Archive for posts by Kent Irwin

Over the last 4 years we have seem an epidemic of people that have been late on their monthly debt repayments. Many of these borrowers have never been late on payments before, however during the recession people often have to deal with multiple problems. It used to be common that someone just had to work… Read More »

I ran across a great article in the Wall Street Journal today, The Myth of the Black Friday Deal compared prices of certain items over the term of a year, and many items actually cost more during the Holiday season than during other times. People lining up to buy ‘door busters’ of limited quantity may… Read More »

The stock market is up this year 16.4%, so there might be some rationale for reducing one’s portfolio exposure to stocks, contends Daniel Roe of Budros, Ruhlin and Roe the largest financial planning firm in my hometown Columbus Ohio, as reported in the Wall Street Journal today’s article “As stocks head higher so do risks.”… Read More »

There are many regulations regarding the reporting requirements, privacy and income tax deductibility of cash donations to organizations. Here is a brief list of some of the rules for cash gifts: Non-Profit charities 501(c)3 institutions include schools, churches, universities, hospitals and politically titled groups with a main emphasis of education. Deductions for contributions are limited to… Read More »

What is a recession? Technically a recession occurs when business cycles retract, evidenced by down consecutive quarters of GDP, or a 12 month 1.5% or more rise in unemployment. When did the recession end? The most recent recession officially started December 2007 and ended June of 2009. Did the US recession really end yet, what… Read More »

Do you wonder what is the best rate of return that you can get on a savings account, does it really matter? Toward the end of this article I will give you some rates I found, but even though it does matter, it doesn’t matter as much as you think, so don’t sweat it too… Read More »

Bargaineering.com had a great post for those that are looking for something fun and free to do this weekend. Smithsonian Magazine Sponsors Free Museum Day by Jim Wang Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Magazine where you can get admission into participating museums across the country absolutely free. This year, Museum Day… Read More »

Do you think your children are learning from their parent’s financial woes and are practicing better personal finances, such as saving more money? The Wall Street Journal yesterday reported in “Watching Parents Fail Sparks New Rebellion: Saving Money.” I think this could indeed be true, I know we have been transparent with our kids about… Read More »

Several media sources report that 1 in 12 households or 10% of Americans today do not use bank checking accounts, but use cash for everything. Most people have had checking accounts at some point.  Some have had to close them because they never learned to manage them well. Others closed accounts after life’s circumstances put… Read More »

People are aware of inflation, since it is talked about all the time on the news and they see gasoline prices increasing astronomically and erratically. You may have heard someone talk about loss of purchasing power, but what does that mean? As a quick review, when you invest or save money, and you pull it out… Read More »