With the recession, loss of jobs, and unwillingness of banks to give out loans like they used to, many Americans have turned to their 401K for a loan. Aside from the fact that I cringe at the thought of taking money away from retirement—even at the young age of 29, even though I know it […]
Articles by Amanda
As the tax deadline approaches, it is time to start thinking about some of the tax questions that are still lingering: What will the home office deduction do to your taxes if you sell your home? I freelance as a staff writer, as well as own my personal blog Frugal Confessions. For the 20-30 hours […]
Our Refinancing Experience Thus Far
Posted byI have a confession to make: we have been procrastinating on refinancing our mortgage. There are good excuses; we only purchased our home two years ago and I can clearly remember the plethora of intimidating closing documents as well as all of the financial documents we had to gather in order to make everything happen. […]
I have so many wonderful ideas for our backyard. My ultimate vision of paradise is to make our backyard completely edible. How wonderful would it be to lie in our hammock (conveniently shaded by vines of wine grapes), munching on handpicked strawberries and blackberries? Or saunter over to our lemon and lime trees and pick […]
I previously discussed my employer-sponsored pension plan where I contribute 6.45% of my paycheck and the state agency I work for matches this contribution with another 6.45%. I will be vested in this plan after five years. However, while researching for that article I found that only 31% of employees were offered a pension plan […]
Tax credits reduce the amount of money dollar-for-dollar that a taxpayer owes. Some popular ones include the Saver’s Tax Credit, the Earned Income Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the child tax credit. For many taxpayers, claiming a tax credit means we get a refund from taxes we have all ready paid throughout the […]
Social buying sites are no longer a new experiment for frugal people. These sites are established, have commercials, and have managed to raise considerable funds in the few years they have been around. Groupon’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) raked in an impressive $700 million which made it the largest IPO since Google in 2004. LivingSocial, […]
I work for the state of Texas and about once a year I get a statement from our Employment Retirement System. Each month I contribute 6.45% from my paycheck towards a pension and the state agency matches this contribution. Among other things, the most exciting part of the statement is the chart where it details […]
How to Avoid Foreclosure Scams
Posted byIn 4 Foreclosure Scams to Watch Out For we discussed some of the most prevalent foreclosure scams out there. But how are you supposed to avoid these scams, especially since at the time when you are being approached you are most likely feeling vulnerable and extremely eager to get out of your present situation? Below […]
4 Foreclosure Scams to Watch Out For
Posted byWhere there is opportunity, there are people to take advantage of it. Unfortunately scammers take advantage of opportunity to the detriment of others. Opportunity to a scammer is when a person is vulnerable, overly hopeful of finding help, and so eager to get out of their current situation that they fail to fully research any […]