Whoever told you “looks don’t matter” lied. + MORE

What to Do if You’re Having Trouble Paying Your Student Loans – moneysmartlife.com We’ve all heard it said that student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, so what do you do if your financial situation is a wreck – or if you’re unemployed – and simply don’t have the money to repay? There actually are a couple of ways to manage the situation even if the bankruptcy option doesn’t exist… Continue Reading On moneysmartlife.com » Dirty Money Spends Faster – libertyinvestor.com If you’re looking for a creative way to save a couple of bucks each day, perhaps you should consider...

Happy Birthday to Me! + MORE

Net Worth: April 2013 – punchdebtintheface.com Well the last 30 days have been anything but normal  for the Ninja household. I don’t know if you keep up with MANteresting at all, but the media gods had favor on us last week. It started with this BuzzFeed article, which snowballed in to a few dozen more articles being written about us and a buttload of traffic… Continue Reading On punchdebtintheface.com » Have Huge Medical Bills? Get Crafty with Your Payments – moneyning.com/ How many times have you skipped a doctor visit you needed because you didn’t have health care coverage? After...

11 Tools Everyone Should Have + MORE

Does Paying Cash For A Car Make Me Crazy? – solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ I drive a 2005 domestic sedan that is in good shape and has just under 100,000 kilometres on it.  It is in good  shape mechanically (I knocked on wood as I typed those words) and it’s only problem is the driver’s door.  The door freezes shut or open on really cold days.  On really cold days I just leave it shut and climb in through the passenger seat… Continue Reading On solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ » The Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards – wisebread.com Updated March 2013 Those who live under a mountain of...

Save Money By Checking the Energy Star Ratings on New Appliances + MORE

Calvin February 2013 Net Worth – consumerismcommentary.com/ 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… Continue Reading On consumerismcommentary.com/ » What the Heck is the Alternative Minimum Tax? – moneyning.com/ Our country has a decades-long history of trying to make sure that high...

10 Ways to Acquire Cheap Formal Wear + MORE

Anonymous S February 2013 Net Worth – consumerismcommentary.com/ 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. Anonymous S is a 24-year-old engineer earning $67,000 a year plus bonus… Continue Reading On consumerismcommentary.com/ » 7 Tips for Using Social Media to Land a Job – moneyning.com/ Social media is more than a way to share images on Facebook for your family and friends. It’s a...

Living for Today Doesn’t Require You to Drain Tomorrow + MORE

LastDollar February 2013 Net Worth – consumerismcommentary.com/ Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and February is “insurance month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series… Continue Reading On consumerismcommentary.com/ » Living for Today Doesn’t Require You to Drain Tomorrow – thesimepledollar.com “Why would I want to live in misery just so I have a few more dollars when I’m old?” This is an exact quote from a recent reader...

Good Investments in a Recession + MORE

4 Steps to Take When Unemployed – free money wisdom Unemployment is not a beloved term in our language, and it is one of the last situations an adult wants to find themselves in. But sadly, for those who entered the workforce right before or during the Great Recession, unemployment has become a fact of life. The most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics put the unemployment rate at 7… Continue Reading On free money wisdom » The Smart Way to Inherit an IRA – moneyning.com/ Even though the majority of Americans are worried about the possibility of...

Anne and Matt February 2013 Net Worth + MORE

Extended Warranties: 4 Questions to Ask – moneytalksnews.com As many guys will tell you, we tend to get attached to our barbecue grills the same way we get attached to our dogs.Let’s face it, a good barbecue grill, like a good dog, is something to be revered, and as such it’s always tough for their owners to recognize when it’s time to finally say goodbye… Continue Reading On moneytalksnews.com » The Perks and Quirks of Having a Home-Based Business – financialhighway.com/ If you’re reading this article, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve already considered a number of inexpensive business ideas and are...

Why Catastrophic is Better than No Health Insurance at All + MORE

Cyprus Reminds The World To Diversify Our Assets And Never Trust The Government – financialsamurai.com Imagine diligently saving $100,000 over 10 years only to wake up the next day to see $93,250 in your account. Now imagine having to fork over $99,000 of your $1,000,000 nest egg right before you plan to retire. The Cyprus president has basically negotiated a 6.75% tax on all deposits under €100,000 and a 9… Continue Reading On financialsamurai.com » 10 Uses for All Those Chopsticks – moneytalksnews.com This post comes from Donna Freedman at partner site DonnaFreedman.comWhen cleaning out a jammed-full junk drawer recently, my new roommate...

Spring means Spring Cleaning + MORE

Expert: The Economy Is Picking Up Steam – moneytalksnews.com JP Morgan economists Michael Feroli, Robert Mellman and Daniel Silver think the economic growth rate will hit 2.5 percent by Christmas, and that not even the sequester, higher gas prices, or the payroll tax hike will stop that.They told MarketWatch, ““If the consumer were down for the count, we’d have a different story… Continue Reading On moneytalksnews.com » How to Build a GIC Ladder – canadianfinanceblog.com Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC) provide a guaranteed form of income, provided you lend your money for a set amount of time. In return for the ability...

FMF March Money Madness, Round 1, Posts 53-56 + MORE

Being Frugal Without Giving Up Your Social Life – wisebread.com Whenever I write a frugality post, I get comments asking some version of, “That’s fine if you’re happy being a hermit in your cheap apartment, but what about people who have friends?” (See also: Not Driving Your Less Frugal Friends Crazy) I think there are three general strategies for dealing with the issues around having a social life while still being frugal… Continue Reading On wisebread.com » The Average Net Worth For The Above Average Married Couple – financialsamurai.com One of the most popular posts on Financial Samurai with over...

The Four Most Important Things in an Economic Collapse or Natural Disaster + MORE

Signs You May Be A Shopaholic And 6 Things You Can Do To Change It – genxfinance.com/ We’ve all made purchases on impulse, whether it be that candy bar at the checkout line in the grocery store or that pair of shoes that you come across that would go perfectly with your new tailored suit or the dress you bought last week. Impulse buying is a major weakness for many, and has its own problems… Continue Reading On genxfinance.com/ » Biggest Challenges to Retirement, Part 1 – freemoneyfinance.com The following is an excerpt from READY FOR PRETIREMENT: 3 Secrets for...