Archive for November, 2007
A Resolution You Must Keep: 6 Ways To Start Out the New Year Financially Fit
Almost everyone makes New Year’s resolutions, and almost everyone who does breaks them. If you could follow through on just a couple of these tips, you’ll absolutely start off the New Year more financially fit than you ended the previous year. Be selfish- and pay yourself first. Is the money you earn spoken [...]
Don’t Become the Next Victim of Credit Card Fraud
This is a guest post written by Jakob Jelling. One of the worst things that can happen to you is credit card fraud. This is even worse if you don’t pay very much attention to your credit reports, since you may not find out about the fraud until there are very serious problems to deal [...]
Stuck in a Pile of Debt? Consumer Credit Counseling Can Help
This is a guest post written by Jakob Jelling. Many individuals have been helped by consumer credit counseling to take control of their finances and to eliminate debt. Consumer credit counseling can work for you by teaching money management skills which can help you throughout your lifetime. Consumer credit counseling can help you better understand [...]
You Do To Have $100 – $200 a Month That Could Be Saved
If you’re earning a consistent income, chances are you have more money than you think. What does your savings account look like? Doesn’t have as much as you would like- well, you’re not alone. Most people wish they could save more, but just don’t see that they have any money to spare. The reality is- [...]
Have a Job Interview Coming Up? Here’s How to Not Screw It Up.
This is a guest post written by Yulin Peng. So you have the call letter for a job interview in your mail. Get going and do your homework done immediately. Find out all about the company, the job you applied for, the competitors, the products and all other relevant information by browsing the Internet, company [...]
How to Write a Cover Letter That Doesn’t Suck
The cover letter that accompanies your resume on your job search is the first thing that your prospective employer sees – your first advertisement. Naturally you must embellish your cover letter with certain qualities so that it leaves a good impression on the employer about you. A cover letter that looks professional and smart will [...]
You Shouldn’t Care What Other People Think, Period.
Imagine you’re walking down the street, and someone from work drives by in a very nice looking new vehicle. Most of us have the instant reaction that, “Wow, that person’s probably doing pretty well for him/her self!” Most of us associate wealth with having nice things as one in the same, but that’s simply not [...]
People Who Co-Sign Loans Aren’t Smart.
You’ll never believe it, but the bank actually knows you better than you know yourself. You want to borrow money for a car, a home, or some other purchase, and the bank knows you don’t have the ability to pay it back. You think you can afford it and are sure that if the bank [...]
Gift Cards are the Worst Possible Present to Buy Someone This Christmas
Here’s an idea. Let’s trade perfectly good money, ad exchange it for something that serves the same purpose but has an expiration date, loses value over time, and can only be used at one store! That’s exactly what gift cards are, yet people continue to give them as gifts for Christmas year after year after [...]
Falling Like Dominoes: E-Loan Next Major Bank to Get Hit By Sub-Prime Mortgage Woes
For the last few years, you could fall over backwards and get a mortgage. You could get a loan just by telling someone on a handshake what your income is without ever even proving that fact with documentation. Mortgage companies were selling people loans that amortized over 50 years and loans in which the payments [...]
Not Enough Money to Invest? Join or Start an Investment Club
Most investments have minimum requirements. Sometimes the requirements are outside what a person can comfortably afford to pay. Rather than throw your hands up in the air and decide it’s not possible for you to invest, you should consider an investment club! An investment club is a group of individuals who get together, either physically [...]
Why Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Laws Should Be Completely Eliminated
The common view on bankruptcy is that it’s a way for someone who’s down on their luck to get a fresh start financially and that would be fine if that’s all it was. Unfortunately many Americans are using bankruptcy as a “get out of jail free” card when they make irresponsible and bad financial decisions [...]
Quixtar Supporters Caught in Active Information Warfare and Propaganda Campaign
Quixtar and other multi-level marketing schemes often tend to draw strong emotions from people, either a person is an avid supporter or they think these systems are a total rip-off, and there’s not much of a middle ground. It appears that a group of Quixtar individual business operators (IBO’s) and other Quixtar supporters have gotten [...]
Start Early- Teach Your Children How to Manage Money Before it’s Too Late
Kids will learn the basics of money in school- as early as kindergarten you’ll see them coming home with worksheets where they count up the pictures of pennies. Unfortunately, they don’t learn much more than counting money and making change in school- and unless they choose finance for their careers, they’re not likely to learn [...]
This Week in Personal Finance – November 25th, 2007
I hope everyone gained a pound or two this weekend by enjoying far too much turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, and the like, I know I sure did. I had plenty of time to read this weekend, so I thought I’d share some of the great articles I’ve found from around the personal finance blogosphere! [...]
Major Banks At it Again, Fighting Against “Truth in Mortgage Lending” Legislation Which Would Decrease Foreclosures!
We recently reported that some of the major US banks including Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Discover were actively flaunting US Bankruptcy law, and now they’re trying to put the screws to consumers again by opposing “Truth in Mortgage Lending” legislation which is currently working its way through congress. The US House recently [...]
Hybrid Cars are a Rip-Off and the People Who Buy Them Can’t Do Math.
Buying a hybrid car seems to the in thing to do these days. There’s this false notion that buying a hybrid vehicle is a great way to take proactive steps to decrease our dependency on foreign oil and that they’ll save you money in the long run because you use less gasoline. The reality is [...]
Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Discover Caught Actively Working to Undermine Bankruptcy Laws.
When you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you’ll receive a nasty mark on your credit report for the next decade, but the plus side is that you get to get rid of all of your unsecured debts. It’s not as easy to get a Chapter 7 bankruptcy anymore due to recent legislation that was bought [...]
Don’t Let The Government Decide What To Do With Your Children and Your Money If You Die!
If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to add further pain and suffering from your family in the event of your death, don’t get a will! Instead of having the recently deceased’s wishes followed for what should happen to their money and who should watch over their children, the government gets to decide for the [...]
Five Reasons to Always Pay with Cash (And Throw Your Credit Cards Away)
Whenever I’m stuck in the line at Wal-Mart, Best Buy or another retail store, it seems that just about everyone is paying with a debit or credit card these days. Plastic is certainly a quick and convenient method to pay for purchases, but I still choose to pay with cash. I still have two credit [...]
6 Reasons to Shop Around for Car Insurance (Hint: It’s always a good time to get a better rate!)
Most everyone shops around before purchasing a new car; but almost no one takes the time to shop around when selecting their car insurance provider. Shopping around- that is, comparing rates among several different car insurance companies, is the number one way you can save money on your car insurance premiums because the rates differ [...]
Why the Black Friday Deals You Scored Might Not Be Deals At All
As I write this article, millions of shoppers across the nation are invading retail stores hoping to get the best possible deals on their Christmas presents. We hit Wal-Mart up at 5:30 this morning and scored a new desktop computer for $399.99 and a Garmin GPS device for next to nothing! There are definitely some [...]
You Can Use Every Last Bit of Your Thanksgiving Dinner and Not Even Get Sick of Leftovers!
Ahhh, Thanksgiving. A day we cook all day long so we can sit and eat for about fifteen minutes! Cooking all day results in a TON of food for most people, and after eating the full Thanksgiving dinner in all it’s glory two or three times, you might get a little tired of it and [...]
How the Government is Ruining the Lives of Families Blessed by Extreme Makeover Home Edition
ABC was onto something when they developed the idea for Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It was a dramatic change from the typical serial-dramas and sitcoms that we see on prime-time television these days. Millions of Americans watch the show each week, and now state and federal government are coming in and messing with the lives [...]
Cash In: How to Lower the Cost of Homeowner’s Insurance 6 Different Ways
Homeowner’s insurance is nothing more than an afterthought for most home-owners. People get home-buying fever and get really excited about the prospect of being a home-owner. They get some financing setup, look at all different sorts of houses they might like to purchase, find one they link and make an offer. The offer gets accepted, [...]
Sometimes Saving 15% on Your Purchase is Not a Good Deal
Most retail stores have their own credit cards. How many times have you gone up to the check out counter with your selections only to hear the cashier ask, while handing you an application and a pen, “Would you like to save 15% on your order today and apply for the blah blah store credit [...]
How to Shop on Black Friday, Get the Deals You Want, and Not Go Overboard
Have you ever considered that perhaps the single craziest day of the year, Black Friday, immediately follows one of the most relaxing days of the year, Thanksgiving Day? I guess we need time to relax and prepare before fighting through masses of people at 5:00 AM! On Black Friday, shoppers all across America will flock [...]
I agree. If a local business is the one offering the sale price I will buy it from them. ...
We are retired and live on a grocery budget of $200 a month for 2 people in the Midwest. That ...