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The Simple Dollar

Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world.

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Latest Posts from The Simple Dollar (page 12)

The Grind

Published Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” —Bill Gates One of the biggest changes in my perspective on personal finance since I started The Simple Dollar is how to succeed at your goals. When I first started to turn things around, I set what I thought was an enormous, audacious goal. […]

Are Free Credit Scores ‘Fake’ Credit Scores?

Published Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

In the credit scoring world, two credit scoring platforms dominate the market. FICO is the most commonly used brand of credit score. However, it’s certainly not the only game in town. Between mid-2017 and 2018, over 10.5 billion VantageScore credit scores were used by 2,800 unique users. You Have Hundreds of Credit Scores While FICO and VantageScore are the most visible credit scores in the U.S. […]

12 Enemies of Good Spending Habits

Published Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

It’s really easy to have good spending habits if you’re sitting in a comfy chair in your living room reading a book from the library. It’s really easy to have good spending habits if you’re in the midst of a hike in the middle of nowhere. […]

How a Big Emergency Fund Can Lower Your Insurance Bill

Published Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Paying monthly insurance bills, whether it’s for a home, renters, or auto insurance policy, is one of life’s least enjoyable chores. Not only is it an expense we often see little return on, but the cost of car insurance, in particular, has been increasing for years—with the largest insurers increasing their average car insurance premiums between 2.3% (Nationwide) and 15.38% (Travelers) in the last […]

Questions About Retirement Contributions, Umbrella Insurance, Kanopy, Washer Balls, and More!

Published Monday, June 10, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. What should I contribute? 2. Investment income and savings rate 3. Systems versus goals 4. Amazon Prime? Hulu? Netflix? 5. Young people renting everything? 6. Umbrella insurance for average person 7. […]

Amica Auto Insurance Review

Published Monday, June 10, 2019 - 09:33 by The Simple Dollar

Amica auto insurance offers policies consumers can customize to meet their coverage needs. Once you apply for a quote online or begin working with an agent, you can choose among several coverage limits, deductibles, and add-ons that fit with your lifestyle and help you sleep better at night. […]

Seven Things Not to Skimp on When Building Your Emergency Fund

Published Sunday, June 9, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Establishing an emergency savings account to cover life’s unexpected expenses is an important, if not critical, part of a solid financial foundation. The prevailing wisdom among personal finance experts has long been that one should have at least three to six months of living expenses set aside. While reducing household spending is a popular way to reach that goal (and a good habit in general), ex […]

Feeling Good, Feeling Bad, Feeling Broke

Published Saturday, June 8, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

At some point about three years ago, I was browsing a self-improvement book at the library, just leafing through the pages. […]

When Net Worth Calculation Fails You

Published Friday, June 7, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Megan writes in with a great question: As per your earlier suggestions, I have been using net worth to track my financial improvement over the last five years. The spreadsheet shows a nice monthly upward trend almost every month. But this month I noticed an interesting problem. My net worth went down even though I was spending a lot less than I earn. […]

How Consolidating Credit Card Debt Impacts Your Credit Score

Published Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 12:51 by The Simple Dollar

When it comes to credit cards, your best bet is always to pay your balance in full every month. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible. Sometimes life happens and people make mistakes when it comes to managing their credit card accounts. […]