Earlier this month, a co-worker quit so he could spend a year traveling the world. Then this weekend the LA Times covered a family who spent six months traveling the world with a toddler. It got me thinking: could I ever do something like that? What would I need to do it? Both my co-worker and the …
Don’t hate me for mentioning Thanksgiving before we’ve even passed Halloween, but you do need to start making your holiday plans, especially if they include that most miserable of experiences: Thanksgiving travel. Even if you’re staying home, you need to do a little prep work now. You don’t have to drag out the pie pans, …
It’s Time to Start Planning Your Thanksgiving Travel or Party Read More »
At this point, the bulk of the mail I receive is junk mail. I switched to online billing, which means all those letters I receive from my banks are annoying balance transfer or cash advance checks and loan offers. I also receive numerous offers for new magazines, credit cards, and clubs. As I see it, …
This morning, several news sources reported that economists have final declared the end date of the recession – June, 2009. You may be thinking – huh? It’s simple – the formal definition of recession is defined as a certain period of negative growth. When that ends, the recession ends, even if your personal situation doesn’t …
Right now it’s 80 degrees in Los Angeles (sorry, not trying to rub it in), but it’s below freezing in other parts of the country. When it’s too cold to go outside, it’s easy to get bored inside. It’s also easy to turn on the computer and go shopping online. Here are a few indoor …
A standard claim is that people who watch less TV spend less on stuff they don’t need. I made the claim myself. But I started to wonder if that’s really true. How influenced are we by advertising? Do we spend more because of advertising or do we buy things we otherwise wouldn’t buy? Are consumers becoming immune …
Last spring, I presented a non-partisan look at both the Democratic and Republican candidates. We’re moving into the home stretch with the election just three weeks away. As I did yesterday with John McCain, I’m providing an updated look at their views about issues related to the economy, including the current financial crisis, health care, taxes, and retirement. Most of …
Voting Guide: Barack Obama on the Economy and Financial Issues Read More »
We’re back in full carnival swing this week! We have three carnivals to review. We’ll kick things off with the Carnival of Personal Finance #152, hosted by Money Under 30. This one included my post on car insurance. If you liked that bit of car advice, you might as like $aving to Invest’s post on preparing for $5 …
In the last of my free personal finance software reviews, I checked out Wesabe. After testing Mint and Yodlee, I was expecting Wesabe to have more features. Instead, it’s the most stripped down of the three, at least as far as the personal finance features go. Wesabe is actually a combination of basic personal finance software and social networking. I can …
Online Personal Finance Software Reviews: Wesabe Read More »
When I left work Thursday I had an account with Washington Mutual. By the time I got home, I had an account at JP Morgan Chase. The transition was smooth. No one waited in line. No accountholders lost a dime. Is that how a crisis unfolds? I’m not an economist, but I do have common …
