Blog
When Should I Give to Charitable Causes — Now or In My Will?
With all this talk about investing wisely and making the most of our money, it’s important to take a look at what we’re going to do with all of this wealth we’re building. Most people have at least a few charities that they like to support, but they’re torn on whether they should give now …
When You’re Dealt Financial Lemons…
The point of this post is to define a time in your life when you were handed lemons and made lemonade. If you’ve never heard the analogy it basically means explain how you were put in a tough situation and made the best of it turning it into a GOOD thing. I think I have …
What Are The Penalties For Filing A Tax Return Late?
With tax season approaching, some individuals may be tempted to skip filing this year or to put it off a little longer. However, filing a return late without getting an extension is never a good idea. This is because the IRS will know about it and will impose all sorts of penalties. Given the clout …
My Favorite Personal Finance Books!
I’ve never been a big fan of reading, but I AM a big fan of personal finance; so it is strange that I have found a happy medium over the past few years. I haven’t read as much as I’d like to in the past few years, but I have enjoyed a handful of reads …
Should You Hire An Accountant, Or Do Your Taxes On Your Own?
My old man used to tell me, “You want to find yourself a CPA that will walk you RIGHT UP TO the door of jail, but not let you go in.” I think that’s pretty good advice – take what you can, when you can (legally) because the Government is not going to point it …
How Do I Get A Higher Credit Limit On My Card?
I have a friend that works for a large credit agency and we’ve had a handful of conversations about it. He said that it is fairly simple to do. Most people don’t even realize they have the option to request these things… Contrary to popular belief, you’ve got 100% reason and right to just call them …
Is The Government Bumping Up Your House Value?
Here’s an “out there” thought to chew on: the federal government may be trying to coax the recession away by bumping up your house price. It would give everyone a happy feeling, possibly woo’ing them out of saving and into spending. What do you think of conspiracy theories? I think that it would make sense. My house hasn’t …
Avoiding Phishing Scams
I haven’t been tagged with identity theft (knock on wood), and I feel bad for the folks that do have to go through it. I’m sure it is taxing on your family AND your finances, but there are a few good things you can look for in the internet age of identity theft… How Do …
Are You Keeping Up With the Joneses?
So I’ve written and re-written this post about 15 different times, but figure the best way is to just start at the start – What am I talking about? What is ANYONE talking about when they say “keeping up with the Joneses”. Well the all-knowing Wikipedia says: “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a popular catchphrase in many parts …
In What Order Should You Invest and Why?
One of the biggest steps after deciding that you want to save money is deciding WHERE to put the money? There are so many options out there, and so many different people suggesting places to put it. I’ve actually lurked on dozens of sites that have their own choices on where they put their money. …
Should I Get a Financial Advisor?
I first got into investing back in 1997 when I had a summer job that paid a few more bills than I needed to pay, in a town that had too few things worth paying for. So I opened up a ROTH IRA in the first “investment” branch I could find which was both a …
Getting a Credit Score of 800 Isn’t as Hard as it Seems
This week, I went through the mortgage pre-qualification process. With mortgage interest rates as low as they are, it really makes sense to make the leap and buy a home, provided we can find something worth buying in the area. I was honestly a little bit surprised to discover that my middle credit score was …
How Can I Vacation on a Budget?
As the weather warms, many families are planning summer vacations. Although going on a luxurious trip seems like just the thing after a long winter, this may be out of reach if you haven’t budgeted for it. Let’s look at some ways to help you plan a vacation without breaking the budget. Get a Weekly …
Is Your Home an Investment?
For much of the late 90s, people invested in real estate. We’re not talking about buying mortgage-backed securities here, but buying an actual home and viewing it as an investment. In addition to the family home, many people bought another home to act as a rental property. The rental income paid the mortgage, and as …