The news likes to bandy about the $2 million figure when predicting the amount the average American will need for retirement. These one-size-fits-all predictions don’t really work, though. $2 million could last a person in low-cost area quite a long time, but run out quickly for someone who previously earned a high income and lives …
Last month, I showed you specific steps toward the big money discussions. Now it’s time to talk about the small, daily talks that should also be happening. My husband and I have always been pretty open about money, but we didn’t really talk about it regularly when we were both in grad school and poor. We …
Couples and Money: Five Tips for Daily Money Talks Read More »
Is H&R Block Plus worth it? To answer that I did my taxes this weekend using two online tax software packages. I’ll post tax software reviews for each today and tomorrow. Today I’ll start with H&R Block’s Tax Cut Online. I was fortunate to win a free federal return from The Digerati Life, but anyone can …
Yesterday, as you probably heard, the Federal Reserve Bank cut the key overnight interest rate by 75 basis points. The LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) has also been dropping due to credit concerns. So, you may be wondering what this means for you. The answer is that it depends on how your finances are arranged. Credit cards: …
The LIBOR and Fed Rate Fall: What that Means for You Read More »
Labor Day is once again upon us. My holiday will be spent doing all the things I couldn’t do while prepping for my move, like getting an oil change, a hair cut, and a car wash. We also plan to hit a couple of the sales to buy a bunch of stuff we need for …
There are two kinds of personal loans – the loans you receive from banks and the loans you receive from individuals. For most people, personal loans from individuals take the form of family loans, but they can also be fraught with tension. Now, you can also give or receive personal loans to people you don’t …
With all this talk of cuts to the economic stimulus package, I started to wonder if there were any other ways I could cut my personal spending 10% (which is about how much they cut from the package.) So here are 50 simple, not-so-simple, and sometimes silly ways to cut spending by 10%. This assumes …
It’s rare that I write a check these days. Partly, that’s because my husband is in charge of paying the daily bills, so I only write a check when he’s sick or I need to reimburse someone. I decided to total up how many checks we give and receive each year, as an experiment. We’re …
Many people have noticed an interesting phenomenon in the housing market: tons of would-be buyers are flocking to low-priced homes. Some speculate that the first-time buyer credit is the cause. But is this really true? Is the new car tax deduction having the same result? Does the First-Time Buyer Tax Credit Motivate You to Buy? I think the answer …
If you haven’t yet filed your taxes yet, this is your chance to use TaxCut Online Premium + State + efile completely free! I have one code for the full online software package (a $59.95 value) to giveaway to one lucky reader. Since we’re only ONE WEEK away from tax day, I will email the winner the …
