In the right hands, a credit card can be extremely useful. Offering access to goods, extended borrowing terms, variable rates of interest and strong legal guarantees, there are plenty of reasons why people should use credit cards. The problem is, if you do not clear the balance as soon as possible and let interest accumulate, debt can build up – fast! Credit habits In February 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) published data on Britons’ personal indebtedness. The research revealed that the average family in the UK owed around £7,900 on overdrafts, unsecured loans and credit cards. Worryingly, the study found that 25%...
Well it is Friday again. Do these weeks seem to be flying by or what? I had the privilege of watching a Hangout that turned into a Youtube live session on taxes last night. The session was hosted by Carrie at CarefulCents.com along with her 2 co hosts Andrea at Nuts and Bolts Media and Emily at EmilyChaseSmith.com. Speaking of Emily Chase Smith.com, last week I received an email that said, “Wanted to let you know that I mentioned you as one of the 15 Financial Great Brains You Must Know.” Thinking it was spam at first, I made sure...
With the recent introduction of new government guidelines on pensions, there’s never been a better time to start looking at how to fund later life. The reform includes a new flat-rate state pension worth an estimated £144 per week in today’s money, to provide the UK’s elderly with ‘the minimum’ they will need. If you’re in your 20s, you may feel too young to be thinking about retirement, particularly with the government’s plans to bring the state pension age to 66 by 2020 and 67 by 2028. However, the reform has been established to put more responsibility on the individual...
Float Money (www.floatmoney.com), has recently unveiled a completely unique lending model which could restart the consumer credit industry. Float gives members the opportunity to access a line of credit that is repaid interest-free. Float members leverage their regular shopping with Float’s retail merchants into a tangible asset – loyalty. How Does it Work? Float members build a credit line (the Float Line) which is determined by two things: The user’s Membership Level, which is initially determined by credit score and then rises over time as the user continues to use Float. The user’s average monthly shopping through the Float network...
Well well well…I have not done too much reading this week, it has been a week more of cleaning things up trying to get ready for the next week. I have a few other side projects I am working on that have been taking a lot of my attention. I bet you are reading some fine reading around the web today, you will notice that I am out there in 2 places. Jacob at Iheartbudgets was kind enough to allow me to guest post on his site and also I am over at add-vodka thanks to Daisy. After these past...
The past five years have been some of the most economically troubling in recent memory. Large banking institutions have come under scrutiny, entire corporations have gone bankrupt and the financial markets have taken a battering. Indeed, this news has made headlines throughout the world; the word “crisis” garnering an unprecedented amount of attention. While historians may look back upon these times and cite the global financial meltdown as perhaps the most newsworthy story, the truth of the matter is that most businesses face a much more acute risk other than the overall financial outlook. A properly managed small to medium-sized...
Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking – not just for the new employee, but often for the employer as well. A new member of staff can change the dynamics of an office culture; get it wrong and they can turn a harmonious team into a disgruntled one, get it right and they can become an asset to the team and company as a whole. As an employer getting through the recruitment process can be daunting enough. Nowadays there are many forms of recruitment, from in-house HR departments to recruitment software, there are even companies that specialise in providing outsourced...
First I want to thank Sean at One Smart Dollar and the fine folks from Ready For Zero for putting on a fabulous competition for Top Personal Finance Blog of 2012. The one thing that I am very happy that came out of this competition is, my traffic stats have been through the ROOF. I am super pumped about that. My newsletter, my feed count, my page views there is not one aspect that has not seen improvement. We were running up against some of the bigger sites and I know they didn’t publicize it much, because if they did...
Even before marrying into the military, I did quite a bit of moving. Each time I moved, I learned a little more about how to expect the unexpected when it came to moving expenses. Everyone knows to budget for the truck and boxes and the first month’s rent on the new apartment. But what about all those (not so) little expenses that seem to creep up out of nowhere? Now most of my experience is in the long distance move category, and hiring long distance movers can ultimately save you money in the long run, but I really think the...
Parents want the best for their kids and strive to provide all of the advantages that money can buy. One often-overlooked need is for children to learn how money is earned and how best to manage their resources. This can leave them vulnerable to the traps of over-spending and borrowing too much. Parents can help their children learn to manage money as soon as they begin asking for things at the store. They can then build on the knowledge gained to ensure their child’s future financial welfare, and teach them about everything from saving allowance money to the best types of jobs to...
There are many reasons to start your own business. Perhaps you have always longed to be your own boss and you have just needed something to nudge you into starting position. Maybe fate has pushed you that way after you have been made redundant and suddenly you may have a small amount of capital that you can invest in doing your own thing. Whatever your motivation is, if you are up for it, and you can face the highs, and ride out the lows, then working for yourself can be an exciting experience. The first time an invoice gets paid...
There are many benefits and advantages to online car insurance, and a person who applies for online auto insurance can have a car insurance policy that provides exceptional coverage very quickly. Meeting Or Exceeding the Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements There are many online auto insurance plans that will meet or exceed the minimum car insurance coverage requirements in each state. Before a person buys auto insurance, they should definitely check the minimum requirements in their state, and usually, online car insurance providers will only offer insurance policies that meet or exceed the minimum requirements for the state that the customer...
There are thousands of gadgets you can buy for your vehicle, but it’s hard to know which will be worth the money. Some car gadgets claim to improve fuel efficiency, while others make the undercarriage of your vehicle glow neon purple. If you’re looking for a car gadget that’s both practical and worth the cost, consider one of these car devices. GPS – No device has changed the way we drive in recent years quite like the GPS navigation system. Whether you use GPS navigation on your mobile phone, or as a stand-alone unit, this device can help you find...
I recently read a press release from Spring Arbor University, a Christian university in Michigan, that they will automatically enroll new students in their loan repayment assistance program. The program guarantees that the college will help repay the student’s loans if their income does not meet the “upper-income threshold” of $37,000. The school’s main motivation for this new program? According to Spring Arbor President Charles Webb, it is to provide “students and their families with peace of mind”. This is a fascinating concept. Spring Arbor College has essentially taken a bold stand against the rising costs of tuition. They have...
Freelancing is a very profitable market; you can set your own prices, work when you want, and you can enjoy tax efficiency. Similarly, writing for the web is a very lucrative job. Content is on everyone’s lips at the moment, and content marketing is the way forward for all business’s to boost their brand awareness. There’s no two ways about it; writing informative, engaging, shareable content is the best way to get a company known on the vast playing field that is the World Wide Web. And the way Google is going, it is essential for businesses to publish high...
The goal of the Structured Settlement Institute is to provide knowledge to people about the Structured Settlement Industry, and how to conduct business with the competing firms. A major goal is to provide resources to everybody on the legal points that go along with the buying or selling of annuities and settlements. A visitor to the site can get a recommendation as to which firm will best suit their needs. Anyone that is going to be involved with structured-settlements should visit the Institute’s site and gain some knowledge on which option is best for them. The Institute knows full well...
Are you someone who is not being able to keep your debts under control due to the lack of funds at your disposal? With the sluggish job market growth and the lack of money in the hands of the consumers, an increasingly large number of people are not being able to control their funds as they’re spiraling out of control. Managing your personal finances is certainly an intimidating task but when you have too many debt obligations to handle, personal finance management becomes a necessity. There are personal finance tips that you need to follow and if you’re not aware...
Community Groups are non-profit organisations that work towards enriching the lives of people that live within a local community by offering them help and support. Recently, Google has launched a new campaign to help 30,000 smaller charities and community groups go online, which aims to increase reach, fundraising and engagement. Like many other non-profit organisations, these community groups are run on a voluntary basis and are self- funded. In recent years, it has been suggested that community groups are much more effective at addressing the requirements of a local community than many larger charitable organisations, which highlights the need for...
Good Morning, While you are enjoying your cup of morning Average Joe, make sure you get out there and vote for your favorite personal finance blog of 2012. If you cannot decide do not worry you can select up to 3!! Receiving this nomination has been a humbling experience just seeing the list of names that my site is apart of. So what exactly comes with being the best personal finance blog of 2012, well it means $100 will be handed out to one of my lucky readers, how is that for starters??? Now that the Money Life and More...
Are there places you want to go to or even eat but can’t afford to pay full price? Well, maybe Rather-Be-Shopping.com will assist because there are methods to save money. The only thing that is a must to do is use your time to go online and find it. The reductions that we are referring to are just like these discount coupons that you’ll normally find when you look at the newspaper, magazines or flyer given out by the grocery store. When you are able to discover these web sites, your savings can be huge. You typically don’t have to...
Hi. I’m Christine and I’ve never had a credit card. <Hi, Christine.> I’ve also never had a loan in my name or done anything else that would give me “credit history.” How in the name if 2013 did this happen? I know. Everyone has had a credit card or a loan. But, since I was fortunate enough not to need student loans to pay for college and in my early twenties I avoided credit cards like they were the plague I made it to my mid-twenties with zero credit history. I was raised in a “don’t buy it if you...
Most people dream of owning their own homes, however not everyone has the funds and means to be able to do so, particularly in these tough financial times when home loans are more difficult to obtain, or housing prices, way out of our reach. For the majority of us, securing a home loan is the only way to reach our dreams of owning a home. However difficult this may seem in the current market, financial experts say that it is achievable to secure a great home loan in these current financial times. Firstly, you have to assess your current financial...
If a person owns a car, there is likely to come a time when they wish to sell it. This is usually an inescapable element of motoring. Now we are well into the 21st century, most things can be accomplished while sitting comfortably in an armchair, and selling a car is one. Legions of websites sell cars, although larger ones ask for a fee. Vast numbers of people pass through eBay.com and Craigslist, and the latter is free. EBay is sometimes used to sell objects as expensive as a Holden Captivia, and as you would discover from reading a Holden...
Today’s post is about having problems and it seems as though many of them stem from money or the lack there of. Lately it seems as though every time my wife goes to the store her grocery bill is bigger than the last one. Not only does it create friction between us because I am always asking what she is buying but it is friction in the wallet seeing the balance get depleted quickly just from a food purchase. Do you have similar situations that go on at your house that cause friction like this? Between our student loan payments,...
Well, It has been quite a while since I did a roundup.. I almost forgot how to write one. I have some very exciting news going on over here on my sites… I hired a staff writer, her name is Christine and she writes over at My Everyday Life Blog. I am really excited to have another writer on board and to give you the reader a different perspective other than mine. Hmm what else is going on with me since my last write up. I hired a virtual assistant out of the Philippines her name is Queenly and she...
