A bad sign?
It’s a sour economy and the unemployment rate is still uncomfortably high. Does this mean you should take any job that’s offered to you? Not so fast. If you have been out of work for a while, you might be feeling a little desperate. However, there are some very good reasons for why you shouldn’t take a job. Even rough times require you to think strategically about the future. Continue reading
Personal finances do not have to be a tedious, stuffy affair. There are hundreds of bloggers, where every day they put a humorous spin on economic independence. According to WiseBread.com, here are the top five personal finance bloggers—to both inform and amuse: Continue reading
When starting or running your own business, you’ll face business challenges. Real business face challenges from many sources, internal and external. External sources can be anything from competition in the area or banks turning down your loan request. Internal challenges would be anything involving you, your staff, and your cliental. In this article we will examine four challenges that business go through and how to overcome them. Continue reading
There’s no quick way to fix your credit. While damaging your credit seems so easy, restoring it takes financial discipline and attention to detail. Here are a few initial steps to achieving a credit score that you can be proud of. Continue reading
The economic news out of Europe has not improved with the UBS rogue trader scandal. According to information gathered from The New York Times, the Swiss bank lost $2 billion from proprietary trading within its investment division. Add this to the crises in Greece and Spain and the declining Euro and its clear that investing in Europe will have significant risks.
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Getting into the stock market requires an investor to be armed with information. Common sense investors looking to build stable portfolios need to avoid a “get rich quick” mentality and choose their stocks based upon careful research and proven growth in companies. Consider these following tips before you invest in a particular company. Continue reading
The costs of getting an education rise each year, while our incomes decline. The Great Recession has made everything involving money and financing difficult, including going to college. However, in our difficult financial climate, the price of not getting a college degree is even more costly. Parents must consider how they will pay for college, long before the first application is completed. Continue reading
Filing for bankruptcy should be a final resort for individuals who have fallen behind on their debts and cannot continue paying their creditors. Here are some basic instructions to think about before you consider filing. Continue reading
According to the U.S. Small Business Association, starting a new business isn’t as easy as setting up shop and unlocking the door for customers. It’s a lengthy process that, if people are patient and follow each step, can reward entrepreneurs with a quality work environment and profits. Here are five tips from the SBA to help you start your new venture. Continue reading
During these tough times it might have crossed your mind to find a get rich quick scheme or invest in something with a quick turnaround. Among some of the well-known options are investing in a home twice the size your used to, stock trading, investing in a 401k, and lack of or too much saving. Continue reading
Babies aren't as expensive as you think. Read further for helpful tips.
Here are a few ways to cut your costs with your brood: Continue reading
It's time to tighten our belts
Times are tough. Everywhere you go; negative financial news seems to follow.
For many, money is getting harder to come by.
You may be realizing that the time has come for belt tightening. Continue reading
No one should simply jump into investing, at least not without some sort of idea about what he or she is facing. There are some excellent books on finance; listed here are only five of the best books on the art of investing. Continue reading
Jay is an extremely likeable guy, abiding by all laws of likeability.
If you’ve ever wondered why a person just doesn’t seem to warm up to you, there’s a book for that.
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Being a small business owner means there are not enough hours in the day for you to accomplish everything you want to do. Your time is one of your most precious resources. It would be a mistake to skimp on your learning opportunities, however. Read everything you can about smart business leadership in your spare time, and be sure not to miss these titles. Continue reading
This could be you on a daily basis- better be worth it!
Most American workers commute an average of 25 minutes from their homes to their jobs. Some people travel further, up to an hour or more each way just to get to work. Taking a job with a long commute can be worth it, but you need to stop and think about what you will be giving up in order to make that trip every day. Here are some things to consider. Continue reading
This could be your funds if you don't check your credit periodically.
Depending on where you go, this could be more affordable than you think!
The cost of living, no matter where you are, has risen in the last 10 years. So where can you find the cheapest place to live? There are common expectations for the east coast to be a little more expensive, but the west coast has snuck up the price scale. So where does that leave us? The central, mid-western part of the United States. Continue reading
The U.S. dollar may be plummeting in value, but the gold standard remains stable as the day it was first utilized. Gold is a currency with worth in itself whereas man-made currency is soley paper or commonly occuring metals. The wavering ecomony is driving more people to invest in their futures with gold. Gold is up 27% in worth since its April 2001 low.
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ETFS, stocks, and bonds... Oh my!
In stock trading, Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) are considered by many to be something of a crossbreed. They are likened to indexes, since ETF’s can go up and down. However, at times they can also appear more like equity. Continue reading
Keeping your car well maintained and tuned up is the key to avoiding costly repairs and mechanical breakdowns. Unless you know a lot about cars yourself, you will need to rely on a good mechanic to help you take care of your car. But what exactly makes a mechanic good? Continue reading
Owning a home is a serious responsibility. It can be extremely challenging—even during good times. In this period of economic uncertainty, foreclosure has become a top concern for many homeowners. Continue reading
Does what your child do in first grade indicate what he will do the rest of his life?
There is always a long list of debate topics when it comes to parenting and education. Should mothers work or stay home? Is homeschooling better? Should the Pledge be mandatory? Why do kids need art? Continue reading
Keep more of these in your pocket and account.
While it is always nice to get a tax refund after you file your federal taxes in the spring, what you are getting back is actually your own money. Some people prefer to pay more taxes than necessary during the year so that they get a sizeable refund, and others like to keep as much money in their paychecks as possible during the year. It can be a challenging balance in deciding how much to withhold in deductions when you fill out tax forms for your employment. Continue reading
Do get things going up and staying up with your business, follow these tips.
Small business owners may be talented at the core of their business, but struggle managing the finances. Most often, they are not trained in the finance side of things, and fall prey to some common business hazards. Continue reading
Halloween has finally passed, so that means that all of those Christmas decorations that stores had been hiding in the back are in full view, reminding everyone that they better get their list and check it twice. The biggest shopping day of the year is about three weeks away, where will you be? Sleeping? Standing in line? Sitting at the computer waiting for prices to drop? I guess this all depends on who is opening first and slashing the most. Continue reading
Leased cars are great if you have a little extra money, you take care of your car and you don't travel very far.
Financially speaking, there are good reasons to lease a car and good reasons not to. If you are someone who does not care much about cars, like my sister who drives a 123,000-mile beater that is missing a side mirror and in desperate need of an oil change, leasing is probably not for you. Keep driving that Datsun. But if you really love nice cars like my other sister, who is overly protective of her sleek red Acura but knows she’ll want something different in two or three years, leasing might be a good option. Here are your pros and cons for leasing a car: Continue reading
Remember, if your going to lend a friend money, they are your friend first, and a recipient of your generosity second.
It can be an awkward situation for all parties involved when friends need to borrow money. It’s usually no big deal if someone needs five or ten dollars to cover lunch. But what if there is a large expense that they need help with? What if they ask you for hundreds, even thousands of dollars? Continue reading
The debt-snowball method is a debt reducing strategy. How does it work? One who owes on more than one account pays off the accounts starting with the smallest balances first, while paying the minimum on the larger debts. Once the smallest is paid off you move on to the next smallest debt. This is an effective form of debt management that is most often applied to repaying revolving credit, like credit cards. Continue reading
Simply don’t use one!
Yeaaah, riiiiggght.
Look around, see any payphones? Exactly. So yes, you have to have one, like it or not.
But it doesn’t have to be so expensive.
Here are some tips you can use:
Financial Planners are not all the same.
When you’re shopping around for someone to trust with your money, you are bound to be showered with positive messages in reference to a squeaky clean record.
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Innovation in business is one of the most rewarding—and difficult—ways to be successful. If it hasn’t been done before, then now is the time to do it! Continue reading
Nike is noted for their ability to advertise and inspire.
In order to stay competitive and popular, brands need to spend money on advertising and marketing. But they also need to be great. No matter how much money is spent to convince consumers to love you, if your product is unlovable, your brand will be too. Here are three brands that I have always loved. Which brands have earned your enduring loyalty? Continue reading
Investment clubs are a way to make money by collaboration. Many people join the club and invest their money together. Investment clubs have been in the United States since the nineteenth century and for years were seen as a good way to spread the risk. Continue reading
College can be a pivotal experience in a person’s life—it can also be one of the most expensive. It does not have to be that way, though. There are several options available to the university student—whether clean out of high school, or returning to school after a long absence. Continue reading
There is no questioning the popularity of mobile banking. It has given customers an opportunity to manage their finances anywhere, anytime. Convenience is the foundation of mobile banking, but there are also a few drawbacks—such as the risk of identity theft. Continue reading
When looking to cut down on expenses this year, don’t forget to examine your insurance policies. You’d probably be surprised to learn you have duplicate coverage, or coverage that just doesn’t make sense. Continue reading
Working on your budget now will save you a world of time in the new year.
The New Year is always a good excuse to get back into the swing of things. Set up your budget, get the kids on the right track with school, get the dogs into obedience class, and commit to calling your mother-in-law, are all things that you can pick back up after “accidentally” ignoring them during the busy holiday season. But what are some things you need to stop doing as we enter into 2012? Everything is about money these days and your financial portfolio is something that should be kept up all year long. So here are 6 financial “don’ts” for the year 2012. Continue reading
Just like wrenches are the right tools to loosen things up, tools like correct paper work and tax software can make all the difference in tax preparation.
Tax time is approaching, which is great news for those who are expecting healthy refunds. I usually have to pay, so I slouch towards the filing deadline with a combination of dread and terror. Whether tax time means you have money coming or going, it helps to be organized. Put together a tax toolbox that will make it easy to manage and file your taxes. Continue reading
Many people dream that their wedding will be a grand affair—announcing their love in front of a huge crowd of family and friends. However, for each notion of grandeur, there are those who want their wedding to be small and intimate. For them, eloping is the answer. Continue reading
Saving money is the key to surviving in this tired economy. If there is a way you can save a few dollars here and there, it will really begin to add up. Even if you are just making it by, imagine the possibilities for using that extra money—going on vacation, paying off a bill, or making renovations to your house in order to sell it. There are some pretty extreme and creative ways that people are saving money these days. Here are five extreme savings tips that just may send you on your next luxury cruise, or help you pay off that credit card bill from Christmas. Continue reading
You're hired!
Your resume can be an entree to your next job or doom you to oblivion, take your pick. Continue reading
So, let’s say you have an extra $25.00. Do you order in some pizzas, spend it on a couple of nonfat vanilla lattes, try your luck in some online casinos, or invest it? I hope your answer was to invest. Because with the three other options, the $25.00 would disappear very quickly, but with the investment option, it would most likely grow, and after time turn into a figure with an extra zero or two at the end. Forget the pizza and the lattes, and take a wise gamble. Even though it’s only $25.00, there is plenty of smart ways to invest it. Continue reading
With a new generation of workers born in the late 80′s and 90′s—Gen Y, or “Millennials“—entering an already crowded job market, they will be presented with some challenges unique to our age. As they make their way into the corporate world, they confront a decidedly 21st century problem.
Their predicament? Continue reading
If you have the hots for someone at work, a little ‘ol blog post is probably not going to stop you from dating them. So we’re going to take another approach with a checklist of what-if situations. This could help you both if you decide to start up an office romance. Continue reading
This is not going to work!
Whether you want to return a dissatisfying product, or inform a business about a problem you encountered with them, there are a lot of ways to approach the situation. Everyone complains now and then, but many people go about it in the wrong way, which can ultimately leave them with no progress on the issue. Here are some tips to effectively communicate your complaint.