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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 41)

The Baboon and the Salt

Published Friday, November 30, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Earlier this month, I watched a wonderful excerpt from an interview with the semi-retired comedian Dave Chapelle (I think semi-retired is the best description, having read up on him a little). Chapelle walked away from his hugely popular Comedy Central program Chapelle’s Show at the height of his popularity, leaving $50 million on the table. […]

Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card Review

Published Friday, November 30, 2018 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Over the last few years, card issuers have invented an array of creative rewards schemes meant to entice people to sign up for their cards. These experiments have led to some massive flops (Barclays Premier, anyone?) as well as cards that have become insanely popular overnight. […]

The ‘After Holiday’ Strategy

Published Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

After each holiday season, it’s pretty easy for me to write an article about how much you can save by taking advantage of huge markdowns on items related to that holiday. […]

Parents Are Spending Twice as Much on Their Adult Kids as Retirement

Published Thursday, November 29, 2018 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

There are some parents out there who have a hard time letting go of their adult children. If only they had similar difficulty letting go of their money. According to a new study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave, parents in the U.S. spend $500 billion annually on their 18- to 34-year-old adult children. […]

The Financial Benefits of Adopting A Pet

Published Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 13:06 by The Simple Dollar

Overcrowding is a serious problem in America’s animal shelters. According to the ASPCA, an estimated 1.5 million animals are euthanized every year due to overcrowding — and that’s only dogs and cats. If you’re considering bringing home a pet in the new year, adopting your furry friend from a shelter can help alleviate this growing problem. […]

When Careful Consideration of Purchases Backfires

Published Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

One money strategy I’ve used since the very first day of my financial turnaround is to carefully consider all of my purchases. […]

Simple and Hard

Published Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Personal finance success is simple. Personal finance success is hard. Those two things don’t contradict each other in the slightest. Simple The things that you need to do to be successful when it comes to finances are really simple. Spend less than you earn. You can do that by either cutting back on your spending or figuring out a way to earn more money. […]

When Your Spouse’s 401(k) Is the Better Plan

Published Tuesday, November 27, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

If you and your spouse or partner both have access to a 401(k) or other employer retirement plan, you might be wondering how you should divvy up your contributions between the two of them. This can be an especially difficult and emotionally-laden question if one of those 401(k)s is measurably better than the other, in which case it may make rational sense to contribute more money to that 401(k) ev […]

Questions About Coaching, Used Guitars, Family Gift Exchanges, IRAs, and More!

Published Monday, November 26, 2018 - 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. Stock market dropping! 2. IRA maximum income question? 3. Simple small business budgeting software 4. Financial coaching services 5. Smartly using a small windfall 6. Improving communication skills at work 7. […]

11 Mental Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Holiday Season

Published Monday, November 26, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

The holidays can be pretty fraught, thanks to tons of familial and social pressure to create a picture-perfect setting (looking at you, Pinterest) plus a relentless onslaught of advertising. The pressures are both complicated and formidable, which is why otherwise reasonable people lose their dang minds every November and December. […]