Reverse Mortgage Disadvantages
November 28, 2009
Reverse mortgages were the topic of a post several weeks ago in which we promised to take a look at the downsides of seniors using a reverse mortgage in retirement. Here are some of the disadvantages of using a reverse mortgage to borrow against the equity in a home. Builds up Debt Traditional mortgages allow […]
PocketSmith User Review
November 27, 2009
PocketSmith is an online personal finance software tool that uses a calendar based approach to planning your finances. One of the PocketSmith co-founders, Francois Bondiguel, asked me if I’d like to try out the software and write up a PocketSmith review. Since I have too much on my plate already I declined. However, since I think […]
Thanksgiving – 24 Daily Thankful Moments
November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving seemed the perfect time for me to look at things that I complain about in my daily life and to instead look for reasons to be thankful for them. What I did was break down a day into 1 hour chunks, look at something I typically complain about in each of those time slots, […]
TradeKing New Account Overview
November 24, 2009
The Tradeking promotion that runs through the end of the month reminded me of a conversation I had with a co-worker last Spring about online brokerage accounts. She’s from a different generation and doesn’t feel comfortable opening a stock trading account on the Internet. Her son suggested she open her own account but she had […]
Black Friday & Christmas Shopping Tips
November 24, 2009
I was looking back through the posts on the site from last November and saw a bunch of posts on Christmas shopping, Black Friday, etc. The shopping season is here again so here are some tips on budgeting, shopping, and holiday deals: Black Friday Deals or Cyber Monday Savings? Christmas Budgeting – Building A Christmas […]
Cleaning Out the Garage
November 23, 2009
Our garage hasn’t been this clean and organized since we moved into our house! Since we’re debating selling our house my wife is on a de-cluttering mission so we spent the whole weekend cleaning out our garage. Organization Saves Money One thing I was reminded of as we worked is how you can save money by […]
My Two Dollars
November 22, 2009
This week I recommend you check out My Two Dollars, written by David. Like many personal finance bloggers he doesn’t consider himself a financial expert, but rather blogs about his own experiences with money; such as being in-over-his head in debt, getting married and then changing career paths. I’m actually a little jealous of David […]
Real Estate Short Sales Explained
November 20, 2009
Real estate short sales have become more common in the tough housing market of the last few years. A short sale is an attempt to sell a home instead of the bank taking it back by foreclosure. This sale can partially salvage the homeowner’s credit rating and lift the stress of large mortgage payments. If […]
Five Tips on Buying Foreclosures
November 18, 2009
Buying a foreclosed home can be a great way to get a deal on real estate but it can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. Here are a few tips to consider when you’re thinking about buying a foreclosure. Know Thy Neighbor – Remember, when you buy a home, it’s like getting married. […]
House Hunting Tips for Busy Parents
November 16, 2009
After several nights of weighing the pros and cons of buying a house one thing we realized is that we simply didn’t have enough information to make a good decision. We haven’t been in the real estate market for years now so we don’t really know what our house will sell for or what we […]