The Perfect Stock + MORE

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be, of course, but eventually I’m sure you will find someone like you here), get to know the frequent commenters on the site, and hear some financial wisdom/challenges from people other than me…

We’ve 100% officially decided to put our house on the market this month to be rented out. Making us a) automatic investment property owners – woo! and B) Scarrrrrrred out of our mind with all the work we now have to do to get it in tip top shape, haha… But we’ve gotta start somewhere! So all last week we’ve been lining up our ducks to figure out what needs to be done, and when…

This is a re-post but highly relevant.  Enjoy!
As most people filed their tax return before the income tax deadline, it’s now a matter of waiting for that juicy tax return.  Most consider tax refunds to be ”free money” that was unaccounted for.  And it’s true, you can do whatever you want with the money…

 
 
How You Can Try Products Without Buying Them First
Oh, the joy of getting something for free. Ever wondered how to get free stuff to sample.  The allure of samples is hard to resist especially when you want to try new products but don’t have the means or courage to spend your money on an item that you may or may not like…

This post is from staff writer Sarah Gilbert. I am writing this after the third weekend in a row of attending professional conferences. While I wouldn’t suggest such a schedule (it was a fluke of the calendar I hope won’t ever happen again!), I came away from the experience renewed with the belief that, no matter what your field, attending conferences — given the usual caveat that moderation in all things is important — is an extremely smart financial move…

View from Koko Head, Oahu
After rolling over my 401(k) into an IRA, I’d like to focus on potentially the single most beneficial reason why everyone should convert their 401(k) into an IRA after they leave their jobs: Rule 72(t).
Rule 72(t) allows for penalty-free withdrawals of your IRA account before the age of 59…

Just about every personal finance guru has an opinion on how much you should contribute to retirement. Their suggestions usually falls between 10% and 20% of your gross income. For as long as I’ve been at this personal finance thing (since 2007), I’ve decided to contribute no less than 15%…

Doesn’t exist.
Just ask anyone who bought Apple, at some point during its never-ending rocket to an inevitable $1M per share.
If you bought Apple, as just about everyone in my peer group suggested I do around its peak of $705 (Sept., 2012), you would be down 40%. If you had merely put your money in the S&P 500 index, you’d be up about 10% – or 50% better off over the last eight months…

It’s hardly news to say that credit cards are a big business. You can’t browse the web, listen to the radio, watch a television show, or even open your mailbox without seeing some sort of advertisement for a credit card. And with the number of big name celebrities willing to shill for credit cards (and poke fun at themselves at the same time), it’s pretty clear that all of this advertising is doing its job — generating more customers who owe money…

I did not do well on my budget in April and that is because I wasted too much money on food.  I was angry at myself for not meeting my debt reduction targets but today I saw photos from a book that showed how much families around the world spend and I felt disgusted with myself.
I saw photos from a book called Hungry Planet : What The World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio…

You’ve always purchased whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. It’s part of your mentality: you “deserve” to have the things you want because you work so hard.
Adding another $100 to your credit card bill thinking you’ll “pay it off” with your next check is perfectly normal. Um, what about the other $10,987 you said that about?
Nothing’s changed, and you’re feeling increasingly worse the deeper you fall into debt…

In times of stock market turmoil and economic uncertainty, it’s not uncommon for investors to turn to safer options. One of the ways that you can save for the future and earn a return is through the purchase of Canada Savings Bonds.
What are Canada Savings Bonds?
These are bonds that represent a loan to the Canadian government…

If you are looking to maximize returns on your investments, diversification is important. And while building a complex investment portfolio may sound like a hassle that requires hours of collaboration with a high-priced broker, there are online options that make it easier and cheaper for you to create a well-rounded vehicle for investment…

The Food and Drug Administration is already investigating the safety of energy drinks, which can contain twice as much caffeine per serving as a cup of coffee.Now they’re taking a look at other products designed to give consumers a quick shot of caffeine. It’s a growing trend in the food industry, such as the new Wrigley’s chewing gum that contains as much caffeine as four cups of coffee in one pack…

With many financial institutions experiencing a decrease in profits, banks are vying for your business. This is good news for you, because instead of just offering standard perks like no fees, free checking, or a free pen when you sign up for an account, some banks are raising the stakes with cold hard cash, giveaways, and […

Where do you want to be a year from now?
Would you like to have some debts paid off? Maybe you dream of having finished an art project or a major home improvement project. Perhaps you dream of having a social circle to participate in.
We all have things we’d love to accomplish, things that are a bit more real than a daydream but still far away from reality…

Mother’s Day is Sunday. If you haven’t gotten Mom anything yet, don’t despair; you still have time. And we’ve found some great deals for any budget and any Mom.
Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso Maker – This is a great gift for moms who enjoy a cup of joe every morning. Amazon has it for only $199…

This post is not about earning extra money on the side. Rather, this is about earning regular money, as your main activity, during your retirement. Offcourse not every elderly can perform every one of these jobs. Some of the jobs definitely require certain fitness level. But, there are some ideas here which almost any retiree or senior person can perform while not being at their best fitness level…

After a rocky beginning to the relationship, I’ve grown to appreciate Amazon.com. For the most part, the online retailer still boasts the best prices, shipping can be free, and if your purchases are delivered to New Jersey or one of several other states, Amazon doesn’t add sales tax to the purchase…

There are two growing trends that income investors need to watch. One is on the tech side of the investing world. The second is in the domestic energy patch. One is a story of opportunities, the other, warning.
So, do I start with the good news or the bad news?
Well, let’s get the bad news out of the way, since it’s more a warning at this point and not a run-for-the-exits-right-now bad news story…

Early Retirement – mmm…  I bet early retirement sounds great to many of you who are reading this from a cubicle on Monday morning. I have been happily unemployed for 10 months now, but I do miss the regular paychecks. We are doing alright financially and I assume most early retirees are prepared for the reduction in income as well…

It’s never pleasant to lose your job. You lose a major source of income, and you have to find a new job.
However, when you are laid off, rather than fired, your situation is a little bit better. Being laid off provides you with a degree of protection that being fired doesn’t come with.
Laid Off or Fired?
In most cases, whether you are considered laid off or fired depends on the circumstances…

Do you need to make a career change? Sometimes it can be hard to really see that it’s time to look for a new job because you might be complacent in your current position. On top of that, inertia ensures that it’s easier to just keep with the same old routine, rather than break away and begin the job search…

Is life really meant to be this hard?
This was the question I asked myself over and over during a really tough time about twelve months ago. It seemed as though anything that could go wrong, did and I had no idea what to do to make it better. If you are struggling to see how you can make life better for yourself, read on to see what I learned back then…

When I was younger my parents would have a garage sale every few years. This helped clear clutter out of our house and get rid of some of mine and my siblings clothes and toys as we got older. This year my wife and I will be having our first garage sale. We’ve been planning on having one for a while now and are excited to unload some old clothes, books, and more…

In a poll conducted by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, one-fourth of respondents said improving their credit score was their top financial priority. Being credit worthy is a good thing, but to actively pursue a better credit score can actually damage the health of the average American’s finances…

This is a guest post from Don Miller from CreditCardForum.com.
Can you imagine carrying a credit card balance for 35 years?
As crazy as that may sound, that’s exactly what I did. I was 19 years old when I was introduced to credit card applications.
I was looking for a special gift for a special someone…