From the monthly archives:
Earlier today, the IRS officially began accepting 2008 electronic tax returns for individuals claiming the $8,000 tax credit for qualifying first time home buyers who purchased a house in 2009. If you qualify and have purchased your home this year, you can now file your taxes using TurboTax, TaxAct, H&R Block, or any other software ... Continue reading this article…
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A few weeks ago I wrote a short piece explaining that while even if you think the “Making Work Pay” tax credit of $400 is a bad idea, at least we’re saving money this time by not sending out two letters and a check to every household in America. In short: the stimulus process could’ve ... Continue reading this article…
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Earlier this year, JP Morgan Chase surprised customers with a new fee and an increased minimum required monthly payment. For cardholders who carried large balances month to month, Chase began charging a $10 monthly fee and increasing the minimum payment from 2 percent to 5 percent of the balance. The change was announced last November for about ... Continue reading this article…
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A reporter from the Washington Post is looking to hear from Consumerism Commentary readers who are coping with wage deceleration or stagnation. If you have had to make changes to your lifestyle due to wages or salaries that haven’t been rising as quickly as expenses, you are a perfect candidate for this article in progress. ... Continue reading this article…
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The author of Free Money Finance pointed out a story highlighting how the recession is affecting the health of pets. He or she also linked to a helpful chart of estimated costs for owning various kinds of pets. Personally, my wife and I don’t even include pet care in our budget, because our affection for them ... Continue reading this article…
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If you have not been aware of the recent news, General Motors and Chrysler have asked the government for more money, but the Obama administration is pushing back. The government’s task force has determined that the restructuring plans submitted by the companies in return for continued financial support are inadequate. As a result, the Chairman ... Continue reading this article…
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A few months short of five years ago, I purchased a new 2004 Honda Civic to replace a failing older model that had not been in my care. Today, this “new” car is passing 100,000 miles on the odometer, and it’s still running great. While I occasionally find my mind wandering towards the purchase of ... Continue reading this article…
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If you have been affected by the recession, perhaps by losing a source of income, you may not want to hear suggestions for turning a bad situation into an opportunity. In fact, the idea of turning challenges around for your own benefit is in line with the annoying soundbites that productivity gurus sell. But I ... Continue reading this article…
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One of the fun things about living in an Information Age is that we not only have near-instant access to financial data, but also a multitude of data sources to look at. It seems there’s a new report every day with updated economic news and forecasts. We’d like your input about the economic indicators that mean ... Continue reading this article…
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Yesterday, the Federal Reserve purchased $7.5 billion of debt in the form of Treasuries from the government, and plans to continue buying debt for a long time to finance the government’s spending. As the government continues selling this debt, the money supply increases. In total, the Treasury may add $3 to $4 trillion dollars ... Continue reading this article…
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In my life so far, I’ve had three major chances to negotiate a starting salary. The first was with a cash-strapped non-profit organization that had enough problems keeping its payroll account funded every other week. The second was with a company in the financial industry, a segment of that industry that is known for being ... Continue reading this article…
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I’ve been in touch with Ramit Sethi since not long after he began writing on his blog, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, almost five years ago. It is no surprise to me that Ramit, after enhancing his writing with years of practice on his rapidly-growing website, has published I Will Teach You to ... Continue reading this article…
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The Carnival of Personal Finance is a weekly collection of the best personal finance articles from across the blogosphere, usually with an entertaining or thematic presentation. This week’s Carnival was published last night by the blog Four Pillars. Check out the articles picked for Editor’s Choice but don’t miss out on The DIY Haircut ... Continue reading this article…
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Money Magazine published an article with the “7 new rules of financial security,” claiming that the recent economic collapse has changed the fundamentals that investors have relied upon for decades. The simultaneous meltdown of the stock, housing and credit markets resulted in a world in which investors must adjust their assumptions in order to ... Continue reading this article…
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Even though ING Direct has lowered the interest rate offered on the Orange Savings Account, one of the most popular online savings accounts. The bank is still offering $25 bonuses to new customers who open this savings account or the high-yield paperless checking account with an initial deposit of $250 or more. In addition, ... Continue reading this article…
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Whether right or wrong, having more money opens more doors and opportunities. Just look at the way casino hotels operate. If you are a high roller, the casino will shower you with free nights in the penthouse suite, free meals, and who knows what other perks unavailable to those of us without the cash to ... Continue reading this article…
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In general, if you have to ask whether you need to report certain income to the IRS, the most likely answer is, “Yes.” Here are some examples, courtesy of MSN Money. Q. I hosted a party to sell products to my friends (and use my social circle for multilevel marketing from some corporation), and the ... Continue reading this article…
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Last night, Ramit Sethi from I Will Teach You to Be Rich got together over Skype to chat about money. We spent about 90 minutes answering the questions provided by Consumerism Commentary readers last week. Ramit came up with this idea to coincide with the release of his new book, aptly named, I Will ... Continue reading this article…
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Our financial crisis is being combated on many sides, with a seemingly endless series of opportunities for people facing serious hardships. I thought it would be helpful to summarize all the options created as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and give you just the facts that you need in ... Continue reading this article…
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Last year, hundreds of hedge funds, special mutual funds generally open to wealthy investors which specialize in alternative investments like derivatives, shut down due to the economic crisis. Three of the ten largest hedge funds to close were funds that invested exclusively or almost exclusively in Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, leaving investors with nothing. ... Continue reading this article…
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