You have probably heard about the importance of your credit score and credit history, and may have even shrugged it off, but there are a number of reasons to check both. You know that the better your credit score, the better your chances of being approved for a loan, and the lower the rate. But [...]
When most people think about being a conservative investor, thoughts of keeping money locked away in an FDIC insured savings account, parked in CDs, or in government bonds. After all, what could be more conservative than that? The problem is that there is a difference between conservative investing and no-risk investing, but many people mistake [...]
Life insurance tends to get a bad reputation even though most people have a legitimate need for coverage. The main problem is that there are many different types of life insurance and almost all policies are sold by someone working on commission. This scenario is perfect for abuse when you have people pushing a product [...]
Buying a Car? Make Sure You Follow These Tips The days of being a clueless consumer walking into a dealership and letting the car salesmen explain all of the features of the new models are over. Today, you have the internet on your side. You can learn anything you’d ever want to about any car [...]
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 [...]
The shakeup in the housing market over the past several years has brought the need and advantages of a down payment when buying a new home back into focus. In a traditional mortgage, the home buyer was required to provide a 20% down payment at the time of closing. This trend shifted during the housing [...]
When it comes to saving money, there’s no better time to get back on track than the New Year. For some miraculous reason, January gives people hope and inspires them to change their ways. That’s why New Year’s resolutions are so comical. In retrospect, everyone wishes that they had done something different the previous year. [...]
Max Out Your 2011 IRA in 2012 The calendar may have flipped to the new year, which means most tax tricks, tips, and deductions have closed the book on last year’s taxes, but that isn’t the case for your IRAs. Individual Retirement Accounts are unique in that they give you up until when you file [...]
If you’re a college student preparing to graduate, you may find that some job markets aren’t exactly hot right now. There are plenty of jobs out there, but finding your ideal job will be harder than it has been in the past. While many of these tips are helpful for someone seeking their first job [...]
When it comes to saving money, there’s no better time to get back on track than the New Year. For some miraculous reason, January gives people hope and inspires them to change their ways. That’s why New Year’s resolutions are so comical. In retrospect, everyone wishes that they had done something different the previous year. [...]
When people talk about having money for a rainy day they are usually referring to putting their money into a savings account. A rainy day or emergency fund is used to set aside money from every paycheck so that in the event of an emergency or unexpected expense there’s money readily available. Using a savings [...]
Mutual funds are one of the most common investment tools for the average investor. You’ll find them in your 401(k) plan, in your IRA, and everywhere in-between. Mutual funds are popular for good reason. They provide instant diversification without requiring a lot of money. Instead of having to pick all of the individual stocks you [...]
The word recession has investors searching for safe investments until the market rebounds. Just take a look at how the market has reacted recently. Investors want the maximum yield with the least risk involved. Luckily, options are available for investors to weather the storm until the economy improves. Mutual or index funds are a collection [...]
Max Out Your 2011 IRA in 2012 The calendar may have flipped to the new year, which means most tax tricks, tips, and deductions have closed the book on last year’s taxes, but that isn’t the case for your IRAs. Individual Retirement Accounts are unique in that they give you up until when you file [...]
You won’t believe what I’ve been hearing at work lately. Fellow employees are taking out loans against their 401k accounts and borrowing money! I don’t know if there are people out there giving advice to do this, but it’s probably one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard of. In fact, I would peg it [...]
In an attempt to reduce costs in 2012, I am adopting a Do-It-Yourself mentality. One of the areas of my spending that can be virtually eliminated is in the Personal Hygiene category. Using recipes found in the book, Making It: Radical Home EC for a Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen, I plan [...]
So, you’ve turned over a new leaf. You’ve finally came to the realization that home brewed coffee is every bit as good as your regular cup from Starbucks and an expensive night out isn’t as fun as frugal family entertainment like watching a movie at home with your family or closest friends and saving money in the [...]
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