http://pfblogs.org/ms/ Delivering all the personal finance blogs you can handle -- and then some. contact@pfblogs.org en-us Copyright 2010 2010-09-04T17:59:49-05:00 http://pfblogs.org/ I logged into my Citi account today and discovered that they were offering a new opt-in promotion where you can earn a 20% bonus on ThankYou Points that you earn using your card for the next six months. I did some research and learned on this Fatwallet Finance forum thread that this might be a [...]Citi ThankYou Rewards 20% Bonus Points Promotion from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/citi-thankyou-rewards-20-bonus-points-promotion.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/citi-thankyou-rewards-20-bonus-points-promotion.html Bargaineering 2010-09-04T17:59:49-05:00 A new study by researchers as University of Kentucky, the University of Pittsburgh and the Vanderbilt University Law School shows that people who win $150,000 from a lottery are just as likely as those who win $10,000 to declare bankruptcy within five years. I’ve often seen statistics that show that lottery winners often blow their [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Size of Lottery Doesn’t Matter, Winners Declare Bankruptcy ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/size-of-lottery-doesnt-matter-winners-declare-bankruptcy/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/size-of-lottery-doesnt-matter-winners-declare-bankruptcy/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-09-03T19:20:13-05:00 We’ve talked in the past about how the major credit card issuers don’t allow merchants to require a minimum transaction amount in order to accept a credit card (e.g., here and here). Well, guess what? That appears to be a thing of the past. As I previously reported, the recent financial reform legislation allows merchants to [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/03/credit-cards-and-minimum-purchase-requirements/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/03/credit-cards-and-minimum-purchase-requirements/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-03T13:00:06-05:00 The other night I spent some time streamlining our banking system. I’ve more or less settled on three core online savings accounts: ING Direct, Ally Bank, and Discover Bank to go along with our local bank accounts. Why these three? As many of you know, I love the convenience of ING Direct. They’re so good at [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/03/mapping-out-our-financial-life/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/03/mapping-out-our-financial-life/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-03T09:24:39-05:00 I recently learned of a sort of fun game that you can play with the political establishment, regardless of whose ideas you want to be represented in Government. Maybe it’s the websites I frequent, but it seems like I’ve been seeing advertisements on many of them on a regular basis for more than two years. [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Don’t Like That Political Ad? Click On It. ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/dont-like-that-political-ad-click-on-it/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/dont-like-that-political-ad-click-on-it/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-09-03T08:00:44-05:00 A while back I ran a short little series outlining a few fun frugal weekend ideas and with Labor Day around the corner, I thought it’d be fun if we all shared some fun ideas we had planned for the weekend. It doesn’t have to be a frugal weekend idea but it does have to [...]Your Take: Favorite Frugal Weekend Idea? from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/favorite-frugal-weekend-idea-2.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/favorite-frugal-weekend-idea-2.html Bargaineering 2010-09-03T07:10:34-05:00 Over the past week or so, my wife’s 2004 Odyssey has given her a blinking green “D” (drive) light on several occasions. After looking in the owner’s manual, we were a bit concerned because the blinking green light is a sign of transmission trouble. For those that are unaware, the 2nd generation (1999-2004) Honda Odyssey has [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/02/link-roundup-transmission-trouble-edition/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/02/link-roundup-transmission-trouble-edition/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-02T22:10:18-05:00 Labor Day weekend begins tomorrow afternoon in the U.S. It’s the traditional end-of-summer holiday, and most folks will get Monday off as a paid holiday. My own vacation is going to be a bit different: I’m going to take tomorrow off instead. This will be the last post until Sunday evening. But as always when I take a short break, I’ll actually be working behind the scenes. Next week is Book Week at GRS, so I’ll be reading and reviewing at least three books. Plus, I’ll be writing the first batch of articles for my animal blog (as part of the GRS blog project) and editing the articles that will run while Kris and I are in Europe next month. So, even though GRS itself is on holiday this weekend, I’m not! Before the break, however, here are a few financial articles from around the web: First up, Erin Burt from Kiplinger has a round-up of her favorite [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/02/daily-links-holiday-weekend-edition/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/02/daily-links-holiday-weekend-edition/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-09-02T19:01:13-05:00 If you follow the endless financial news, you might have heard that the stock market ended August on a sour note. My investments suffered like those of many investors around the world. The only investment I’ve been adding to for the last few months has been my 401(k) at regular intervals. I’ve been holding off [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Personal Balance Sheet, August 2010 ($382,103, +3.4%) ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/personal-balance-sheet-august-2010-382103-3-4/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/personal-balance-sheet-august-2010-382103-3-4/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-09-02T13:00:35-05:00 Short answer: Live in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Vermont. Long answer: In the seven states listed above, there are state laws that that require the credit bureaus to provide your credit reports absolutely free. These laws are in addition to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (technically, it’s the 2003 Fair and Accurate [...]How to Get Two Free Credit Reports a Year from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/free-credit-reports-year.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/free-credit-reports-year.html Bargaineering 2010-09-02T07:22:15-05:00 This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. The summer heat has taken a toll on my debt snowball. Two months ago, I paid off the last of my credit card debt, but I still have thousands of dollars in loans. I started the summer with over $10,000 in my savings account, no credit card debt, and a solid plan to pay off my remaining loans within the next few years. Then life happened. I’ve been living out of suitcases for the past two months, traveling to New York, Buenos Aires, and Bangor. (I’ve blogged quite a bit about how travel is one of my budget weak spots.) So I spent some money. Not as much as I was afraid I might, but more than I probably should have. Also, I have kids. Those of you with children may have noticed that they’re [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/02/help-my-debt-snowball-is-melting/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/02/help-my-debt-snowball-is-melting/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-09-02T07:00:56-05:00 As I live not too far from Newark, New Jersey, many of my flights around the country are serviced by Continental Airlines, an airline with a significant hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. Like all airlines, Continental has been cutting services and adding fees to keep fares low, but I’ve never had a bad experience [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Chase Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/chase-continental-airlines-onepass-plus-card/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/chase-continental-airlines-onepass-plus-card/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-09-02T07:00:09-05:00 It’s time to stop learning and start earning. I’m not kidding. You really should stop studying and just get out there. Once I did, I became a lot more successful. I can best explain the true cost of learning when I tell you about launching my blog. Two years ago, I didn’t know what a blog was. A friend [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/02/stop-learning-and-start-earning/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/02/stop-learning-and-start-earning/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-02T06:00:25-05:00 Have you ever wondered what the panhandlers you see on the street would do if you actually gave them a bunch of money to spend? Like many people, I generally give my pocket change to anyone who asks. I figure that if they have to ask, they probably need it more than I do. (Yes, I know that there are just as many folks who think this is ridiculous, and who never give anything to folks on the street. What can I say? The empathetic J.D. almost always get his way over the logical J.D. Exception: I never give to aggressive panhandlers.) Last weekend, the Toronto Star featured a fascinating article from Jim Rankin about a little experiment he conducted. He actually decided to give a few handlers more than just pocket change: Over the past two weeks, I wandered Toronto’s downtown core with five prepaid Visa and MasterCard gift cards, in $50 and $75 denominations, waiting [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/01/how-would-panhandlers-use-free-credit-cards/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/01/how-would-panhandlers-use-free-credit-cards/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-09-01T18:00:29-05:00 This is for all you financial statistics junkies out there… According to the FDIC’s quarterly banking profile, more than one in ten US banks (829 out of 7830) are currently in trouble, and the number appears is climbing, with the number of banks on their “problem list” increased by 7% during the 2nd quarter. In terms [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/01/mixed-banking-news-from-the-fdic/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/01/mixed-banking-news-from-the-fdic/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-01T13:00:49-05:00 Up until August 18th, if you’ve ever wanted to touch a 16.5-karat gold bar, you could make short visit to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West. The treasure hunter Mel Fisher, after which the museum is named, found the bar in 1980 from the wreck of the Santa Margarita located 25 miles west [...]Heist of the Century: Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Gold Bar Stolen from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/heist-century-mel-fisher-maritime-museum-gold-bar-stolen.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/heist-century-mel-fisher-maritime-museum-gold-bar-stolen.html Bargaineering 2010-09-01T12:34:56-05:00 I don’t like the term “entrepreneur.” It’s not because it comes from French, though the word does have an interesting etymology. The first time the word was used in English, borrowed from Old French, it meant a “manager or promoter of a theatrical production” (source). The word has a different meaning now. Anyone who runs [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Ten Tips for Entrepreneurs ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/ten-tips-for-entrepreneurs/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/ten-tips-for-entrepreneurs/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-09-01T07:30:40-05:00 Pick any action movie ever made and chances are someone is trying to steal a boatload of bearer bonds. My first introduction to them was in the Bruce Willis classic Die Hard but favorite movie involving guns and bearer bonds was Heat. As a kid, all I knew was that bearer bonds were valuable. Very [...]What is a Bearer Bond? from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bearer-bond.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bearer-bond.html Bargaineering 2010-09-01T07:12:55-05:00 This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks. We hear a lot about the doubts over the future of Social Security. Here are a few I’ve come across: “Three-fourths of those 18 to 34 don’t expect to get a Social Security check when they retire.” — USA Today “My husband and I are both 28, and we laugh every time we hear [‘yes, you’ll receive Social Security’]. No, we won’t receive Social Security, even though we’ve both been paying into it since we were teenagers…I can’t think of one of my peers who expects Social Security to still be around when we’re retirement age. Call us bitter.” — A comment to my last column (“When Will You Be Able to Retire?”) “Six in 10 Americans who [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/01/yes-you-will-get-social-security/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/09/01/yes-you-will-get-social-security/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-09-01T07:00:12-05:00 This is a guest post from Matthew Kepnes of Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed. When we go on vacation, we book a hotel. We are sort of taught that’s where you stay. By instinct we book a hotel. We go online, shake our [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/01/hotel-alternatives-save-money-when-traveling/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/09/01/hotel-alternatives-save-money-when-traveling/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-09-01T06:00:24-05:00 This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. A couple of weeks ago, J.D. highlighted research that showed that rewards cards cost the poor (in higher prices overall) and benefit the rich (who are more likely to use the cards). But what if retailers offered you a discount if you paid in cash? It might not be so far-fetched. In Will Financial Reform Kill the Rewards Card?, Brett Arends writes that a provision in the financial reform act allows for such a discount. If competition works its magic, that discount should end up worth as much, or more, as the points you get from a card. We may end up saying goodbye to the rewards card, and go back to old-fashioned money. The new cash is, er, cash…According to both the Public Interest Research Group and the National Retail Federation, when you pay for a purchase by credit card, it costs the retailer about 2% in transaction fees. [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/31/are-discounts-coming-for-paying-in-cash/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/31/are-discounts-coming-for-paying-in-cash/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-31T16:00:24-05:00 There’s a “special limited-time online offer” for Bank of America credit card holders (I put that in quotes because these promotions come and go all the time) when they open a MyAccess Checking account online. It’s an online only offer of $75 when you open a new MyAccess Checking account and make a qualifying deposit. [...]Bank of America $75 MyAccess Checking Incentive Bonus from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bank-america-75-myaccess-checking-incentive-bonus.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bank-america-75-myaccess-checking-incentive-bonus.html Bargaineering 2010-08-31T12:06:02-05:00 I’m still a fan of the mobility and flexibility offered by renting a place to live rather than buying. I don’t know where I’ll be living in the next few years, and I wouldn’t want to deal with the expense and hassle of selling a house so soon after purchasing. Perhaps my evaluation of my [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Considering Buying a Multifamily House ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/considering-buying-a-multifamily-house/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/considering-buying-a-multifamily-house/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-31T10:36:22-05:00 My brain is slowly re-wiring itself now that I’m finally free of credit card debt, and I’m wondering about things that I never seriously considered before. I remember many years ago talking with a friend who tried explaining to me that it made sense to spend $600 on a pair of shoes, if they were [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!When Does It Make Sense to Pay More For Quality? ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/when-does-it-make-sense-to-pay-more-for-quality/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/when-does-it-make-sense-to-pay-more-for-quality/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-31T07:57:43-05:00 I was reading my latest issue of the Motley Fool Stock Advisor when I saw them use a term I’ve always found entertaining – ten-bagger. The newsletter itself was talking about how Netflix has become a ten-bagger since David Gardner’s recommendation in 2004. The term ten-bagger refers to a stock that is worth 10 times [...]What is a Ten-Bagger? from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/tenbagger.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/tenbagger.html Bargaineering 2010-08-31T07:06:19-05:00 This is the second part in a short series about insurance basics. Last week, I explained how insurance works. Next week (or possibly the week after), I’ll offer some tips on car insurance. Today’s article offers some general insurance tips useful for most situations. All insurance works pretty much the same way: You pay a premium (a set amount of money) to the insurance company, usually on some sort of schedule (monthly or yearly, for instance. In return, the company issues an insurance policy to you, which is a contract that gives you certain coverage, or financial protection. When you suffer an insured loss, you file a claim and the company pays you a benefit. Insurance is meant to protect you against catastrophes, not day-to-day annoyances. You use insurance to guard against things that aren’t likely to happen, but which would cause financial hardship if they did occur. Your goal should be to have just the right amount [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/31/insurance-basics-how-to-save-on-insurance/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/31/insurance-basics-how-to-save-on-insurance/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-31T07:00:32-05:00 Are you swamped with high interest debt and looking for a solution? The airwaves are filled with ads for debt consolidation, but do you really need someone to do it for you? Why not do your own legwork and roll your debts into one low(er) interest loan? One option for consolidating your debt is rolling it [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/31/paying-down-debt-with-a-heloc/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/31/paying-down-debt-with-a-heloc/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-31T06:00:11-05:00 I’ve always said that I view insurance as protection against the catastrophic, not against the routine. It’s why I don’t have collision and comprehensive insurance on my car. So how does this change with pet insurance? Why do we have pet insurance on the little guy instead of self-insuring his health? I do this because I [...]Pet Insurance Buys Peace of Mind from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/pet-insurance-buys-peace-of-mind.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/pet-insurance-buys-peace-of-mind.html Bargaineering 2010-08-30T12:06:07-05:00 Open enrollment season is just around the corner. With that in mind, I wanted to remind you of some changes that will soon be affecting Flexible Spending Accounts. For those that are unaware, an FSA allows you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for medical expenses. Starting in 2003, over-the-counter (OTC) medications were added to the [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/30/flexible-spending-account-changes-for-2011-and-beyond/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/30/flexible-spending-account-changes-for-2011-and-beyond/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-30T07:45:18-05:00 One of the things most taxpaying adults realize early on is that tax law is really confusing. Nothing is every straight-forward or simple, which is why most people fear doing their taxes even when it’s a “simple” two-page 1040-EZ form! For the longest time, I didn’t invest outside of my Roth IRA and 401(k) because [...]What is a Qualified Dividend? from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/qualified-dividend.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/qualified-dividend.html Bargaineering 2010-08-30T07:36:25-05:00 While half-watching the Primetime Emmy Awards last night, I considered what it must take to be the best in an industry. From what I could glean from the broadcast, and from what I’ve seen in my own life, winners share intense focus, hard work including sleepless nights, strong talent, moral support, and no tolerance of [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!What It Takes To Really Succeed ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/what-it-takes-to-really-succeed/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/what-it-takes-to-really-succeed/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-30T07:00:45-05:00 It’s Sunday morning and I should be editing articles in advance of my upcoming vacation. Instead, I just got done playing another game of Starcraft II. Since the game was released on July 27th, I’ve played many games of Starcraft II. In fact, I’ve played at least 150 games of Starcraft II. (I know this because the game keeps track of your record. I played 50 training matches, and have since won 47 and lost 42 against human opponents, putting me near the top of my division in the “Silver League”. Plus I’ve played some single-player games.) How much time has playing 150 games of Starcraft II sucked from my life? At about 30 minutes per game, it’s safe to say I’ve spent about 80 hours over the past month — or about 20 hours per week — building virtual armies and blowing stuff up. Now on the surface, there’s nothing wrong with me having a [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-30T07:00:18-05:00 On today’s episode of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Zac Bissonnette, writer at the Huffington Post, DailyFinance and author of the book Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents. Tom and Zac discuss how Zac was able to go to college [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Podcast 71: Debt-Free U, Zac Bissonnette ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/podcast-71-debt-free-u-zac-bissonnette/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/podcast-71-debt-free-u-zac-bissonnette/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-29T14:00:20-05:00 This guest post from Alissa is part of the “reader stories” feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. These stories feature folks from all levels of financial maturity and with all sorts of incomes. I like all of the reader stories I publish, but for some reason I particularly like this one. In April 2007, I found myself owing $6,500 to my credit cards and $24,000 on my student loans. While not a lot, I was only earning $31,000 and living in Washington, D.C. Earning $31,000 in the D.C. area is not a comfortable salary, especially when you have to pay a large portion of your health insurance costs out of pocket after taxes. Thankfully my student loans were all Stafford loans, and I had them on an income-dependent payment plan. It was around this time that I officially decided [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/29/reader-story-patience-and-persistence-pay-off/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/29/reader-story-patience-and-persistence-pay-off/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-29T07:00:56-05:00 Normally, I wouldn’t post something like this at Get Rich Slowly — this is why I have a personal blog — but I’m getting a lot of tweets and e-mail from folks about a piece of ephemera that has surfaced on the internet. It seems that somebody’s stumbled upon a list of the folks who were in the running for the various parts on Star Trek: The Next Generation. And who was up for the part of Wesley Crusher? Why, J.D. Roth was. Here’s the thing: I’m not that J.D. Roth. That J.D. Roth is the former host of Fun House, the voice of Jonny Quest, and now the producer of The Biggest Loser. If I were that J.D. Roth, I’d be rich! I wouldn’t have to write about building wealth. So, I wanted to put the rumors to rest. I was never up for a part on Star Trek: The Next Generation. My acting skills were [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/28/not-that-jd-roth/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/28/not-that-jd-roth/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-28T11:00:08-05:00 Here’s some homework for this weekend… Log into your credit card accounts and claim whatever rewards you might have accrued. While some reward credit cards (such as Amex Blue Cash) automatically credit your cash to your account, others (such as Chase Freedom) don’t. When I logged into our Chase Freedom account the other night, I found [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/27/claim-your-credit-card-rewards/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/27/claim-your-credit-card-rewards/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-27T16:48:39-05:00 American Express is best known for their charge cards. In June, Tom Dziubek spoke with an American Express representative about a new addition to their charge card family, anew card geared towards young professionals. ZYNC℠ from American Express is a new charge card specifically designed for students and young adults with above average credit that [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!ZYNC℠ from American Express 10,000 Bonus Points Offer ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/zync-from-american-express-10000-bonus-points-offer/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/zync-from-american-express-10000-bonus-points-offer/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-27T13:30:11-05:00 Do you still write checks? Whenever I mention the (seemingly) ancient are of check writing, I always get a few comments from readers who have long since quit writing checks. As much as I’d like to join the ranks of the non-check-writers, we still have a number of instances where we need to write a check. Note [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/27/how-many-checks-do-you-write/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/27/how-many-checks-do-you-write/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-27T09:01:06-05:00 Now that I’ve finally gotten my credit card balances down to zero, I’ve been trying to figure out the best use of the extra money I’ll have in my checking account. Options include: make extra car payments, put it in a savings account, put it in a mutual fund, make extra house payments, make impulse [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!I’m Tired of This IRS Installment Agreement ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/im-tired-of-this-irs-installment-agreement/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/im-tired-of-this-irs-installment-agreement/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-27T08:00:21-05:00 Last week, Isaac asked Get Rich Slowly readers for advice on how to handle life after grad school. He’s about to enter the workforce and needed tips on what to do until he gets his first paycheck. Isaac was very pleased with your helpful responses. This week, we’ve got a chance to help somebody even younger than Isaac. Nico is 18, a sophomore in college, and financially clueless. He needs help! Here’s his story: I’m pretty young — about to start my sophomore year of college — and I literally have absolutely no knowledge of anything financial. I do have a simple student account with a paltry amount of money in it, and that’s really about it. So yeah, the majority of your site goes over my head and some things are quite intimidating. I’m going to continue browsing the basics section in order to see if I can glean some information, but are there any other resources [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/27/ask-the-readers-financial-advice-for-an-18-year-old/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/27/ask-the-readers-financial-advice-for-an-18-year-old/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-27T07:00:37-05:00 I received an email from Reader Danny the other day, after my post about Credit Karma catching an error before I did, thanking me for the post. Every few weeks I get an email thanking me because a post I wrote fixed a problem for them or revealed one they didn’t know existed. It got [...]Your Take: Any Bargaineering Success Stories? from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bargaineering-success-stories.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/bargaineering-success-stories.html Bargaineering 2010-08-27T07:00:22-05:00 When a bank, particularly a bank that functions without branches solely or almost completely online, wants to increase its deposits, they employ several specific tactics. The bank increase the interest rates on the savings accounts, establish a significant marketing and advertising push, and if they’re smart, offer new customer or referral bonuses. Let’s go back [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!Why I Don’t Chase the Highest Interest Rate ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/why-i-dont-chase-the-highest-interest-rate/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/why-i-dont-chase-the-highest-interest-rate/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-26T07:30:51-05:00 I didn’t know much about Steve Siebold before I received his book, How Rich People Think, but he’s a “mental toughness” couch who has written books about mental toughness, weight loss, and other “mind over body” type of subjects. After doing some research on him, he did have a bit of that “information product” salesman [...]Review: How Rich People Think by Steve Siebold from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/review-rich-people-steve-siebold.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/review-rich-people-steve-siebold.html Bargaineering 2010-08-26T07:25:34-05:00 Kris and I live in a small, quiet neighborhood south of Portland. When the trolley line ran through here — between 1893 and 1959 — Oak Grove was actually thriving community, with shops and stores and more. (It’s true! I’ve seen pictures!) Now, though, downtown Oak Grove, such as it is, consists of a convenience store, a hair salon, a joint once named “the best dive bar in Portland” — and the home office of Get Rich Slowly. There’s also another business in downtown Oak Grove: a small coffee shop that opened a couple of years ago. It struggled a little at first, but eventually business picked up, and it’s become a valuable part of our community. In fact, Kris and I think of the Oak Grove Coffeehouse as the only real hub our area has. But there’s a problem. This summer hasn’t been kind to the Oak Grove Coffeehouse. The business is struggling. Jason, the owner, [...] ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/26/why-i-buy-local/ http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/26/why-i-buy-local/ Get Rich Slowly 2010-08-26T07:00:11-05:00 It occurred to me recently that I can use my character flaws to make much smarter life choices going forward – financial and otherwise. More importantly, so can you. The thought popped into my head while my wife and I were on vacation in New York. (Side note – the vacation was debt free!) While there, we [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/26/character-flaws-and-financial-success/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/26/character-flaws-and-financial-success/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-26T06:00:56-05:00 The other night while driving my son to soccer practice, I passed by a local church. On the sign out front it said: “Be weird. Live debt free.” This message was part of a pitch for Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University,” a Biblically-based personal finance course with a major focus on debt reduction. This got me to thinking… [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/25/on-debt-freedom-and-being-weird/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/25/on-debt-freedom-and-being-weird/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-25T13:00:17-05:00 It’s been a while since I’ve written about career, I think we fired off both barrels during Career Week 2009 last year. However, with the economy recovering and a new jobs bill, I wanted to discuss something that falls under the category of “obvious but clearly not obvious enough.” You should treat the people that [...]Treat Everyone At Work With Respect from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/treat-work-respect.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/treat-work-respect.html Bargaineering 2010-08-25T12:16:04-05:00 This is a guest post by Craig Ford of Money Help for Christians. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed, and don’t forget to check out his e-book on budgeting. In many people’s eyes, there’s a dark cloud surrounding the topic of budgeting. As such, it’s easy for budgeting [...] ... http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/25/five-budgeting-myths/ http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2010/08/25/five-budgeting-myths/ Five Cent Nickel 2010-08-25T07:36:15-05:00 Last weekend, the final changes to the credit card industry spurred by the Credit CARD Act of 2009 went into effect for all credit card accounts, including existing accounts. While the goal of the new legislation and resulting regulation is to protect consumers by clarifying the terms of using credit and by banning some unscrupulous [...]The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!4 Ways Credit Cards Can Still Penalize Users ... http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/4-ways-credit-cards-can-still-penalize-users/ http://www.consumerismcommentary.com/4-ways-credit-cards-can-still-penalize-users/ Consumerism Commentary 2010-08-25T07:30:33-05:00 If losing your job is one of the most traumatic financial disasters you can face, a car accident is a close second. When you take financial cost of an accident, regardless of who is at fault, and combine it with the physical and emotional cost, there’s almost no debate for that second place spot. This post [...]How to Prepare for a Car Accident from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com. ... http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/prepare-car-accident.html http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/prepare-car-accident.html Bargaineering 2010-08-25T07:25:43-05:00