January 2012

Cutting Back on the Costs of Raising a Child

Thumbnail image for Cutting Back on the Costs of Raising a Child by Guest Post January 31, 2012

When you first think about having children, it usually evokes images of proud parents, smiling families, and pure bliss at having brought a child into this world. What you rarely think about as you whimsically daydream about adding a new member to the family is the costs that are associated with having and raising a [...]

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Convenience Checks – The ‘Inconvenient Truth’

Thumbnail image for Convenience Checks – The ‘Inconvenient Truth’ by Kasey Steinbrinck January 27, 2012

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 [...]

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How We Sold Our House in a Down Market

Thumbnail image for How We Sold Our House in a Down Market by Janice Conard January 26, 2012

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 [...]

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An Idea for Changing Unemployment Benefits

Thumbnail image for An Idea for Changing Unemployment Benefits by Kasey Steinbrinck January 24, 2012

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 [...]

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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 Stories Before Buying Anything Online!

Thumbnail image for Read These Stories 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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