The new car tax credit was included on the 2009 stimulus package, and it’s causing a lot of confusion for a lot of people. I’ve studied the brief IRS explanation and several other sources to figure out how the credit works. New Car Credit Eligibility Dates The credit applies to new cars purchased between February …
For the last several months, I’ve been hearing about this theory that the risk of losing money can be more motivating than the prospect of winning money. Last week, NPR reported on a website based on the theory. It was developed by two Yale professors and is called StickK. I’ll explain how it works. The Stick …
I don’t usually have trouble with coupons for free items. Usually, manufacturers or stores send them on glossy paper or they are only good at a certain store, both of which make them hard to fake. This week, however, I had trouble with a freebie coupon that was poorly designed. I was persistent, however, and …
Yesterday marked the first day that banks had to ask your permission before automatically opting you in to overdraft protection when you open a new account. They have until August 15th to beg existing customers to keep the coverage, at which point everyone who doesn’t actively choose it will be opted out. Some banks, like Bank of …
We’re T -3 to Thanksgiving, so it’s time to kick it into high-gear. Since I have experience both hosting and traveling, I’ve got Thanksgiving countdowns for both options. Thanksgiving Travelers’ Schedule If you have to travel, I feel your pain. I flew home for several years, until it became too expensive and started to take …
Thanksgiving Countdown Schedule – Cooking or Traveling Read More »
Along with your will and advance directive, a list of all your accounts, passwords, and contact information is vital for the people you leave behind. Although it’s simple to request a password you forgot, it won’t help your heirs if they don’t know where the accounts are in the first place or can’t access your email to retrieve …
This weekend I’m going to look at a short sale. I’ve looked at several short sales, but most of them have been listed as approved short sales. This one appears to be unapproved. If you’re in the market, it’s very important that you understand the difference, because one could close within the regular time-frame, and …
I’ve already collected a few gardening tools, and eagerly borrowed several gardening books from the library to start planning my garden. I’ve settled on Square Foot Gardening for my vegetable garden, but will also have to do some flower planting this fall to prevent our hill from sliding during the El Nino rains. I’ve pretty much …
As a first-time home buyer, I want to make sure I find the right home. I’ve realized that determining my criteria is an important first step. If you plan to buy soon, follow these home buying checklist to set your criteria and steer your search to the right homes for you. There’s no sense wasting …
The last item in the documents you need for an emergency series is the Red File. Now that you’ve compiled and stored all of your important documents, it’s time to take the last step of compiling the Red File and sending it to someone you trust. With that done, you can be confident that you’ve done everything …
