In Your 40s and Looking Towards Retirement
Hopefully if you are in your forties you have been saving for a number of years for some type of retirement. Maybe through a company sponsored 401K or an IRA or a combination of both you have some retirement savings. However, after the dismal decade for stocks, many people are starting to realize they are not where they need to be at this stage of the career.
Loans From Retirement Accounts
During times of difficult financial periods, people often must turn to unconventional ways to find cash. If you have been working in a particular industry perhaps you have a 401K. Or perhaps you have been diligent in funding an IRA. The money is yours right, so why not tap into it? Not so fast, there may be consequences.
Is a Home Warranty Worth it?
Whether you are new to home ownership or have owned your home for a number of years, you have probably contemplated a home warranty. A home warranty is offered by an independent company and covers many aspects of home repairs that routinely come up through the course of home ownership. The cost varies but it usually costs around $450 per year. There are pros and cons to home warranties to consider before you purchase one.
Savings in the Summer
You have probably read countless articles on how you can save money on heating and cooling costs for your house. Energy efficient windows, more insulation, and a programmable thermostat are all very valid ways to save around the house. However, there are other things you can do that with minimum costs that will also help out during those hot summer months.
Why is it so Hard to Change Spending Habits
So many times people get into a financial rut because they repeat the same bad spending habits over and over. Whether it is impulse buying at the mall or wondering onto a car lot and ending up with a new car, people tend to be creatures of habit.
The Balance Transfer Game - Does it Still Work?
It wasn’t too long ago when you could go to your mail box and have 2 or 3 offers from credit card companies offering low balance transfer options or even 0% financing for up to a year or longer if you would transfer your credit card balance to their credit card. During this time it was very easy to transfer balances from one credit card to another every year and enjoy the benefits of very low interest or no interest at all.
The Airlines Mile Credit Card - Still Worth It?
Before reward points and cash back credit cards became popular, the industry leader in credit card programs was the airline miles credit card. The typical program allowed you to earn one frequent flyer point from a member airline of your choice for each dollar that you spend on the credit card. In recent years as the airlines have struggled to be profitable, frequent flyer programs have become the step child of the industry.
Pinching Pennies and Saving Dollars
We have all seen countless articles on how we can save money each month by doing (or not doing) various things. Cutting out the occasional latte at Starbucks or renting videos from Redbox rather than going to the movies are all ways to trim your budget. However, while you may save some money in these areas, you may be overlooking some other areas that could make a bigger impact on your bottom line.
The Value of a Dollar - Why it Matters
If you have been watching the news lately you have seen the latest topic that has been bearing down on the stock market is the impending debt crisis in Europe. As part of that conversation you have probably read or heard that the US dollar has risen in value as compared to the Euro or British Pound. However, you may be wondering, what does that really mean for me?
Hopefully if you are in your forties you have been saving for a number of years for some type of retirement. Maybe through a company sponsored 401K or an IRA or a combination of both you have some retirement savings. However, after the dismal decade for stocks, many people are starting to realize they are not where they need to be at this stage of the career.
Loans From Retirement Accounts
During times of difficult financial periods, people often must turn to unconventional ways to find cash. If you have been working in a particular industry perhaps you have a 401K. Or perhaps you have been diligent in funding an IRA. The money is yours right, so why not tap into it? Not so fast, there may be consequences.
Is a Home Warranty Worth it?
Whether you are new to home ownership or have owned your home for a number of years, you have probably contemplated a home warranty. A home warranty is offered by an independent company and covers many aspects of home repairs that routinely come up through the course of home ownership. The cost varies but it usually costs around $450 per year. There are pros and cons to home warranties to consider before you purchase one.
Savings in the Summer
You have probably read countless articles on how you can save money on heating and cooling costs for your house. Energy efficient windows, more insulation, and a programmable thermostat are all very valid ways to save around the house. However, there are other things you can do that with minimum costs that will also help out during those hot summer months.
Why is it so Hard to Change Spending Habits
So many times people get into a financial rut because they repeat the same bad spending habits over and over. Whether it is impulse buying at the mall or wondering onto a car lot and ending up with a new car, people tend to be creatures of habit.
The Balance Transfer Game - Does it Still Work?
It wasn’t too long ago when you could go to your mail box and have 2 or 3 offers from credit card companies offering low balance transfer options or even 0% financing for up to a year or longer if you would transfer your credit card balance to their credit card. During this time it was very easy to transfer balances from one credit card to another every year and enjoy the benefits of very low interest or no interest at all.
The Airlines Mile Credit Card - Still Worth It?
Before reward points and cash back credit cards became popular, the industry leader in credit card programs was the airline miles credit card. The typical program allowed you to earn one frequent flyer point from a member airline of your choice for each dollar that you spend on the credit card. In recent years as the airlines have struggled to be profitable, frequent flyer programs have become the step child of the industry.
Pinching Pennies and Saving Dollars
We have all seen countless articles on how we can save money each month by doing (or not doing) various things. Cutting out the occasional latte at Starbucks or renting videos from Redbox rather than going to the movies are all ways to trim your budget. However, while you may save some money in these areas, you may be overlooking some other areas that could make a bigger impact on your bottom line.
The Value of a Dollar - Why it Matters
If you have been watching the news lately you have seen the latest topic that has been bearing down on the stock market is the impending debt crisis in Europe. As part of that conversation you have probably read or heard that the US dollar has risen in value as compared to the Euro or British Pound. However, you may be wondering, what does that really mean for me?
