I just received my yearly merit increase: a whopping 3% to stay right in line with inflation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very appreciative of the extra money, but in the grand scheme of things, how much will this improve my life? Will I be able to buy more, spend more, save more? In the […]
Your Take on the Health Care Law
This past week, the Supreme Court wrapped up three days of oral arguments over the health care law. At stake is the health care law’s individual mandate that would require most citizens to have health care as part of a systematic overhaul intended to lower medical costs. The individual mandate is crucial to the survival […]
Making the Switch to an Online Bank: Ally Bank Review
Update: See my update on why you should use Ally to hold all your cash in 5 year CD’s and get the highest rates possible. It should make sense for 99% of all people to follow this strategy and feel free to contact me with any questions: [email protected] Keep Your CD’s Liquid and Still Earn […]
My Do It Yourself Identity Theft Protection Plan
These days, there are tons of ways criminals can steal your identity. They can copy your credit card information at a restaurant or go through your mailbox at home. There are some services out there that charge you to monitor your identity, but most of them only offer services you can get for yourself for […]
Reader Question: What Should I Do With My 401k?
David writes in, “I waste my money on having a personal Financial Advisor w/ Merrill Lynch. He gets 1% of everything invested annually. I cut him a quarterly check and he picks which mutual funds to invest in. The market has been sucking so my mutuals are only up about 4% cumulatively since inception. I don’t […]
$5 Free at Amazon.com and 3 Months of Free Amazon Prime
Update(12/5/12): Get your 3 month free trial of Amazon Prime here by signing up for Amazon mom(aff link) This Tuesday, Amazon Local will be offering $10 Amazon.com gift cards for just $5. They haven’t announced how many are available so make sure to buy one as soon as the deal goes live tuesday morning. They had […]
Should I Donate to a Charity Like Invisible Children?
Last week, Invisible Children launched a passionate video aimed at bringing social awareness to the capture of famous Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. They set a modest goal of half a million views by the end of the year. In just under a week, the video had amassed over 55 million hits. When I finally sat down […]
Why Mitt Romney Still Pays Less Tax Than You
Mitt Romney’s federal tax rate has come under a lot of scrutiny with the battle for the republican primaries heating up. He released statements that showed his effective tax rate was around 15%. This number has come under attack from the White House and critics alike, pointing out that Romney, whose estimated net worth is […]
The Most Powerful Budgeting Tool Around: Mint.com Review
Have you heard of Mint.com? Mint is a personal finance site that links all of your financial accounts to one place and helps you keep track of your expenses. They also have a handy iPhone app that I use every day to stay on top of my spending. The best thing about Mint is it’s […]
11 Actions You Can Take to Save More Money Right Now
Any financial guru can tell you that the key to saving money is to spend less than you earn. Duh! Unfortunately, most of us are accustomed to certain amenities and the thought of losing these might seem harsh. The goal of this list is to enable you to save money on the activities and things […]
What To Do When Your Company Offers a Roth 401k
It seems like every few years the government introduces a new retirement plan. Even though it’s getting hard to keep track of all the different types, at a minimum, a savvy investor should have a basic understanding of each option and whom it can benefit most. The Roth 401k was authorized by the IRS in […]
Do I Save Money by Doing My Taxes Myself?
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 […]
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 […]