Helping everyday Americans Pay Attention, Not Interest
When the housing market is bad Home values have dropped, there's a lot of inventory on the market, and rates are low. What that means is this: The prices of homes are lower than they were 4-5 years ago A lot of people are trying to move, can't afford the payment, or tried to build a spec home before the "bubble burst" Interest rates are at a 40 year low! What this means for you The best time to buy a home is now, but is this a good time for you to take advantage of this housing … [Read more...]
I'm a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. I listen to all three hours of the radio show, occasionally volunteer at live events, and I'm the only individual in Missouri who is Certified to teach the Financial Peace University Workplace Edition along with completing his Counselor Training course. I like to show off my picture with him in his studio. Oh, and did I mention I have a hobby blog called DaveRamseyFan.com? When I first heard the Dave Ramsey show I was driving through Southern Illinois about a decade … [Read more...]
This is a great exercise to see if there are any financial anomalies in your house that are out of whack. The spreadsheet (Recommended Percentage spreadsheet) includes high and low percentages recommended for 11 categories. How do you compare to someone who is debt free? Follow the instructions in this episode to find out. Note: This is not for budgeting, it is a tool only to be used in comparing each of the generalized categories to recommended percentages. And, of course, your mileage may … [Read more...]
Emotions help make most of the decisions with our disposable income. A lot of what we do with our money is based on emotions: We want something, we like something, it sounds good or looks good. Some play money is alright but what about investing? Do you use the same behaviors when deciding to invest? We need to invest like Spock Deciding how, where, and why to invest should not be taken lightly. We need to think logically and look at the data, the facts. Spock from Star Trek is a great … [Read more...]
Sure. Why not? It would be consistent with the bankruptcy code, valuables left to loved ones in a will, and has to be included in a list of documents when filing for divorce. Things that have value should be taxed, right? Items should be reported on your income tax returns: •Interest • Capital Gains • Real Estate • Debt forgiveness • Lottery winnings • Gifts (over $13,000) • and now Frequent Flyer Miles? Are you serious? Citibank sent customers 1099 forms for their … [Read more...]
There is a pre-conception that Christians are not supposed to be rich. Our culture believes that we are not honoring God unless we give everything away and live in poverty. We live like Kings First of all, if that were true then most Americans would not be following God's principles. We are the richest nation on this planet and have access to luxuries that most would call necessities: Electricity, plumbing, grocery stores and automobiles. For example: I was eating some really juicy blueberries … [Read more...]
I'm defending Suze Orman, not for her behavior in calling some personal finance bloggers idiots but for something she did with her "Approved Card" that I would love to see other card issuers do. Why am I even talking about this? Last week Suze Orman released a new financial product, a prepaid card. Because she is a celebrity and is promoting her new product as "The Smart Choice For You" it is the responsibility of financial bloggers, personal finance coaches, and others in the finance industry … [Read more...]
Jon White continues this week in Part 2 of Setting Financial Goals in 2012. In Part 1 of Setting Goals for 2012 In Episode 44 we discussed taking a look at where you are before you get started: How much do you have in debt, how much in savings, and how much income do you have coming in monthly to apply towards your household budget? After getting your debt paid off and having an emergency fund, now you get to enjoy your money! What to do when you have no debt What are some things you … [Read more...]
There's a new product on the market, sort of Financial Adviser and TV host Suze Orman has created a pre-paid card that is supposed to be the smart choice for you. What are the true benefits of the Approved Card that isn't a credit card? 9 Benefits Of The Card (with my thoughts) Weighing out the pros and cons You can live on less than you make, have an emergency fund, monitor your credit report (not score), and teach your kids about money without having to tie yourself to a … [Read more...]
The first of a 2-part series from Jon White from JWFinancialCoaching.com Resolutions are like the End Zone Most people make resolutions like "I want to lose weight" or "I want to save more money this year". Resolutions are like the end zone on a football field, a wide area that we want to reach someday. It may look like it will be easy to get to but we suddenly find obstacles are in the way and we get discouraged when we don't advance very far down the field. We should aim for the Goal … [Read more...]
