Friday Finance Findings for August 13th

It’s Friday the 13th. Are you scared? I’m not. In fact, I’ve always viewed 13 as a lucky number, so I’m guessing it’s going to be a good day. Although, I guess there is one unlucky thing going on at the moment. If you recall last week, I mentioned the site had a new design in the works and should be up today. Well, as you can see, it isn’t. It seems that every time I mention something early like that it comes back to bite me, and this time is no different. So, I won’t be giving any further predictions as to when it will go up, but I can assure you that it will be soon. The new design is already up and working behind the scenes, but it needs a few tweaks before it’s ready for the prime time so I hope to get it ready to roll as soon as possible.

I thought I had some other news to share, but I guess not. So, I’ll leave you to this week’s articles. There’s nothing unlucky about them.

Tax Refund Anticipation Loans – If you’re reading a personal finance blog then you’re probably not one to take out one of these loans, but did you know how bad they can really be? There’s also some possible good news that these may be a thing of the past starting next year.

How To Find Coupon Codes Online – I recently had a post about coupons, so this is a great followup. Not all coupons come in your weekly paper, so it pays to know where to look online. There are a lot of deals out there.

What to Expect When You File for Unemployment – Hopefully you never have to file unemployment, but what’s the process if you do? If you can prepare yourself and know what to expect before going in, it will make that transition that much easier.

What Wall Street Reform Holds For You – We’re hearing a lot about Wall Street reform in the news, but what does this really mean for you and me? We’re not fat cat bankers toying with millions of dollars in the market, so will we really see any changes?

How to Develop Good Habits – Developing good habits is at the root of making any change in your life. Whether it’s getting out of debt or saving for retirement, or changing your eating and exercise habits. It all starts with developing good habits.

What Will Retirement Look Like for Younger Generations? – Is retirement just sitting on the porch collecting Social Security while waiting for your number to be called? Hardly. Retirement has changed, and that also means we need to find new ways to fund it. So, what are the younger generations facing when it comes to retirement?

Why the Economy is Not Relevant to Investing – If you watch the news you’d probably think all of the economic news has a direct impact on your portfolio. Well, it’s interesting to note that in the long run it really doesn’t matter.

What Color is your Inflatable Slide? – I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the Jet Blue guy and the whiteboard girl hoax making a dramatic exit, but have you stopped to think about what you’d do? Or what you want to do other than work?

FHA Loans vs Conventional Loans – What is the difference between a conventional loan and a FHA loan? Good question. We found out last year when we were shopping around for a mortgage. Here’s the skinny.

How to Deal with Losing Your Wallet While Traveling – Talk about a financial nightmare. Can you imagine losing your wallet away from home? I haven’t lost an entire wallet, but I did lose a credit card in Scotland. Not fun, let me tell you.

7 HUGE Benefits to Downsizing into a Tiny Home – The McMansion days are over. Well, for the most part. A lot of people are now seeking smaller homes. But there are more benefits to a small home than just the smaller mortgage payment.