The advantages of debt relief program...

When you think about debt relief programs, usually what comes to mind is taking a loan in advance. It is a debt consolidation loan and will be used to repay all your debts. This gives you the responsibility to repay one loan instead of paying different loans every month. But there is another way out [...]

Today banking comprehend all aspects...

In today’s fast-growing world, comfort is a king. Consumers are less satisfied with the schools that offer just one product or service, and online shops are becoming popular for the time and effort they can save. The trend towards comfort has changed the face of many kinds of businesses, and financial services is no exception. [...]

A recovering plan of debt management...

When it comes to managing debt and navigation difficult and dangerous financial waters, a throughly prepared plan is your first step. Without the guidance of net debt, informed, impartial and experienced staff and plans for debt management, careful consideration and implemented by a management company debt known what they do, you could be in trouble. [...]

What you need to know about debt management for managing your debt...

Today credit is a necessity. A person needs credit to be able to do almost everything, buying a car to a turning on an utility. Bad credit can be very expensive. This is why debt management is so necessary. Debt management is how you acquire and manage your debt so that you can afford it. [...]

Home Inspection Tips & Checklist – What’s Included?

March 19th, 2011 Emily Young No Comments »

So, are you selling your own home or in the market to buy a new home for yourself? Guess what — you’re going to need a home inspection done by a qualified professional prior to completing the sale or purchase. Because purchasing a home is (probably) the largest single purchase you will make in your life, it’s important to get your potential new asset inspected for any problems before you sign on the dotted line. After all, there is nothing worse than finding any huge problems after you have taken ownership that are then your responsibility to take care of! While home inspections do vary in quality and requirements, there are some aspects that will usually be the same no matter where you live or whom you decide to work with, and this is because there are guidelines put forth by the National Association of Home Inspectors which good home inspectors take care to follow when doing their job. Let’s

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Tags: Home Inspection, Inspection

The REAL Cost Of Life Insurance: A Story From The Trenches

March 19th, 2011 Christina Hall No Comments »

Back several years ago while working in financial services I ran into a couple that was interested in buying life insurance.  They were both in their mid 30s, had a few kids, and a pile of debt.  Because of this they decided that they should have some life insurance just incase the unthinkable happened.

So I drew up a few illustrations for them and found a couple of 30 year term policies with $100,000 in coverage for them that ran less than $20 each a month.  I figured based on their current situation that this was all they would be able to afford.

When the time came for them to make a decision they decide the cost of life insurance was to much for them and that they just couldnt afford it right now.  I explained to them that they didnt want to wait on something like this, but against my better judgement they decided not to do it.

A year later I got the news that she a severe stroke.  I couldnt believe it, if I had only tried a bit harder they could have had the coverage.  Thankfully though she didnt die but the chances of her getting life insurace are slim to none unless she can qualify for high risk life insurance.

The Cost Of Waiting

Every time I hear someone say, I dont need life insurance because its to expensive, I share that story with them and tell them, is it really worth the risk of waiting?

Truth is it isnt worth waiting, in fact the younger you buy a life insurance policy the cheaper it can be.  Below is a 30 year term with a $100,000 worth of coverage for a 20 year old male.

As you can tell the cost for a 20 year old is very cheap, starting out at around $14 a month.  However look what happens when you wait 10 years.

By waiting till age 30 you can still get a policy for around $15 a month providing you in good health and dont smoke. However

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Tags: Insurance, Life Insurance

Consumer Spending on the Rise: Where’s Our Money Going?

March 19th, 2011 Emily Young No Comments »

Each month, economists, market research groups, credit analysts and the Federal Reserve track data on consumer spending. The data is in for January and some of February, and the results are interesting. The analysts at Credit-Land expected credit accounts to increase by $3.9 billion in January, but the Credit-Land industry outlook reports that credit accounts are up by $5.9 billion for the month of January. The greater than expected increase indicates that consumer sentiments about the economy may be changing for the better.

Purchase Items

The items that consumers are spending their money on may just surprise you. Consumers are establishing credit accounts for big-ticket items such as vacations, cars and boats, which increased by $9.26 billion in January 2011.

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Tags: Consumer Spending, Spending

Take Advantage of an Empty Nest to Built Your Retirement Fund

March 2nd, 2011 Emily Young No Comments »

Most parents agree that saving money and raising kids are hard goals to meet simultaneously. Money that might otherwise go toward retirement or paying down the mortgage is instead spent on clothes, extra-curricular activities and higher education for the children. Once kids are out of the house, parents have an opportunity to get their savings back on track, especially their retirement savings.

Unfortunately, few parents take advantage of their increased discretionary ie in that way. According to a recent study by Boston College, “empty-nesters” increase their spending by an average of 51 percent in the first few years after kids leave the house. Though some eventually reign in their spending and begin saving more, many get used to the higher standard of living and never return to lower spending levels. Thi

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Tags: Retirement, Retirement Fund

Did The Credit Card Bill of Rights Get It Right?

March 2nd, 2011 Christina Hall No Comments »

Signed into law over a year ago, the credit card bill of rights was touted as protection against practices and fees imposed by credit card issuers on to consumers and which have long been considered arbitrary. Just to refresh your memory, banks must practice the following:

- No more arbitrary rate increases: cardholders must be notified prior to such a move.

- Periodic reviews and reduction of a cardholder’s annual percentage rate (APR) where it is warranted or requested: reviews should take place every 6 months.

- Allocate payments fairly: payments made should go towards balances accruing higher interest.

- No universal default: a cardholder cannot be penalized on Card B should he/she default on Card A.

- No double-cycle billing: banks cannot charge late fees on payment that has been made for a previous billing cycle.

- No phone-payment surcharge

- Elimination of due date gimmicks: payment made by 5 p.m. E

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Tags: Card Bill, Credit Card, Credit Card Bill, Right

Be Your Own Boss – 10 Reasons Why I Love the Benefits of Being Self-Employed

March 2nd, 2011 Emily Young No Comments »

As many long-time readers of any of my sites may know, I have been self-employed for about 5 years now. I left corporate America to strike out on my own, and I hope to never ever look back. Sure my income is a pittance compared to the money I was making working for “The Man”, and I definitely don’t live anywhere near as care-free as I used to, but I have many reasons why this is perfectly fine with me and is a trade I consider totally worth it.

I’m probably going to have to work into my retirement years unlike many of my friends who have been putting aside a ton of money, but the difference is that I won’t have just spent 45+ years doing something I hate just to retire “on time” in old age. Of course I c

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Tags: Own, Own Boss

Four Ways Banks Wring More Money From You

February 28th, 2011 Christina Hall No Comments »

Let’s forget credit card companies and the various ways they conspire to squeeze more money out of you for a moment. That’s a dead horse that’s already been beaten too many times with no resolution in sight. Instead, let’s focus our attention on banks. I can accept the fact that burying my money out in the backyard is not the acceptable way of “making it grow”. However, what I can’t swallow is all the sneaky, underhanded ways banks think up to use my money for their profit.

Fees for Foreign Transactions

Anyone would be excited to go on vacation, right? Most of the time, credit cards and travelers’ checks are sufficient to cover the cost of any expense incurred, and you won’t have to worry about not having enough money on you.

The bad news is, credit card issuers can charge up to 5% of the expenditure to grant you the convenience of using your own credit card outside the country. Not only that, th

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Tags: Money

Helping Good Neighbors – 10 Communal Items to Share and Save Money

February 26th, 2011 Emily Young No Comments »

We all know times are tight right now, with so many unemployed and tons more losing their houses to foreclosure. It’s a really sad situation and one that we all hope turns around relatively soon. In the meantime, however, we all still need to keep on living — and that means that we often need to spend money on things for our family or our homes in order to keep everything in order. But these expenses can add up quickly, especially for repairs if you are a homeowner and need to pay for everything yourself (those expensive repairs are when I am thankful I am a renter!), so careful planning and discussion amongst friends prior to making big purchases can really help out your bottom line.

When I was growing up some of my neighbors shared a high-end lawnmower and an expensive snow-blower between them, which cut their initial investment and any recurring costs of ownership right in half. I t

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