Janice Conard

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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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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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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Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young

Thumbnail image for Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young by Janice Conard January 4, 2012

Generation Y.  Echo Boomers. Millennials. No matter what you call them, today’s young people are struggling to make it in this crappy economy. According to The Project on Student Debt, two-thirds of undergraduates came out of college in 2010 carrying an average of $25,250 in debt, an increase of 5 percent over 2009 and the [...]

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Set Yourself Up for Hassle-free Winter Driving

Thumbnail image for Set Yourself Up for Hassle-free Winter Driving by Janice Conard December 29, 2011

Here in northeastern Wisconsin, we know all about the hazards of winter driving. In these parts, “donuts” and “cheerios” don’t refer to breakfast foods. Rather, they describe the circular path your car takes when it spins out of control on ice or snow. (Whether a driver initiates the maneuver on purpose or by accident is [...]

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Santa’s Favorite Car-Buying Tip

Thumbnail image for Santa’s Favorite Car-Buying Tip by Janice Conard December 22, 2011

So you’re ready for a new car and you’ve decided to buy rather than lease. It’s a good choice, especially if you find a car you love that you’ll want to keep for years. Today you’re in luck, because Santa has a favorite strategy for getting you into that new ride for the lowest possible [...]

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Don’t Get Fleeced By a New Car Lease

Thumbnail image for Don’t Get Fleeced By a New Car Lease by Janice Conard December 13, 2011

When I was fresh out of college and needed to upgrade my transportation from two wheels to four, I caught a bad case of “new car fever.” The financial climate was very different in 1991 and the best deal I could find was 7-percent APR over four years. I was offered a slightly lower rate [...]

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Tighten Your Food Budget: Do Pizza Night In

Thumbnail image for Tighten Your Food Budget: Do Pizza Night In by Janice Conard December 7, 2011

When you’re among the long-term unemployed, you learn a thing or two about stretching your family’s food budget. After my layoff in May 2009, carry-out pizza was one of the first culinary conveniences to go. Fortunately, we don’t miss it a bit. Why? Because we’ve learned to create fresh delicious pizzas like the one pictured [...]

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