Personal Finance for Young Professionals
[This is the second article in a three part series about re-balancing, the first article covered why to rebalance and the last article will cover how to rebalance your retirement accounts] A year in the life of the stock market can be brutal. … [Continue reading]
[This is the first article in a three part series about re-balancing, the next two articles will cover when to rebalance and how to rebalance your retirement accounts] A crucial part to a successful investment portfolio requires that you … [Continue reading]
After two years of churning credit cards for sign-up bonuses, I've amassed quite a collection of cards. I'm almost embarrassed by how many I now have, but one great benefit of having so many cards is the ongoing promotions. With some companies you … [Continue reading]
If you followed the market from 2000-2009, you'll know that US stocks got hammered. Investing in international stocks wouldn't have saved you from a period like that, but it could have helped. International stocks provide some much needed … [Continue reading]
A year ago I refinanced to a 3.75% 7/1 ARM with Quicken Loans and my experience with them was fantastic. I bought my property almost three years ago and that refinance lowered my payment by $200 a month. I was definitely content, but as I watched … [Continue reading]
I got my first credit card when I was in college and I used it for most of my entertainment(see alcohol) and dining out purchases. Although I was approved for a high limit, fortunately I never carried a balance. After four years, I realized I had … [Continue reading]
I know summer is coming to an end for most of the country, but here in San Diego, my favorite month of the year is coming up. September brings some great weather and the ocean water is usually at it's warmest. I've tried to post twice a week since … [Continue reading]
A reader writes in: "Can you talk about when to take a loan from your 401k? I took one a while back and I think it would be a good topic for discussion." There aren't many loans out there that allow you to borrow without a credit check and pay … [Continue reading]
I've been looking for a refrigerator on craigslist for a couple months now and I finally found one. My current refrigerator was in good working condition, but it was pretty old and I wanted to get a nice stainless steel one for when I rent out my … [Continue reading]
Instead of talking about stock or real estate investments today, I'll be diving into an often forgotten investment. Human capital is the knowledge, skills or health that you have acquired in your lifetime. Most people think of capital as a CD … [Continue reading]
If the Mayans are wrong and Dec 21, 2012 doesn't bring the end of the world, taxmageddon is still headed our way in 2013. Income taxes are slated to go up for every single tax-paying American unless congress and Obama act. Regardless of whether … [Continue reading]
When I bought my first real estate property in 2010, I had excellent credit. My score was over 760, but my mortgage broker told me they couldn't give me the best rate because my credit history was too short. At the time, I was 23, and the only … [Continue reading]
I know there are people struggling out there for a main source of income, but I think the job market has significantly picked up for college educated young professionals. If you've used any of my networking tips, you may have already landed your … [Continue reading]
With the large deficit our country is facing, politicians are starting to get creative. There's actually been some talk about getting rid of the mortgage interest deduction for homeowners. If you don't own property, then you may not know about one … [Continue reading]
As many of you know, I'm a big proponent of do it yourself credit monitoring and score checking. I don't think you should ever have to pay for something that is yours. Credit Karma is one of the only companies around that allows you to check your … [Continue reading]
The annual Comic Con convention was held this past weekend in San Diego, CA. 125,000 comic fans descended on San Diego and it was a pretty cool time to be walking around and exploring the city. I was able to get a Thursday and Sunday badge for the … [Continue reading]
As you know, I'm a big proponent of buying real estate right now. And after you've secured your property, one of the first things to consider is what type of mortgage you should get. There are all different types of loans and terms you can get, but … [Continue reading]
Site Re-Design You may have noticed that I completely changed the theme to the site over the past couple days. I wanted to make the site a little bit more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate so I added a logo, and a few other nifty … [Continue reading]
Most investors probably don't have too many high yielding 'safe' investments lying around from the high interest rate days. The 5% CD's that we all took for granted in 2007-2008 are a thing of the past and I know most people wish they would have … [Continue reading]
I've always liked to gamble, but at the same time, it's hard for me to willingly throw away my money when I know I have a disadvantage. When I go to Vegas, I never gamble more than a couple hundred bucks and think of it more as entertainment. How … [Continue reading]