Personal Finance Advice

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “How did you learn so much about finance?” The subtext to the question is usually along the lines of, “I know you aren’t a genius or good with numbers, so how come you have a handle on this stuff and I don’t? How come I’m broke [...]

It’s become quite fashionable to attack credit card companies or banks who hold our mortgages, especially with the recent turmoil in the financial market. While talk of increased regulation and pointing the finger of blame may each have their place in how we deal with such situations, both psychologically and fiscally, they can quickly overwhelm [...]

Are you left with more month than paycheck? Are you trying to stick to a budget, but can’t understand where all your discretionary income is going? Do you always end up searching the couch cushion and car seats for extra change to make everyday purchases? My husband and I had all of these problems and [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: 43 Mortgages Within Same Family What really killed WaMu? What Are the Economic Collapse Indicators to Watch For? An odd welfare story The Power of Negative Thinking 5 percent on CDs may not [...]

I received a letter from my electric power company recently encouraging me to sign up for the company’s “Green Generation” program. If I joined the “Green Team”, I could purchase energy generated from wind power and landfill gas for a mere .01667 cents per kilowatt hour. I could also purchase Green Blocks instead at $2.50 [...]

I am a frugal shopper. I clip coupons, look for sales and comparison shop. Whether I am shopping for groceries or furniture or a car, I want to get the best deal I can get. I enjoy being a smart shopper and I take pride in it. If you are reading this article, you probably [...]

Why do many people opt to spend rather than save money? Because saving isn’t fun. It’s not as much fun as going to the movies, or out to eat, or to an amusement park. And why is that? Because many of the things we do for entertainment are social. They get us out amongst other [...]

I am sure that almost everyone would say they would like to improve their financial position in some way. For many, it would be getting out from under mountains of credit card debt or paying off school loans. Others may be trying to accumulate money for a down payment on a home or saving up [...]

Your grandparents (or maybe great-grandparents) were better than you at saving money. If you think long and hard about that, most of you will probably agree with that statement. There are a number of reasons why they were better and some things we can learn from those facts. Let’s dive right into those reasons. Awareness [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: International Central Banks Team Up Governement Planning to Transfer All Bad Bank Debt to Taxpayers SEC Plans to Temporarily Ban Short-Selling Government Buying Bad Debt Money market accounts not so safe Bernanke: “We [...]

Most of us recall what Ben Franklin told us in his Almanack. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” In various forms, that proverb actually preceded Old Ben by about 300 years. The fact that we still quote it today tells us that it still has some truth [...]

I find budgeting unreliable. Whatever method you use to budget, there is a good chance you are wasting your time, and possibly money. Just to be clear, when I say “budget,” I mean trying to predict how much you will spend in specified categories over a certain period of time and allocating money ahead of [...]

Have you poured a half finished glass of orange juice back into the carton? Have you taken toilet paper down from your trees after being TP’d to use for its original purpose? I have heard of people doing just that. Have you done outrageous things just to save money? Are you happy with this lifestyle? [...]

What I Know Among today’s financial headlines is the prediction that stocks will rise today because traders are optimistic about the Freddie and Fannie takeovers. The articles I read commonly noted this optimism, but none of them explained to me why government intervention was cause for optimism. Strangely enough, another headline noted that oil was [...]

With the holidays approaching, it’s time to think about Christmas shopping. We always talk about ways to save money on gifts, from hitting the sales to drawing names out of a hat. That’s all well and good, but these strategies only save money for the buyer. How about turning the savings around this year and [...]

You know you need to pay attention to your finances and create some kind of spending plan. So why haven’t you started? Are you just waiting for the right software, book, or moment? Maybe you feel overwhelmed. The reasons for not starting and maintaining your spending plan are endless, but your window of opportunity closes [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: 21% of those making over $100k are living paycheck to paycheck Earn an A? Here’s $50. C? Here’s $20 Woman Auctioning Her Virginity For College Tuition The Key to Wedded Bliss? Money Matters [...]

Kool-Aid. A fruity sweet, thirst quenching, ambrosia for 6 year olds. We all remember it. It’s famous and served all over the world. Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, as a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. In 1927, to save on shipping costs, it became the powder we all know and love. It was originally [...]

Our personal finances mirror many things in life, and fantasy football is no exception. Wittingly or not, we apply many of the same tactics to succeed in both. At the risk of using way too many football analogies in one article, here it goes: An Investment In Your Future First and foremost, fantasy football is [...]

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin The secret is a simple one: Education. I’m not talking about going to Harvard or some elite university. I’m not even talking about a Masters or a PhD degree. I’m talking about fiscal education. The rich are rich because they know how to manage [...]