Archive for April, 2015


Every so often I load up on American Express gift cards to earn credit card cash back. They are a good way to meet spending requirements on new sign up bonuses. However, since there are fees involved and usually a cost to liquidate the cards, I only buy them when there is a decent cash […]

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Earn a Profit Paying Your Taxes with a Credit Card

Posted by Madison on April 14, 2015

The processing fees to pay your taxes with a credit card are steep, but if you are earning more cash back than the fee you have to pay, it’s a money maker. I routinely pay taxes with credit cards to earn cash back when I have a card with a sign up bonus. Last year […]

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12 Occasions You May Have to Pay Taxes

Posted by Madison on April 13, 2015

With the tax deadline just a couple days away, finishing your taxes is a pretty common theme across America right now. In fact, the White House just released the tax returns for the Obamas and the Bidens. If you are the President, you have to pay tax. Here are twelve more situations you may need […]

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TradeKing $200 Sign Up Bonus

Posted by Madison on April 10, 2015

TradeKing is celebrating their 10th anniversary. They are giving out $200 sign up bonuses this month to mark the occasion. Typically, TradeKing sign up bonuses are around $100. It’s Free Money Friday! How to Get Your $200 Sign Up Bonus Open a new TradeKing account by April 30, 2015. Fund the account with $3,000 within […]

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11 Ways to Lower Your Taxes with Kids

Posted by Madison on April 9, 2015

With the tax deadline creeping up on us, it’s time to focus on some ways to save money on your tax return. Raising kids is expensive. However, at tax time, there are ways those little bundles of joy can save money. Many people know about the tax credits for kids, but they are unaware about […]

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Why You Need Credit Card Rewards for an Emergency

Posted by Madison on April 6, 2015

We talk extensively about why you need an emergency fund full of cash, or a readily accessible Roth IRA used as an emergency fund. What I found out this past weekend, is how handy it is to have an emergency fund full of various credit card rewards points. There are times when credit card rewards […]

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US Bank FlexPerks 20,000 Point Sign Up Bonus

Posted by Madison on April 3, 2015

Last week while cashing out my US Bank Cash Plus card, I mentioned that I converted my US Bank FlexPerks card to the Cash Plus card to avoid the annual fee. As I was reviewing the terms for the U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Travel Rewards American Express® Card I realized something special. I checked back in […]

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We like to compare ourselves to others all of the time when it comes to finances. We see what our neighbors are driving and wonder how they can afford that. We see the private schools our friends send their children to and wonder how they can afford that. The problem with comparing yourself to others […]

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Don’t Be Fooled…

Posted by Madison on April 1, 2015

Happy April Fools’ Day! Most of you will be on the lookout for practical jokes today. Years ago, I shared The Best (and Worst) April Fools’ Day Joke that ever took place in my family. Since most of us are on the lookout today, we will avoid being fooled by the practical jokers in our […]

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