In the News The IRS spent $42 Million Just to Mail Out Tax Rebate Reminder Letter. $42 million to announce something most of us already know from watching the news? There’s also new money on the horizon. Check out the New Five Dollar Bill or the New 100 Dollar Bill. Identity Theft A reader, Cindy, […]
Archive for 2008
How to Start an Investment Club
Posted byHow to start an investment club from start to finish. We had our monthly investment club meeting this week. We formed the club about five years ago and have come a long way. If you are interested in starting a club of your own, here’s some of the information from the handout at our first […]
Financial success has little to do with money, stocks, bonds, asset allocation and retirement plans. Sure those matter, but let’s not confuse financial tools with the fundamentals. The foundation is based on preparation, planning and the relationship that money has with other aspects of your life. Photography: sweet_chicago1 Five Financial Fundamentals Set financial goals. What […]
Saving on Insurance Premiums
Posted byPhotography: ozzzie When we recently found out the insurance premium for my husband’s motorcycle was increasing by almost 400% we took action. He got quotes from four different insurance companies and also did some digging in forums he reads to see which companies typically had competitive motorcycle rates.
I watched Oprah’s new show, The Big Give, and I am very inspired by the giving and the stories of the families receiving the money. It made me evaluate how we handle our charitable giving. Finding Good Charities To be perfectly honest, I get nervous about donating to charities that I’m not involved with directly. […]
Eating Out The Wisdom Journal has a great article on tips for eating out as a family, but only paying for one. He turned me on to a great site: My Kids Eat Free. We like to eat out, so I found some new restaurants and which days to go. We also found that one […]
Buying a New Car? Skip the Negotiations
Posted byIn Save Money at the Pump a reader, Jim, mentioned that he could sponsor my purchase of a new car. That reminded me of some great discounts that exist when buying a new car. Many are hard to beat if negotiation makes you queasy. If you are a great negotiator you can compare the discounts […]
After my husband read our net worth update, he asked why our portfolio was declining and if contributions wouldn’t offset the declines. I explained that we had reduced our savings contributions significantly in the last few years, which alarmed him. Actually, the strategy I came up with is anything but alarming. Here’s an example of […]
February 2008 Net Worth Update: -1.8%
Posted byOur portfolio declined by 1.8% in February. It brings our year to date total for 2008 to -5.6%. The total percent increase (not to be confused with total return) of our portfolio since the beginning of our dollar plan is 989.6%, dipping under 1000% for the first time since last July. The Good News Despite the declining […]