Monthly Archives: February 2012

What Is Balance Sheet Repair?

Posted on February 29, 2012 by

The latest and greatest fad in personal finance is “balance sheet repair.”  So, what is balance sheet repair, and does your balance sheet need to be repaired? First, what is “balance sheet repair?”  It’s one of those delightful phrases you … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning | Tagged , , , ,

Overcoming Unreasonable Financial Expectations

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

Do you find that some days it just feels like everyone is richer than you?  Read this, and feel better about your financial life. This morning I got a text from my sister that reminded me that being a financial … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Spending, Vision and Goals | Tagged , ,

An Adventurous Palate Can Give You Easy Grocery Savings

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Does healthy eating make your both your physique and wallet lighter?  If you’ve got an adventurous spirit and want to save a few bucks on filling your stomach, have I two simple tips for you:  take a look at your … Continue reading →

Posted in Spending | Tagged , ,

What Does The Lottery Really Cost?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

I’ve met more than one person, in my time, who has a lotto habit.  Now, I’m not going to knock playing the lottery every once in a while, since it’s cheap thrills; but I do want to show what it … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Investments, Spending | Tagged , , , ,

‘Boots’ Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. … Continue reading →

Posted in Handy Ideas, Intermission | Tagged

When Is a Steal Not a Deal?

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

The sickly real estate market and tremendously low mortgage rates have coupled to make houses particularly affordable, at least compared to previous housing prices and rates.  At least, that’s what the CNNMoney.com article “Home buying: Most affordable in decades” by … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Real Estate | Tagged , , ,

You May Have More Than You Think – Renter’s Insurance

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

“Why would I NEED renter’s insurance? I don’t own anything of value,” says the person who never added up the value of their stuff. Have you ever stopped to add up the value of your personal possessions?  You may own … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Insurance | Tagged , ,

A Moment of Perspective

Posted on February 14, 2012 by

“The use of money is all the advantage there is in having it.” – Benjamin Franklin It’s easy, when you concentrate on measuring, acquiring, and protecting money to forget that it’s a medium of exchange.  The only value money has … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Income, Spending | Tagged

Commoditizing Health Insurance – Putting the “Fun” in Fungible

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

Here’s a 25¢ word for today: fungible.  Fungibility means that one thing can be exchanged for another.  It’s an important economic concept and is critically necessary for the functioning of our economy, but you don’t hear too much about it.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Handy Ideas, Insurance | Tagged ,

Financial Literacy Quiz

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

Test your financial literacy!  Are you smarter than most middle-age Americans when it comes to money?  Find out! Part 1 – Basic Financial Literacy Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2% per year. … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Planning, Goodies | Tagged ,

Tracking Income and Expenses for Simple Self-Employment

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

So, you want to start your own small business, or you want to be self-employed.  But, how do you plan to track you income, expenses and mileage?  Let’s keep it simple.  First, figure out what you want to track.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Small Business | Tagged

If You Die, Do Your Heirs Know Where To Find Your Estate Documents?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

So, you go to all this trouble to make an estate plan.  You make sure your assets are titled properly, and there are the appropriate beneficiary designation forms are filed with your accounts.  You put together your will, trust (if … Continue reading →

Posted in Documents, Estate, Financial Planning | Tagged ,

Looking for a Job Isn’t a Full Time Job – But Self-Promotion Is

Posted on February 3, 2012 by

Good news!  Unemployment has dropped to a three-year low of 8.3%.  That means the economy’s all better now, right?  Right? As it turns out, there are still some folks out there languishing in unemployment.  Since there simply aren’t enough jobs … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Income | Tagged , , ,

Real Estate Investing – What’s the Real Story?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by

Every time I hear someone talk about real estate, I get either one of two stories.  The first story is that “real estate is a great way to invest!  You can use other people’s money to make yourself rich through … Continue reading →

Posted in Investments, Real Estate | Tagged ,

Medieval Self-Improvement

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

The search for self-improvement appears to be an eternal one.  Here are a couple of excerpts from a medieval book of poetry (originally in Latin) titled Book of Emblems by Andrea Alciato.  Originally written in 1531, with many subsequent editions, … Continue reading →

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