As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

2013

How Credit Card Issuers Pay Rewards Without Going Broke

by Lance
Credit cards

This is a guest article by Lance, the founder of the blog Money Life and More. Earning rewards from credit card companies like cash back and sign-up bonuses, astute credit card users may be wondering how issuers afford to pay these bonuses for people who don’t pay interest or late fees. Lance takes a look ... Continue reading this article…

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LastDollar February 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
LastDollar Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. LastDollar is thirty-three years old, an ... Continue reading this article…

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The Government Wants to Regulate Bitcoin and Other Virtual Currencies

by Luke Landes
Bitcoin

Currencies work as a means of storing and trading value because the people who use them have faith in their value. Faith involves putting trust in an entity more powerful than oneself, whether that entity is a market or a government. Even when the value of money was based on a commodity like gold, its ... Continue reading this article…

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SteveDH February 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
SteveDH Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis. I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. SteveDH is retired, and he and his wife have two grown ... Continue reading this article…

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Kathleen February 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
Kathleen February 2013 Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis. I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Kathleen is thirty-one years old, single, and living in Portland, Oregon. ... Continue reading this article…

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Anne and Matt February 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
Anne and Matt Net Worth

In the series Naked With Cash, seven Consumerism Commentary readers share their financial progress on a monthly basis. They are joined by Certified Financial Planners who provide feedback on their journey. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Anne and Matt are twenty-seven years old, living in the Midwest, with two children. Read ... Continue reading this article…

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Are Sophisticated Producers Taking Advantage of Their Fans With Kickstarter?

by Luke Landes
Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars

I like the concept of crowdfunding. Websites like Kickstarter have been helpful to start-up businesses, sole individuals with an idea but without capital, and independent entertainers looking for support for their first project. It’s democratic capitalism; the best ideas receive necessary funding while the “investors” receive neither a financial return nor equity. It’s a great ... Continue reading this article…

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6 Questions Before Dropping Out of College to Be an Entrepreneur

by Luke Landes
Bill Gates

Many successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and world leaders have something in common. When asked how they achieved their success, they point to a role model they knew personally or were familiar with during their formative and most inspired years. The role model lived a life that seemed appealing to them. That’s how many young entrepreneurs ... Continue reading this article…

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Do You Let Brands Use You for Advertising?

by Luke Landes
World Book Encyclopedia

From one of my social media accounts a few days ago, I responded to an article in Psychology Today. First of all, the article is a good read that discusses the relationship between money and happiness, and a recent study that disagrees with some of the more publicized studies from the past few years. It’s ... Continue reading this article…

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JW February 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
JW Net Worth February 2013

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. JW is thirty-one years old and ... Continue reading this article…

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Accurate Prediction Market Intrade Shuts Down

by Luke Landes
Stop

I’ve mentioned Intrade here. Intrade, until recently, was an open prediction market. People from all over the world could place money — bet — on circumstances they expected to be true some time in the future. It was used to great effect during the recent presidential election here in the United States. Even as the ... Continue reading this article…

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Learning About Investing With the Stock Market Game

by Luke Landes
Stock Market Game

In my mind, no child is too young to learn about the basic concepts of personal finance. From using money to saving money and budgeting, youngest children learn as they watch their parents behave. These are the most important lessons because parents are the ultimate role models. Financial literacy programs that wait until high school ... Continue reading this article…

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Does an Emergency Fund Invite Emergencies?

by Luke Landes
Emergency

I was reading comments on older Consumerism Commentary articles and I came across an interesting statement. A reader, who had otherwise good advice to provide another reader who was pondering whether to use an unexpected $100,000 inheritance to pay off a mortgage or invest in the stock market, said the money or a portion of ... Continue reading this article…

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Barclays Online Savings Review

by Luke Landes
Barclay's Online Savings Account Review

Barclays has enjoyed a long and storied history as a financial industry leader in the United Kingdom. While those of us in the United States often consider a financial company to be historied once it passes its centennial, Barclays was founded in 1690. As an organization, the bank is older than our country. The brand ... Continue reading this article…

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Saving Priorities: Retirement vs. Kids’ Education

by Luke Landes
College education

Having the ability to even ask this question might be indicative of having “first world problems.” Throughout the world, the concept of retirement is foreign. Financial independence doesn’t fit into the concept of life. That isn’t to say that all residents of underdeveloped nations are struggling with life, but the benefits that we live with ... Continue reading this article…

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LastDollar January 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
LastFollar Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. LastDollar is thirty-three years old, an ... Continue reading this article…

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JW January 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
J.W. Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. JW is thirty-one years old and ... Continue reading this article…

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Anonymous S January 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
Anonymous S Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Anonymous S is a 24-year-old engineer ... Continue reading this article…

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Working From Home: A Benefit or a Distraction?

by Luke Landes
Yahoo

Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo, is looking to improve her company’s performance. In a memo from the company’s human resources department to all employees, Mayer made her intentions clear. In order to build a more cohesive company of employees, all work from home arrangements are canceled. The confidential memo was made public by Kara ... Continue reading this article…

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Kathleen January 2013 Net Worth

by Luke Landes
Kathleen January 2013 Net Worth

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Kathleen is thirty-one years old, single, ... Continue reading this article…

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