Archive for April, 2008
Auction Rate Securities (ARS)– Where is My Money?
Undeniably, the mortgage lending crisis has spilled over into our broader economy and is now affecting nearly everyone’s pockets. 401(k)’s, which undoubtedly hold many financial stocks, are taking a beating. Foreclosures are plaguing neighborhood property values and gas prices, mixed with a pinch of a declining federal funds rate, are raising the likelihood [...]
Protect Yourself From Getting Your Money Hacked
It is becoming more and more common to use our computers to manage our money. There are now dozens of online services that pool all our accounts and present them in a fashion that is easy to read and that foster enthusiasm for saving, investing and having an over all feeling of well-financial being. [...]
Use Credit Card Rewards Programs to Save for Retirement
Participating in your employers 401(k) match program allows for a great way to accelerate your retirement savings, but have you ever considered using your credit card rewards program as a means to save? Although rewards programs are all over the map in their offerings, certain programs present a great way to add to your future [...]
Investing in Real Estate vs. Stocks – Which Is Best?
For years, the United States Government has encouraged citizens to become homeowners, primarily with tax incentives like deductions from mortgage interest, mortgage points, and property tax. However, if the U.S. Government was held as a fiduciary by encouraging home-ownership, our tax breaks might subside based off recent numbers highlighted in a recent Washington Post article [...]
Simple Ways to Boost Your Credit Score
Improving and maintaining your credit score is one of the best ways to qualify for lower interest rates, acquire credit, and reduced insurance premiums. However, the majority of us don’t keep a close enough eye on our credit scores and frankly probably don’t understand them. How your credit score is actually determined is [...]
101 Tips and Resources
We were recently included in a huge list of tips and resources for homeowners at International Listings. While we do get featured out there in quite a few places, this one deserves a note due to the fact that the article itself is arguably one of the most exhaustive I have seen for just [...]
Earth Day: Make Every Day a Frugal Day
As we can see from Google’s page, it is officially Earth Day 2008! This is a good time to address the environment and within that vein to address the savings that go along with that. More and more products are becoming increasingly available for consumers to both save the environment whether its by [...]
When Should I Buy Into The Stock Market?
A volatile market, such as we are currently experiencing, can make timing the market seem impossible. When should you pull the trigger and buy into this unstable market? In my opinion, the best time for many is now. I am not saying this because of the current financial crisis, the announcements of possible mergers, or [...]
Reverse Mortgages Are Tempting But Costly
Homeowners – especially those creeping closer to retirement – may find that the majority of their savings is in their homes equity. Arguably, this is not the ideal way to prepare for life after work, but to those who rely on their homes equity now, find themselves with multiple ways to spend that equity [...]
Should We Buy Individual Stocks Anymore?
In the aftermath of the Federal Reserves bailout of Bear Stearns, I have begun to wonder if buying individual stocks is worth the risk anymore. As you have probably heard, the Federal Reserve recently coughed up 30 billion dollars in loans to J.P Morgan to purchase the struggling Bear Stearns for $10/share. [...]
United State’s Newest Epidemic – Insufficient Financial Literacy
Opinion -
Congress, regulators, and the financial services industry are pointing fingers at each other in an attempt to pass the blame regarding who is at fault for our current credit crisis. In reality, everyone probably shares a piece of the blame; however, to leave a lack of sound financial literacy out of the equation [...]
My Student Loan Decision
In a recent post, which you can view by clicking here, I broke down a recent offer my student loan lender, Iowa Student Loans (ISL) has presented. Because of the recent turmoil in our credit markets, the Federal Reserve has been cutting the Federal Funds rate, which for many has been a good thing. These [...]
Gas Could Be Worse
I got this in an email some time ago and I am such a pack rat, I still have it. Does anyone ever keep forwards besides me? The reason why I am bringing it up now is because it reminded me of the article I wrote a few days ago. That [...]
25 Biggest Real Estate Mistakes
Right before I left work today, I read an interesting article at Bible Money Matters, that couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Peter expands upon the notion that purchasing a home, especially for first timers, is a long, complicated and inevitably full of hidden costs. Some of these I had [...]
Jump Start Your Frugality
We hear from a good number of people that they would like to have more money. Not just have more, but make more. They talk about the need to get a better paying job, how they can barely afford to pay the bills and if only they made more money every month, [...]
