Over the years, I’ve received good Christmas presents and bad presents over the years. Some of the bad ones were just weird, and there’s no avoiding that. However, some of them well-intentioned but totally missed the mark. Choosing the right Christmas presents can be hard, so here are my tips for finding the best ones, …
Experts say there is a best time to buy anything. Big screens after the Super Bowl, laptops for back-to-school, and here’s one I’ve just discovered: patio furniture and grills after Labor Day. Which Stores Have Big Sales A full-time patio store may have some items on clearance after Labor Day, but since patios are their …
I’ve purposely not looked at my 401K account this week. I did check it a month ago to see if I needed to rebalance. At that time, I’d lost 2% less than the broader market and was well-diversified, so I didn’t change anything. I still don’t plan to. There are still a few things you should …
401K and IRA Strategies During the Financial Crisis Read More »
For many items, like cars and houses, buying used is a good idea. In some cases, though, used is not better. Here are seven items you should always buy new. Shoes: The problem with used shoes isn’t related to hygiene, it’s related to fit. Shoes conform to our feet over time, which means that used …
On Friday, I detailed the start of our road to homeownership, which stretched over a year and a half from the initial “we might be able to afford a house” to the “let’s hire a real estate agent” stage. Now I’ll tell you how we finally reached the end. Careful Thinking about Each Home All told, …
My husband and I just applied for a mortgage this week. After the broker ran our credit, he informed that the new minimum credit score for mortgage underwriting is an astounding 740. That’s no problem for us — our scores were around 800 — but that could be a problem for many prospective homebuyers. The …
I’m not someone who thinks TV is bad, but I recognize that it can easily absorb a whole afternoon if you’re not careful. Studies have shown that watch TV produces alpha waves, which are the same waves produced when you meditate. That’s why it’s so easy to watch a night of silly sitcoms without realizing …
I now return to my series on credit history and credit scores. Monday, I covered the VantageScore. Today, I focus on credit monitoring. FICO, the three credit bureaus, banks, credit card companies, and many other independent services try to use scary warnings about identity theft to try to convince you monitoring is a necessity. So what …
In addition to buying a new home, we’re also planning to make several other major purchases, including a washer/dryer set, a fridge, a dining room set, china, a new family room set, a living room set, a new sofa bed for the guest room, a new TV, and a new TV stand. Plus the usual …
My husband and I have never been the type to think we need to spend hundreds of dollars on each other at Christmas. In fact, many years we’ve opted not to exchange gifts and instead bought something big jointly, like our trip to Belize or a Wii. If you and your spouse plan to exchange …
