Ask the Readers: How can I help my father get financially set? + MORE

Coupons are great when it comes to saving a few pennies here and there, but it’s not always easy to clip them out of the paper or remember to print them before heading to the store. Thankfully, the Internet has changed the couponing game, making it easy to find nearby deals and discounts, and even […

Just a heads up that there’s a new post on Wealth Lion today titled Welcome to Wealth Lion. It gives a summary of the few posts already there plus lists upcoming posts for the next couple of weeks (hint: some details on real estate properties will be shared). 🙂
If you’re interested, you can see the post here…

I could hardly believe it when I looked at the calendar and realized that the year is halfway over. This time of year is a perfect time for performing a financial checkup on yourself.
A financial checkup can help you pinpoint problems with your finances, and recognize issues that need attention. As you perform a checkup on your financial situation, here are a few things to keep in mind …

Dealing with family members who aren’t as financially savvy or frugal as you are is a common problem. Reader Mike in New Hampshire wrote to tell us his dilemma, and he wants your thoughts on what he should do. Here’s his story: In college I majored in Communication and Journalism, so when it came time to choose electives to meet the requirements for math and science I had pretty simple goals: Find the easiest possible classes that had nothing to do with Calculus or Anatomy and didn’t start at 8 a…

Boy, things sure do go fast once you put your mind to things. Just over over 3 weeks ago we decided it was finally time to move to a new area, and then almost 2 weeks after that we find and lock in our new place – and now, 2 more weeks later, it’s time to move out! So cool how quick it’s all going!
And we’ve got an interesting game plan here to finish it all up, too :)First, we need to get everything OUT of our current house (happening this weekend)
Then, we need to put it all in storage for a month until it’s time to move into our new home
Then it’s off to renovating our current house to prep for new renters (which we still need to get!)
And finally, we’ll be relocating to our next holding place until it’s officially time to move…

Happy Friday everyone. I hope you have had a good week. This weekend I am headed out to celebrate with one of my best friends at her bachelorette party. It is so nice to share milestones in life with close friends. We are heading out hiking and then some yoga at a local park and then on a river boat cruise in the evening…

Welcome to the weekly Friday giveaway roundup! Every single Friday we post giveaways ending within the next week. If you want to make sure you never miss one of these posts be sure to subscribe via RSS or Email.

Bud Nyquist 1929-2013
This week my wife’s grandfather passed away. It wasn’t unexpected as he was in hospice care, but it still doesn’t make it any easier for anyone who was close to him…

Tax planning is less of a guessing game these days with the tax law settled, at least until Congress decides to push some kind of tax reform.
In the wake of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, we need to revise and rethink some strategies about Roth IRAs, especially about converting traditional individual retirement accounts to Roth IRAs…

This week the Passive Income Earner revealed their Dividend Stock Research – Understanding the Track Record.
The Retire Happy Blog tells you How to Be a Better Investor.  Everyone can use this advice.
It’s graduation season and you probably have quite a few graduates in your family.  The Financial Highway is here to help with 10 Great Graduation Gifts for Under $20…

What do you call an economic system that takes most or all of the money you earn? You might have asked blacks in 18th century America, or you could ask taxpayers in France under French President Francois Hollande.
Thanks to the tax surcharge imposed by Hollande’s Socialist government last year, more than 8,000 French households had a tax bill that topped 100 percent of their income…

If you’re just graduating, I feel for you.The economy is still bogged down and the job market is soft — not a great time to start out in the world.But don’t make it worse by getting your financial life off on the wrong foot and developing bad money habits. In no particular order, here is a list of money moves to avoid as you enter the real world…

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis. I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Calvin is in his early 40s, earning a salary of $120,000 plus bonus as an IT project manager in New Jersey…

I get this type of question all the time. A family member or a friend is trying to get a loan for some reason. Those evil banks won’t lend them any money. They want you to cosign their loan for them. It won’t cost you anything (so they say) and it’ll help a friend out!
Let’s reword that question into the reality of the matter…

One of my 2013 goals was to get life insurance. I had a pretty hefty life insurance policy with my old employer, but now that I’m self employed, I don’t have any life insurance coverage at all. However, my situation is a bit unique and I’m not sure if I really need life insurance. That’s why I have been procrastinating…

Extreme early retirement is not in my future because I am already in my late 40s and only have about $10,000 in various work and private investments.  The plan is to add about $15,000 to that pool every year for the next 9 or 10 starting in 2014 when I finish with debt.  That $15,000 savings includes the  amount my employer matches in my work pension…

Hi! Thanks for tuning in to this week’s writing wrap up!
Life Update
I’ve enjoyed my vacation from work. It’s rainy season here in Grenada, though, and so I haven’t gotten to squeeze in much beach time. However, yesterday the clouds parted and the pool called my name. Obviously, even with a little freelance work to do, I had to take advantage and enjoy eating a nice salad for lunch poolside!
I’m starting a new project at work on Monday for the month of June, which will involve a lot of visiting different parts of the island…

When most people think about buying life insurance, they don’t realize how many different options there are to choose from. Choosing the best policy requires understanding each option, and then knowing if that options is right for you and your family. Types of life insurance that a person or family might see while shopping will include term life insurance, whole life insurance, and simplified issue, among others…

Subscribers send me dozens of questions and comments every month. While I can’t always address each one individually, I do read them all.
One question we income investors are asking ourselves right now is: “Should I own bonds?”
The answer is yes; but for reasons I’m about to explain, you will need to be cautious…

Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s struggling with money. Other times, it’s obvious.
Whether you know it or not, here are signs you’re broke and may be showing it.
1. You have more things in your home than dollars in your bank account
Hoarding? Too many things may = too little money
Image by: puuikibeach
2…

Prescription drug coverage can sometimes feel overwhelming. I know — I recently navigated an authorization process for my teenage son’s acne medication that took several phone calls and 10 days to complete. And I’m not alone in feeling stressed about prescription coverage — according to a recent survey conducted by Walgreens, 37% of the more than 31…

Though we all know that overdrafting your bank account is bad, it’s also something that we’ve probably done with minimal — if any — consequences. For a few reasons, overdrafting has recently become an easier and more acceptable bad financial habit.
Why Overdrafting Has Become More Common
Overdraft protection
Before overdraft protection, you had to deal with the embarrassment of bounced checks and declined transactions…