Jan. 20 is Inauguration Day in the United States. One year from now, will President Barack Obama still be in office, or will we be watching a new Republican candidate sworn in? While incumbents are usually favored, who knows what will happen this time next year.
Read on for my list of 10 of my favorite personal finance blog posts I found in the past week.
Full disclosure: I have never read a Jane Austen novel, my forebears were murderous mountain Scots, not British dandies in ascots, and my Old Vic was an uncle who drank.
Nevertheless, I'm hooked on the BBC period drama "Downton Abbey" and I think I know why: Downton mirrors the financial and cultural turmoil of our times. Just with better hats.
Suze Orman came out with her own debit card this week, called the Approved Card. It's received a lot of attention -- not all of it positive. Some people are aghast that a personal finance expert would push her own product to her loyal following. I have no problem with that. I don't even mind her making lots of money on it. But it had better be a good deal at the same time.
My poor husband. There was Christmas in late December, my birthday is tomorrow, Valentine's Day is next week and we have our first wedding anniversary in March. Even worse, he is in law school, so I'm trying to make things easy on him.
I'm proof that being romantic doesn't have to make you broke. If you need suggestions for an affordable Valentine's Day, read below for my list of favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week -- several of which have many great tips for this.
Matt Kepnes, the blogger behind the popular travel blog NomadicMatt.com, has been jetting around the world for five straight years. I received the latest issue of his email newsletter this week, and had a little smile when I saw that airline credit cards were one of the topics. Matt recommend a site I'd never heard of before called MileWise.com, which helps you track your reward programs. I know this concept isn't new, but the site does something I've never heard of before. MileWise.com's homepage says, "Search flights in cash, miles and points. We recommend the best way to pay, so you save money and earn more rewards." Yes, please!
Please keep reading for my list of my 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week!
: Living with credit 429 New , interesting products 101 Research , regulation , industry reports 233 Rewards 41 Protecting yourself 163 The fine print 71 Credit card miscellany 375 Add category 1 Celebrity Money Watch 4 Print Email Emily's list : Too reliant on plastic edition Emily Starbuck Gerson January 27, 2012 Living with credit Earlier this week , I went to run an errand during lunchtime and stopped at a small neighborhood gas station . I swiped my credit card , entered my ZIP code and waited . Eventually , I was told there was a network error . I looked up , and people at the other pumps had puzzled looks on their face . The station had a small kiosk with a cashier rather than a store . I saw a man yelling at the cashier . He was upset that he had swiped his card only to get an
Looking for a place for my kid to use the potty, I managed to stumble across a quicker way to get through the line at a fast-food joint.
A lot of time, money and energy go into figuring out why people make the wrong choices when paying off debts.
For example, when faced with multiple debts with varying interest rates, people tackle the debt using one of two strategies: paying the smallest debt off first (known as the infamous "snowball strategy"), or paying off the debts with the higher interest rates first (the more logical approach, which, if followed, gets you out of debt faster).
I'm ashamed to say that, for quite a number of years, if not decades, I was a snowballer.
The irony of it all. Financial personality Suze Orman's new and controversial prepaid Approved card has a glitch that few in the media have reported on: In order to load the card with your money, you need to already have another form of plastic.
Her prepaid Approved card has generated gobs of press and decidedly mixed reviews, mostly over its fair-to-middling fee structure.
But this one aspect of the orange-hued celebrity's purple-hued card really bugs me: the discussion of whether it may help those with no bank account (aka "the unbanked") get a credit score. If you have to have a card to get the card, it's highly likely you're already "banked" and the point is moot.
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Credit.com in the News : We’re Named One of the Best Money Websites by Tim Langevin on 02 10 2012 While our credit experts are tirelessly working to bring you the latest news on the Credit.com blog , they are also asked for their insight from other news outlets . We would like to share all our experts’ pearls of wisdom , whether they be from us or a friendly news outlet , so please take a look at this week’s stories from some of our favorite . publications MSN's Best Money Websites Credit.com
, , Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans VeriSign , Pillar of Internet Security , Hacked by Christopher Maag on 02 10 2012 VeriSign Inc . the company responsible for assuring that more than half the world’s websites are authentic , was hacked multiple times in 2010, and the thieves succeeded in stealing . information The company is one of the major pillars of the Internet , responsible for assuring the authenticity of all websites that end in com , gov and net . VeriSign also processes up to 50 billion web queries a day , defends
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans 12 Security Best Practices for USB Drives by Ondrej Krehel on 02 10 2012 How do most corporate data breaches happen Lost laptops and USB . drives Now many businesses have some kind of security practice in place for lost corporate computers , whether it’s encrypted drives with remote wipe , or a call lost-and-reporting procedure . But how many have USB drive best practices on the books Not . many Yet USBs , because of their size , are more likely to be lost than laptops or smartphones . And loaded
, Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Banks , States Agree on Foreclosure Settlement by Credit.com on 02 09 2012 Five of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders have come to a settlement agreement related to a probe by both federal and nearly all state governments over their practices when it comes to foreclosures over the last several . years Ally Financial , Bank of America , Citi , JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have worked with government officials to finalize a massive settlement of charges related to foreclosure abuse , worth
. . Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Google Wants to Get to Know You Better . . Uh-Oh by Eduard Goodman on 02 09 2012 In case you haven’t heard , Google wants to make life simpler by moving to one companywide privacy . policy Yes , that’s right . The company that started out as a little search engine has grown into a behemoth that dabbles in everything from social networking to picture sharing to 3D modeling . And it plans to integrate information pulled from all of those Google services you use to learn more about . you Here
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans 3 Credit Cards for Lovers on a Budget by Beverly Blair Harzog on 02 09 2012 Valentine’s Day is almost here and you’re strapped for cash . No worries Here are three credit cards that want to help you put a smile on your sweetheart’s face without busting your . budget I’ve also suggested the perfect gift to go along with each credit card . See how hard I work for you Hey , I don’t mind because I love my . readers Free Resource : Check your credit for free before applying for a credit card 1. Blue
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Credit or Debit 5 Financial Horror Stories by Jeff Crews on 02 10 2012 Image : naixn It seems like everyone in the United States has some type of plastic card these days . Whether you are going to college and need a credit card , or you are an adult who has used a credit card for years , credit cards and buying on credit” are part of our economy and culture . In fact , it seems like even children are receiving debit cards these days . According to the U.S . Census Bureau , there were an estimated
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Jeff Crews Credit or Debit 5 Financial Horror Stories by Jeff Crews on 02 10 2012 We gathered some outrageous credit and debit card stories to serve as a reminder to take all necessary steps to protect your finances 0 comments by Jeff Crews on 02 10 2012 Jeff Crews is the Content Manager of CreditCardChaser.com and CarInsuranceComparison.com He enjoys showing people the interesting things that can happen when it comes to plastic cards . Whether you need to find the best credit cards or compare
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Eastwood Meets the West Wing by Adam Levin on 02 08 2012 I am a New Yorker . I am a Giants fan . They made my day last Sunday . Sorry , . Gisele Like over 100 million of you , I saw the Chrysler commercial and , for the record , Clint Eastwood made my . day Now , in the interest of full disclosure—my college flame was the granddaughter of a famous Chrysler design engineer—so I confess that I have a warm spot in my heart for those guys , but that said , how can you not appreciate the concept ofHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans 3 Credit Cards for Lovers on a Budget by Beverly Blair Harzog on 02 09 2012 Valentine’s Day is almost here and you’re strapped for cash . No worries Here are three credit cards that want to help you put a smile on your sweetheart’s face without busting your . budget I’ve also suggested the perfect gift to go along with each credit card . See how hard I work for you Hey , I don’t mind because I love my . readers Free Resource : Check your credit for free before applying for a credit card 1. Blue. . Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Google Wants to Get to Know You Better . . Uh-Oh by Eduard Goodman on 02 09 2012 In case you haven’t heard , Google wants to make life simpler by moving to one companywide privacy . policy Yes , that’s right . The company that started out as a little search engine has grown into a behemoth that dabbles in everything from social networking to picture sharing to 3D modeling . And it plans to integrate information pulled from all of those Google services you use to learn more about . you Here, Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Banks , States Agree on Foreclosure Settlement by Credit.com on 02 09 2012 Five of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders have come to a settlement agreement related to a probe by both federal and nearly all state governments over their practices when it comes to foreclosures over the last several . years Ally Financial , Bank of America , Citi , JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have worked with government officials to finalize a massive settlement of charges related to foreclosure abuse , worth
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Consumer Credit Surged Once Again in December by Credit.com on 02 08 2012 The holiday season and improving economy convened to create a significant increase in the amount being borrowed by Americans across a number of different loan types during the month of . December Overall , the amount being borrowed by consumers jumped 9.3 percent in December 2011, which is notable because that came after November’s month-over-month increase of 9.9 percent , according to the latest monthly statistics from
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Debt Paydown : Time for an Attitude Adjustment by Chris Geoffrey on 02 08 2012 I have been lazy and sliding backwards on more than one front . I did not track my spending or food intake for a couple of weeks . 160 I spent more than I should have and I gained a couple of pounds instead of losing weight . Blame it on the rain , the snow , the cold—how do I blame it on the warm sunshine and 65 degree temperatures in Iowa in the middle of winter Today is a new day . 160 I caught up with my backlog
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Big Hospital Bill Negotiate by Gerri Detweiler on 02 08 2012 Brett Goldstein is used to dealing with big numbers . After all , he runs a pension service company . But nothing quite prepared him for the shock of the medical bills he received after his daughter broke her leg and spent less than 24 hours in the ER . The total tab Around 30,000. Although Goldstein had health insurance , his daughter had broken her leg in a fall on someone else’s property , and their insurance would pay the bills .
National Debt Collector Owes America 2.5 Million by Ben DeMeter on February 9, 2012 Karma can be a funny thing . Sometimes your debt collector harasses you for the money you owe , and sometimes you’re the one pursuing them . That was the case this week , when the FTC ruled that collection conglomerate Asset Acceptance must pay its victims clients 2.5 million in civil fines for using what the government refers to as unfair and deceptive methods” to pursue uncollected debts . While this is just a small step back for the massive Michigan-based company , it’s a giant leap forward for anyone who has ever been victimized by this unscrupulous . industry Companies like Asset Acceptance make their money collecting bad debt” that they buy off of credit card companies for pennies on the dollar . DueHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Eastwood Meets the West Wing by Adam Levin on 02 08 2012 I am a New Yorker . I am a Giants fan . They made my day last Sunday . Sorry , . Gisele Like over 100 million of you , I saw the Chrysler commercial and , for the record , Clint Eastwood made my . day Now , in the interest of full disclosure—my college flame was the granddaughter of a famous Chrysler design engineer—so I confess that I have a warm spot in my heart for those guys , but that said , how can you not appreciate the concept ofHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Consumer Credit Surged Once Again in December by Credit.com on 02 08 2012 The holiday season and improving economy convened to create a significant increase in the amount being borrowed by Americans across a number of different loan types during the month of . December Overall , the amount being borrowed by consumers jumped 9.3 percent in December 2011, which is notable because that came after November’s month-over-month increase of 9.9 percent , according to the latest monthly statistics from
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Foreclosure Mediation Can Help Homeowners by Credit.com on 02 07 2012 While critics have said that foreclosure mediation mandates will only serve to slow down the process and create considerable issues for borrowers and financial institutions , a recent study found this is not the . case Currently , there are 19 states that mandate homeowners go through a mediation program before their property can be foreclosed upon , and data collected from those programs suggest that not only do they not
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans The New Breed of Phishing Scams : It’s Complicated by Christopher Maag on 02 07 2012 Maybe you think you can spot scam emails by the broken English , the pleas to wire money via Western Union and the references to Nigerian princes . Think again . The latest phishing attacks are so well-crafted , they look exactly like emails you might receive from major banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America , says Ondrej Krehel , information security officer at Identity Theft 911 Credit.com’s sister .
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Posts Business owners and ID theft by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 The Association of Certified Fraud Specialists recently held a conference to discuss new trends in identity theft . The fastest growing 0 comments by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 Don’t belive the rumors by Emily Peters on 09 29 2005 It’s a common rumor one that simply will not be put to rest the myth : checking your credit data harms your credit 0 comments by Emily Peters on 09 29 2005 Back to school by Emily Peters on 09 29 2005 It’s
Robo-Signing Scandal Now Includes Your Credit Card Debt by Ben DeMeter on February 8, 2012 Have you ever been unfairly sued by Chase Financial Services for your unpaid balance You might have a stronger case for dismissing the lawsuit than you think . This past Tuesday , American Banker reported that JPMorgan Chase and Co . just happened to quietly , unobtrusively and completely stop issuing new credit card lawsuits . While that doesn’t seem like much help to anyone who is currently fighting Chase in court , the implications of the decision are . interesting Why would Chase suddenly dismiss all of their in-house lawyers , who , just months ago , were earning the banking giant hundreds of millions of dollars in delinquency judgments and then pawning them off to third-party collectors Well ,Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Big Hospital Bill Negotiate by Gerri Detweiler on 02 08 2012 Brett Goldstein is used to dealing with big numbers . After all , he runs a pension service company . But nothing quite prepared him for the shock of the medical bills he received after his daughter broke her leg and spent less than 24 hours in the ER . The total tab Around 30,000. Although Goldstein had health insurance , his daughter had broken her leg in a fall on someone else’s property , and their insurance would pay the bills .: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Debt Paydown : Time for an Attitude Adjustment by Chris Geoffrey on 02 08 2012 I have been lazy and sliding backwards on more than one front . I did not track my spending or food intake for a couple of weeks . 160 I spent more than I should have and I gained a couple of pounds instead of losing weight . Blame it on the rain , the snow , the cold—how do I blame it on the warm sunshine and 65 degree temperatures in Iowa in the middle of winter Today is a new day . 160 I caught up with my backlog
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Find the Best Balance Transfer Credit Card for You by Credit.com on 02 07 2012 If you have a large amount of credit card debt and you’re looking to pay it down , you’re probably in the market for a card with a great introductory offer that will let you transfer your existing . balance That makes sense . These days , lots of credit cards come with introductory offers that extend a zero percent rate for anywhere from six to as long as 18 months , and that usually will give you plenty of time to: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans The New Breed of Phishing Scams : It’s Complicated by Christopher Maag on 02 07 2012 Maybe you think you can spot scam emails by the broken English , the pleas to wire money via Western Union and the references to Nigerian princes . Think again . The latest phishing attacks are so well-crafted , they look exactly like emails you might receive from major banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America , says Ondrej Krehel , information security officer at Identity Theft 911 Credit.com’s sister .Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Find the Best Balance Transfer Credit Card for You by Credit.com on 02 07 2012 If you have a large amount of credit card debt and you’re looking to pay it down , you’re probably in the market for a card with a great introductory offer that will let you transfer your existing . balance That only makes sense . These days , lots of credit cards come with introductory offers that extend a zero percent rate for anywhere from six to as long as 18 months , and that usually will give you plenty of timeHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Foreclosure Mediation Can Help Homeowners by Credit.com on 02 07 2012 While critics have said that foreclosure mediation mandates will only serve to slow down the process and create considerable issues for borrowers and financial institutions , a recent study found this is not the . case Currently , there are 19 states that mandate homeowners go through a mediation program before their property can be foreclosed upon , and data collected from those programs suggest that not only do they not
Credit Card Cloning Ring Has Bizarre Sex Initiation Ritual by Ben DeMeter on February 7, 2012 Just when we thought they’d never find a way to make credit cards sexy , a ring of credit card scammers went and proved us horribly , horribly wrong . According to the Athens Banner-Herald , ringleader Vikas Yadav had some very specific requirements for entry into his card cloning scheme . If you’re reading this on your lunch break , we suggest you finish eating before reading . on Yadav , an Indian citizen , came to the U.S . in 2004 to study pharmacology at the University of Georgia . Shortly after his arrival , he was expelled from his doctoral program for plagiarizing . Short on cash , he got a job at a local liquor store and began stealing credit card numbers . Yadav installed a keylogger on
: From Around the Web : 3 Best Strategies for Getting Out of Debt by Joan Barrett on February 7, 2012 It’s no secret that the Internet is teeming with information about every conceivable topic . Some of the advice is accurate , useful or even inspiring on occasion . But unfortunately , the majority of what’s asserted as fact on the Net is downright wrong , little more than fossilized digital hearsay . Worst of all , this tends to be especially true when it comes to financial . matters Luckily , Credit Card Assist is here to help you sort fact from fiction . In a new feature we’re calling From Around the Web , we use our expert connections to bring you the real deal about the debt- and credit card-related problems consumers face . everyday After chewing the cud with top financial advisers
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans The 2012 Election Your Credit Cards by Scott Bilker on 02 06 2012 It has long been said that people vote with their wallets in presidential elections . The idea is that people will vote for the candidate who they believe has economic policies that will benefit them . Whether it is lowering their taxes , giving their business a subsidy or increasing funding for a federal program they use , voters tend to vote for the candidate who they think will be best for their bank . account This idea is what
Financial Advice Zone Investing Insurance Budgeting Debt Bankruptcy Credit Cards Loans Education Foreclosure Help Savings Accounts Credit Score Annuities Mortgages Stock Trading Golden Cross A Buy Signal Ever heard that a rising tide lifts all boats , it works that way in the stock market as well . After a tumultuous 2011 and ending the year just about unchanged , the stock market is rising . What has changed to cause the market to climb , not much . Trading volume is still on the low side . There A Day In The Life Of A Day Trader I am a day trader , I love the thrill of the trade , every day presents a new opportunity . I don’t believe that there is any better teacher than experience , so much of what I know is learned from my trading successes and failures . I stick with what works for
4 Smart Ways to Reinvest Your Tax Refund by Ben DeMeter on February 6, 2012 You’ve spent all year footing the bill for Uncle Sam , so when you get your tax refund this April , it’s time to celebrate with some financial indulgence , right Maybe not . Before you haul off and buy a Jet Ski or some other midlife-crisis toy , stop for a second . Have you considered putting that money to work with something more useful Tucking your refund away in a savings or investment account very year can get you started in the right direction . If you want to give your tax return a better life than the brief one it might have in your wallet , consider some of these beautiful , responsible options : 1 Contribute to a Roth . IRA According to Kiplinger , if a 25-year-old invests 5,000 a year in a Roth IRA with
5 Purchases You Should Never Put on Your Credit Card by Ben DeMeter on February 6, 2012 Contrary to MasterCard s beliefs , you should never pay for something with your credit card just because you can . While there are certainly times when it’s a good idea to charge a credit-building purchase to your account , there also many occasions when you should stuff that piece of plastic so deep into your wallet that it will never , ever see the light of the register . scanner Some purchases just have a way of turning your credit card balance into a financial guillotine , and if you aren’t careful you could lose your head . Think twice about these kinds of transactions : 1 Your bar . tab Almost every bar in the country is happy to start a tab on your credit card , but when it comes to paying for
What’s in Capital One’s Wallet Half as Much as Last Year by Ben DeMeter on February 3, 2012 If you’ve been banking with Capital One this year , you may want to reconsider what’s in your wallet . Last week , the finance giant revealed that profits dropped a massive 42 in their quarterly report . Shares in Capital One , which had climbed 23 over the past three months , also fell 5.3 to 46 by the day’s close . While the drop off in revenue doesn’t exactly bankrupt the 21 billion corporation , it does make you wonder Capital One made its transition from a credit card issuer to a full service lender right before the financial collapse of 2008. Though the company was relatively new to the market then , it managed to issue a startling amount of sub-prime loans before the market fell off . Now
Oblivious Investor Best of the Best Blogger Series by Bill Hazelton on February 3, 2012 In the 44th edition of our award-winning Best of the Best Blogger series , I was thrilled for the opportunity to sit down with Mike Piper from Oblivious Investor While Mike’s path with Oblivious Investor has been very linear , it has been impressive nevertheless . His first job out of college was as a financial adviser with Edward Jones . To his utter disappointment , he quickly learned that his brand new job was less about financial advising and much more about selling Edward Jones financial products and . services Piper was really looking for a legitimate opportunity to help people with his true passion of investment research and tax planning because , as he describes it , knocking on doors and making
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Just Received a 1099-C Don’t Freak Out by Gerri Detweiler on 02 02 2012 Over the past week we’ve been flooded with panicked questions from taxpayers who are freaking out after have receiving 1099-C or 1099-A forms for debts that were forgiven , never paid back or wiped out in bankruptcy . The main theme of these questions is Do I have to pay taxes on the amount on the 1099-C or 1099-A usually followed by HELP My first piece of advice : Take a deep breath You may not have to pay taxes on the
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Google’s New Privacy Policy : Close But No Cigar by Adam Levin on 02 02 2012 Last week was a pretty good one for the notion of privacy in America , which has increasingly become forlorn and tattered as a result of the advancement of digital technology . First , the Supreme Court ruled in United States v . Jones that warrantless GPS tracking of a criminal suspect by the FBI was unconstitutional , and then later in the week Google announced its new privacy policy a model of simplicity and
: Ask the Experts : Why’s The Credit Limit on My New Credit Card So Small by Ben DeMeter on February 2, 2012 Welcome to the inaugural edition of our newest blogging series , Ask the Experts . Every week from now on , we’ll be discussing one of your questions , so if there’s something you want to know about credit cards , the banking industry or personal finance then send us an email If you’re lucky , it just might end up here . If you’re unlucky , we’ll probably reply anyway , because we’re cool like that . This week’s question comes from Adam Alcott , who asks : Why is the credit limit on the credit card I just got so damn small That’s some harsh language , Adam , but we feel your pain . There’s nothing worse than getting approved for a new credit card and finding out that your spending
4 Reasons Why You Need to Get a Mobile Wallet by Ben DeMeter on February 1, 2012 They’re cool , they’re convenient , and if you don’t have one on your smartphone yet , you need to get one immediately . No , we’re not talking about a bedazzled case we’re talking about mobile wallet . apps These handy little programs offer a new , secure way to pay for your purchases by letting you use your phone instead of a credit card . In fact , with the momentum they’ve been gaining over the last few months , it’s only a matter of time before they replace credit cards altogether If you’re still clinging to the pieces of plastic in your pocket , here are a few reasons why it’s time to drop them and get with the 21st century : 1 Mobile wallets are . safer Rather than using magnetic strips to transmit data
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans A Sketchy Way to Manage Your Money by Mark Frauenfelder on 02 01 2012 Would you take financial advice from a cocktail napkin sketch Well , it depends on who is sketching . If it’s your brother-in-law , who likes to boast about how he almost” made a killing investing in Google stock , then the advice is probably not worth the paper it’s on . But if it happens to be sketched by Carl Richards , a financial planner and blogger on the New York Times Bucks blog then it’s a good idea to save the napkin