Here's a second tip: Be proactive about managing your credit. Call up your lender and ask it to lower your interest rate. Usually, lenders will lower callers' rates by 2% to 3%, says Scott Gamm, founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com. Also check your credit report. You can check your credit for free at annualcreditreport.com, for example. If you see mistakes, contact the credit agencies and get those mistakes corrected. If errors are dragging down your score, eliminating them can boost it to where it belongs and make you eligible for better rates.
2. Think automation
Free online banking tools can make it easier to manage your finances with less work. To help grow your savings, for example, you can schedule regular transfers from your checking account. Manisha Thakor, author of Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey, suggests setting up the transfer of a set amount of money into your savings account every pay day.
Also automate recurring bill payments so you never miss a due date or pay a late fee, which sends money down the drain. Even without late fees, timely payments are key: 35% of your credit score is based on your ability to make payments on time. If you sign up for automatic payments, however, make sure to check your monthly bills for errors. One other caveat: "Make sure you have enough cushion in your checking account to avoid any overdrafts" before setting up auto-payments, money coach Lora Sasiela says.
Intuit-owned Mint.com is heading to schools today with the launch of a free, online program designed to educate middle-school students about personal finance and financial management.
Mint has partnered with educational publisher Scholastic to develop materials that parents and teachers can use to teach children the ins and outs of personal finance management. The materials includes lesson plans as well as an interactive game, to teach children money management, budgeting and goals.
For example, the program teaches children the concept of compound interest with real-life math problems, and encourages children to set goals and budgets with their own current work opportunities (i.e. babysitting).
Mint says the curriculum will be expanded to 30,000 classrooms nationwide early next year. Considering the state of the economy and credit, teaching children financial literacy and sounds personal finance practices at an early edge is an incredibly important initiative. In terms of branding, this is a big win for Mint, which can start building awareness of its tools among students at an early age.
robert shumake
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake detroit
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake
The theory is simple: "If you don't have the money, don't charge it. Try to leave your credit card at home and only use it to pay bills," advises April Lewis, director of education for Consolidated Credit Counseling Services. Then immediately pay off your credit-card balance. As for old credit-card debt, sit down and commit to paper a plan for paying them off. Go for a quick hit, like paying off the smallest balance first, or decide to take on the highest rate card first. Get the job done.
Here's a second tip: Be proactive about managing your credit. Call up your lender and ask it to lower your interest rate. Usually, lenders will lower callers' rates by 2% to 3%, says Scott Gamm, founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com. Also check your credit report. You can check your credit for free at annualcreditreport.com, for example. If you see mistakes, contact the credit agencies and get those mistakes corrected. If errors are dragging down your score, eliminating them can boost it to where it belongs and make you eligible for better rates.
2. Think automation
Free online banking tools can make it easier to manage your finances with less work. To help grow your savings, for example, you can schedule regular transfers from your checking account. Manisha Thakor, author of Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey, suggests setting up the transfer of a set amount of money into your savings account every pay day.
Also automate recurring bill payments so you never miss a due date or pay a late fee, which sends money down the drain. Even without late fees, timely payments are key: 35% of your credit score is based on your ability to make payments on time. If you sign up for automatic payments, however, make sure to check your monthly bills for errors. One other caveat: "Make sure you have enough cushion in your checking account to avoid any overdrafts" before setting up auto-payments, money coach Lora Sasiela says.
Intuit-owned Mint.com is heading to schools today with the launch of a free, online program designed to educate middle-school students about personal finance and financial management.
Mint has partnered with educational publisher Scholastic to develop materials that parents and teachers can use to teach children the ins and outs of personal finance management. The materials includes lesson plans as well as an interactive game, to teach children money management, budgeting and goals.
For example, the program teaches children the concept of compound interest with real-life math problems, and encourages children to set goals and budgets with their own current work opportunities (i.e. babysitting).
Mint says the curriculum will be expanded to 30,000 classrooms nationwide early next year. Considering the state of the economy and credit, teaching children financial literacy and sounds personal finance practices at an early edge is an incredibly important initiative. In terms of branding, this is a big win for Mint, which can start building awareness of its tools among students at an early age.
robert shumake
robert shumake
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake
Personal finance is MUCH too large a topic to be covered in one article, so I'm writing a personal finance series to help explain some of the basics for the true, absolute, complete beginner. There will be articles geared toward beginners on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, 401ks, credit card interest, asset allocation, home loans and more. There is no specific order in which the articles should be read, but since many aspects of personal finance are interrelated, I will try to include links in each article to other pertinent articles. I will also update this article with links to the new ones as they're published, so please check back frequently! I will try to address common beginner questions and misconceptions that I read on personal finance forums, and if readers have questions I encourage you to contact me with them - I will do my best to address them in subsequent articles, or try to find the answers for you. Below you'll find links to all of the series articles, as well as links to other finance articles I've written and an introduction to let you know where I'm coming from.
Series Articles:
What are Stocks and Bonds, and How do They Work?
What is a Market Index? The Dow Demystified
What are Mutual Funds? A Beginner's Guide
What is an IRA? A Beginner's Guide
IRAs vs. Mutual Funds: What's the Difference?
What is an Investment Account? A Beginner's Guide
Where Should I Open an IRA?
What are Asset Classes?
Other Finance Articles:
Financial Planning for Home Improvements
Using a 401k Loan for a Home Downpayment
Tips for Asset Allocation
Mutual Fund Investments for Seniors
Estate Planning for the Self-Employed
Tips for Living Debt-Free
How to Manage Your Own Stock Portfolio
Budgeting Tips for Baby Boomers
Freelancing When The Economy Has Center Stage
(These articles were not written with the complete beginner in mind, so if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask them in the comments section or refer back to the beginner's series.)
With credit card debt soaring, home foreclosures rising and gas prices through the roof, it's no wonder that more and more Americans are having a hard time making ends meet. However, I believe a big part of the reason that so many people are struggling with money is because they simply don't know the basics of personal finance. In fact, they don't know enough about personal finance to even know what questions to ask with regard to things like investing in the stock market, saving for retirement or making a home down payment. Most of us don't learn anything about personal finance in school, and if our parents don't have any knowledge to pass along, we're left to figure it out on our own. Employers sometimes offer retirement accounts and other vehicles to help their employees save and plan, but people frequently don't have the basic knowledge necessary to understand how to use these perks to their best advantage.
Lucky for me, I've always been naturally frugal, but I had to learn the ins and outs of investing, retirement accounts, asset allocation and other financial matters on my own. I am a self-employed opera singer, so it has been especially crucial for me to learn to take care of my personal financial health, since I don't have an employer-sponsored retirement plan to back me up. Unfortunately, they don't teach this stuff in music school! I was naturally drawn to the subject of personal finance, so even as a beginner learning came easily for me. I gained personal finance knowledge through a combination of reading, asking questions and good old-fashioned trial and error. There are plenty of books and websites out there for beginners with all sorts of information on the topic of personal finance, but the sheer quantity can be overwhelming. Also, I've found that many "beginner" materials don't do a great job with the basics - they assume a certain amount of prior personal finance experience on the part of the reader and use terminology that can confuse or intimidate a complete beginner. On personal finance forums, beginners are often scared to ask "dumb" questions, or they simply don't know what to ask.
As I said above, this series is written with the true, absolute, complete beginner in mind. There are no dumb questions, so ask away. I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you enjoy the series!
robert shumake
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake detroit
robert shumake
The theory is simple: "If you don't have the money, don't charge it. Try to leave your credit card at home and only use it to pay bills," advises April Lewis, director of education for Consolidated Credit Counseling Services. Then immediately pay off your credit-card balance. As for old credit-card debt, sit down and commit to paper a plan for paying them off. Go for a quick hit, like paying off the smallest balance first, or decide to take on the highest rate card first. Get the job done.
Here's a second tip: Be proactive about managing your credit. Call up your lender and ask it to lower your interest rate. Usually, lenders will lower callers' rates by 2% to 3%, says Scott Gamm, founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com. Also check your credit report. You can check your credit for free at annualcreditreport.com, for example. If you see mistakes, contact the credit agencies and get those mistakes corrected. If errors are dragging down your score, eliminating them can boost it to where it belongs and make you eligible for better rates.
2. Think automation
Free online banking tools can make it easier to manage your finances with less work. To help grow your savings, for example, you can schedule regular transfers from your checking account. Manisha Thakor, author of Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey, suggests setting up the transfer of a set amount of money into your savings account every pay day.
Also automate recurring bill payments so you never miss a due date or pay a late fee, which sends money down the drain. Even without late fees, timely payments are key: 35% of your credit score is based on your ability to make payments on time. If you sign up for automatic payments, however, make sure to check your monthly bills for errors. One other caveat: "Make sure you have enough cushion in your checking account to avoid any overdrafts" before setting up auto-payments, money coach Lora Sasiela says.
Intuit-owned Mint.com is heading to schools today with the launch of a free, online program designed to educate middle-school students about personal finance and financial management.
Mint has partnered with educational publisher Scholastic to develop materials that parents and teachers can use to teach children the ins and outs of personal finance management. The materials includes lesson plans as well as an interactive game, to teach children money management, budgeting and goals.
For example, the program teaches children the concept of compound interest with real-life math problems, and encourages children to set goals and budgets with their own current work opportunities (i.e. babysitting).
Mint says the curriculum will be expanded to 30,000 classrooms nationwide early next year. Considering the state of the economy and credit, teaching children financial literacy and sounds personal finance practices at an early edge is an incredibly important initiative. In terms of branding, this is a big win for Mint, which can start building awareness of its tools among students at an early age.
robert shumake
<b>News</b> Corp. Online Gaming Head Sean Ryan to Head Facebook's Social <b>...</b>
Sean Ryan, who arrived at News Corp. mid-year to set up a new online gaming unit, is moving to Facebook to head partnerships at its key gaming platform, according to sources. Currently, Facebook does not create social games, ...
Small Business <b>News</b>: Starting Your New Business In A New Year
Whether your starting a new business or rethinking an existing one, 2011 offers fresh possibilities and a new start. If you're launching a new business, there.
Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger <b>News</b> - Page 1 | Eurogamer.net
Read our news of Moore: EA not backing away from Tiger.
robert shumake
robert shumake detroit
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