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Raising Interest Rates

by Flexo

Everyone is affected by raising interest rates, but different people are affected in different ways. CNN Money describes how a typical American (homeowner, spender, etc.) is affected by interest rates. Interest rates are simply the cost of borrowing money; the prices paid by institutions trickle down to the consumer. So if you’re in the market ... Continue reading this article…

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Corzine’s New Jersey Budget

by Flexo

The big story in New Jersey today was Governor Corzine’s proposed state budget. You can read his speech here. To summarize, New Jerseyans will be looking at higher sales tax, increased tax on cigarettes and liquor, increased tax on luxuries like limousine services and tanning salons, possibly increased property taxes even after rebates, and no ... Continue reading this article…

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Best Of 2005

by Flexo

As the year is coming to a close, and I will be less available over the next few days, the opportunity is perfect for taking a look at Consumerism Commentary and compiling a list of “best” (or most popular) entries from the year. This will be the 570th entry in 2005, but only a few ... Continue reading this article…

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Fly In The Face

by Flexo

The New York Times proves that in many expensive areas of the country (California, northeast U.S., etc.), it can be much better (financially speaking) to rent rather than to buy the same dwelling. After five years in which rents have barely budged while house prices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and elsewhere have doubled, ... Continue reading this article…

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Carnival of Personal Finance #8

by Flexo

Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance (basic introduction, schedule) and welcome to Consumerism Commentary (about, best of) to any new readers! This is the eighth installment of the Carnival. In this issue: Designer Pets. Free Money Finance discovers the latest craze for dog owners, crossing poodles with other breeds, giving us wonderful breednames ... Continue reading this article…

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More on 401(k) Borrowing

by Flexo

Following up on the topic of 401(k) loans, which was discussed here, there is a new article on CNN Money by Walter Updegrave. This article compares a scenario for two options: borrowing $40,000 through a 401(k) loan and borrowing the same amount through a home equity line of credit. Assuming the two options are available ... Continue reading this article…

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Should You Borrow From Your 401(k)?

by Flexo

Borrowing from your 401(k) is generally a bad idea. There are some positive aspects of doing so, however. It’s a nice option to have if you are stuck with no other choices. Here are some of the drawbacks, as mentioned by Lewis Schiff from the Armchair Millionaire. The money you take out of your 401(k) ... Continue reading this article…

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Saving Money With New Twins in the House

by Flexo

CNN Money profiled a family that needed to put more effort into saving after the motehr gave birth to twins. Some of their tactics include borrowing movies from the library instead of Blockbuster, getting haircuts and exercise at local colleges instead of salons and clubs, and shopping for groceries at superstores. By the way, they ... Continue reading this article…

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