From the monthly archives:
The value of the dollar in comparison to other countries around the world is falling. Meanwhile, my net worth is increasing, so naturally I began thinking. Is it possible that although I’m earning income, saving, and investing, I’m not actually gaining ground from a global perspective? Furthermore, does a global perspective matter to ... Continue reading this article…
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Haven’t you heard? This week is America Saves Week. From February 24 through March 2, a coalition of non-profit, corporate, and government groups are pushing a media campaign to encourage savings in various forms, from increasing money deposited into bank accounts to finding bargains and saving money on purchases. It’s a noble ... Continue reading this article…
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A few weeks ago, I mentioned that 100,000 unique visitors browsed Consumerism Commentary during the month of January, the highest monthly count in this website’s history, 106,492 to be exact. There’s a good chance that February’s count will double that. I hope some of this month’s new readers plan to stick around for ... Continue reading this article…
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If you’re new to Consumerism Commentary, these articles from the archives will be new to you. From the Second Half of February 2007 The Case Against a Life Without Debt Tips for Purchasing a Musical Instrument for the Non-Professional How Much Do You Pay in Taxes? Survey Says: More Money Leads to Better Sex Advice Needed: Newly Found Debt ... Continue reading this article…
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This doesn’t sound like good news. [FDIC] is planning to beef up its staff — including temporarily hiring up to 25 retired FDIC employees who worked in the agency’s more than 200-person division that handles failed banks — to handle an anticipated increase in bank failures. If you keep funds in some of the smaller online banks, ... Continue reading this article…
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The most effective emergency fund, for use in the event of a job loss or unexpected major expense, is actually a combination of several types of investments. You should be prepared with a small amount of physical cash to hold you over until you can get money from a bank, highly liquid investments like ... Continue reading this article…
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Are you concerned about your ability to maintain your current financial position? I am. Sure, I have an emergency fund, a significant cash cushion beyond the emergency fund, and steady income. But I have taken on risk. My long term investments are invested in the stock market which has proven to ... Continue reading this article…
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Should you get a variable annuity when you retire? The company I work for hopes you will, but many financial advisers, gurus, and authors steer people away. The reason is simple — the benefits in the form of gains don’t outweigh the fees and diligent investors can manage their retirement money in the ... Continue reading this article…
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The Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is concerned that the recent rash of foreclosures, if it continues, will degenerate the neighborhood into its recent crime-ridden past. To combat this possible future, the church has now begun offering “Housing Crisis” workshops alongside its Sunday school religious lessons. Are pastors and Sunday school teachers extolling the values of ... Continue reading this article…
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Are state-run 529 plans — investment accounts that offer tax benefits for saving for educational expenses but with penalties otherwise — worthwhile? I haven’t made up my mind yet. But some investors may be wishing they had chosen other investments. Some 529 plans are being closed because the states are finding them ... Continue reading this article…
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Recently, I wrote about Jung Typology and Finance, looking at the first of four dimensions used by psychologists and career coaches for categorizing personality preferences. Introverts and Extraverts draw their energy from individual or group activity, and that difference can have an interesting effect on opinions and behavior with regard to money. The ... Continue reading this article…
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If you don’t own a notebook computer but you still want to write term papers or browse the web from Starbucks, apparently the staff doesn’t mind. Recently, one Starbucks location in New York City was invaded by a few individuals who brought old Windows PCs, monitors included, to do some “work” and film the ... Continue reading this article…
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As my partner and I are active landlords and property investors, it’s no surprise that people approach us with real estate offers. Sometimes they’re great deals, too – people occasionally inherit properties they want to get rid of quickly and therefore cheaply, or learn of a house at a great price that just isn’t ... Continue reading this article…
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I took a vacation from work this past week to coincide with my girlfriend’s winter break (she’s a teacher). We traveled to Washington, D.C. to see the sights and meet up with some friends. Thanks to the snow, the exhibits were not very crowded. Unfortunately, the weather had a negative effect on ... Continue reading this article…
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This article was written for Consumerism Commentary by Adfecto, a mid-20s guy with a masters degree in engineering. He aspires to be wealthy and writes frequently for his own blog, Adfecto Abundantia. When I purchased a home it was not a lifetime commitment. I view a person’s choice of housing first as a financial ... Continue reading this article…
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This is a guest post, written for Consumerism Commentary by Single Ma. Single Ma is the author of Fabulous Financials, a blog presenting a chronicle of a 30-something single mother’s pursuit of financial independence. I’m paid bi-weekly, which is typically twice per month. Every now and then, there’s a month or two sprinkled throughout ... Continue reading this article…
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When VHS finally emerged as the market leader over Sony’s Beta format, we gave our immediately-obsolete player to my grandmother. I’ve been following the high definition format wars with moderate interest, since I was a “late early adopter.” Last fall, I picked up an HD DVD player and during the holidays I received a Blu-ray ... Continue reading this article…
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If forced to categorize, I’ve found that there are two main types of credit card users. Type A credit card users use debt to buy what they cannot afford and often pay much more than they need to thanks to interest. On the other side of the spectrum, Type B credit card users ... Continue reading this article…
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Ginger is a fashionista in her late 20s — a wife and graduate student striving to have it all. She wrote this article for Consumerism Commentary, but Ginger also publishes the blog Girls Just Wanna Have Funds, and you can subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed here. Let me preface this by stating that I ... Continue reading this article…
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Focusing on small spending habit changes is a good way to save significant money over the long term. No matter how many daily lattes you forgo, if you make poor spending decisions on major expenditures, all your ECRD savings could be negated in one moment. Consumer Reports has identified some of these major ... Continue reading this article…
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