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Best of 2006, January Through June

by Flexo

At the end of last year, I put together a list of the “Best of 2005,” just a collection of posts here at Consumerism Commentary that might stand out. There was no rhyme or reason to my selection. Needless to say, I’m very lenient with my definition of “best.” We’re more than halfway through 2006, ... Continue reading this article…

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You Won’t Be Rich, Maybe Just Solvent

by Flexo

Jeanne Sahadi has a tendency to bring people back to reality, and she does so nicely with her latest commentary, the Not-a-millionaire guide to financial security. She points out that getting rich is pretty difficult unless you’re an investment banker or venture capitalist. If you try to live like you’re rich before you are, you’ll ... Continue reading this article…

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Time for Student Loan Consolidation

by Flexo

It’s time again for everybody’s favorite game show, Let’s Raise Student Loan Interest Rates! I’m your host, Guy Smiley. At the end of last year, Congress announced that student loan interest rates would increase on July 1, 2006. That day is quickly approaching. The increase is going to be significant. Stafford Loans will have an ... Continue reading this article…

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Tax Bill Passed By House And Senate

by Flexo

On Thursday, the Senate passed a new bill, already passed by the House, that extends reduced tax rates, changes the nature of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), eliminates an extension to higher-education tuition deduction, and eliminates a special deduction for teachers who pay for supplies out of their own pockets. The rich — those with ... Continue reading this article…

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TIAA-CREF Funded My SEP IRA!

by Flexo

TIAA-CREF has finally come through! You may have been following the saga. If not, here’s the short version: In order to reduce my tax liability from self-employment income, I wanted to open a SEP IRA. The SEP IRA lets you contribute tax-free beyond the Traditional/Roth IRA limit, but only as an employer. I employ myself ... Continue reading this article…

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Around The Horn

by Flexo

Here are some articles from around the blogosphere I enjoyed this week. Don’t Do Drug Tests for Money. While it’s great to find unique ways to earn extra income, Jim suggests you stay away from drug tests, following the recent news report of a test backfiring in the U.K. What $300,000 Buys You In… Depending ... Continue reading this article…

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Your House: Asset or Liability?

by Flexo

Gurus like David Bach and Robert Kiyosaki profess the best way to get rich is real estate (while their net worth continues to increase through the sale of books and seminars). But what good is increased equity in the house if the only way you can use that money is to sell the house (downsize) ... Continue reading this article…

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Open Trading Window, Increased Contribution

by Flexo

Yesterday, the trading window opened for my company stock, so I decided to take the opportunity to increase my 401(k) contribution. Even though raising my contribution from 4 percent to 6 percent of my salary doesn’t affect company stock (employer matching contributions, which are half invested in company stock, half invested following my allocation rules) as the ... Continue reading this article…

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