From the category archives:

Personal Savings

Guest Post: Savings Guide for Parents

June 7, 2010

One of the toughest jobs parents have to face is the responsibility of saving up for the family. It can be a difficult lifestyle to adapt into especially for first-parents. There’s also the misconception that savings is only for the kids’ college education when in reality, you can apply this into so many things. You [...]

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Part Three Q&A

May 12, 2010

How can a family best start saving for college? I suggest investigating any programs offered through your state or the 529 plan. Since it’s hard to know what your child will want to do at age 18, or even where you’ll be living, be sure to find out if the money is transferable to another [...]

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College Savings 529 – Part Two

April 13, 2010

A few months ago, I wrote an overview of 529 college savings plans.  Since then, I’ve been asked additional questions about how state plans work. Each state has their own 529 plan, in collaboration with different investment firms.  The states have different rules and regulations, and fees and returns vary.  You don’t have to purchase [...]

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What is a Bond?

April 9, 2010

Did you know that you are currently lending money?  If you own a 401k, IRA, or other long-term investment vehicle, chances are that you are a lender.  So how is that possible?  Well, if you own a bond, or bond mutual fund as part of your investment portfolio, you are lending money from whomever has [...]

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Mutual Fund 101

April 6, 2010

If you have a 401k or an IRA, you probably own at least one mutual fund. Do you know what a mutual fund is, or what their purpose is? This is a very basic introduction. Investing in companies, either in stocks or bonds, may be appealing to you, depending upon your financial situation. But for [...]

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Wholesale Clubs: Know Your Coupon Policies

March 30, 2010

Although I’m not a coupon blogger (and there are some fabulous coupon bloggers out there), I do try to use coupons as much as possible. I do know that some stores offer double-coupons and some don’t, which can really make prices go down a lot lower than the listed price. I’m also a fan of [...]

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Replenishing Your Emergency Fund

March 24, 2010

So, you had an emergency fund.  Then, you actually had an emergency, and needed to use it…. now what? It’s important that you start replenishing your emergency fund as soon as possible.  Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may not be easy.  If you are recovering from a job loss, you may need [...]

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Another Emergency Fund Reminder

March 23, 2010

I’ve talked on and on about the importance of emergency funds. Before spending any non-essential money, or establishing any other savings goals, you should have at least three months (preferably six months) of money in a low-risk account that you have immediate access to. This past month, my family has had four things occur that [...]

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A MUST Read for Anyone Wanting to Learn About Family Finance

March 22, 2010

I know that I usually provide financial advice and information, but today, I’m recommending a book.  If you are serious about taking control of your finances, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore, and purchase “The Millionaire Next Door”.  Instead of focusing on advice, this book is based upon extensive research done by the authors [...]

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Don’t Forget to Comparison Shop

March 19, 2010

I lost my ATM card – it’s probably somewhere in my house, but I certainly can’t find it.  So, I headed to my local bank branch to have a new one made and the old one canceled. While my local branch manager was working on my account, he “noticed” that I only have a checking [...]

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