Archive for the ‘Debt’ Category
Getting Out of Debt vs. Saving Money
Posted June 15, 2009 by Bernz
There are two conflicting tips that are offered by financial experts during these turbulent economic times. The first is to pay off your debts and to save money. For an individual who is already overextended, how would you know which one you should prioritize? Well, each situation is unique and it is difficult to generalize when it comes to situation of each person.
However, there are several questions you need to ask yourself before making the decision:
• How much do you have in your savings right now?
• How much money do you owe?
• How much interest are you paying for your debts?
• How much are you earning every month?
• How secure is your source of income?
Essentially, people who are not worried about losing their current source of income in the near future should focus on debt repayment. They should start paying off the debts with the highest interest such as credit cards before moving to secured debts. In addition, if the amount of debt you owe is easily payable within one or two months, don’t put it off because it is just a waste of interest money. The main point is, you should plan debt repayments thoroughly and carefully. (more…)
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Tags: debt consolidation, paying off debt, Saving Money
Posted in Credit Card Management, Debt, Financial Goals, Saving Money | No Comments »
Managing Our Credit Cards – Are we Disciplined?
Posted April 7, 2009 by Bernz
I will never apply for another credit card again….. Really?
Well, yesterday afternoon I broke this rule. I have never open up a new credit card in almost 4 years. My wife and I only uses American Express card whenever we go shopping and pay this card in full every month. We like AMEX the fact that this is the only credit card that Cosco accepts and we do shop there almost every week.
As I said we decided on opening up a new credit card yesterday. A store credit card in fact! We were buying some stuffs for the Kids and the store was offering a whopping 40% additional discount if we open and actually use their store credit card, and the offer was good for yesterday’s purchases only. I was not very thrilled about this but the wife thinks it was well worth it.
This incident prompted me to write about how we can best manage our credit cards. Hope you find these tips helpful as we’ve use these ourselves in managing our credit cards when we use to have about 10 of them ourselves combined. (more…)
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Tags: credit cards, managing credit cards
Posted in Credit Card Management, Debt, Financial Education, Saving Money | No Comments »
Financial Literacy- Does It Still Work?
Posted March 30, 2009 by Bernz
Financial literacy means being savvy with your cash flows and understanding your financial transactions in order to make better decisions that will protect and increase your wealth. Many feel that financial literacy is no longer useful or relevant in the face of our current economic meltdown. They feel that, no matter what consumers know or do, they will be hurt in this recession.
However, financial literacy is more important than ever. Understanding your financial position and how to navigate through tough economic times will give you a leg up in ensuring your financial security.
The people who will survive and thrive in today’s economy are those who have a handle on their personal finances. They know what they own and what they owe and they know where the cash is coming from and going. Every dollar that comes in has a name- meaning they know exactly where it is going.
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Tags: budgeting, financial education, financial situation, Frugality, personal emergency funds, personal finance, Saving Money
Posted in 401k, Debt, Estate Planning, Financial Education, Financial Goals, IRA, Index Funds, Investing Basics, Investing Strategies, Investing in Real Estate, Life Insurance, Loans, Mutual Funds, Retirement Planning, Roth IRA, Saving Money, Saving for College, Simple IRA, Stock Market Investing, Tax Reduction, Traditional IRA, Wealth Building | No Comments »
Will the “Bad Bank” Plan Work?
Posted January 30, 2009 by Bernz
As discussions continue in the White House and on Capitol Hill about what the next steps should be in helping banks survive the current economic crisis, one idea that keeps floating to the top is the “bad bank” plan. The Treasury or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would set up a new bank to buy up all of the so-called “toxic” assets carried by major financial institutions. This would allow all of the other banks to cleanse their balance sheets and give them the liquidity they need to continue operating, according to the theory.
The “toxic” assets include the bundled derivatives and mortgage-backed securities that got the banks into trouble in the first place. The complexity of the assets became so great that banks, regulators, and auditors were unable to place a value on them as they could no longer be directly tied to individual mortgages. As mortgage failures increased during the recent real estate collapse, the assets’ worth looked dismal. The market for them dried up and banks were left holding the proverbial bag.
Popularity: 33% [?]
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Tags: bad bank, bad banks, Bank of America, citi, JP Morgan, Loans, mortgage, stimulus, taxes
Posted in Debt, Financial Goals, Misc | No Comments »
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