Why Is A Low Property Value So Bad?

April 8, 2013

My husband and I are still weighing the pros and cons of our recent property appraisal, which left us with an underwater mortgage. We have until the end of the month to decide whether or not we’re going to appeal the county’s decision – and the property taxes that go along with it – and, [...]

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What Can You Invest in Besides CDs?

April 5, 2013

Have you ever invested in Certificates of Deposit? If you’re younger than 25, you might not even know what a CD is, and there’s actually good reason for that. Back in the 80s, inflation was high, which allowed the rates of various investments to grow inflated as well. In that time period, you could invest [...]

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The Ubiquitous 401k: How Much Do You Really Know?

March 21, 2013

Ahh, the ubiquitous 401k…. Is there anything we don’t know about this omnipresent investment? It was conceived in 1978 and rang in the death knell for conventional pension plans by the early 80’s.  Employers leaped at the opportunity to phase out burdensome pension plans which were devastating their balance sheets. Employees found this painless savings [...]

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It’s Official: We’ve Got An Underwater Mortgage

March 18, 2013

I have paid my mortgage every month for six and a half years; for most of that time, I’ve added a little bit more to my monthly payments to pay down the principal. We’ve refinanced to a lower interest rate, and we didn’t buy more home than we could afford. We bought our house at [...]

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It’s Never too Soon to Acknowledge Your Mortality

March 14, 2013

If you are a baby boomer, estate planning should be on your radar. Even if you aren’t, it should! As the old saw goes, “There’s nothing sure in life but death and taxes.” If you’re like most people, you really don’t want to think about this. You shrug it off and say to yourself, “I [...]

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Where should you invest your money?

March 14, 2013

Stock market is hot again! As soon as the stock prices started going up people have got more confident in the stock market, even the folks who declared they would never invest in stock market again just a couple of years ago when we were in a recession. This attitude will lose them money – [...]

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Credit Where It’s Due — Loans and Payment Preferences in the US and Middle East

March 14, 2013

With all the variety life offers, we can afford to pick and choose. Of course, our preferences don’t have to be set in stone. They can change, and in some cases they are in the personal finance world. While consumers in the US and Middle East are changing some of their preferences when it comes [...]

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Why I’d Never Buy Company Stock

March 12, 2013

In mid-2006, I accepted a job working for Hearst-Argyle, one of the nation’s largest television companies. At the time, I was offered two company-sponsored investment options. One was an employer-sponsored 401(k) account; the company would match me $0.50 on the dollar up to six percent of my annual salary. The other option was the ability [...]

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Get Your Business Started on the Right Foot

March 12, 2013

Starting an eCommerce business is a huge undertaking that requires specific considerations and factors that are determined by what works best for you. For example, choosing the right type of business will allow you to reduce your exposure to liability, tax minimization and ensure that you will be able to properly run the business you [...]

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Annuities: What Every Investor Should Know

March 6, 2013

The annuity is not just another investment vehicle. Although annuities are investment contracts rather than insurance policies, they typically contain insurance features such as death benefits and minimum guarantees. This investment is sold primarily by insurance companies. Anyone selling annuities must be licensed by their respective state’s Department of Insurance. Additionally, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory [...]

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