tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153938862011-12-30T06:13:02.651-05:00Reducing Debt, Investing in the FutureDus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1156430540247855712006-08-24T10:40:00.000-04:002006-08-24T10:42:20.970-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I am moving to use Blogger's new beta service. The new site is going to be Rational Cents. I already like what the new Blogger software will allow, such as categories. However, there is currently no facility to modify templates, so I will be using one of the base templates.

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1156167931007254512006-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:002006-08-21T09:45:31.596-04:00

You hear the talk everywhere you go in the world of personal finance: "You need an emergency fund!", or "Should you pay down debt first, or start saving?" Well, I am not getting into that debate very deeply. However, many people have been in a situation where having five to ten thousand dollars would have made a huge difference. And I would also suggest that you should work on paying down debt

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155661589237717402006-08-15T13:05:00.000-04:002006-08-15T13:09:27.380-04:00

Save money on your next trade show display! If you're looking for excellent quality at a great price, you have to check out ExhibitDEAL. They offer a wide selection of trade show displays and their customer service can't be beat.Blog post sponsored by Make Money BloggingCategories: Ads

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155424464654030512006-08-12T19:09:00.000-04:002006-08-13T15:29:54.146-04:00

Well, I just spent about an hour of my time on MaviShare and made $31.00 for signing up for free offers (Thanks Supermom from Getting Out of Debt!). MaviShare has all sorts of offers that you typically find out there on the Internet, and someone else gets paid for your referal, except that MaviShare gives you about 65% of the money. MaviShare can also send payments via PayPal, immediately. You

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155328391323430232006-08-11T16:29:00.000-04:002006-08-11T16:33:11.423-04:00

There are some of you out there that may not have credit cards with rewards programs. I myself do accumulate frequent flyer miles with American Airlines AAdvantage program. Traditionally, I have only done this via actually flying. Beyond that, AA does send offers that will net some miles. However, the AAdvantage Dining and Hotel Rewards program allows you to setup any Visa/Mastercard to help

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155141261464507362006-08-09T12:26:00.000-04:002006-08-09T12:34:21.973-04:00

I have discussed the Rule of 72 in the past... and very recently, I discovered the Rule of 115. Essentially, the Rules of 72 and 115 allow for very simple arithmetic methods to determine the amount of time it will take you to double or triple your investment, respectively. Just divide 72 or 115 by your rate of return, and it will give you the number of years it will take to double or triple the

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155052866108937822006-08-08T11:47:00.000-04:002006-08-08T12:01:06.506-04:00

I am sure that a lot of you have heard of the "Keep the Change" program offered by Bank of America. Essentially, they round up your check card purchases and place the extra funds into a savings account. In addition, they match this change up to $250 annually. They match it at 100% for the first three months the account is open and at 5% thereafter. Overall, this is not a bad deal. But, if

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1155051971337350042006-08-08T11:46:00.000-04:002006-08-08T11:46:11.446-04:00

Sorry for the very long drought of posts. Blogging has really been on the back burner of my mind these past several months. I have had several things going on with myself related to school and personal development. My wife has also returned to school. And, this summer, we started our oldest two children in swimming lessons, and it has been great.Anyhow, I am on the war path to get things

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1143745657315491182006-03-30T13:52:00.000-05:002006-03-30T14:07:37.726-05:00

Back in February, I signed up for a Sharebuilder account with a $50 bonus promotion after the first trade. I debated on what I should buy. So, I funded the account with $40 and bought Simon Property Group (SPG). I chose SPG for several reasons. First, they are a REIT, and as such, they must distribute 90% of their profits in the for of dividends. I live dividends, and I have setup my

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1143134793909982842006-03-23T11:51:00.000-05:002006-03-23T12:26:34.673-05:00

I started to recalculate my financial goals today. I broke out my goals for 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 , and 30 years. The goals were for net worth. My main focus is my 10-Year Goal. Within ten years, I want a net worth of $1,000,000 (with a ridiculous laugh and my pinky at the corner of my mouth)! Anyhow, I broke it out into liquid assets, retirement assets, real assets, and business holdings. My

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1143046168785728232006-03-22T11:41:00.000-05:002006-03-22T11:49:31.010-05:00

Well, I am sure you have at least heard about Google Finance. I am very happy with this move. I have used Yahoo! Finance in the past, and it is alright, but I am partial to Google because I own it via a mutual fund, AGTHX. So, when it was announced that Google would be holding a live beta for Google Finance, I was excited.From what I have read, there are many people who are complaining about a

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1142785260089752772006-03-19T11:17:00.000-05:002006-03-19T11:21:05.016-05:00

I have several posts that relate hiring your children if you are self-employed or run you own side business. Well, there are other advantages, as well. Obviously, there is the dependent deduction, which is $3300 in 2006. Additionally, there is the Additional Child Tax Credit, which is $1000 per child in 2006 (http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106182,00.html). However, there are

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1142529457910381222006-03-16T12:10:00.000-05:002006-03-16T12:19:17.450-05:00

JLP, @ AllThingFinancial, has started a series about what $300K buys you in different areas of the country. Well, I thought I would share what it would by in my neck of the woods... the metropolitan Indianapolis area. I found a nice property in a suburb on the West side called Brownsburg. It comes in @ $289K. It is four bedrooms, two and a half baths, and has a total sqaure foot of 2772 Sq.

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1142520897490512832006-03-16T09:09:00.000-05:002006-03-16T09:54:59.573-05:00

Long time, no post. Sorry about that. I have been super busy. One of the things I have been working on is my own business. I still work full-time for my employer, so squeezing in time for my own business is difficult (and it cuts into my blogging time). However, I think that anyone concerned about their personal finances should look into the benefits of owning their own business. As this is

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1140624183003636532006-02-22T10:47:00.000-05:002006-02-22T11:03:03.246-05:00

I originally posted a $50 Bonus for opening a free checking account with HSBC. If you did follow those instructions, and you did so just for the bonus, you may want to cancel that account opening. There were some stipulations that were confusing, and you most likely did not select what was necessary. However, that $50 bonus page has been updated, and you can receive the bonus if you open a

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1140242930315666882006-02-18T00:51:00.000-05:002006-02-22T10:44:07.893-05:00

I recently had to go through talking with customer service at HSBC in order to add my bank for bank-to-bank transfers for my online savings account. They were sending me information on opening a Smart Package checking account. I am glad that I found this promotion first! It expires March 16th, so get it while you can. Go to HSBC and start a new application with the promotion code of "GET50",

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1140236857766224042006-02-17T23:18:00.000-05:002006-02-17T23:27:37.970-05:00

I was checking out the Finance forum on FatWallet.com, and I found a promotion code for opening a brokerage account with Sharebuilder and getting $50 for free, plus an investment guide. I thought that it would be interesting for everyone to see.My interest in Sharebuilder peaked after reading this simple guide on a RichDad.com forum. I am not sure how this would work out, but it looks promising

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139935466353663612006-02-14T10:48:00.000-05:002006-02-14T11:44:26.800-05:00

Yesterday, in the post entitled Kids and Money, I discussed the tax advantages of hiring your children. Today, I went in search of more tangible information regarding this insight. The Boston Globe has an article entitled The Tax Benefits of Hiring Your Children.The article outlines some specific criteria for hiring your children and discusses under what circumstances you can avoid FICA and

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139859584057238882006-02-13T14:12:00.000-05:002006-02-13T14:39:44.333-05:00

Since January there has been a new option made available in 401(k)'s, the Roth IRA. Most likely, you have heard about it if you pay attention to personal finance options. Essentially, it is like its IRA cousin, the Roth IRA. Contributions to the Roth 401(k), as with the Roth IRA, are made with after-tax funds and you do not pay any taxes on the earnings as long as withdrawal guidelines are met

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139841649185396542006-02-13T09:22:00.000-05:002006-02-13T09:40:49.440-05:00

Andrea Coombes, of Market Watch, has a nice article about Young Savers. The advice given sounds awefully similar to that given to adults by Suze Orman: start an emergency fund, consider a Roth IRA, and then consider seeding some money in direct investments in securities. Also, consider saving for college, but remember that savings beyond Roth IRAs weigh against financial aid.I have a different

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139493029136575452006-02-09T08:35:00.000-05:002006-02-09T08:50:29.316-05:00

A few years ago, when I first started college, I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That was a book that I am sure many of you are familiar with. It changes your concept of money. Being a business major, I did find his definitions of words inaccurate, but the point was the concepts. Well, I have just finished reading Millionaire Maker, by Loral Langemeier, and it shares the very same concepts but goes

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139423456818404392006-02-08T13:30:00.000-05:002006-02-08T13:30:57.183-05:00

Entrepreneur.com: Best Cities for EntrepreneursWow! This is great news for me! Indianapolis is ranked number five! Time to really get my business ideas off of the ground.

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1139160239932554392006-02-05T11:26:00.000-05:002006-02-05T12:27:39.533-05:00

Well, the annual State of the Union Address, mandated by the Constitution of the United States of America, has come and gone. The address was broad and covered topics ranging from security and the War on Terrorism, to the economy and the need for alternative fuels. President Bush even went as far as to call the American people out when stating, "America is addicted to oil, which is often

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1138201520599404672006-01-25T09:30:00.000-05:002006-01-25T10:05:32.230-05:00

I was looking at the new Money Blog Network and noticed a post, by JPL of All Things Finanacial, about the top Google Exec's pulling down only $1 for their salaries. This is something that Steve Jobs has been doing for years, as well as other execs. Now, many of you are aware that they are not getting compensated with just a $1 salary. Many of them receive annual bonuses that could make your

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1137688793869600472006-01-19T11:39:00.000-05:002006-01-19T11:39:54.146-05:00

New Salary Figures for MBAs - Consumerism Commentary - A Blog About Personal FinanceOkay, I have finally decided what I am going to do after I graduate this May. I started out backwards, and I think it is going to help me in the long run. I started working in IT for a consulting company when I was 18. I put off going to school until I was 22 (this was a mistake, I should have started when I

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1137528850400528342006-01-17T15:14:00.000-05:002006-01-17T15:15:47.740-05:00

MSN Money - The perfect portfolio of funds: "of investments designed to deliver the best"Well, here is a nice article that discusses the Monte Carlo analysis. It is a conservative look at investing returns. However, every single fund selected is run by Vanguard! I wonder how much this guy is getting paid... Further, conventional wisdom suggests that no more than 15% of your assets should be

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1137013937987913252006-01-11T15:53:00.000-05:002006-01-11T16:19:49.790-05:00

PRESS RELEASE $15,581,000 Deal Forms 1st U.S. Sharia'a Compliant Banking SubYou have probably already heard about this. I heard about it on December 30th while listening to the Michael Savage Show. I dismissed for sometime because there are a lot of people, including Michael Savage, getting all worked up about this. The reason the bank was created is that Sharia Law (Islamic) does not permit

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1137002687842154642006-01-11T12:24:00.000-05:002006-01-11T13:04:48.196-05:00

I have become quite obsessed with finances lately. January 1st was the fiscal birth of my 10-Year Plan, but it is something that is already over a year old, in my mind. I have been so anxious about opening my HSCB Direct Saving Account that I have been driving them nuts. Why all the obsession? My past.Here is a breif run down of my situation:I am 25I am approaching my seventh wedding

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136922776521319882006-01-10T13:36:00.000-05:002006-01-10T14:56:16.380-05:00

It's that time of year again. Whether you are receiving a refund, or you have to pay more, taxes are always a daunting task. If you are focused on your finances, taxes are always on your mind. Outlined here are items for general understanding of taxes, items you can use to retroactively help for 2005, easy deductions, and how to get a good start for 2006.You may have years of work experience

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136813584018910122006-01-09T08:26:00.000-05:002006-01-09T08:33:04.213-05:00

Here are this weeks carnivals, enjoy!Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by All Things FinancialCarnival of Investing hosted by Free Money FinanceCarnival of Debt Reduction hosted by Personal Finance AdviceCategories: Carnivals

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136737686562974652006-01-08T11:05:00.000-05:002006-01-08T14:33:47.330-05:00

Each year, there are limits on the amount of funds you can set aside in tax assisted investment accounts. In 2005, 401(k) accounts had a limit of $14,000 for the year. For a Traditional or Roth IRA, your limit was $4,000. In addition, you could contribute $4,000 to an IRA for a non-working spouse.While the IRA scene seems bleak (IRA limits are set to increase to $5,000 annually, beginning is

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136687527314978282006-01-07T21:06:00.000-05:002006-01-08T11:04:23.200-05:00

It is a new year and tax time is coming sooner than you think. It is always a good time of year to evaluate your possiible tax savings for next year. One way to lower your tax liability is to contribute money to tax-deferred retirement savings, including 401(k)/403(b) or individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Coupled with medical benefit premiums and flexible spending accounts, these tools let

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136573117822534522006-01-06T11:41:00.000-05:002006-01-08T11:05:24.846-05:00

I am sure the general consensus is that not worrying about money is better than worrying about it. So how do you get to that point? You could always just quit worrying about money; let the bills pile up. That probably won't work out too well, however, when you decide to need to buy a house or something else. The alternative is to build your wealth in a slow and steady manner, over time. This is

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136399230037875482006-01-04T12:57:00.000-05:002006-01-04T13:27:10.336-05:00

This is not really a New Year's Resolution, as it is part of my 10-Year Plan, but you can call it that if you like. By December 31, 2006, at 24:00 hours, I am requiring of myself to have contributed $6,000 into my 10-Year Plan. Essentially, I could get by easily enough by contributing $500 per month, or $250 per paycheck (I get payed semi-monthly). Obviously, this my plan.Currently, I have

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136300404600613242006-01-03T09:18:00.000-05:002006-01-04T07:14:31.846-05:00

I was shopping for some laundry detergent at a local super center over the weekend, and stopped in the book section. I picked up Automatic Millionaire, by David Bach, and read the first chapter. I must say, I was hooked. First off, let me say, nothing in the book was really new. It is an aggregate of all the things you have heard people say, but combined and automated with things like direct

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1136210371887042282006-01-02T08:43:00.000-05:002006-01-02T08:59:48.163-05:00

On January 8th of this new year, the price of postage is scheduled to increase by two cents to $0.39. That is over a 5% increase in the price of postage. A lot of people try to use this an economic indicator. Regardless, many people use stamps and the postal service, which does mean that this will effect them (be it ever so slightly).Considering the rate increase, now may be a good time to

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1135968434150818992005-12-30T13:06:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:36:45.830-05:00

With 2006 coming next week, excitement builds over the idea of starting over and making resolutions. Finances and investing are usually high on the list for New Year's resolutions. One of the big changes in 2006, for seniors, is the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. This will be a great boost for seniors who struggle to pay for medications. While I am not sure how long this will be a

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1135699171631590022005-12-27T10:16:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:35:44.306-05:00

One of the first problems faced when attempting to improve finances is understanding how credit works. If we do not understand how something works, we typically misuse it; this is typically the case when it comes to credit. By misusing credit, we get into debt. When we get into debt, we become discouraged. And when we become discouraged, we may fall behind on our payments. Knowing what a

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1135623333371871692005-12-26T13:39:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:37:28.870-05:00

I though it was time for another new theme. As you can tell, I use Blogger here, and it is difficult to stand out when you use it. I went in search of some different templates, and I found some nice ones, but I started to see them being used more and more. So, I created my own. Blogger Template Tags are not difficult by any means, but they do become quite ugly and difficult to manage.In any

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1135180917736606172005-12-21T10:54:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:38:17.120-05:00

For some reason, I was taking a look at Del.icio.us, and I saw a link titled, How to Make $1M. Well, obviously, I thought it may be interesting. So, I clicked.It was refreshing, because it was reinforcement. Basically, it is a hook, line, and sinker discussion on becoming wealthy. He starts off by listing easy ways to get rich (inherit wealth, marry into wealth, win the lottery, or win a

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1134594113635404862005-12-14T15:56:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:39:19.163-05:00

One of those expenses that we hate to pay when we don't seem to need it is auto insurance. But, it is great to have when we do need it. Further, in many states, it is against the law to drive without auto insurance. That does not mean that you should pay too much, however. Consider how much money you could save per year, if you paid just $50 per month. That is $600 for the year. You could

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1134489706964432542005-12-13T10:30:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:46:05.850-05:00

Getting treated for illnesses is becoming more expensive, each year. Further, if you are regularly on perscriptions, this is not cheap either. Employers are doing their best to offset high healthcare costs, but they have to pass on the cost, at some point. With many employers, the option has been to have higher deductables, as well as, having employees bare more of the premium costs. When you

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1134142599426066822005-12-09T09:28:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:48:33.650-05:00

There are two things to do in order to make your financial situation better: 1) spend less, or 2) earn more. You could also do some combination of the two. While you cannot always go and ask your boss for a raise, you can evaluate your spending. Again, if you are going the spend less, you have two decisions: 1) give up some things, or 2) find less expensive alternatives. Coupons allow you to

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133633649585814612005-12-03T13:10:00.000-05:002005-12-30T14:50:26.476-05:00

Carnival of Personal Finance #25 is being hosted by Sarah at Frugal Underground.Carnival of Debt Reduction #12 is being hosted at Free Money Finance.Have a great week!Categories: Carnivals

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133629078509818362005-12-03T11:45:00.000-05:002005-12-26T13:16:53.316-05:00

Who ever said that you had to give up some of the nice things in your life to be frugal? It sure wasn't me. Do you have cellular phone or satellite service? Do you have family or friends that also want to save money? There are a couple of ways that you can share some services to save quite a bit of cash. If that sounds interesting, then here is a frugal living tip just for you.Almost all cellular

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133588328067721782005-12-03T00:35:00.000-05:002005-12-03T00:38:48.190-05:00

I decided it was time for a new design for Financial Freedom 4 All. The theme before was just a modified verion of one of the standard Blogger templates. It looked a bit odd to me, and it seemed to break AdSence link groups in the sidebar. I found this new theme that I like. It seems professional and appropriate. Also, the AdSence link group works in the sidebar. Also, I have taken a couple

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133549579506367502005-12-02T13:34:00.000-05:002005-12-26T13:18:02.580-05:00

Some of you may be familiar with credit unions, others may not. I was going through some olds posts that were submitted to the Carnival of Personal Finance, and I ran across a post that discusses discounts that are available to employees and students of certain organizations. The example was for Cingular Wireless (if you go there, it is under "Employee Benefits" on the left section). With

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133379529230156972005-11-30T14:20:00.000-05:002006-01-04T13:31:38.453-05:00

Today, I sat down with a nice spreadsheet created by tt from Retire At 30. I decided to throw in some round numbers, and make a basic financial plan. I decided that I want to start in 2006, end by 2015, and have $1,000,000. Also, I decided I would increase my annual contribution by 10%, and start out with $6,000. Here is what it looks like:So, if I follow this plan, and get a return of 55% on

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133290610827087422005-11-29T13:50:00.000-05:002005-11-29T13:56:55.503-05:00

I was going through the carnival today, and I noticed Retire at 30. It seems that this guy and I are not to different, in our financial goals and time tables. He has got to be 22/23; I am 25. He wants to retire at 30; I want to retire at 35. He has a seven-year timetable; I have a ten-year timetable.I am sure that we have plenty of differences. He has graduated from college; I graduate in

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133286037451033642005-11-29T12:36:00.000-05:002005-11-29T12:40:37.596-05:00

Time is money. Having said that, being more efficient with you computer can save you time. One way to do this is to not get malicious software loaded onto your computer. Malicious software, or malware, can slow down your computer (or even make it unusable), compromise your privacy, and be a plain nusance. While no software is perfect, Mozilla Firefox can help shield you from unwanted malware

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133192124831104442005-11-28T10:16:00.000-05:002005-12-26T14:13:46.083-05:00

As I have stated in my 10 Year Plan, refinancing your home mortgage loan can save you a considerable amount of money each month. Currently, it looks as if home mortgage interest rates are going to remain at a moderately low level for the next few months. If you received a mortgage in the past couple of years, and your credit was not great, you may be able to qualify for a lower interest rate if

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133189924785940772005-11-28T09:57:00.000-05:002005-11-28T09:58:44.786-05:00

This week's carnival is on Financial Fruition. Check it out.

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1133063212014818072005-11-26T22:19:00.000-05:002006-01-04T13:29:49.563-05:00

Yesterday my 10 Year Plan officially started. What is my 10 Year Plan? Well, it has been something that has been brewing in my mind for the past 11 months. I decided that I wanted to become financially independent by the time I turned 35. So, yesterday just happened to be my 25th birthday, hence the start of my 10 Year Plan.Why 35? I wanted a long-term goal. You may see a trend of my being

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1127662894816439472005-09-25T10:10:00.000-05:002005-12-26T14:15:31.096-05:00

I thought I would share my new experiences with changing jobs. I worked at my former employer for just over two and one-half years. Over that time, I had invested about $2,400 in a 401k. I am not sure if I am vested in the employer contribution (from what I have read I should be 20% vested, but the HR assistant thinks that I may have needed to wait until December 31st). Anyhow, that 20% would

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1126717435480577772005-09-14T11:28:00.000-05:002005-12-26T14:16:31.596-05:00

With the way home ownership has changed in the past years, it is very likely that you either carry private mortgage insurance (PMI), or that you have multiple home loans in order to avoid PMI. PMI costs about $45/month for every $100,000 of your mortgage. With an average home price of $200,000, across the United States, that means you are probably spending about $90/month on PMI. Considering that

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1125258707750070802005-08-28T14:34:00.000-05:002005-08-28T14:51:47.756-05:00

Frank, at Hello, Dollar! has been conducting a project to turn ten dollars into as much profit as possible. He has been making jewelry to sell on eBay. Neville had a ten dollar experiment that went quite well, selling bottled water. I do not think that I am going to perform anything revolutionary, but I am going to make my own spin on these and try to make ten dollars a day.This will be quite

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124735200111666112005-08-22T12:50:00.000-05:002005-08-22T13:26:40.116-05:00

For our third economics term, let's look at thinking at the margin, presented to us by, today, by Google.Thinking at the margin:Thinking about the costs and benefits of making changes in behavior.This is the only definition that I could between using Google's "define" function, and Dictionary.com. I found a great example in the economics textbook, Economics Principles in Action, published by

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124645707295115322005-08-21T12:23:00.000-05:002005-08-22T12:49:41.926-05:00

When saving for your retirement, it is better to start sooner, rather than later. To emphasize this further, we will take two extremes: an early investor, and a late investor.Meet Jane and John. Both Jane and John have just graduated from college and are very excited about their futures. Both Jane and John have been informed about their employers' 401k plans.John is very excited about getting

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124644977400185712005-08-21T12:06:00.000-05:002005-08-21T12:22:57.406-05:00

Today, we have another economics term, brought to us by our friends at Dictionary.com:Factors of Prodcution: nounA collection of various resources which contribute to the production of goods or services.In economics, there are three factors of production: land, labor, and capital. Land - encompasses land and all resources derived from land (water, minerals, crops, etc) Labor - effort expended

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124558052667913632005-08-20T12:13:00.000-05:002005-08-20T12:33:47.486-05:00

Opportunity Cost is one of the most fundamental concepts in economics. Let's look at its definition as provided by Dictionary.com.Opportunity Cost: nounThe best alternative that is forgone because a particular course of action is pursued. An example is the interest income that is given up when large balances are kept in a checking account. Likewise, purchasing a home means that less money is

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124558025634433052005-08-20T12:06:00.000-05:002005-08-20T12:13:45.636-05:00

I will be the first person to tell you: you will not get rich from reading my posts. I take no responsibility for any outcome you experience from following my advice. There are different right answers for different people. Further, you never reach the end of a road by reading or listening to advice; you reach the end of a road by traveling it. On the road to financial freedom, expect hard

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124476445690718312005-08-19T13:28:00.000-05:002005-12-06T11:49:43.810-05:00

I have a special promotion that I am able to offer you, from ING Direct. There is no secret or catch. If I refer you to ING Direct, and you open a savings account, you will get $25. Anyone with an ING Direct account can do this. In addition, I will receive $10 as a referral fee (just to be honest). You will only receive your $25 if you sign up via the referral link (going directly through the

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124470226622149732005-08-19T11:48:00.000-05:002005-08-19T11:50:26.626-05:00

I would like to introduce you all to the Carnival of Personal Finance. This is a round-robin system that is sort of like a web ring. Each week, one blog hosts the carnival. Various bloggers send posts to the hosting blog which are moderated.There are a lot of great blogs on the Carnival of Personal Finance. I hope to one day host a week of the carnival myself.

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124382185844184422005-08-18T11:00:00.000-05:002005-08-18T11:27:00.253-05:00

There are various retirement accounts available to people. The best accounts offer tax advantages. Some of the retirement accounts that offer tax advantages are: 401k, 403b, and IRA. 401k, 403b, and some IRA accounts offer tax deferred growth. What this means is that you contribute pre-tax money into the accounts. Some IRA accounts, including Roth IRA accounts, have other advantages like tax free

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124288354914487192005-08-17T08:50:00.000-05:002005-12-26T19:53:57.580-05:00

For all intents and purposes, the method that I described for paying off debt in Getting Down to Business is the most financially sound method. Debts with the highest interest rates are the ones that cost the most to keep. These debts usually have the largest balances, as well. For example, you can typically get a credit card interest rate for pretty low these days, even if you do not have

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124243425734614752005-08-16T20:32:00.000-05:002005-08-16T20:50:25.740-05:00

"If you do not know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere"- Henry Kissenger (1923 - ), US Secretary of StateIf you want to end up nowhere, you do not need goals. Most people, however undisciplined they may be, do not want to end up nowhere. This is why you need goals. Goals help you measure your progress. If someone says they want to be rich, how do they measure if they achieve "

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124200833579736482005-08-16T08:19:00.000-05:002005-08-16T09:00:33.590-05:00

When trying to get out of debt and improve your financial situation, checking your credit report, regularly, is crucial. It allows you you to monitor the progress of your efforts, notifies you of outstanding issues for which you may not be aware, and it can be an early indicator of identity theft. Further, credit is being used for more purposes these days, including: employment screenings,

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124138784855357022005-08-15T15:41:00.000-05:002005-08-15T15:46:25.506-05:00

Do to recent legislation regulating credit card activities, credit card companies are going to be gradually doubling your monthly minimum payments. Currently, the minimum monthly payment is just 2% of your overall balance. While this means that you have low monthly payments, it also means that it will take from years to decades to pay off the balance if using the monthly minimum. Through the

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124050299547717422005-08-14T14:45:00.000-05:002005-08-14T20:19:36.656-05:00

People go in search of easy ways to fix their credit and get out of debt. I am going to tell you this right up front; There is no easy way to fix your credit or get out of debt. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline. If you have the will, there is a way.Step One - Chart Incoming and Outgoing FundsIn order to get out of debt, you need to know how much you are making, and how much is going out

Dus10 Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16631708496548082379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15393886.post-1124047687156377622005-08-14T14:22:00.000-05:002005-08-14T14:28:20.406-05:00

This is Financial Freedom 4 All, dedicated to helping people reduce their debt and invest moneyto create a better life. Much of the focus on this blog will be debt reduction. If you have too much debt, how can you expect to leverage money to your benefit? The simple answer is that you cannot. If you have too much bad debt, it affects your credit and FICO scores. This means you are viewed as a

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