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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 16)

The Million Dollar Question

Published Thursday, May 16, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What would you do if you had a million dollars? This question seems to come up regularly as a conversation starter. I’ve found that the answers tend to fall into two groups. In one group, you tend to have answers that involve radical life changes. […]

Some Thoughts on the Cost of Eating Out

Published Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a situation where I was really hungry but there weren’t many food options around. I decided to keep my costs as low as possible, so I went into the only restaurant I could find, a nice little diner. I want to be clear during this article that I am not picking on this diner. […]

Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Are Making a Comeback – Is That a Good or Bad Thing?

Published Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - 09:24 by The Simple Dollar

Years after their fall from grace amid the subprime mortgage crisis, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are making a steady march back toward the mainstream. According to a December 2018 report from Ellie Mae, a software company that process mortgages, the percentage of home purchases that used adjustable-rate mortgages ticked up to 9.2%. […]

Think. Wait. Fast.

Published Tuesday, May 14, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

“Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.” — Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse My high school English teacher passed away several years ago. Before he passed, I had the chance to tell him that he had a profound impact on my life. […]

Questions About Extra 529 Money, Online Banks, Hoarding, Auto Insurance, and More!

Published Monday, May 13, 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. Trusting online banks 2. What are capital gains? 3. Evaluating a hoarder’s shed 4. Auto liability insurance help 5. 401(k) or 403(b)? 6. Turning weekends into vacations 7. Vegetarian and saving money 8. […]

How to Pick Your First Homeowners Insurance Policy

Published Sunday, May 12, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Purchasing your first home can be an overwhelming process, one fraught with emotion and a seemingly endless stream of paperwork and documentation. For many people, a home is the most significant purchase of a lifetime, making it even more critical to protect this investment with a thoughtfully chosen homeowners insurance policy. While homeowners insurance isn’t mandated by law the way car insuranc […]

A Deeper Look at 30-Day and 90-Day Challenges

Published Saturday, May 11, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

One of my favorite self-improvement tools, whether it’s for financial improvement or fitness or diet or moral improvement or whatever, is the 30-day challenge. It’s a tool I’ve used for years to nudge myself in a better direction and establish better habits in my life. For those unaware, a 30-day challenge is simply a challenge to oneself to adopt some sort of lifestyle change for 30 days. […]

U.S. Bank Auto Loans Review

Published Friday, May 10, 2019 - 12:42 by The Simple Dollar

While U.S. Bank was founded back in 1863, they have grown to become one of the largest financial institutions in the United States. The bank, which boasts over 3,000 locations across the country, reported having 74,000 employees as well as over $467 billion in assets as of late 2018. U.S. […]

The Pain of Changing Now Versus the Pain of Not Changing Later

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

When Sarah and I first launched into our financial turnaround, the changes were painful, especially at first. There were a lot of “treats” we dropped out of our life in order to try to achieve some measure of financial success, and I’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t easy. […]

Capital One Auto Loans Review

Published Thursday, May 9, 2019 - 13:44 by The Simple Dollar

Capital One is a Fortune 500 company and one of the 10 largest financial institutions in the United States based on deposit amounts. […]