Archive for April, 2008

Does Your Employer Have An Emergency Fund?

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

If you are reading this blog, you are probably a financially savvy person.  Therefore, you already know the benefits of having an emergency fund set aside for unforeseen financial emergencies. Many financial experts, including Dave Ramsey recommend that you set aside money in an easily accessible account of, at ...

Carpooling Tips

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

I'm about to start back to school for a graduate program that will have me traveling about 400 miles - round trip - per week. Since my daily work commute is about two miles, I haven't really felt the higher gasoline prices as much as others that have to ...

SubPrime Mortgages Explained

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

I have read a lot about the subprime mortgage crisis, and found most of the explanations a little hard to get my head around. A friend e-mailed me a link to a presentation (hosted on Google Apps), that I feel, does the best job of explaining the whole subprime ...

Credit Card Hack: Write "SEE ID" On The Back

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Here is a great little tip for those worried about Identity theft.  Leave a little room after your signature and write "See ID", on the white strip on the back of your credit/debit card.  If the person taking your card does their job correctly, this little extra step ...

How To File An Extension

Monday, April 14th, 2008

Times up!  Well, almost.  If you haven't even started work on your 2007 tax return, it may be time to consider filing an extension.  The good news is that it is fairly simple and will buy you some additional time to get your act together. The ...

Details On Economic Stimulus Payments

Monday, April 14th, 2008

A short note went out to financial institutions from the Federal Reserve on Friday. It contained details of how, and when, economic stimulus payments will be delivered. Here are some highlights: The Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service (FMS) will begin issuing approximately 130 million Economic Stimulus Payments on behalf ...

View Foreclosure Rates Visually

Friday, April 11th, 2008

Real Estate site HotPads has an interesting (and frightening) display option that allows you to view heat maps of foreclosures, by neighborhood, in cities throughout the United States. Here is a screen shot of the Atlanta metropolitan area:   And here is Phoenix: ...

Rick Flair Finance!

Monday, April 7th, 2008

Rick Flair Finance: Home of the "Figure Four Process"! I wonder if Rick "pays you a visit" if you don't pay on time?

Get Your Taxes Filed With This Seven Day Plan

Monday, April 7th, 2008

It's crunch time! You have nine days left (coounting today) to get your 2007 taxes filed. It can definitely be hard to get started, but you don't want to be staying up until midnight on the 15th trying to make the deadline. Bankrate.com has a great 7-day plan to get you ...

Late Payments On Consumer Loans Reach 16 Year High

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

A recently released survey from the American Bankers Association shows consumer loan delinquencies have reached a 16 year high. Loans at least 30 days past due in in the most recent quarter totaled 2.65%. This is the highest level of delinquency since 1992, when delinquencies totaled 2.75%. Source: USA Today - ...