Category: Financial & Investment Tips
Financial – and Life – Lessons from 40 Years of Marriage
As I bask in the celebration of our recent 40th wedding anniversary, complete with surprise readings from each child, child-in-law and grandchild, I can see some great personal finance applications of the principles Jan and I used raising our four children. My quandary is that in order to share the financial lessons, I am obligated to share what our kids had to say in their readings. I therefore ask myself, “Is this more about boasting on what great kids we have or helping my readers with their finances?” I will let you be the judge. Our Grandchildren (Ages 8 and 10) I love you because you teach us to sew. Application: One can’t learn too many skills in life. I love you because you take
10 Frugal Landscaping Ideas to make Your Yard Amazing
So, I’m starting to research frugal landscaping ideas to make my yard amazing this Spring. Bloggers have so many fab ideas! There are so many back yard projects, curb appeal DIYs that it’s hard to narrow down what will not only look best for my home, but also won’t hurt my wallet too much! I would like to share with you some of these creative and inexpensive landscaping ideas with you. Below, I’m sharing my top ten finds! Enjoy! Plant Perennials by Sunset Before You Mulch by Rosemary on the TV DIY Wheelbarrow Planter by Cottage Life Pallet Picket Fence by Driftwood Gardens DIY Patio by Mommy in the Mountains Add a Slate Walkway by Young House Love DIY Stepping Stones by Intimate
GF¢ 049: From Broke at 37 to Self-Made Millionaire
Broke at 37. Self-made millionaire. Frugal, Author of Filling the Glass: The Skeptic’s Guide to Positive Thinking in Business. Semi-retiree by choice (“it’s incredibly difficult to turn off the moneymaking machine” ). Barry Maher is living life and loving it. Here’s some words from Barry himself: I’m semi-retired and loving it! Through saving and investing, a lot of hard work and more than a little luck, I’m able to afford to retire completely. But why should I, when as a speaker I’ve got the kind of part time job that many people only dream of having: traveling all over the country, all over the world, staying at great locations and meeting fascinating people. People who not only hang
Can You Blame Them for Not Being Invested in Stocks?
After the stock market closed on Friday, my portfolio was at an all-time high. That was likely also the case for a lot of investors living in the United States who are similar to me: earning income, investing in the stock market with a buy-and-hold strategy for the future, and leaving money invested during the stickier economic times. Continuing to invest in the stock market throughout the recent recession was an essential part of long-term success with investing. Not all investors had this luxury, as the recession hit hard. Many workers lost their job and their income at the same time investing in the stock market was crucial for eventually receiving those promised long-term average returns. According to a new survey, more
Groupon Coupons: Introducing A New Way To Save
Groupon Coupons: Introducing A New Way To Save is a post from: Faithful With A Few. If you enjoy it, please subscribe to the Feed.By now, most of us have heard of, and possibly used, Groupon – the website that specializes in offering deals on just about everything that you can imagine. I know so many people who have been able to try a new restaurant, taken dance lessons, joined a gym, found a new spa or salon, and even taken day trips for a fraction of what they would normally have to pay for such things.Using Groupon is a great way to try out services/businesses for the first time or save money on a product or service that you already love. So you
5 Reasons Why New Chip Credit Cards Won’t Reduce Fraud
Banks in the United States are undergoing a major transformation in credit card technology, a process similar to the one Europe successfully completed several years ago. Despite the technological advances in mobile payment that have already rendered plastic cards obsolete, the financial industry wants to replace every magnetic stripe credit card in every wallet. When I received a business credit card in the mail last week, in an envelope anyone paying attention would recognize as a new credit card delivery, it featured a new security measure: a chip. The embedded computer chip stores information, like the magnetic strike, that ties the card to my identity and my bank account (and in this case, my business credit card account). Credit card issuers are going through the process of
LearnVest Acquired By Northwestern Mutual
Congratulations to the owners of LearnVest, a financial planning start-up that is in the process of finalizing a deal with Northwestern Mutual wherein the latter will be acquiring the assets and business of the former. In a deal of more than $250 million in cash, a company that provided early funding for the start-up will now be the sole owner. LearnVest entered the market as a service that put women in touch with resources, including financial planners, to help them reach their financial goals. The company later expanded its reach to men, as well. But it’s quite probable, as Michael Kitces points out, that the value Northwestern Mutual sees in LearnVest isn’t in its small advisory clientele, it’s in the membership base
Life Is and Isn’t About the Money
Accumulating money is not a real goal for anyone’s life. Growing wealth is not the point. People don’t work hard because they want to see their bank balance grow; those of us who track our finances and chart our net worth over time aren’t trying to compete in some financial competition. I imagine there are individuals who do have an approach to money wherein the increase of the bank balance is the ultimate goal. But this approach misses the point. Perhaps these savers and earners haven’t given enough thought to why they want to grow their wealth, other than believing that society dictates that they do so — or they idolize people in the media who flaunt their wealth. Money exists to be
Taking first steps in online trading
This Post was Originally published at Taking first steps in online trading on Start Investing Money If you’re lucky enough to have generated some spare cash that is sitting in a savings account, you know that the money you have in that account is never going to make a huge difference to your life. The problem is that with the low interest rates available today, your cash has no real chance of growing. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Image by arripay. Many people are realising this, and trying to make wiser use of their savings, and one way that this is possible (though can’t be guaranteed) is through trading online. You might think that you don’t know anything about trading, even the basic principles, so why
The IRS Tax Scam and What Happens When You Owe Taxes
For a few years, a ring of criminals believed by the U.S. government to be based in India have been involved in a pervasive tax scam. Callers impersonate IRS officials, connect with American taxpayers, and convince many that they have an outstanding bill for tax payments. The scam has been so pervasive that it has generated more than $15 million from panicked taxpayers. CNN offers a story from a recent victim of the scam: One of those victims was former NFL player Frank Garcia, who is now a sports radio host in Charlotte, North Carolina. When he got the call, it sounded so authentic, he left the radio station in a panic, scramming to get the money they wanted. “The only thing running through my
5 Things To Do With A Windfall
5 Things To Do With A Windfall is a post from: Faithful With A Few. If you enjoy it, please subscribe to the Feed.Even though tax season has come and gone for some, many people are still facing the prospect of getting a lump sum of money in the near future. Events such as graduations, birthdays, and unfortunately, deaths can lead to one getting their hands on a decent amount of money at one time.Here are 5 great ways to put those windfalls to use…Pay Off High Interest DebtI think this one is at the top of my list because we, like many Americans, are dealing with a great deal of debt (just a hair under $90k at our last update).If your debt carries
