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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 48)

Refinancing Your Mortgage to Pay Off Student Loans Sounds Tempting, but Use Caution

Published Tuesday, October 16, 2018 - 09:03 by The Simple Dollar

It’s hardly a secret or news flash that the student loan debt crisis in this country has reached epic proportions. For those who’ve lost track of just how bad things have gotten, here’s an update: There are now more than 44 million borrowers in America who collectively owe over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. […]

Questions About IRAs, AARP, Cancelled Debt, Streaming Video, and More!

Published Monday, October 15, 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. IRA after-tax question 2. Credit freeze for children 3. Baseball after cutting the cord 4. AARP worth it? 5. Planning for upcoming recession 6. 7. Cancelled debt and income taxes 8. […]

How to Get the Most Out of Your Employer Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Published Monday, October 15, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

Employee stock purchase programs – ESPPs for short – are powerful employee benefit programs that, when used correctly, offer what is essentially a guaranteed investment return of at least 17.6%. But ESPPs are often misunderstood and misused. […]

Illegal Things Landlords Do – and What You Can Do About It

Published Sunday, October 14, 2018 - 09:00 by The Simple Dollar

I count myself lucky that I made it through four decades of life without a bad landlord story. Over the years, I’d heard countless tales from friends about their landlord nightmares, some of which ended in small claims court. But I still maintained a naivete about landlords that was based mostly on my inability to understand wanting to blatantly rip off another human being who’s been a good tenant […]

Principles

Published Saturday, October 13, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Back in February, I answered a reader mailbag question about principles, in which I said I was working on an article that was simply a list of the guiding principles in my life, both financial and otherwise. […]

12 Things I’ve Bought from Secondhand Stores in the Last Year

Published Friday, October 12, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

One of my favorite tips to hammer home on The Simple Dollar is the value of shopping at secondhand stores. […]

Some Advice for When You’re Losing Motivation for Your Financial Plans

Published Thursday, October 11, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

For the past ten days or so, two of my closest friends have been visiting Iceland together. They’ve shared some stunning pictures of hot springs, auroras, the city life of Reykjavik, and other things. I’ve been enjoying the pictures and I’m glad they got the chance to make the trip, but there’s a sizable portion of me that wants to be there, too. […]

A New Book’s Three-Step, No-Frills Plan for Achieving Your Goals

Published Thursday, October 11, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

While I pride myself on my rationality, I can also be a hopeless romantic. I like to believe that everyone can find true love, a job they like, and a way to express their innate creativity. I think that’s why every now and again I like to read self-help books. […]

Lessons from a Six-Year-Old Credit Card Statement

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

Yesterday’s article, The Financial Noise, was originally a very, very long draft that included several specific stories from my own life where I talked about the realization of the negative financial impact of “noise” in my life. […]

Online Shopping Is Too Convenient — So I’m Making It Harder on Myself

Published Wednesday, October 10, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

While I normally live a very frugal lifestyle, I have a sad confession to make: During the month of September, I spent over $250 on Amazon.com. I did pick up a new bed for my dog (necessary), so that’s good. […]