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Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to MD, founder of the personal finance website Studenomics.

MD talks with Tom about topics such as his inspiration for Studenomics, how he got through college without having to pay off student loans, and also about things that people in their early twenties need to consider if they’re thinking about buying a home.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast
Buying a House In Your Early 20s: S06E16 / 173

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Table of contents

Consumerism Commentary Podcast[00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek
[00:36] Interview with MD
[00:53] MD’s inspiration for Studenomics
[02:22] The focus of Studenomics
[03:14] MD’s college years
[03:53] Starting off at a community college
[06:00] The start of the blog
[08:31] Paying for college
[13:32] Buying a home in your early 20s: Income considerations
[15:26] Considering your savings
[16:37] Taking into account your relationship status
[18:42] The need to be somewhat handy
[20:51] MD’s current projects
[23:53] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

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Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Jenny Kerr, founder of The Jenny Pincher.

Jenny talks with Tom about how married women can better prepare themselves financially for a divorce. Some of the items she discusses are keeping individual checking accounts, knowing where the money is and being prepared to start a new job.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast
Protecting Individual Finances in a Marriage: S06E15 / 172

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Table of contents

Consumerism Commentary Podcast[00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek
[00:38] Interview with Jenny Kerr
[00:49] Jenny’s inspiration for article
[03:15] Individual bank accounts
[05:34] The need for a joint account
[06:13] Funding the individual account
[07:33] The individual account for emergency access
[08:57] Know where the money is
[10:27] Keeping your resume current
[12:06] Part-time work
[14:21] Understanding the necessities
[15:24] Knowing what benefits are tied to your spouse
[16:40] Identifying policies your spouse could benefit from
[19:13] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

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Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch talks to Andrea Woroch, consumer savings expert.

They discuss when and why it can be smarter to shop for certain items during the winter.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast
Best Things to Buy During Winter: S06E17 / 170

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Table of contents

Consumerism Commentary Podcast[00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch
[00:33] Interview with Andrea Woroch
[00:51] Big appliances
[02:42] Christmas wrapping, decorations and lights
[03:18] Using and selling gift cards
[05:06] Linens and bedding
[05:45] Motorcycles
[06:28] Suits, prom dresses and spring formal dresses
[08:28] Video games and TVs, and consider ditching cable for a Roku player
[12:55] Winter coats and winter sport essentials
[13:50] Jewelry
[14:58] Furniture
[15:45] Don’t shop for the current season at the beginning of the season
[16:36] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

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Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch talks to Kathy Pickering, Executive Director of H&R Block’s Tax Institute.

They discuss the difference between smart investments vs. emotional decisions, the importance of financial planning, and how most people are better off just buying an index fund and ignoring investment gurus.

Consumerism Commentary Podcast
Tax Law Changes in 2012: S06E13 / 169

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Table of contents

Consumerism Commentary Podcast[00:00] Introduction from Bryan J Busch
[00:34] Interview with Kathy Pickering
[00:48] Do an annual review of life changes
[01:26] Extending the Payroll Tax Holiday
[02:43] Federally declared disasters and casualty losses
[04:39] Energy efficiency credit (check the list at energystar.gov)
[05:51] American Opportunity Credit for college students, tuition and fees deductions, and the Lifetime Learning Credit
[08:16] Tax credits for adoption
[11:10] Credit for some plug-in cars
[12:10] Brokers are now required to report cost basis of the sale of stocks and securities
[12:59] Health care reform affects on individual and small business taxes
[17:59] Expired hiring credits
[18:55] Changes to be aware of for 2013
[21:31] E-filing is heavily encouraged and improved
[23:56] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

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Podcast 142: New Year’s Resolutions

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Consumerism Commentary founder Flexo about New Year’s resolutions. Flexo discusses several tips to addressing New Year’s resolutions including performing an honest self-assessment, setting goals that are meaningful to you and breaking them down into more manageable chunks. Consumerism Commentary Podcast New Year’s Resolutions: S06E12 / ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 141: The Behavior Gap

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch and Flexo speak with Carl Richards, author of the book The Behavior Gap. They discuss the difference between smart investments vs. emotional decisions, the importance of financial planning, and how most people are better off just buying an index fund and ignoring investment gurus. Carl has ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 140: Kidworth

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Rudy DeFelice, founder of the financial management tool for children and parents, Kidworth. Rudy discusses several topics about Kidworth including what it does, what inspired him to found it, as well as how Kidworth can help children save towards different financial goals. Consumerism Commentary Podcast ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 139: Buying and Owning a Mac: Secrets Apple Doesn’t Want You to Know

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch talks to Jonathan Zschau, author of the book Buying and Owning a Mac: Secrets Apple Doesn’t Want You to Know. They discuss the staggering frequency of commercials in daily life, how it’s easier to avoid than resist the temptation to shop, and the convincing argument that ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 138: Gen Y Capital Partners

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Scott Gerber, co-founder of the startup accelerator and investment company Gen Y Capital Partners. Scott talks about the mission of Gen Y Capital Partners, their relationship with the Young Entrepreneur Council and their recent partnership with the White House on their “Pay as You Earn” ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 137: Shiny Objects

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan J Busch talks to Dr. James Roberts, author of the book Shiny Objects. They discuss the staggering frequency of commercials in daily life, how it’s easier to avoid than resist the temptation to shop, and the convincing argument that money and possessions don’t make people any happier. Consumerism ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 136: Becoming a Landlord

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Paula Pant, journalist, entrepreneur and founder of the personal finance website Afford Anything. Paula talks about several landlord-related topics, including what to look for when purchasing a property, how tenants see properties different than landlords and the kind of work a landlord should expect. Consumerism ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 135: Discardia

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan speaks with Dinah Sanders, author of Discardia: More Life, Less Stuff. Discardia is a holiday, a philosophy, and now a book that explains why life is more stressful as a result of having too much stuff, or the wrong kind of stuff. The book is filled with advice ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 134: Budgetable

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek talks to Ryan Bales, founder and CEO of the personal finance website and software Budgetable. Ryan talks about how he founded Budgetable with his brother, how the software works and what he feels are the shortcomings of traditional budgeting methods. Consumerism Commentary Podcast Bank Transfer Day: S06E04 ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 133: Laughing at Wall Street

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks to Chris Camillo, author of Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too. Chris advises avoiding standard Wall Street advice and focusing on social networks, personal shopping research ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 132: Bank Transfer Day

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan speaks with Kristen Christian of Bank Transfer Day about why she got tens of thousands of people to agree to move to a credit union. They discuss why banks keep adding fees after posting significant profits, clearing up misconceptions about who can join a credit union, how to ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 131: The $60K Project

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan and Flexo talk with Sarah from The $60K Project about how she and her partner Mike paid off many thousands in debt in less than a year, what they learned along the way, and what they want to do now that they can afford to take some risks. ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 130: Richard and Linda Eyre, The Entitlement Trap

by Flexo

On today’s Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Tom Dziubek speaks with Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of the book The Entitlement Trap: How to Rescue Your Child with a New Family System of Choosing, Earning, and Ownership. Richard and Linda discuss several concepts in the book including the definition of entitlement, the five family laws and reversing ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 129: Financial Blogger Conference, Betterment

by Flexo

Today’s Consumerism Commentary Podcast features two interviews. In the first segment, Tom Dziubek talks with Philip Taylor from PT Money: Personal Finance and Consumerism Commentary founder Flexo about this year’s Financial Blogger Conference. In the second segment, Tom speaks with Jon Stein, founder and CEO of the online investing service Betterment. Jon discusses recent survey ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 128: What to Ask the Person in the Mirror

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with Robert Steven Kaplan, the author of What to Ask the Person in the Mirror. Rob Kaplan has spent his life studying leadership and the qualities of a great leader. He and Bryan discuss the three questions any organization needs to ask itself before it can succeed, ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 127: Your Stronger Financial Future

by Flexo

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks with Mike Egan, the author of Your Stronger Financial Future. In the book, Mike details several popular myths about social security, saving, and investments, and then explains the truth about each one, giving the reader solid knowledge and formulas about how much to save for retirement. Consumerism ... Continue reading this article…

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