Friday Finance Findings for July 31st

Where did July go? Oh well, I can’t complain about August getting here quickly because that means football is right around the corner! Some of my fantasy leagues are already taking shape and by the end of the month it will be draft day. The kickoff to football season, both college and pro, is one of the best times of year.

I also hope that you’ve been enjoying the kickoff to the how to brew your own beer series. Early this week I focused on what equipment you need to get started brewing your own beer. Next week, look for a post that walks you through the actual brewing process. It’s been a lot of fun. Later this month I’m going to be entering a few of my different beers into a beer competition. While I don’t expect to win anything, I am looking forward to receiving some genuine feedback from professional judges to see how I can improve.

Finally, I’m still mulling over a site redesign. Earlier this year I had a new logo designed, which you’ve seen if you subscribe to my email newsletter, but I’ve failed to get around to updating the site to take advantage of it. I probably need to start looking for designers and pricing out everything so I can actually make that happen.

Everything You Need to Know About Your Credit Score – Why is your credit score so important and how can you improve it? Here’s a good summary that talks about almost everything you would ever want to know about your credit score.

Credit Scoring Variations: FICO vs Vantage Score – Speaking of credit scores, what’s the difference between a FICO and Vantage Score? You may not have heard of the Vantage Score before, but it’s out there, and you might want to see what’s different about it and when it’s used.

How to Survive and Thrive During a Recession – This recession is hitting a lot of people hard, but there are some things you can do to ease the pain. Here’s how you can survive, and possibly even thrive during this recession or the next one.

The Costs of Selling Your House – Selling your home is all about hopefully making some money, right? Well, there’s much more to it than that. Selling your home actually involves a lot of costs that you might not have thought about.

Paying off Debt: Lowest Balance or Highest Interest First? – This is a common question when it comes to paying off debt. Do you tackle the lowest balance first or do you try and knock down the debt with the highest interest rate? There are benefits to each method.

Best Free Essential Software For Windows – Do you own a computer? Then you need software. But a lot of software is costly. So, how does free sound? Here’s a list of some of the best free software for Windows-based computers.

Stress Testing Your Budget: How to Stay Strong in Tough Times – These tough financial times can wreak havoc on even the best budget. Here’s how you can stress test your budget to make sure you’ll make it through those tough times.

Estate Planning: Are You Ready When Your Time Comes? – Death isn’t fun to think about, but it’s a real concern. Especially when it comes to your finances and your family, you need to make sure you’ve planned ahead so if something does happen that everyone is taken care of.

Six Words That Saved Me $17,893 – And Can Save You Even More – Can six words really save someone nearly $18,000? It sounds impossible, but wait until you’ve read this story.

Re-engineering Your Thinking – We can get caught up in how we think about our lives and money, and sometimes that can leave you in a rut. Here’s an interesting take on how you might want to think a little differently about your money, career, and life.

Canceling A Credit Card – If you’ve been trying to get out of debt and want to remove the temptation, then you might be looking to cancel some of your credit cards. How do you actually go about doing that? Jim explains the ins and outs of canceling your credit card.

Unexpected Ways Having a Baby Changed Our Budget – I can totally relate to this post. You think you have it all planned out, but having a baby will introduce a lot of changes to your budget. I never knew what stuff like diapers, formula, and even baby medicine and stuff cost until it’s time to buy it. It can be a bit shocking if you aren’t familiar with these items.

22 Investment Maxims from Sir John Templeton – Here is a great collection of some investment rules to live by. There are a lot of excellent nuggets of wisdom here that most of us could stand to follow.

401(k) Rollover Mistakes – I’ve talked about the 401(k) rollover in detail before, but I didn’t focus on the mistakes you can make. Here’s a list of some of the most common 401(k) rollover mistakes and how you can avoid them.