Personal Finance Information
How to Choose Wisely a Credit Card
So, you've made the decision to apply for a credit card. It's an important step for any consumer. Whether this is your first application in an effort to establish your credit, an addition to your existing credit card portfolio, or a plan to re-establish unsatisfactory credit, it is critical to research and fully understand the plans associated with various types of credit cards.
Budgeting Before Buying
With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can understand the urgency for people wanting to purchase a home. But I caution the first-time home buyer to learn how to budget their money before buying a new home.
Is There A Retirement Crisis?
When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees?there?s nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan. The problem, then, is not that we are living longer?it?s that we are not planning for it.
Do You Know What Tomorrow Will Bring?
I?ve been sharing the following idea with people for a few years now, and realized recently that I had never written specifically about it. So here it is:
Live Green; Save Green!
Have you seen the recent article on a new ?green? residential high rise in Battery Park? It?s called The Solaire. For a look at the hopeful future of architectural efficiency, check out the myriad of cost saving and environmentally-friendly features of the building:
Reduce College Debt with Scholarships
Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval
table. Forms were piled into 50 boxes. Each one
had the name of a state. I looked at the boxes and
wondered why some of them were overflowing and
others had just a few. This was the first round of
judging. By the time the contest was over almost
16,000 applications would be examined. Some of the
comments were really critical, "Why did this
person bother to send in an application? It?s so
sloppy." "This person put the wrong address on
the envelope, even though the correct one is at
the top of the application." One had a cassette
tape inside. We played it and it was a country
song. The applicant was a good musician.
What Happens if You Die Without Making a Will
If you die without making a Will in the UK, the state will decide who gets what and how much, so those who you would want to benefit may get far less than you hoped.
Vesting and Your 401(k)
Do you have a 401(k) retirement account? Are you vested yet? Before you move on to your next job, it is critical for you to find out if you are fully vested in your retirement account before you make the move. If you are not, you could lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars in employer contributions.
Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account?
If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds.
If I Had a Structured Settlement, I Would Use It to Pay for Gas
Has anyone been to the gas pumps lately? Soon $3 a gallon will be the asking price and we?ll either have to become cyclists or create some additional income. I plan to do both of course because you can balance thrift and greed pretty well as you ride your bike to work.
Why We Are Never Satisfied with What We Have
I have to admit, I do it too. I complain. Seek better. Complain again. Ridiculous cycle. It?s more of a condition really. A humanity disease, I think we are born with it. It is almost as physical and useful as a regular appendage. Don?t get me wrong, being dissatisfied with here, has got us all to a lot of great theres. Otherwise America would still be in dreary old England and we wouldn?t have the 4th of July.
Ways to Save Energy and Slash Electricity Bills
1. Lighting & Light Bulbs
Install low energy light bulbs in rooms you use regularly ? they last up to 15 times longer than a normal light bulb and provide the same lighting for a quarter of the running cost. Turn off the lights when you leave a room for a long period and don't use several light bulbs where one will do the job. Teach all family members to turn off lights when leaving a room.
Save Your Money, Dont Give to Charity Scammers
**If it's Spam, it's a Scam!- If it sounds too good, if it shows up in your bulk folder or your spam folder - don't touch it, just delete it
Help With My Annuity
The cries are heard from the distance, "I need help with my annuities." Nothing has changed...just a lonely senior who can't trust anybody with her annuity because every time she asks for advice, someone tries to make her invest in a different annuity...Sound familiar? Well you are not alone.
Personal Finance - Have Consumers Had a Belly Full of Personal Debt?
For months, we were trigger-swipe happy, putting our groceries, clothes, holidays and service charges on our credit cards. We wanted mortgages, we took out loans, we watched Property Ladder and What Not To Wear. Whether you were born middle class, had middle class aspirations, you became middle class through your spending. Debt united people around the UK, we sympathised with each other on what we couldn?t afford ? but it didn?t matter, we still bought it. Soon everybody had a bottle of Jacob?s Creek in their kitchen and olives and humous in the fridge.
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Call Me Crazy! I love It!
Vesting and Your 401(k)
Do you have a 401(k) retirement account? Are you vested yet? Before you move on to your next job, it is critical for you to find out if you are fully vested in your retirement account before you make the move. If you are not, you could lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars in employer contributions.
The Changing Shape of Family Finances
Super-mums
5 Steps to Healthy Spending Habits
Next to our physical health most of us are primarily concerned with our financial health, and with good reason. Although our intentions are usually great our follow-through and discipline generally isn't. Mere mention of the word budget or cutback sends us into fits.
Stretching Your Grocery Dollars
Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever busy lives. We may imagine that we are saving time by dashing in, roaming the aisles and throwing whatever looks good into the cart. Most often, what we end up with is repetitive, nutritionally unbalanced meals and ballooning grocery bills. Or worse, frequent fast-food stops and pizza calls. Brighten your meals and save time and money by planning ahead ? an added bonus you may even save a few calories.
10 Steps to Take if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft
There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U.S. involve identity theft. About half of the victims do not know how the thief obtained their personal information. The Boston Globe and Newsweek have both covered Identity theft this month telling us how important it is for us to educate ourselves on preventing and protecting ourselves from this type of robbery. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone, individuals or businesses. Everyone must be educated and aware so it can be avoided. Michael Blanchard, US Postal Inspector says postal money orders and business or certified checks are one way you can be at risk. Most identity theft involves the U.S. Mail which is why the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is a lead agency in investigating Identity Theft. Identity Theft is a criminal offense.
UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities
With almost two thirds of university entrants from England and Wales who applied for maintenance grants for this year being unsuccessful, and the average graduate owing £13,501 when they leave, according to Barclays, combined with a survey by High Fliers Research showing that only 21% of students were confident of managing to enter a graduate-level job this year, it is not surprising that there is a feeling of gloom hanging over many UK university entrants.
Budgeting Your Way to Financial Freedom
Financial freedom cannot be achieved without budgeting. Budgeting involves tracking your sources of income and more importantly tracking your expenses. It is novel tool for controlling your expenses and making you aware of how you spend your money. At the outset, budgeting may seem to be onerous and boring, particularly for those of us who hate numbers. But once you realize the benefits emanating from it, you will find it an interesting exercise. Even businesses, whether small or large, use budgeting as a tool to achieve their financial goals. It is, in fact, an integral part of managing an organization.
Reduce College Debt with Scholarships
Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval
table. Forms were piled into 50 boxes. Each one
had the name of a state. I looked at the boxes and
wondered why some of them were overflowing and
others had just a few. This was the first round of
judging. By the time the contest was over almost
16,000 applications would be examined. Some of the
comments were really critical, "Why did this
person bother to send in an application? It's so
sloppy." "This person put the wrong address on
the envelope, even though the correct one is at
the top of the application." One had a cassette
tape inside. We played it and it was a country
song. The applicant was a good musician.
Government Grants - Beware of Scams
As the saying goes: "Buyer Beware". If you see ads claiming you
qualify to receive a "free grant" for education, to start a home
business or to payoff unpaid bills, be wary. Scam artists will claim your grant application is guaranteed to be accepted and approved, and you never have to repay the money. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that these grant offers are often a scam. The grant isn't free, nor is it guaranteed, nor is a refund.
According to the FTC, some scam artists market "free grants" in
classified ads and even provide a toll free phone number. Here's an example of what happens when you call:
A company representative asks non-threatening, simple questions to supposedly determine if you qualify to receive a grant. The representative then acts as if he/she is checking your eligibility, and then congratulates you as being eligible. But for you to get the grant information from them, they will charge
you a processing fee. Although they will promise you that the grant is guaranteed or you can get your money back, the truth is far different.
They will tell you that the processing fee is for finding a grant source and sending you the appropriate application package in the mail. But you won't receive an application or a source. Instead they send you a list of agencies and foundations which you must write and request an application. In order to get
your refund, you must apply to; and be rejected by, all these agencies within 90 days.
Most grantors don't award grants to individuals for personal needs. Generally grants are to serve mankind and communities as a whole, such as job expansion, training under-employed youth, preserving history, funding charities, art museums, or for researching medical issues. So, even if you're in a financial
hardship, or you may be an unwed mother, a single parent, a minority, etc, you're not likely to approved. And you may as well forget about getting a refund from the grant "broker" because the conditions for a refund are nearly impossible, requiring you to apply at every grantor on the list they
provided to you and be denied by each resource within 90 days. If even one resource doesn't reject you within the first 90 days, you won't get your refund, nor will you get it back if the rejections are past the 90 day requirement.
If you're thinking about applying for a grant, remember that the applications are available to you for free and that anyone who guarantees you a grant is likely to be interested in their own financial gain, not yours. If you think you may have been a victim of a grant scam, file a complaint with the FTC by
visiting www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
Don't fall for grant scams. Use the free resources available to you at public libraries, on the internet, and at www.creditfederal.com/government-grant.html
10 Tips To Save Money When Dining Out
Here are some tips that can help you save money when dining out. Keep in mind that these tips are intended to help you save money when dining out at a restaurant type setting. In other words, these tips will not be related to fast food establishments for their food is already priced reasonably.
Budgeting your Savings - Did You Let Your Piggy Bank Get Away?
I think most of us have at some point in our lives. Some how we forget to feed the little piggy. And, like most neglected "pets", your piggy bank will disappear if you don't feed it. A personal budget is important to create financial independence and setting goals for feeding that "piggy bank" should be an important part of your budget!
If All Things Are Possible, Why Cant I Balance My Checkbook?
For me, the most terrible time of each month is the day our bank statement comes. We commonly call it BSS (Bank Statement Syndrome). I don't know why it is, but I have trouble getting the parsonage checkbook to balance with the monthly bank statement.
How to Choose the Right Bank for Your Online Business
You should thoroughly consider your business needs when selecting a financial institution or bank for your small/home business. You may want to consider the following points:
5 Ways to Absolutely Destroy Your Finances!
Ben Stein has a book called How to Ruin Your Finances. To be honest, I'm not sure an entire book is needed on the subject-there are some fairly quick and easy ways to accomplish the task. (Before continuing, let me be clear that I do not actually recommend such activities-This is a reductio absurdum argument, meant to spur an opposing realization.)
Saving Dimes Can Go a Long Way
On the other hand, there are those people who are saving dimes and every other cent. Perhaps its because they hate the clutter of change but want to get rid of it instead of letting it accumulate elsewhere or still rely on the fact that change has value and should be used accordingly. For those who find it hard to save, start with a small piggy bank and contribute any lose change to that bank and let it grow. Change that you were going to use to buy a snack from the vending machine or soda, use to contribute to your piggy bank. Bring snacks and drinks from home to save on cash.
Is There A Retirement Crisis?
When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees-there's nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan. The problem, then, is not that we are living longer-it's that we are not planning for it.
Do You Really Need the Power of Money Management Software?
I have been a loyal user of Quicken(R) for more years than I can remember. But a conversation the other day with my youngest son started me wondering whether or not I really need money management software.
Debt Management ? More Ways to Save on Gas Consumption
The price of gas continues to climb, and with continued uncertainty in the Middle East, they will probably continue to do so. In California and elsewhere, prices for some grades of gas have now reached the previously unthinkable three dollars a gallon. Granted, that is lower than the inflation-adjusted prices of early 1981, but that doesn't make anyone feel better when they've just paid nearly $100 to fill the tank of their sport utility vehicle.
Budgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget
Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.
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