Financial Education

Recipe for a Fantastic Fall Dinner

Let the hibernation begin
Even those of us who like to live in denial every year — wearing flip flops well into October, even in northern states — must now admit that fall has officially set in, and winter is well on its way.
The cold months cause many people to stay [...]

When did fall get here? Image from Flickr.

Dodd’s Reform Bill Threatens Power of Federal Reserve

Debt Relief Would Be a Whole New Ballgame
The people of American are looking for debt relief any way they can find it these days, and it appears that the only way true gains in this area are going to be made is if major restructuring of America’s financial regulatory agencies [...]

Senator. Chris Dodd (Photo: Wikipedia.org)

How To Go About Organizing Your Bills

Bills, Bills, Bills
You see them every day, and you hate to open them. What more exciting news could they possibly bring than reminding you of your obligation? Don’t they realize there is a recession going on? Do they think you have extra cash lying around? Rather than looking at them [...]

Consumers Worried About Debt Relief and Retirement

Retirement funding
Many consumers are worried about debt relief as they reach retirement age.  With news of Social Security and Medicare being tapped out within the next few decades, Americans are looking for other options to retire in comfort.  Fortunately, there are some jobs that still focus on pension plan guarantees.  [...]

Debt relief and retirement

Reduce Your Medical Expenses by Negotiating

Yes, you really can negotiate the cost of medical care
Although many people are not aware of it, the medical industry is one of the few American industries where negotiating the price is not only acceptable, but common. The reason many uninsured or underinsured people are quoted higher prices than insured [...]

(photo courtesy of picasaweb.google.com)

Trim Your Budget to Get Extra Cash

Budgets are tight today
Today, many families are struggling with tight budgets. Even in better economic times, it can be difficult to find ways to save money when there’s little or none left at the end of the month. But when you take a really close look at your spending habits, [...]

A little trim saves a lot of money (photo: flickr.com)

Debt Relief Is Just Four Steps Away

Are Debt Collectors Haunting You?
I just received a phone call with a number I did not recognize.  Naturally, I let it go to my voice mail. (After all, who wants to talk to a stranger?) The caller left a message,  and out of sheer curiosity,  I listened to it. The [...]

(photo courtesy of flickr.com)

Many Business Owners are Hiring Relatives to Find Debt Relief

Hiring Family Members
The search for debt relief has been a strong incentive for business owners to employ their relatives. Statistics are showing that of the six-million-member pool of small businesses in the U.S., about 20 percent of those with 100 employees or more, involve two or more family members. Analysts [...]

Employing relatives in a family business can be a reward path to debt relief, but some precautions are necessary. (Photo: flickr.com)

Can 529 Plans Provide Quick Cash for College?

Saving for college
While 529 education savings plans can’t really promise quick cash for college, in recent years they’ve gained prominence as an effective way for parents to provide for the future higher education expenses of their children. A 529 education savings plan is a tax-deferred investment, similar to an [...]

It can take years to save money for your childs college education (photo: flickr.com)

Using Credit Cards for Overseas Travel

Summer plans
Now that the recession is leveling off, many people are getting ready to start using their credit cards again. Because the economy is projected to reach its turnaround point mid-summer, consumers are looking to use their cards to pay for summer vacations.
Marilyn Dean of Los Angeles, California stated, [...]

Even a place like this is hard to enjoy when you dont know what youre paying! (photo: wikimedia.org)

Should Government Limit Bank Overdraft Fees?

Over-the-top overdraft fees
The Associated Press reports that some senior congressional Democrats want to draw up legislation that would limit how much banks can charge customers in overdraft fees. Personally, I have been slapped with $105 in overdraft charges before for transactions that equaled a lot less than that, so I [...]

With this debit transaction cost $35 more than you think?

Consumers Markets Need Debt Relief Soon

Hard-Hit Markets Feeling the Sting
Consumers need to find debt relief, but some people coming out of the hardest-hit industries may be the most desperate for it. Industries like auto, financial services, retail and mortgage were particularly damaged due to the recession. Although many job markets are showing nascent signs of [...]

Job hunters need a game plan if theyre going to make it in this tough economy and find debt relief. (Photo: flickr.com)

Black Friday 2009: Sears Black Friday Now

Sears – Black Friday Deals Before Black Friday 2009!
I am so looking forward to Black Friday 2009. I’ve been waiting all year for this day to come and boy, with all the hot deals I’ve discovered, I’m afraid I might need an installment loan if I don’t reach my Black [...]

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25103209@N06/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers, Wal-Mart Caskets on Aisle 9

Great Deals, Unbeatable Prices
People go to Wal-Mart for one thing; to save money. I don’t care what others have to say about the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart is one of the best places to go to reduce the probable need of a payday loan. I find just about everything I [...]

(Photo via Wikimedia.org)

Do Credit Repair Companies Really Work?

Credit repair companies
The credit repair industry has gotten a bad rap. Many companies have claimed to help consumers, only to charge them high prices for things the consumer could do for themselves, for free. Other companies have offered high-quality misleading services as “bringing your credit score up 100 points within [...]

Unhappy with your credit score?

Investment Banking: The Power behind the Scene

Behind the plush image
When you think of an investment bank, the image that probably comes to mind first is a well-dressed banker sitting in a plush office on the top floor of a skyscraper. He or she leisurely sorts through a stack of papers on the desk, or takes an [...]

What goes on behind the glossy facade? (photo: geograph.org)

Are Internet Bank Accounts Safe?

Internet banking offers benefits to customers and banks
The rapid rise of internet banking has been a key feature of the financial world over the last decade and a half. There are now banks that only operate online, and traditional brick and mortar banks have websites that allow customers to access [...]

John Herbert Dillinger was an Midwestern American bank robber in the early 1930s

It’s the Right Time to Use Credit Cards to Buy a Car

Car Buying in a Recession
If consumers are in the need of a car, this may be the right time to use credit cards to do it. Most dealerships have huge inventories and no way to get rid of them. The recession has put auto dealers in difficult positions, since most [...]

Credit cards should be used carefully. However, if you need a car, the incentives available now could make using a credit card to buy a car feasible. (Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

People Look For Debt Relief as They Decide How to Spend

Spending money
Consumers are still searching hard for debt relief in today’s economy. Although there are some signs that the recession is coming to an end, many people are still wary of returning to old spending habits and are looking for ways to cut back. Many normal daily activities were put [...]

A membership at a warehouse store can save money. Image from Flickr.