Formerly a software developer, I now run two money blogs full-time: The Digerati Life and The Smarter Wallet.
Silicon Valley Blogger's profilePosted February 3, 2010 - 06:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
The savings rate in the United States has increased significantly over the last few months, clearly as a response to our current economic climate. But how does our historical savings rate compare to that of another industrialized nation, Japan? I discuss some of the factors that contribute to the savings rate of these first world countries, and ponder the future of our economy.
Posted January 21, 2010 - 06:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
We’re nearing the thick of tax time, and I’m sure the first thing on your mind (I know it’s on mine) is “how much money am I getting back?” and “what am I going to use the money for?” So how can we maximize the tax refund we get? Can we leverage some of our skills and our assets in order to bring down our tax obligations? Here are some basic strategies for ensuring that we get something back when tax time rolls around.
Posted January 4, 2010 - 09:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Not all parents are intending to save for their children's education. There may be various reasons why this is the case and it's something I'd like to explore a little, to determine how some well-meaning families are coping with the pressures of paying for college.
Posted December 15, 2009 - 07:08 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Most of us have a 401k account with our employer. But there are people who've decided not to participate in their employer's retirement program for a variety of reasons. But imagine the money you're missing out on when you decide not to invest in an employee retirement program! Here are a few tips to to help you get the most out of your 401k account.
Posted December 1, 2009 - 09:07 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Regardless of how fiscally cautious and responsible you are as a credit card holder, you may still be curious to know just how much credit card companies know about you through your card use. The truth is, our card spending patterns provide information that is monitored by issuers; and this data has been used to affect our credit ratings.
Posted November 12, 2009 - 07:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
We're a nation of borrowers. This reality is quite well illustrated by the personal stories and profiles covered by various media publications on the subject of consumer debt. Recently, The New York Times published a series on debt, which I found to be both highly intriguing and sobering, as it shed light on the plight of debtors and took a peek at our saving and borrowing habits. So how did we get caught in so much debt?
Posted October 29, 2009 - 05:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
The nation’s economic recovery is anemic, with unemployment rates continuing to climb, but this doesn’t mean that your household economy is in trouble. There are a few simple (or not so simple, but effective) ways to help you to avoid participating in the recession and the fear mongering that prevail during such periods.
Posted October 14, 2009 - 05:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
If you've got a lot of loans under your belt, you'll want to make sure that you're able to manage them well, or risk wrecking your credit by making a late payment somewhere. Dealing with debt involves both defense and offense: when your goal is to cut down on the debt you carry, the key is to stop borrowing any more money, to make sure you can afford paying down your loans (spend less and earn more to pay off debt!), and to try to lower your interest rates as much as you can.
Posted September 23, 2009 - 08:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
With the stock market finally recovering to some degree this past month, even closing at highs for the year, a lot of investors may be breathing a sigh of relief about their stock investments. You may have checked your investment account recently and discovered your balance looking a bit healthier than it did several months ago. But given the volatility we've seen over the past year or so, can we really trust that the markets are reflecting a true recovery in our economy, or is this just a technical bounce?
Posted September 4, 2009 - 10:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
It may be a little bit early to think about retirement all too seriously if you still have several decades left before you face it. But don't look now -- time flies and before you know it, there won't be much time to prepare for retirement. On this subject, the big question I have in mind is this: how do we know if we've saved enough for our retirement years?
Posted August 24, 2009 - 06:11 by Silicon Valley Blogger
The most credit savvy among us have been able to use credit cards to their benefit in order to wisely and optimally save money even while charging on their cards. If you are careful about how you use your credit cards, you may actually come out ahead by using them. So what are some of the things we can do to get the most out of our credit cards?
Posted July 30, 2009 - 04:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
We all have our own ways of handling our finances -- and that's why it's called "personal" finance. What works for one person may not necessarily work for someone else, and this is why I find it highly interesting when people get into debates over the different ways to manage money or handle debt. Is there really a right way and a wrong way to do things?
Posted July 14, 2009 - 09:00 by Silicon Valley Blogger
We've all got our different reasons for making a particular product choice, and it's no different when it comes to shopping for a credit card. As informed consumers, we should carefully review our reasons for applying for a particular card. And if you're a business owner, you have a few options to consider.
Posted July 6, 2009 - 08:47 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Some consider participating in the stock market as a form of gambling. While I agree that not everyone should be risking their money in certain investments, I believe that by taking on an extreme view against investing in general, you could be missing out on potential growth in your net worth.
Posted June 18, 2009 - 21:41 by Silicon Valley Blogger
When shopping for a money market savings account or other bank products, I don't believe it should be all about the yield. You should also be aware of how much it costs to bank with your financial institution because bank fees can very easily neutralize the interest you are earning on your savings. On that note, I offer a few ways to lower your banking costs.Posted June 10, 2009 - 16:03 by Silicon Valley Blogger
I try hard not to carry a credit card balance, but I know a few people who ignore the fact that their balance is building up to unmanageable levels. I personally feel that it's harder to drop pounds than it is to drop a spending habit and to cut costs, but in both situations -- whether you aim to lose weight or to retire your debt -- you'd want an action plan to succeed. If you're wanting to wipe out your credit card debt, it can be done! We show you some steps on how to do it.
Posted May 20, 2009 - 14:16 by Silicon Valley Blogger
The stock market has experienced an unbelievable slump from a high of around 14,000 in the Dow Jones index sometime in 2007 all the way down to 8,000 last I checked. So as an investor, it's easy to fret over our portfolios especially when we hear a lot of investment "experts" declaring the "death" of the buy and hold strategy. Is it time to start listening to the critics of long term investing who are just now crawling out of the woodwork?
Posted May 5, 2009 - 08:15 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Many people have fallen victim to identity theft and credit fraud such that it's become essential for us to keep an eye on our credit. Most of the time, a fraud victim finds out a little too late that his or her identity has been compromised. My own brother was surprised to learn after a visit to the bank that his social security number had a variety of foreign identities associated with it! And just how many times have I been called by my credit card company about suspicious activity on my account? One time too many. So it's time to fight back with a few options.
Posted April 22, 2009 - 12:26 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Starting a business can easily become a money pit. So for those of you thinking about launching a new venture, what financing options do you have? Well, there's the possibility of taking out business loans from your local bank, of course. But what if your bank has turned you down? Let's consider a few alternative financing options in case you're unable to get the money you need from your bank.
Posted April 10, 2009 - 09:49 by Silicon Valley Blogger
Where is the stock market headed? Any rally may simply be a "dead cat bounce". And while many investment experts are offering a variety of stock market predictions, some of those guesses will be wrong. But before you wonder who it is you should be listening to, know that there are ways to invest so that you aren't too vulnerable to market swings. Let's review some of those strategies here.
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