Refinancing Mortgage Considerations
Should I refinance our mortgage to get a lower interest rate? The old rule of thumb was if you are going to stay in your home for a few years, and interest rates drop more than your current rate by 1%, then it will be worth your while to refinance. Meaning since there are closing… Read More »
Grocery Shopping and Menu Planning Made Easy
At a recent Dave Ramsey class I led, one of the members, Brandy, introduced us to a new web service that she has been using: e-mealz. This is a really cool service that costs only $15 bucks per 3 months. It plans your meals for an entire week and provides a shopping list of items matched… Read More »
Book Review: Living Large…
Clark Howard’s book of 250+ suggestions of Living Large in Lean times is getting pretty good reviews. Visit back for a complete review.
Financial Tips for Blended Families
A great number of families today are no longer traditional; often they are remarriages from divorces or deaths, later in life marriages or remarriages, which often have her/his and our children. Each may bring their own ways of doing things- which may be good or bad, financial problems and money emotional baggage left over from the… Read More »
Structured Settlements Twist
A structured settlement is money that is owed to you in a monthly stream of income for many years, such as a lottery winning, large law suit or a payment from an annuity that has been annuitized. In exchange for the income, the owner of the structured settlement receives a lump sum amount of money. These… Read More »
Updated Poverty Estimates
Article in the New York Times, covers the latest poverty statistics for people in the US using the new measure from the Census Bureau NYTimes.com.
Will America Grow Up Before It Grows Old?
The economics of America and the world are closely tied to our aging populations and to the entitlement programs designed to provide for their income and health care. Politicians of all colors talk out of both sides of their mouths, and it is hard to find truth in what they all say. Lately the AARP has been… Read More »
Student Tax Breaks
Most articles about college education planning provide valuable information for parents who are saving and investing for their children’s education, as well as various options for financial aid and student loans. However, what options are there for students that don’t qualify for aid and want to minimize student loans? This article in the Wall Street… Read More »
Repay debt or fund 401k?
Dave Ramsey in his Financial Peace University class advocates that in order for people to pay off their non-mortgage debt like credit cards, car and student loans, that they should get the Gazelle mentality: temporarily cut back on all expenses, get second jobs, and stop funding their 401k and devote all disposable income to repaying… Read More »
Coverdell Education IRA and 529 Explained?
Following Dave Ramsey’s “From Fruition to Tuition” class, people often ask me about the education savings accounts and 529 plans. It seems there is a little confusion. Briefly… The Education Savings Account (ESA) and the Coverdell Education IRA are one and the same. They are accounts that are set up specifically to fund college education. They are… Read More »
