The media spotlight often shines on the unemployed, but many Americans under 30 face an equally frustrating problem---they have educations and skills but work in jobs below their earning potential. If this is you, the right combination of … [Read more...]
What Happens If You Owe Taxes and Can't Pay?
March 30, 2009 by
For many Americans, tax-time means a refund check. But others may owe Uncle Sam a big chunk of change. Happened to you? You’ll want to make quarterly estimated tax payments this year so it doesn’t happen again. But what if you owe the IRS but … [Read more...]
Beware Credit Cards That Do Not Report Your Credit Limit to Credit Bureaus
March 27, 2009 by
Most credit cards report several pieces of information to the three credit bureaus: Your payment history, your current balance, and your card’s credit limit. That last one is important because a big part of your credit score is based upon how much … [Read more...]
More About Closing Credit Card Accounts and Your FICO Score
March 26, 2009 by
One of the most common questions I receive via my contact form is: “Can I close old, unused credit card accounts without hurting my credit score?” Most often, the answer is no. Here’s why. … [Read more...]
Obama's Economic Plan: What Do You Want to See?
March 24, 2009 by
President Obama will ddress the nation again tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time to talk further about the steps his administration is taking to bolster our uncertain economy. What would you want to ask him? What steps would you propose he include in his … [Read more...]
Spending You Should Not Cut, Even In a Recession
March 23, 2009 by
These days, everybody's looking to save money. And with good reason---the more you can cut back on monthly expenses, the better prepared you'll be to weather the recession, including the frightening prospect of losing your income. That said, there … [Read more...]
How to Open a Lending Club Lender Account
March 23, 2009 by
I have written a lot recently about my strong belief in the concept of social lending---including my own experiences as a borrower with Prosper. Now that my Prosper loan is almost paid off, I decided to get some experience on the other side of the … [Read more...]
Are Joint Credit Card Accounts a Good Idea?
March 18, 2009 by
When I asked readers how you split expenses with your partner or spouse, a few responded that they maintained separate checking accounts but shared a joint credit card account for monthly purchases like groceries and utilities. I recently started … [Read more...]
Pertuity Direct Review
March 17, 2009 by
Pertuity Direct is a new social lending site where consumers can lend and borrow money directly without the involvement of a traditional bank. In this Pertuity Direct review, I'll take a look at some of the features and explain how Pertuity compares … [Read more...]
Renting is Not Wasted Money
March 12, 2009 by
All my friends who bought homes before their 30th birthday love to proclaim that they’re no longer “throwing money away” by paying rent. Although I too aspire to one day own my home, I’ve never felt like renting is wasting money. That’s … [Read more...]
