better everythings!Unfortunately, people seem to associate ‘making more money’ with wealth. A person making $12,000 dollars a month seems to be wealthier than one who makes $10,000 a month. And why not? This person has a $2000 advantage over the latter! Isn’t he sure to be deemed wealthier?The answer is no. A person might be…

  • 50 Ways to Get Out of Debt

    3 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pm
    1. Realize that you are in debt. 2. Eat out less. Cooking at home can save a tremendous amount of money. 3. Pass the Starbucks. Brew your own coffee in the mornings. This can save you anywhere from $30 and up each month and even more if you like the "foo-foo" drinks that cost $5 each! 4. Pay all of your bills. Don't neglect your bills. It will come back to haunt you just like Michael Meyers does in Halloween! 5. Pay all of your bills on time. Just one late bill payment can dig you deeper and hurt your credit. 6. Create a budget that works for you. Not everyone should have the same budget. Sit…

  • How to Identify a Legitimate Internet Business Program

    31 Jan 2010 | 7:03 am
    It would be unjustified for people to tell you how to make money online and then fail to advice an internet newbie how to avoid being swindled. The internet is rich with legitimate online business programs, but how do you tell that a business program is legit or not.There is a common phrase that states, "When the deal is too good to be true, think twice," this is because chances are that, it could be false. Last year we witnessed as thousands of Americans lost their investment when a pyramid scheme collapsed.People who start these pyramid schemes are very bright individuals, they take…

  • The Tricks for Choosing Credit Card Offers

    29 Jan 2010 | 5:41 am
    “Work hard, play better.”It must have been a credit card user who coined that phrase because these remarkable plastics can definitely offer more than what their customers have worked for.The very concept of credit cards is that it was tailor-made for the changing needs of working individuals everywhere.No wonder why there are many credit card offers literally rummaging through one’s email, mailbox, over the phone, magazines, and other printed advertisements. It seems that the offers are, indeed, enticing because some statistical reports show that nearly 81% of the American households…
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    Realm of Prosperity

  • Everyone Wants to Know How to Invest With Less Than $1000

    Simon Zhen
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    Is the stock market such a treacherous place? It’s easy for an investor (such as myself) to say that it isn’t so scary. Those who don’t know much about investing will often seek advice and encouragement from an investor before taking the plunge themselves. How often do you have a conversation with a friend that sounds something like this: Hey, I want to invest. What do I have to do? How much do you want to invest with? Like $500. Okay. That’s not much but enough for you to start. Which stock should I buy? Where does one get the idea that someone who has money in the market knows what…

  • Investing in Peer-to-Peer Loans? Think Like a Bank

    Simon Zhen
    3 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am
    Peer-to-peer loans have become the next biggest thing in investing. The stock market may be producing disappointing results but the new social trend in lending is proving to be a nice alternative – and a great way to diversify one’s investment portfolio. Lending Club, the most popular peer-to-peer lending network today, is one such company where average Joe’s like you and I can lend to people and collect interest. So, we are the ones making a profit – not the corporations we call banks. You get to review a large number of loan requests. Information that is available for you to review…

  • Weekend Links: On an eHow Writing Marathon

    Simon Zhen
    30 Jan 2010 | 11:07 am
    I don’t know what came over me but I’ve been pumping out eHow articles for the past two weeks. Any ideas that I don’t see fit for Realm of Prosperity will somehow turn into a how-to article – and I’ve seen the rewards from doing so. Although it is just a few bucks here and there, I do see myself building a portfolio of about 100 eHow articles by this summer. As of now I only have 20 articles earning about $6 per month ever since starting to use eHow last summer. Still a rookie here but my recent drive to write more for them will hopefully increase the number of articles and my…

  • 5 Signs You Are Addicted to Investing

    Simon Zhen
    28 Jan 2010 | 1:27 pm
    Making your first stock purchase may be a big step and new experience to a young investor – it certainly was for me. We’ve heard of the tragedies where people lost their entire retirement savings and we’ve heard of the fortunes of those who picked a winning stock. But, of course we are hoping that we end up selecting the one company that will allow us to afford fancy luxury cars and feed all our friends in college. The dream is common among most new investors and such a rush can develop into an addiction to investing. Many would say “I’m not addicted to investing. I just don’t…

  • Low-Income Earners: Take Advantage of the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit

    Simon Zhen
    26 Jan 2010 | 1:34 pm
    Tax season is here! With the tons of tax credits available, I looked around for some that I could possibly claim and I came across the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit. Although I can’t claim it because I was a student for most of the 2009 tax year, this tax credit is great for individuals who were determined to save for retirement despite making little money during the year. The past year has created a treacherous economy and job market. Many people find that they’ve seen a drastic reduction in income. For those who were resilient enough to continue contributing to their retirement…
 
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    About.com Financial Software

  • Mint.com's New IRA Center

    7 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm
    Mint.com just rolled out a new IRA Center, which is integrated with TurboTax. I tried the Mint.com IRA Center and it was a quick and easy way to determine if I qualify for a Roth IRA or a tax-deductible traditional IRA. If you qualify for both types of IRAs, the IRA Center explains the differences between the two so you can decide which works best for your future finances. The IRA Center has quick links to quality financial institutions so you can get an account set up quickly. If you use TurboTax Online, you will immediately see your tax savings as you go through your 2009 tax return.

  • Quicken Essentials 2010 for Mac: Where's the Financial Life?

    4 Feb 2010 | 4:05 am
    Rob Pickering wrote a very detailed and thoughtful account of his roller coaster of a wait for a new Quicken for Mac over the last 3 years, which included the on again/off again promise of the much-hyped Quicken Financial Life for Mac. After taking a look at what the soon-to-be-released Quicken Essentials for Mac features, Pickering is disappointed and frustrated that Quicken Essentials for Mac does less than its predecessor, Quicken Mac 2007. For a Mac user to track investments, export Quicken data to TurboTax or pay bills from within Quicken, they will have to keep using Quicken 2007. The…

  • Income Taxes: Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Tax Pro?

    2 Feb 2010 | 6:19 am
    Are you trying to decide if you should do your own income tax return or turn your taxes over to a professional? Both tax prep methods have advantages.  Tax software is easy to use, and should come with a guaranty for covering penalties owed or an audit in the event the software malfunctions (very unlikely).  If you are considering tax software without this kind of guarantee, find different tax software. You could do a tax software/tax pro combo with H&R Block At Home Best of Both, online tax software that lets you prepare your own tax return while having access to a tax pro for just…

  • Online Tax Software: Just One Per Customer

    31 Jan 2010 | 6:48 am
    I was just looking over a web page with tax software reviews and comparisons and noticed that the site says that multiple returns can be filed, but may require additional fees.   For the record, no online tax software allows you to do multiple returns.  This is because when you sign up to use online tax software, your account cannot be shared for security purposes. If you are helping out some family members by doing their income tax returns for them, you can usually buy one copy of desktop tax software and then complete and print out multiple returns.  Desktop software like TurboTax and…

  • H&R Block Tax Answers App

    29 Jan 2010 | 5:08 am
    I can't wait for my new iPod Touch to arrive so I can check out apps like the one H&R Block released last week. Find answers to your questions about income taxes on your iPhone or iPod Touch with the H&R Block Tax Answers app. This app uses the H&R Block Get It Right Community, which has thousands of previously answered tax questions that you can be browse by topic. If you don't find what you are looking for, submit your question for a tax professional's response and you will get an answer within about 24 hours. The Tax Answers App also features: Tax lingo glossary that explains…
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    Credit Card Chaser

  • Credit Cards, Overeating, & the Credit Card “Blame Game”

    Joel
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:36 am
    Getting out of credit card debt is a hard thing to do IF one doesn’t own up to what has caused all of the credit card debt in the first place. The same thing holds true for those who have an issue with eating too much, not exercising enough, and needing to lose weight. Did you ever notice that it can be very easy even for those who are well intentioned to start to blame their debt/overeating on something and anything other than the one true cause of all of the problems? The “one true cause” I am referring to is of course – US! It’s OUR fault! It’s very easy…

  • Kwedit.com: Social Payment Network for Teaching Kids about Credit Use

    Joel
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:55 pm
    Do you want an easy way to pay for virtual goods online without having to use a credit card, debit card, or checking account? Are you a parent that would like a fun and easy way to teach your children how to use credit? Kwedit.com was recently launched as a social payment network that will allow people to make a promise to pay, receive their virtual goods/subscriptions from online game providers (i.e. Farmville, Zynga, Mafia Wars, Barn Buddy, and other popular social networking games that offer digital goods for sale), and then require payment later on. How Does Kwedit.com Work? The way that…

  • New Chase Freedom Balance Transfer Rate: 0% for up to 12 Months

    Joel
    2 Feb 2010 | 8:36 pm
    Chase has announced an update to some of its pricing for the popular Chase Freedom credit card (click here to read the Chase Freedom review). Effective immediately the following updated pricing is in effect: The introductory rate for purchases is 0% for up to 6 months. After that, the APR will be 12.99%, 17.99%, or 22.99%. The introductory rate for balance transfers is 0% for up to 12 months. After that, the APR will be 12.99%, 17.99%, or 22.99%. With the new pricing the Chase Freedom credit card jumps into the top tier of balance transfer credit cards with the likes of the Discover More…

  • Want a Retail Credit Card? You Better Make Enough Money…

    Joel
    2 Feb 2010 | 9:38 am
    One of the new rules that has arisen as a part of the recently enacted CARD legislation that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of press is the new income and “ability to pay” requirements that stores are supposed to adhere too before they issue a retail credit card. In the past retail credit card issuers issued cards based almost solely on an individual’s credit score without even considering the applicant’s income, assets, and ability to pay. Retail Credit Card Default Rates Retail credit cards have long had higher default rates than regular credit cards (12.6% of…

  • How Much Will an Apple iPad Cost if Buying on Credit?

    Joel
    28 Jan 2010 | 11:59 am
    The newly released Apply iPad tablet PC/gigantic iPhone look-a-like came in at a price point that was much lower than many analysts had predicted. No doubt many technophiles and Apple lovers will succumb to the temptation to rush out and buy the Apple iPad even if they have to slap down their credit card to make the purchase without having the money in the bank ready to pay off their credit card balance in full when it comes due. While there are 6 different prices for the iPad ranging from $499 to $829 let’s use the high end price of $829 and figure out just how much the true cost of…
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