Articles by Madison


American Express Finance Charge Fixed

Posted by Madison on December 28, 2007

I had my husband call American Express yesterday to get the $689.72 finance charge straightened out on his IN: CHICAGO American Express card. He actually tried to call on Wednesday, but the hold time was over 10 minutes. He waited for a few, then handed me the phone to hold when the doorbell rang. Somehow in […]

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How Do I Organize 181 Accounts?

Posted by Madison on December 27, 2007

How exactly do I stay organized with 89 credit accounts, 31 bank accounts, 29 investment accounts and 32 other accounts (not including 14 accounts for the kids and numerous accounts for family members)? That’s what readers wanted to know when I started to describe some of the details of our accounts. I’ll highlight my various […]

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Public Employees can Double-dip on Retirement

Posted by Madison on December 26, 2007

I’ve been finalizing our budget for the upcoming year. Included is determining how much to contribute to our various retirement accounts. My husband works for a university, so he has two plans available to him: the 457 and the 403b.





Merry Christmas from American Express

Posted by Madison on December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas! We made it through our airport adventure yesterday with 2 delays for 4 hours, one rebooking and a trip to the emergency room for a dislocated elbow… but we eventually made it! I hope your Christmas is enjoyable and you are having a relaxing day.





More Personal Finance Sites

Posted by Madison on December 24, 2007

We’re packed and heading off today for a trip down south to visit family for two weeks. It’s the first time we are flying with both boys. However, we can’t sit together because of the limited airmasks. Because they are both under 2 and traveling as infants in our laps, we only had to pay for 2 tickets […]

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Free Online Efiling

Posted by Madison on December 23, 2007

In a recent carnival roundup, Steward mentioned that the IRS is offering free efiling for those who made less than $54,000 in 2007. Here’s some details about the program from the IRS: 





Why I Won’t Spend the Same Amount on the Kids

Posted by Madison on December 21, 2007

Save the guilt and the cash. Give the kids presents based on wants, needs, and the ability to give. Do not give based on meeting a price that was spent on their sibling. I realize this is probably an unpopular stance, as I’ve witnessed many families make sure that all the kids get equal amounts […]

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Finish Your Christmas Shopping Under Budget

Posted by Madison on December 20, 2007

Christmas is only 5 days away. If you are like me, some shopping is done but not all of it. The last few gifts sometimes turn into impulsive buying just to get the shopping done! Here’s some ideas to finish off the shopping without breaking the bank. Gift Cards A gift card is probably on the […]

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Lots of Christmas themed articles at the Carnivals this week. Here’s each carnival, my article and one of my favorite articles from the other writers. Carnival of Personal Finance My article on how to get free efiling was included. Plonkee is celebrating a frugal Christmas. Carnival of Debt Reduction Featuring my Creative Debt Reduction Strategies. Free […]

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Why Am I Unpopular at Christmas?

Posted by Madison on December 19, 2007

I’d like to think that as the family financial guru, I give the best gifts! I put a lot of thought into each one and come up with gifts that will keep on giving, sometimes for the lifetime of the recipient. So why do people dread my great gift giving ideas?