Posted 2 days 13 hours ago by Philip Brewer
Self-sufficiency is producing the actual stuff you use--your own food, your own clothes, etc. It's not a common lifestyle. Most people chose instead to follow the path of self-reliance. Rather than directly producing the things they use, they produce something they can sell for money, or else they work for someone who will pay them money, aiming to earn enough to buy what they use.
Posted 5 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer
One of the bugaboos of the financial doom-and-gloom crowd is the worry that foreigners (China in particular, but also oil exporting countries in the Middle-East, and others) might quit buying so many US Treasury securities. If that happened, they say, the value of the dollar would plummet, interest rates would soar, and the US economy would be in terrible trouble. I say: Bring it on!
Posted 6 weeks 5 hours ago by Jabulani Leffall
The government is letting people think that it's okay to make bad choices. The Treasury is rewarding bad behavior and the consumer is learning nothing except to keep up the good work choosing bad alternatives.
Posted 7 weeks 5 days ago by Linsey Knerl
Debt is the hottest topic on personal finance blogs around the world. Why? I would venture to guess it is because so many people are drowning in it. The unfortunate truth is that few people care to read about debt until it has already had a negative affect on their financial situation. This can make the final solution to their debt problems even more difficult to hear about.
Posted 8 weeks 4 days ago by Philip Brewer
Among the fraction of the population who manage to put money aside, many view their investments through the lens of retirement. They've got a number in mind--call it $X--enough that they never need to work again. Until they've got that, they're stuck working away at the daily grind. There's another way to do it, though. Make your goal to live live on your own terms for the whole length of it, not just for a little while at the end.
Posted 11 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu
A recent CNN article titled "Americans are 'financially illiterate'" reports that a survey found that a large proportion of Americans they tested do not seem to understand their debt. I am not that surprised by the report because in American we really do not get very much financial education in schools. However, I think financial literacy is very important and here are some of the things I think anyone can do to gain financial knowledge.
Posted 11 weeks 4 days ago by Xin Lu
This week is officially America Saves Week 2008. This is a campaign started in 2007 by many government agencies and private entities to encourage Americans to save because the personal savings rate of Americans is nearly zero. This year the focus is on automatic savings. Read on to see what the campaign is all about!
Posted 15 weeks 2 hours ago by Paul Michael
It was bound to happen. I just thought it would happen over here first. Today BECKY BARROW and JAMES CONEY of The Daily Mail broke the story that banking giant Egg, a household name in Britain, will block over 160,000 customers from using their credit cards. Is this a sign of things to come?
Posted 16 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu
The Federal Reserve just cut the interest rate by 0.75% between two official meetings! This is the largest cut since 1982 and it was like an adrenaline shot to the sagging stock markets. This move means different things for different people and for some consumers it is excellent news. How could these consumers take advantage of this event?
Posted 26 weeks 6 days ago by Linsey Knerl
Those of you looking forward to this year’s holiday shopping season with a little apprehension, anxiety, or dread can take heart in a new way of thinking. The always financially-savvy (but personable and warm) Mary Hunt of DebtProofLiving has followed through on her promise to simplify your seasonal spending and put meaning back into Christmas.
Posted 28 weeks 3 days ago by Andrea Dickson
Ever feel stuck? In a rut? Running in place, but not getting much exercise? There's another way to live, you know; a way that bypasses, or at least delays, the mortgage, the commute, and the keeping up with the Joneses. It's called Modern Nomadism, and it's increasingly popular with people young and old. Read on to learn about one blogger who leads such a life.
Posted 28 weeks 3 days ago by Sarah Baughman
Don't look at your credit card as a license to purchase something you can't afford-- just pretend it's a thinner, more swipe-able version of your checkbook.
Posted 30 weeks 6 days ago by Philip Brewer
There are two ways to look at whether debt is good or bad. The less important way has to do with the terms of the debt itself--how high the rate is, whether it's fixed or variable, any prepayment penalty. The more important factor in determining whether debt is good or bad is how you spend the money. From best to worst, here are the categories of debt that I use.
Posted 37 weeks 2 days ago by Jessica Harp
As anyone who has been through collections will tell you, the collection agencies tend to lie and to cheat in order to manipulate the collections process to their advantage. So how do you regain your power as a consumer from the collection agencies? By following these 9 suggestions, you can stop screening your phone calls and turn the collections process to your advantage.
Posted 37 weeks 5 days ago by Paul Michael
I’d like to start this article by pointing out that Paypal is a fabulous resource and I use it often. I feel safe buying items, especially items on eBay, with my Paypal account. But over the past few months I’ve noticed that more places accept Paypal and I began to wonder…is this going to create a generation of impulse buyers?
Posted 38 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer
Over and over again, in budgeting articles and even books on personal finance, I see sample budgets that include debt repayment as if it were an expense. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what debt is. Your debt repayment is not an expense, it's an internal transfer. The only part that's an expense is the interest. The rest of the money was spent some time in the past, when you incurred the debt.
Posted 39 weeks 2 days ago by Jessica Harp
As most of you know, the cost of healthcare in the United States is outrageous! (Sicko, anyone?) For those lucky enough to have good medical insurance, an illness or an injury does not become a financial burden. However, for those without insurance or with sub par insurance plans, a seemingly small injury can quickly turn in to an emotional and financial ordeal. Interestingly enough, one of the best-kept secrets in the healthcare industry is that there are financial and charitable aid programs available to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses.Posted 40 weeks 3 days ago by Andrea Dickson
There's a man who lives down the street from me who's a big fan of dumpster diving. And by "fan" I mean, that's all he does. His back yard is a sea of garbage. He has 30 broken refrigerators on his giant back porch. His truck, which is parked in front of my house, is overflowing with discarded junk like broken baby strollers, cardboard boxes, paving stones, and dried out cans of paint. He's impoverished. Yet he has all this crap lying around.
Posted 46 weeks 2 days ago by Ed O'Reilly
I finally buckled under the pressure to remain in the loop with Oprah and I rented 'The Secret.' Now, before you think I’m going to offer a movie review, I’ll simply say that it felt like an hour and a half infomercial: the actors were amateurish and the quick-cut editing reminded me of 'America’s Most Wanted' with 'The Da Vinci Code' as the graphic theme.
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| Posts | Cmts | |
|---|---|---|
| Carrie Kirby | 4 | 2 |
| Julie Rains | 3 | 12 |
| Linsey Knerl | 11 | 25 |
| Margaret Garcia-Couoh | 3 | 3 |
| Myscha Theriault | 6 | 23 |
| Nora Dunn | 3 | 5 |
| Paul Michael | 10 | 21 |
| Philip Brewer | 11 | 66 |
| Xin Lu | 10 | 31 |
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