The Changing Stores

(15 Companies That Might Not Survive 2009) I think this will be something that is very interesting to watch in the next few months. What companies will go down with this economy. It will also be interesting to watch what company types come back when this thing turns around and what type of store are gone forever. I'm also interested in seeing how liquidation sales affect the other retailers. How is Best Buy doing when you can go to the closing Circuit City and get 10 to 20 percent off the same TVs.

Grant Money For College

(WHO GETS WHAT: Billions to colleges and students) This is something to keep your eye on the government has all allowed a large amount of money for students to continue their education with the stimulus package. If you are a student or have some interest in going back to school this could be an interesting way to do it. If you get laid off an are looking to move your career in a certain direction this might be a perfect chance. Stay tuned to the exact words that are made law to possibly take advantage of the government stimulus.

Living on Cash

(3 steps back to the sanity of cash) Here is an idea I wonder about all the time. If I didn't have credit where would I be. Could I just live on cash alone. I find the cushion of a credit card very nice. It is nice to have something there in case you have a problem, but I do agree with the author that far too often people use it as a quick way out and don't think about the long term. We see what we get now and forget that for the next 6 months we have less to live on cause the credit card payment is more. Do you think you would be OK without credit?

Obama and McCain Tax Plans

(Your Tax Bill: How McCain, Obama Differ) I think everyone should get a look at this article to understand how the different presidential candidates might effect your personal finances. It looks to me like the average middle income person doesn't seem to get much difference by either candidate. It is very interesting to me to see how dramatic the difference is for the very high earners. If the difference to me where half a million dollars in taxes I would have my mind made up on whom to vote for. I'm always curious why all us average earners don't band together and out vote the very high earners and have them pay more taxes and us less. Why doesn't this happen. We should have a majority. Is it the fact that we all hope some day to be in the top tax bracket and know that if we were in that situation we would not like that idea of the government taking an unfair portion of our money? Why don't we tax the crap out of the rich to make our government run better? Any ideas out there? It would seem that they have the most extra money to spare. Would inflation just negate any less tax the average person would pay, because the costs of all good would go up to cover the difference? What would happen?

Negotiation Techniques

(When It Comes to Negotiating, Ask and You Shall Receive) Here is a good article on how to negotiate. The tip to be persistent is a good lesson for us all. I usually give up after one no from the first person I talk to on the phone. The first person on the phone is no one special trained to answer the 50 basic questions asked most often. Move yourself beyond the first person and find something that can deal with your more advanced requests. If we could all negotiate a little better we all could be better off. All the little amounts add up quick and make for some money to put away and save.

Start Saving Late Here is Some Advice

(A Really Late Start on a Nest Egg) Here is a good article to look at if you are looking to start late in the game to save for retirement. I like this article because it gives simple advice. Not everyone can start saving young, but when you do start late you need to do it will.

Goverment Funding Retirement

(Uncle Sam can fund retirement - Obama) Here is an article detailing the plans for Obama to help lower and middle income families save for retirement. Can someone please explain to me why we are giving money away to people for retirement when our current government assistance for retirement (Social Security) is floundering. If we can come up with the extra money to hand out why can't we look into fixing the situation government already started? How in the world do you prevent people from dipping into that IRA match? People can't save, but they sure can look like they are saving if you are going to throw $500 a year at them. There is nothing in this plan to keep the money in the IRA. Everyone has been paying into Social Security and unless fixed it will have funding problems. Why do the low and middle earners get extra government assistance to save for retirement while we all still dump money into a program with a problem. Why can't we be fair and look at fixing a program that was already started?

A Quick Read to Help Your 401K

(5 Ways to Whip Your 401(k) Into Shape) Here is a nice simple quick read article for this morning. It is simple it is quick and to the 5 points it makes.

Prosper Peer-to-Peer Lending

(Navigating the Risks of Peer-to-Peer Lending) Here is one of the better articles that I have found about peer to peer lending that is not on one of the peer to peer lending sites. I like that she points out the risks of lending this way. I hate that she does not talk a bit about the innovation behind this type of system and how it is different from the traditional system. I love the idea of these sites and how they function. I just wish there was more that could be done to reduce defaults. The hardest part to me about these sites is that I don't have a real name or address of the person I'm lending to. The lending site is the person that has all the personal information to track down any one with a problem and I don't understand what their motivation would be to go after the people that default. Why would they hire a decent collection company. As soon as the loan is funded they get all the money they are going to get on the loan. They don't care what happens after that point. I wish they had some interest in what happened to the loans once they were funded being they are the people that would hire a collection company and possible push to collect something from people who default. I understand that the best collection company in the world can't fix the problem of people defaulting on loans, but I would feel better if the site would lose something if a loan defaulted.

Here's Some Motivation for Retirement

(How to retire on $12,000 a year) Here is an article I just read that says the best way to live on roughly what social security hands out is to room with as many people as possible. As the number of people living together and sharing things increases it become more and more possible to live off this small amount. I can't think of a better reason to save money then to purely avoid having to move in with 4 strange people in my golden years in order to make ends meet. I want a nice place all my own to enjoy the quiet and to spend time with the people I choose. There is going to be nothing there to bail you our in your golden years, so save while you are young and able.

How The Credit Mess Squeezes You

Here is a great article that puts the credit crisis at a level the typical person can understand. It shows the small places that it could effect the average person's financial life. Student loans and credit card rates are going up due to a lack of available money to loan out. (How the Credit Mess Squeezes You)

Sane Savings Tips

Here is a good quick read article with some tips on savings. These tips seem simple and easy enough. Give this article a look. (Seven Steps to Saner Savings)

Avoiding Bank Fees

Here is a good quick article about how to fight bank fees. This article looks at what to do to challenge them and where to go to avoid them. (Avoiding bank-fee surprises)

The Fed's stagflation fear

Here is an article explaining the negative of reducing rates to help the economy. There is only so much a rate cut can do. What can happen is that inflation can take over and the economy won't recover. The average person is stuck in a place where things cost more and the economy is poor, so no new money will reach them. How can the economy recover if the average consumer is spending more money on gas, groceries and other essentials. The average person is left with little or no money to buy consumer goods. When the fed doesn't care about inflation and it is a real thing then the economy has no chance to recover because all of the limited spending in an economic slowdown goes to essentials. (The Fed's stagflation fear)

Fed Cut: What It Means for Your Mortgage

(Fed Cut: What It Means for Your Mortgage) Here is a quick read article about what someone thinks will happen to typical mortgage.

Myths of Leasing Cars

Here is the best article I have seen about leasing a car. I like how it tells you want each part of your lease is and that every bit of it should be negotiable. I also like that it explains that the common thoughts about leasing might be true, but that there are terms you can change to make it work better for certain situations. (Five top car-leasing myths)

Skip the 20% Down Payment

This article says that savings for a down payment could prevent you from doing other things that could be better for you financially. It is a good article, but keep in mind that instance gratification is most peoples largest financial problem. This article is not telling you to buy a home without a down payment. It is telling you to consider some of the other things you can be doing with your money. (Skip the 20% Down Payment)

6 Money Dilemmas

Here is a good quick article with advice on six common questions in the personal finance world.

1. Pay off a credit card OR fund your 401(k)
2. Save in a Roth 401(k) OR a regular 401(k)
3. Lease a car OR buy a car
4. Prepay your mortgage OR invest
5. Buy a home OR rent a home
6. Take Social Security early OR late

(6 money dilemmas)

Roth IRA or Not?

This is the best article I have found to date that address the debate over using Roth accounts as opposed to traditional tax differed accounts. The last section of the article is what makes the biggest statements to me. It said that an economist ran several senerios with both a Roth and regular retirement accounts. The results were more wins for one then the other, but the differences being rather insignificant. Remember in the end not stating to save to wait for the answer to this debate is your worst choice. Waiting a month, year, or decade is going to have a far worst result on your retirement savings that putting your money in a Traditional or Roth IRA. (Roth IRAs: Good for You or Not?)

No Free Ride For Subprime Borrowers?

This article attempts to explain to a reader that there is no free ride for a subprime borrower. The point the article makes is that the intro rate for an ARM for a subprime borrower is higher than what a responsible person getting a 30-year fix mortgage at prime would be. I understand this point, but by not letting the rate reset an additional 2 or 3 percent higher they are giving these borrowers something they don't deserve. You are putting hundreds of dollars a month into their pocket. They planned poorly. Why do they deserve to get money in their pocket? Their credit was poor. They earned the original rate and the reset rate. A responsible person earned their prime rate and a subprime borrower earned their higher payment after 2 or so years. Interest rates went up and the market went south. They took a gamble on paying the maximum amount they could afford for a house and it didn't pay off. They took a risk. They lost. Put that house they shouldn't be able to afford back on the market and let the market adjust and jump and fall and do its thing. I would love some feed back with another view. I can't understand why they deserve this? (No free ride for subprime borrowers)

A 401K Where The Company Invests For You

I found this article that seems to address an interesting point with retirement plans. It is a 401K plan that the employee allows the company to invest as it sees fit. This situation gives the benefit of a defined benefit plan where you don't have to worry about where to invest your savings. This seems like an interesting solution for the average person that does not have the time or desire to research investments. It lets someone that should have more information and resources invest your money for you. The idea seems great, but at the end of the day it could make a huge difference who is investing for you. If there is a well qualified team as there is com trolling pension funds, then this could turn out to be a great thing. If companies start to throw departments together with unqualified people this type of system could turn into a huge mess. Tell me what you think about this type of plan. (Redrawing the Route to Retirement)

Subprime Mess Winners and Losers for Rate Lock Solution

The number one solution for intervention is the rate lock solution for this subprime mess. The idea is that all the people with adjustable mortgages will have their initial lower interest rate locked in for the entire length of the loan. I hate that a responsible person who took on a loan they could afford and took the extra interest up front to protect themselves down the line gets screwed. That is the person that deserve help. The person that has proved they can take care of money. Why give it to people that took a risk that didn't work in their favor? They didn't plan ahead for when the worst might happen. Why do these people deserve the help? We have a market for a reason. Let it learn its lesson and figure itself out. (Proposed rate freeze to reduce foreclosures)

101 Ways To Save Around The Holidays

Here is a good list of 101 things to do to save money around the holidays. I hope you enjoy the article. (Trim Expenses While You Trim the Tree)

A Guide For Your December Spending

Here is a good little quick read article about how to keep yourself under control during the holiday season. The author start by suggesting some great things to do with your holiday bonus. Then the author goes on to give tips on how to stay on track and not over spend in December. (A December Spending Survival Guide)

Good Ideas For Your Average 401K

Here is an article I found helpful on what to do with an average to poor 401K plan. This first point is that you make sure to use it if your are getting an employer match. The cardinal sin of a 401K plan is to no participate and lose out on a match. This article does a good job of pointing out easy strategies for directing your money in a weak 401K. (Don't Panic If Your 401(k) Plan Stinks)

New Retirement Income Rule

This article talks about the old retirement rule of needing 80% of your pre-retirement income in retirement. It should be a pretty simple concept that this is just a general rule and depending on what you do in retirement that percentage could be off by quite a bit. If you are going to travel the world in your retirement that is going to cost you more that you are currently spending on bills and the grocery store. If you plan to live in the room over your child's garage and play with the grand kids all day then you could possibly need a lot less than that. This article just points out that you need to plan out what your expenses will be in retirement to know what percentage of pre-retirement income you will need. (Ask the Mole: Retirement - How Much You'll Really Need)

Investing To Beat Inflation

Here is an interesting article that monitored several areas of stocks through years of inflation to find out the places that perform the best. This article takes a different view on how to beat inflation. (Investing to Beat Inflation)

Cyber Monday

Here is a good quick article on some tips to score good deals today on Cyber Monday. (Beat the mobs on 'Cyber Monday')

Protecting your home's value

Here is a quick article about how to protect your homes value amid this foreclosure frenzy. Just a few good tips for anyone looking to keep a little extra value in their neighborhood. (Protecting your home's value)

Holiday Shopping Tips

Here is a good quick read article with some good advice on how to save around the holidays. The reason I put up this article is because I think it has a couple different ideas. (Ten Ways to Fatten Your Wallet on Black Friday)