No, credit cards and the junk mail with so-called convenience checks inside are not melting the polar ice caps.

So those of you who stuck your credit cards in the freezer to avoid irresponsible spending can relax.

However, convenience checks are a major threat to your personal finances for more than one reason, and they could lead to identity theft or fraud. For would-be crooks, it’s as easy as snatching something right out of your mailbox.

That’s all it takes for them to gain access to your line of credit causing serious headaches and financial hardship. Here’s the story of one person’s troubles…

Continue Reading – Convenience Checks – The ‘Inconvenient Truth’

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In September 2008, just as the so-called housing bubble burst, my partner and I sold our house in Louisville for just a few thousand dollars under our asking price. We tried a FSBO approach for one month and had only nosy neighbors for foot traffic.

Luckily, the daughter of a friend (who just happens to make her living as a real estate agent) caught wind of what we were doing and agreed to sell our house for a much smaller fee than is standard. (Thanks again, Sam!) So she listed our house in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and within just one month we had an attractive offer that we accepted.

Continue Reading – How We Sold Our House in a Down Market

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Does collecting unemployment checks keep unemployed Americans from looking for full-time work?

Millions of Americans are waiting to see what Congress will soon decide as a temporary extension of the emergency federal unemployment benefits will expire at the end of February.

Currently, unemployed Americans in 21 states are eligible for assistance as long as 99 weeks. That’s nearly two years, and it’s the longest in U.S. history.

Most Democrats say struggling Americans need to keep collecting unemployment benefits so they can stay afloat and to keep consumer spending from completely tanking. Some Republicans think the unemployed are a bit too comfortable and more Americans will actively look for work if their benefits expire earlier.

But what if instead of limiting the length unemployment can be collected, the government cut back the actual amount given to the unemployed each week?
Continue Reading – An Idea for Changing Unemployment Benefits

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5 Household Items You Can Use in Unusual Ways

Thumbnail image for 5 Household Items You Can Use in Unusual Ways by Kasey Steinbrinck January 20, 2012

Want to stretch your budget and maybe even kill a whole bunch of birds with just a few stones? It is possible to get some work done around the house without purchasing every newfangled product being pushed on you in stores and TV commercials. Inside your kitchen cupboards and medicine cabinet are little secrets that [...]

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Don’t Get Sued: “Three Be’s” for Keeping Your Small Business Out of Court

Thumbnail image for Don’t Get Sued: “Three Be’s” for Keeping Your Small Business Out of Court by Janice Conard January 17, 2012

I’m not a lawyer, but I’m married to one, so I’ve heard many anecdotes about the kinds of business practices that sometimes lead to law suits. What’s surprising to me is that many of the legal issues that arise are extremely easy to avoid, especially if you follow a few simple rules I call the [...]

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Suze Orman vs The Personal Finance Blogosphere

Thumbnail image for Suze Orman vs The Personal Finance Blogosphere by Kasey Steinbrinck January 16, 2012

When you think of the most famous personal finance gurus, two personalities will likely come to mind – Dave Ramsey and  Suze Orman. Davey Ramsey is known for promoting the so-called Debt Snowball method and recently gained the attention and support of many personal finance bloggers when he launched Financial Peace University. Suze Orman, on [...]

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Read These Before Buying Anything Online!

Thumbnail image for Read These Before Buying Anything Online! by Kasey Steinbrinck January 16, 2012

The popularity of online shopping has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. We used to say that in the future we’d never have to leave our homes to buy just about anything. The current reality is that you can shop online anywhere you go – thanks to wireless internet, smartphones and tablet computers. [...]

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Renting? Why You Could be Getting Ripped Off!

Thumbnail image for Renting? Why You Could be Getting Ripped Off! by Kasey Steinbrinck January 13, 2012

The housing market may be a bust. But the rental business is booming. Demand for a place to rent is high, but apartments are somewhat scarce. The law of supply and demand tells us that means prices are going to rise. The cost of renting an apartment went up 8.6% for New Yorkers in 2011. [...]

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What to Do When a Collector Calls (and Won’t Stop Calling)

Thumbnail image for What to Do When a Collector Calls (and Won’t Stop Calling) by Janice Conard January 12, 2012

If you’re being harassed by a bill collector, you’re not alone. According to Gary Rivlin, author of the Daily Beast/Newsweek article “America’s Abusive Debt Collectors,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 50,000 complaints about severe harassment in 2010. That’s a 25 percent increase over 2009 and three times as many complaints as the [...]

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Yes, Virginia, There Is a Financial Literacy Clause!

Thumbnail image for Yes, Virginia, There Is a Financial Literacy Clause! by Janice Conard January 10, 2012

Just last week I complained in Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young that the U.S. education system doesn’t teach students the art of  money management. That’s why I was so heartened to read McDonnell announces personal-finance initiative in the Augusta Free Press.

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