Defaults Rising on Subprime Loans. What did New Century and Everyone Else Expect?
March 15, 2007
When rates were low almost anyone could get a home loan with no money down. The booming real estate market flooded financial institutions with cash and companies like New Century Financial and Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co couldn’t loan money out fast enough. It was inevitable that rates would rise and that subprime lenders would […]
10 Ways College Students can Save Money on Spring Break
March 14, 2007
Before You Go 1) Get a Hotel Referral The brochure might be nice but who knows what kind of a dump it will be when you get there; ask someone who’s been before. We decided it would be cheap and fun to camp on the beach on South Padre Island. When the seagulls woke us […]
Personal Finance for Sports Fans – Greatness Begins & Games are Won Off the Court
March 14, 2007
What do you love most about college basketball in March? Is it the buzzer beating 3 point shot or the steal followed by the monster dunk? While we get to enjoy these displays of talent on the court in the NCAA tournament, the thing that makes them possible is untold hours of preparation off the […]
Personal Finance for Sports Fans – Plan for Success
March 13, 2007
Setting Goals for Success How do basketball teams win championships? Many of them sit down together at the beginning of the season and come up with a shared goal. For some, it’s to win the conference championship. Some teams set their sites on making it to the NCAA tournament and others pick the lofty goal […]
Maximize Your Time, Money, & Opportunities. Stop Buying Stuff!
March 13, 2007
I’m never buying anything ever again! We just spent our weekend doing some spring cleaning and turned a jumbled messy room into an organized basement. This is what I learned from the experience. Stuff Wastes Time We spend time shopping for, buying, storing, organizing, and eventually getting rid of stuff. The more stuff we buy, […]
Personal Finance for Sports Fans – Ignore the Analysts & the Hype
March 12, 2007
Which would you rather do, watch sports or learn about personal finances? What if I told you that you could do both! There are good personal finance lessons to be found in the many exciting games of the upcoming NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. This is the first in a series of posts that will cover […]
Ten Ways to Ask for a Lower Price or a Better Deal
March 12, 2007
Have you ever been quoted a base price then blindsided with additional fees? Just the other day, I was shipping some recent eBay sales at the UPS store and they charged me a $4.50 “Rural Surcharge Fee” on a package whose base shipping price was $9. I’ve seen this fee pop up before on shipments […]
Corporate Cubicle Politics – Why Size Matters in the Office
March 11, 2007
Would you turn down a bigger office or bigger cubicle if your boss offered it you? I did and now I’m questioning my decision. The Cubicle Decision My boss stopped by last week to ask if I wanted to move into a large cube recently vacated when another team leader on our floor moved groups. […]
Flexible Spending Account Deadlines Approaching
March 10, 2007
Use it or lose it! The deadline to spend your flexible spending account balance for your 2006 contributions is March 15th. So fill your prescriptions, make your doctor’s visits, or buy over the counter cold medicine next week if you haven’t spent your balance yet. The deadline for submitting your receipts for 2006 purchases is […]
Personal Finance Week in Review
March 10, 2007
Jim does a summary of his Devil’s Advocate series to date and asks readers for more topics. Looking for fast and easy ways to save some money? You’re in luck! The Simple Dollar has started a series called Five Minute Finances that covers simple things you can do save some money. The latest is Make […]
