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How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Saving

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Times are hard right now. Medical costs are sky-rocketing, jobs are uncertain, and the foreclosure rate is at an all-time high. Now, more than ever, you need a savings account as a safety-net to catch you during financial emergencies. With Social Security and Medicare on the rocks, you should be saving for retirement, too. You know saving is the right thing to do, so why is it so hard to get started? Prioritize If you're like most people, you have the best intentions when it comes to savings. As soon as that extra money shows up, you know you'll put it straight into the bank. The problem is, extra money never seems to show … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal, Savings

How to Negotiate a Salary Raise

October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Believe it or not, bosses aren't known for playing fast and loose with their company coffers. That's why, even if you are the most valuable employee on your company staff you will, especially in these tough economic times, need to do more to negotiate a salary increase than perhaps at other time. You might also need to initiate the process of prying a raise from your company. It's not encouraging to know that according to a recent national survey, the average raise given to employees by their employer is 2-3 percent. This is easily eaten by inflation, and thus is beyond the scope of this article. Instead, this article is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal

Are Travelers Cheques on a Terminal Decline?

September 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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In this technologically advanced age, people are increasingly making use of debit and credit cards to take care of travel expenses instead of relying on traveler’s cheques. With greater ease of access and security to electronic money, traveler’s cheques no longer provide the same ease and security they once did, hence their decline. While their use may be declining, traveler’s cheques are by no means extinct. The reason for this is that there are times when nothing but cash will do and traveler’s cheques are the only answer. Traveler Cheques Background A traveler’s cheque is the same as carrying cash that is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Checks, Personal

7 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

September 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

People are having more problems than ever with their credit scores not just because of the economy – though that has a lion’s share portion in the blame for the trouble – but also because of past debt and difficulties with repayment. Having a bad credit score is frustrating, even frightening at times. There are many quick fixes being advertised now, but what they don’t tell you is that these are extremely likely to backfire and make bad credit even worse. Improving your credit score takes a bit of time, but it is possible with a few things that should be kept in mind. Watch Your Credit Report Repairing your credit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Debt, Personal, Savings

Should Personal Finance Be Taught At School?

September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Not all that long ago, if a young person wanted spending money, he would find a paper route or a part time job and earn the spending money he desired. His parents were working hard to support the family, and extra money was not available for his wants. He would learn to manage his money by making poor choices that were not all that costly. His money management habits were developed with his own money while he lived in the confines of his parents home. In the twenty-first century, parents provide substantial sums of money to their teens because jobs are scarce, and the students have academic and extracurricular activities … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Debt, Investment, Personal, Savings

Is a Virtual Credit Card Useful?

September 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What is a Virtual Credit Card? Online shopping and transactions are becoming exceedingly common due to their convenience and global accessibility, but they do come with a host of issues. One problem is the danger of personal information theft when people give out their credit card information online. Other problems arise when merchant websites refuse debit cards or wire transfers. Then there is the issue of currency where merchant websites only accept a specific currency like US dollars. The use of a virtual credit card can eliminate all these issues and make online transactions easier and safer. Virtual credit cards have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal

Does Setting Goals Help You Improve Your Personal Finances?

September 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The question of whether goal setting helps you improve your personal finances is an interesting one. Most people associate goal setting with financial success and this is justified in many senses. But we need to get a better idea of how goal setting and personal finances really relate. Setting Goals Begins with “Seeing Where You’re at” One of the main things that goal setting does in terms of personal finance is allow the user to get a clear assessment of where they are financially. This is the primary part of setting a goal: seeing where things are now and then relating that to where one would like to be after a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Personal

Getting To Grips With Your Credit Card

August 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are you ready to come to grips with your credit card? It is not as hard as it might appear. By taking some simple steps and being both patient and proactive, you can get a handle on your credit card debt. Once you do, you will be able to live a life of financial freedom. Pretty amazing, right? Know What You Owe Many folks have a vague idea as to how much they owe on their various credit cards, but that’s it. In addition, numerous people underestimate what they owe. There are two reasons this usually happens. 1. Not recording what they purchase. You probably think you will not forget what you have purchased. The truth … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Debt, Personal

How to Stop Buying Things You Want

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You know when you “want” things, rather than “need” them? How do you cut down on the wants? Whether you're trying to get out of debt, pay down credit cards or save for a home, you need to stop buying things you want. Full stop. No "stop buying things you want, unless it's a really good sale" or "but if it's the last one on the shelf it's OK" excuses. Here are some helpful hints on how to stop buying things you want, in order to live a more financially stable life. Why Are You Buying? Identify why you're buying, or why you want to buy, this item. Purchases are often caused by a variety of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal, Savings

Seven Useful Personal Finance Tips

August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Managing personal finances is often challenging, especially since money can be a scary topic for many people. There are many pieces of advice available on how to improve an individual's financial picture, and some of these tips are better than others. Here are the seven most useful tips for personal finance. Put Savings First Many people make the mistake of saving what they have left at the end of the month. For too many though, this number is zero. In order to make progress towards goals, savings needs to come first and should be done automatically. Banks, investment companies, and 401(k) plans all have automatic savings … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Personal, Savings
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