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The Pros and Cons of Preparing Your Own Taxes
Tweet Share on Facebook February 16, 2012 CommentTax season is upon us, and hopefully you've kept your finances organized throughout the year so that filing will be a streamlined and relatively painless process.
However, it's important not to rush things, and take advantage of every tax deduction and credit at your disposal. Furthermore, you'll need to decide whether to prepare your taxes on your own. Make no mistake, filing yourself can be advantageous--if you do it right. There are a number of positive and negative aspects to consider before you decide whether to do it yourself or use the services of a professional.
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How to Cut Your Junk Mail in Half
Tweet Share on Facebook February 15, 2012 Comment (3)How much junk mail do you get each day? One piece? Two? Sometimes three or four? Several years ago, when I was playing balance-transfer arbitrage (where you take out 0% balance transfers and put the money in high-yield savings accounts), I would get at least five credit card offers a day. Back then credit was cheap, credit card companies gave cards to anyone with a pulse, and my mail box was full of them. I was getting tired of sifting through the junk mail to get at my real mail, so I sought to find a way to cut down the volume. Here are the strategies I uncovered.
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Should You Quit Your Job to Follow Your Dreams?
Tweet Share on Facebook February 14, 2012 Comment (1)Do you want to quit your job to follow your dreams and live a life that you're passionate about? If so, are you waiting because you're uncertain of how things will go? Or maybe you're wondering if you'll be able to make it work financially?
Living out your dreams won't be easy, but it could be worth it. Continue reading and discover what the world is really like on the other side of the cubicle.
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4 Free Last-Minute Valentine's Day Date Ideas
Tweet Share on Facebook February 13, 2012 CommentLet’s face it, in the midst of a hectic work schedule and Valentine’s Day falling on a Tuesday, planning an extravagant date for your sweetheart that doesn’t drain your savings account seems nearly impossible.
If you’ve dropped the ball in planning for a special Valentine’s Day date, there are plenty of fun date ideas that don’t require months of advance reservations or planning. Best of all, they’re free.
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Homeowners Receive $25 Billion Mortgage Settlement, But Is It Enough?
Tweet Share on Facebook February 10, 2012 Comment (7)About one million distressed homeowners are expected to receive mortgage relief in the form of a major settlement on behalf of big banks. In what is the largest attempt to aid the U.S. housing crisis to date, the government will be collecting approximately $25 billion from Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Ally Financial, and putting it in the hands of struggling mortgage holders.
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Dining Out on a Budget
Tweet Share on Facebook February 10, 2012 Comment (2)Restaurant dining is often one of the biggest unnecessary spending items in your budget. This indulgence is usually one of the first things people cut when they need to tighten their budget. Here are a few ways you can still enjoy dining out without breaking the bank.
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How New Hampshire's Proposed Swipe-Fee Cap Could Hurt Consumers
Tweet Share on Facebook February 9, 2012 Comment (1)The highly contentious Durbin Amendment went into effect only four months ago, but its effects are already reverberating throughout the banking sphere. Most visibly, some banks are raising their checking account fees: Chase nixed its debit rewards program, while Bank of America and Citibank raised fees or minimum balance requirements.
But the Durbin aftershocks don’t end there. The rise of prepaid debit, the credit union groundswell, the growing number of unbanked Americans, and the ever-improving credit card offers can all, in part at least, be traced back to interchange regulation. But for all the sound and the fury, many merchants say their profits have stayed flat or even fallen.
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How to Get Your Credit Card Rate Lowered in 5 Steps
Tweet Share on Facebook February 8, 2012 Comment (4)One of the biggest benefits of maintaining good credit is access to the most competitive interest rates on everything from loans to lines of credit. However, even good credit doesn't necessarily guarantee you the lowest possible credit cards rates. The reality is that it may take a phone call (or several) to negotiate a truly fair APR.
If you think you deserve to have a few percentage points knocked off your current credit card rate, follow these five steps:
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7 Simple Ways to Boost Your Income in 2012
Tweet Share on Facebook February 7, 2012 Comment (1)Ever wonder how you can earn more money with just a little extra work?
The key to increasing your income is to focus on one or two areas that actually work, and then repeat them as much as possible.
Everyone would like to see an increase in cash, but it's easy to waste your time chasing every little opportunity. ("Sell your toaster on Craigslist!") Instead, focus on these seven strategies and repeat the ones that work for you over and over again.
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7 Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas This Week
Tweet Share on Facebook February 6, 2012 Comment (1)Americans spent an average of $368 per month on gas in 2011, almost double the monthly amount spent in 2009, according to the latest statistics. If you’re cringing every time you fill up at the gas station, making a few changes to your driving habits could help you cut some of those costs.
Here are seven easy ways to save money on gas this week:
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