By now you should have received most of your year-end tax documents. More and more Americans, each year are turning to tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block at home to file our taxes. Software like this has made a once tedious task fairly straightforward. Although the United States tax code now stands at 70,000 […]
Archives for February 2012
Do you use Daily Deal Sites?
In the past couple of years, daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social have exploded onto the scene. Now it seems like new sites are popping up every day, offering consumers a wide variety of deals. Whether it’s 6 laser treatments for $97 or half off sushi at a local restaurant, many people find […]
Reader Question: Should I pay off my student loan or car loan first?
Reader Alberto writes in: “I was wondering about what to pay off first. I have an $11,000 car loan at 3.25% with 5 years left and $20,000 in student loans at 6% with 10 years left. What should I pay off first and how much? I have a $10,000 emergency fund and my mom just […]
Free $25 for Signing Up for an AMEX Prepaid Card
Update(6/5/2012) – If you’re looking for the latest AMEX promotion: Get a Free $25 gift card for loading $200 onto an exisiting prepaid card(or with sign-up), click here. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and supporting my blog. As a token of my appreciation, I am sharing a great deal I found today! Free $25 […]
How to Sell Your Gift Cards on Ebay and Plastic Jungle
When gift cards first appeared on the market in the mid 90’s, consumers instantly flocked to them. Businesses loved the idea because it attracted new customers who often spent more than the value of the card. Gift cards have grown into a multi-million dollar industry and are a great alternative to cash gifts. Most people […]
Weekly Personal Finance Blog Round-up
Here’s a quick round-up of some of my favorite personal finance articles from the past week. With the presidential race heating up, there has been a lot of discussion lately about tax reform and tax plans. Although I won’t be voting in the Republican primary, most of the conservative tax plans seem to be pretty […]
Valentine’s Day: Keep the Romance and Lose the Cost
Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and so is the barrage of dinners, flowers, chocolates and presents. While I laude the idea of Valentine’s day; from a personal finance point of view, I don’t think it needs to be celebrated in the ‘traditional’ way. There are numerous opportunities to save money without skimping […]
Why Everyone Should Have a Roth IRA
While a 401k is probably the most popular and well-known type of retirement account, there are a few others you may have heard about. In this article, you will learn what a Roth IRA is, and how it’s tax-favored status can be leveraged by investors at any income level. A Roth IRA is the only […]
Emergency Fund and Building a CD Ladder
Building an emergency fund(EF) is one of the first steps you can take in order to get your financial life headed on the right path. Whether you’re just starting to pay your own way, or 5 years into your career, financial emergencies can happen at any time. Medical expenses, getting laid off and even minor […]