Personal Finance

Patriotism and Personal Finance - A Brief Walk Through American History

Posted 1 day 11 hours ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Taxes, Real Estate and Housing

Child Saluting American Flag

To all the Americans out there, happy Independence Day! I think this a great day to reflect upon how personal finance and patriotism is so intertwined in America. So I dug up a few tidbits from American history and summarized them here.

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Your Interest Rates Are About to Go Up

Posted 2 days 23 hours ago by Andrea Dickson

Credit Cards

Have good credit? A low APR on your credit cards? Always pay your bills on time? That's not going to stop your credit card company from jacking up your rate whenever they feel like it.

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Book Review: The Post American World

Posted 3 days 4 hours ago by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

Cover of The Post American World

Is there a link between having a modern society and having a western society? The vast economic and military power of the United States (and before that, the United Kingdom) has made the two seem more connected than they actually may be.

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Why Would Anyone Pay Mortgages With Credit Cards?

Posted 3 days 19 hours ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Real Estate and Housing, Credit Cards

Amex Black Card

Today I received an email from American Express that advertised a program where you can earn rewards by paying your Indymac mortgages with an American Express credit card. I do not have a mortgage, but I read this email and wondered, why would anyone pay their mortgages with a credit card?

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Emergency food supplies for the lazy skinflint

Posted 3 days 20 hours ago by Paul Michael

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink, Consumer Affairs

Emergency Food Supply

Anyone who's read Linsey’s great article on freezer emergencies will already have a great head start on saving your food, should the worst happen. But what about another solution altogether, for emergencies, that doesn't involve your freezer? A solution for those of us who just aren’t all that, well, organized and together? The answer lies in a big bucket at Costco.

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Recalled Dog Food Companies May Pay for Damages

Posted 4 days 5 hours ago by Linsey Knerl

Personal Finance, Consumer Affairs

It has only been a year or so since the dog food scare that left pet owners frustrated, scared, and in some cases, heartbroken. The contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein found to be the culprit have long since gone away, but payment for this bizarre incident is now due. Read on to see if you are eligible for part of the $24 million cash settlement being proposed in the U.S. District court.

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Can AirNinja Find Airfare Deals?

Posted 4 days 10 hours ago by David DeFranza

Cars and Transportation

Several airplanes of different size

AirNinja is a niche tool for finding airfares. It specializes in returning the smaller budget and regional airlines large sites like Kayak.com ignore. It is a tool that could, potentially, be very valuable when looking for airfare deals. But, can it really save you money? A comparison reveals all.

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The financial wisdom of Fight Club

Posted 4 days 23 hours ago by Paul Michael

Frugal Living, Consumer Affairs

Financial lesson from Fight Club

“The first rule of Fight Club – We Do Not Talk About Fight Club.” Everyone who’s seen the movie remembers that. But what about something Tyler Durden, the anarchist extraordinaire, said very early on in the movie? It’s something profound that stuck with me from the second I saw it in the movie theater to this very day. And I think it should stick with you, too.

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Does your culture support saving?

Posted 5 days 5 hours ago by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance, Frugal Living

Piggy bank looks across a lake

My brother told me once that, when he was in college, he handled money this way: "When I got paid, I set aside enough money for cigarettes, then spent the rest buying pizza and beer for everyone until the money ran out.  The other people I hung around with did the same."

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Go Golf Cart Go: The Battery-Powered Solution?

Posted 5 days 17 hours ago by Julie Rains

Lifestyle, Cars and Transportation

golf cart parked on city street

Spotted moving along on the roads in my city just last week was a golf cart. Is this solution to high gas prices (a bare-bones battery-powered vehicle) wise or even legal? I’ll tell you about a village that limits gas-powered vehicles in favor of electric golf carts and give you tips on using golf carts for more than just toting around clubs on the golf course.

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Money to start your business--without banks or saving

Posted 1 week 1 day ago by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship

Tree roots and rock

Suppose you and your friends all want to start small businesses. You've all got money coming in, you're all in a position to save up some capital, but it would take you a year to all save up enough--and you'd rather not wait. There's a solution to this problem that's so obvious its been reinvented all over the world.

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Tips For Eating Out Cheaply

Posted 1 week 2 days ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Food and Drink

My husband and I eat out quite often because we just do not have the time and energy to cook on most weekdays. Even though we go out three times a week or more, we do not really spend that much money on food. These are some of the things we do to save money on dining out.

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Making direct deposit safe for the garnished

Posted 1 week 3 days ago by Philip Brewer

Credit Cards, Consumer Affairs

Pine needles covered in ice

The US Treasury pays more money to more people than just about anybody in the world. Last year it disbursed more than $1.6 trillion in 982 million individual payments. As you can imagine, they save a lot of money when they can make direct deposits instead of printing paper checks. So they're always trying to figure out what makes people reject direct deposit. One such thing is garnishment.

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Best of the web: How to write the perfect thank you note

Posted 2 weeks 17 hours ago by Will Chen

Personal Finance

thank you note

Roundup of the best posts from around the Web. Inside: How to write the perfect thank you note, why monthly gym memberships might be ripping you off, the hidden cost of Wal-Mart, 13 secrets to stretching your travel dollars... and more.

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How Much Should Your Kids Know About Your Finances?

Posted 2 weeks 1 day ago by Linsey Knerl

Personal Finance, General Tips, Lifestyle, Consumer Affairs

I know of parents who don’t ever discuss money with their kids. “They should be carefree at this age,” they claim. Money isn’t an appropriate topic for family conversation at these homes. But is this a cop-out for preparing kids for real life? And are they missing an opportunity to keep one another accountable to a single goal?

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Investment Gains Taxes Increase - The Worst Tax Policy Ever?

Posted 2 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, Taxes, Investment

Yesterday Paul Michael wrote an article comparing the income tax policies of McCain and Obama and suggested that he would vote for Obama because Obama's tax policy would benefit everyone but the uber-rich. In the comments on the article there are many great comments about the candidates' tax policies and how it is not so simple to say that Obama's plan is better. One particular comment that stuck out to me is about Obama's stance on doubling capital gains taxes, and I think that is possibly the worst tax policy ever, and here is why.

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How to get rich by being evil

Posted 2 weeks 1 day ago by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance, Life Hacks, Entrepreneurship, Career Building

Evil cat

There are a lot of ways to become rich. Some people work hard and save their money. Some people win the lottery. Some people invent something wonderfully useful. An awful lot of people who get rich, though, do it by being evil. Here's a quick look at some evil tactics, and some thoughts on whether they can work for you.

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McCain or Obama? Who’ll be better for your wallet?

Posted 2 weeks 2 days ago by Paul Michael

Personal Finance

Pres

I want to keep this factual. This is not an article on who should be the next President, or as these campaigns usually go, who shouldn’t be President. This is a simple presentation of facts as they stand today. Bottom line - who’d be better for your bottom line next year...Obama or McCain?

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Chinese Proverbs About Money and Personal Finance

Posted 2 weeks 2 days ago by Xin Lu

Personal Finance, General Tips

A commenter on Wise Bread wrote a Chinese proverb about marketing that reminded me that there are many Chinese proverbs about money and personal finance. Here are a few of the ones I hear quite often

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3 Ways to Travel Free (Or At Least Really Darned Cheap!)

Posted 2 weeks 3 days ago by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Lifestyle, Cars and Transportation

How would you like to get out and "see the world"? Visit the Carthage Ruins or spend a week just hiking across Europe. Paris, Italy or maybe the Bahamas... there's really just no end to the places you can go.

Now, I know what you're saying - those places cost money and technically you'd be right. While traveling is certainly one of the more exciting ways to spend your time, airfare and hotel rooms can add up quickly and with the economy the way it is... well, it looks like Aunt Tessie's farm is about all the traveling you'll be doing anytime soon.

But there are ways to get around those big travel expenses without sacrificing your fun. In fact, with these tips you might just find that your trips become all the more adventurous!

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