Friday Finance Findings for July 30th

Happy Friday. It looks like most of the brutal heat and humidity has subsided somewhat across the country, so that means more of you are likely able to actually enjoy the outdoors this weekend. I know around here at least it’s been a huge improvement. Instead of being 95 degrees and incredibly humid it’s now in the 80s and not nearly as humid. It’s really nice to just be able to open the windows again and let some fresh air in!

In case you missed it, a few weeks ago I released my free Invest Like a Pro eBook. There’s still time to get your hands on a copy, so go check it out! And don’t forget that you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook where you can get additional updates, ask me questions, or otherwise just chit-chat. I love being able to interact with readers so be sure to add me to your social networks.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a picture of my daughter getting a head-start on her financial education. I was trying to stick to just learning how to count, but she keeps reaching for the heavy reading! And I don’t know if I ever officially mentioned it here or not, but we are expecting a son in just under two months now, so I’ll have my hands full this fall. Good thing I now work from home!

Daddy, will you read the article about Europe’s debt woes to me?

What Is Better from a Tax Perspective: A Roth IRA or a 401k? – By now most people know the general differences between pre- and post-tax retirement accounts, but which one is really better from a tax standpoint? It isn’t as simple as just saying the Roth IRA is better because it’s tax-free. Here is a more detailed look.

5 Good Reasons Buying a House Requires Planning – Planning is key if you don’t want to get burned when buying a house. Just ask me. We’ve bought two houses in just six years and the first one was rushed. Because of that we ended up in a house that didn’t meet our needs, didn’t hold its value, and we were left paying the consequences. So, here’s how to plan for your next home purchase.

A Primer on Bonds ‒ II (Investing in Bonds) – For whatever reason, bonds just don’t get much attention. They obviously aren’t as exciting as stocks, but they are valuable components of any successful portfolio so it pays to understand what they are, how they work, and what role they should play in your portfolio.

Save Money on Razor Blades – Any guy who shaves regularly knows how expensive buying new razor blades can be. I actually stopped shaving completely and grew a full beard earlier this year but I found out it was just as much, if not more work than shaving regularly. You had to shampoo it, groom it, trim it, and took even more time than a quick shave. There’s just no escaping it, but at least you can save a few bucks on blades now.

A Frugal Daughter’s Guide to Back to School Shopping – It’s that time of year again, and the kids are soon back to school. That means parents everywhere will be spending a good deal of money on new clothes, school supplies, and much more. Here’s a frugal back to school shopping guide to ease the pain.

A Closer Look at a Lending Club Default – I’ve been a big fan of Lending Club and over the past few years now I haven’t had a single loan default and my rate of return is a little over 12 percent. It’s hard to beat that. But anyway, here is a closer look at Lending Club’s default rates.

Get Out of Business Liquidation Sales: Not A True Bargain – It seems like a business that’s liquidating all their assets when they go out of business will mean you can get all sorts of great stuff for pennies on the dollar, right? Not so fast. A lot of these sales aren’t much of a bargain after all.

What to Invest When You Are Young – Investment needs change as we age, and most of us today have a pretty good idea of what we need to be investing in. But what about the young people? Those just setting out, making money for the first time, and with decades of investing ahead of them? Here’s a good start.

How to Recover From a Lost Wallet – If you’ve ever lost your wallet you know how helpless you can feel. We keep so many important in our wallets, not to mention money, that when it’s lost or stolen we don’t even know where to start. Here’s your lost wallet recovery plan to get you back on track as soon as possible.

The Top Ten Cities for Young Professionals – Some cities are better than others. That’s just the way it is. But different cities are better for different things. For young professionals it’s all about finding a great job, great people, and an active social scene. Here are some of the best cities in the country for upcoming young professionals.

HSA Contribution Limits: Health Savings Account Rules – I’ve written about HSAs a few times, but never really dug deep into the contribution limits or other rules surrounding them. Here’s a good starting point that covers all the important details.

Are Debt Consolidation Companies Your Friend? – Consolidating debt sounds like a good idea, right? After all, you can turn many payments into one, get a better rate, and pay off your debt even faster. But is it really that easy? Here’s some information you may want to check out before calling up that debt consolidation company.

Are You Aware of the Most Common Credit Threats? – We all know failing to make a credit card payment is bad news for our credit score, but what are the other common credit mistakes? Here’s a list of things you absolutely must avoid if you want to maintain a good credit score.