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Roth IRA Conversion

by Flexo

The option to convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA has been around for a while. Here are the differences between a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA for those new to these retirement accounts. As long as your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is under $100,000 you have qualified for this conversion. Contributions ... Continue reading this article…

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Don’t Let Dealerships Mislead You About Cash for Clunkers

by Flexo

It’s debatable whether the Cash for Clunkers program, formally known as the “Car Allowance Rebate System” or the apt but unoriginal acronym “CARS,” will eventually be seen as successful either in terms of the economy or the environment, but it certainly has dealerships fired up. While the dealers appreciate the customers — without Cash for ... Continue reading this article…

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How to Save Money at Baseball Games

by Flexo

I am not a very good baseball fan. I grew up with the Mets as the team of choice in my family although none of us were much into sports. This loyalty was solidified with the team’s World Series win in 1986 when I was ten years old, the prime age for baseball fandom. Now ... Continue reading this article…

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Earn $500 By Referring Friends and Readers to ING Direct

by Flexo

Update: The waiting list is currently full. Keep reading Consumerism Commentary (or subscribe) to be notified when the waiting list is open again. ING Direct is one of my favorite banks due to their savings account. While ING Direct’s Online Savings Account does not offer the highest interest rate, they are consistently towards the top ... Continue reading this article…

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Iced Coffee Savings

by Smithee

This is a cliché, but I need my coffee in the mornings. I prefer it iced, except in the very brief winters we have here in Texas, and for a long time, I was a loyal customer of the Starbucks Iced Coffee in a Can. I’d have one every morning at least four times a ... Continue reading this article…

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One-Third of Home Loans are Under Water

by Flexo

A few years ago, a coworker formed an investment partnership in speculative real estate. He promised investors a 10 percent annual return and was using the capital to invest in Florida real estate, earning 15 to 20 percent overall. As most of the real estate had not even been inhabited or built yet, the investments ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 17: Buying and Owning a Home in Today’s Market

by Flexo

In this episode of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast Tom Dziubek and I discuss home purchasing and ownership with David Crook, editor of the Wall Street Journal Sunday and author of Complete Home Owner’s Guidebook and Complete Real-Estate Investing Guidebook. Within today’s podcast, David Crook shares his evaluation of today’s real estate market and offers suggestions ... Continue reading this article…

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Some Credit CARD Rules Happen Earlier than Others

by Smithee

When the Credit CARD act passed earlier this year, we weren’t expecting to see many changes until February 2010, unless taken voluntarily by individual companies. Thankfully (for me, anyway, since I have a personal vendetta against many aspects of credit cards, admittedly due in part to my own foolishness), some of the rules described in ... Continue reading this article…

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