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How to Sell Your Small House
Tweet Share on Facebook April 29, 2011 Comment (2)Here's the good news: smaller homes are selling much faster in this market than the jumbling McMansions of 10 years ago. The bad news? Although buyers want a small home, selling one can be something of a challenge.
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6 Mistakes to Avoid While Selling Your Home
Tweet Share on Facebook April 29, 2011 Comment (3)While the real estate market downturn has benefited buyers, it’s made selling a home much more stressful. It’s common for a home to remain on the market for months before a sale. More often than not the home’s listing price is reduced due to a large amount of foreclosures on the local market, which have listing prices below median home values.
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Save $100 a Week with These 22 Tips
Tweet Share on Facebook April 29, 2011 Comment (1)With the dramatic increase in gas and food prices, most of us can barely make ends meet, let alone think about saving money. The good news is, with a little imagination and perseverance, there are still plenty of ways to pocket extra cash.
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5 Investment Ideas for Recent College Grads
Tweet Share on Facebook April 28, 2011 Comment (4)According to a survey conducted by Adecco Staffing US, college graduates lack confidence in their future retirements. The survey found that only 19 percent of participants believe Social Security will exist when they retire and only 46 percent had confidence that their personal savings plan will be able to fund their retirement lifestyle.
If you lack faith in your own personal savings plan, here are five ideas to help you get the right start after college.
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Create a Chic Bathroom For Cheap
Tweet Share on Facebook April 28, 2011 CommentIf you’re looking for an easy and affordable weekend home project, the best place to get the most bang for your buck is the bathroom. For about $500 or less, you can dramatically change the look of the room as well as up your home value, without having to call in a plumber or demolition team. Some of the best bathroom makeovers are the simplest—and can be achieved in an afternoon.
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How to Stop Domestic Financial Abuse
Tweet Share on Facebook April 26, 2011 Comment (17)Financial abuse occurs in 98 percent of abusive relationships, whether in the form of restricting access to a spouse’s credit, or draining assets once a victim attempts to leave. For spouses who see their options gradually dwindle, money may be the reason to stay in a relationship or come back after trying to get out. Of the seven in eight women who go back to an abusive partner after leaving, a significant portion attributes the return to financial pressures.
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Why You Need a Credit Union Account
Tweet Share on Facebook April 26, 2011 Comment (8)Credit unions have been around for quite a while but it hasn't been until the last few years, after people have grown wise to the excesses of the "too big to fail" commercial banks, that they've really grown in popularity. The first "bank" I joined was a credit union, Teachers Federal Credit Union, and I kept that account until just a few years ago. It's my firm belief that everyone should have an account at a credit union because they represent everything good about banking.
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What Home Buyers Really Want
Tweet Share on Facebook April 21, 2011 Comment (2)If your house is on the market then you might be at the point of tearing your hair out. After all, some sellers have had their home up for sale for years at this point. It can be maddening, and the competition is only getting more intense as prices continue to fall and more foreclosure homes flood the market.
So what, exactly, are buyers looking for this spring? In short, they're looking for homes that are going to save them money. And when you think about it, it just makes sense. Mortgage loans are harder to come by, and thanks to an uncertain economy, people are less likely to splurge on a McMansion they're going to have to pay to heat and cool for the next five years (i.e. save money on utility bills).
[See the best personal finance stories from around the Web at the U.S. News My Money blog.]
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How Positive Thinking Can Improve Your Finances
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2011 Comment (2)Have you ever attempted a task that you thought was insurmountable? Go back in your mind as far as you have to. Perhaps it was as a child, when you thought you'd never run faster than your best friend. Or maybe, as a teenager, you thought you'd never get that driver's license. Or the time at work when you thought you'd never finish that big project. If you've succeeded in any of these goals, you did it through goal setting and a positive attitude—whether you know it or not.
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The Truth About Credit Cards & Cell Phones
Tweet Share on Facebook April 19, 2011 Comment (2)Cell phone carriers take in a good deal of profit from selling warranties, which is why wireless salesmen are often trying to scare you into paying for protection. What you may not know is that many credit cards offer similar protection, so if you’re worried about your phone, take the following two points into consideration:
