Personal Finance Blog - Spreading Financial Independence. Guest Bloggers Are Welcome

Guest Bloggers Are Welcome

Credit Card Loss Protection Offers: They're the Real Steal

By: Peter Suhai Banking Views: 3492 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

"I got a call from a woman who said I need credit card loss protection insurance. I thought there was a law that limited my liability to $50 for unauthorized charges. But she said the law had changed and that now, people are liable for all unauthorized charges on their account. Is that true?" Don't buy the pitch - and don't buy the "loss protection" insurance. and abroad. More

Bulgarian Real Estate Market Not a Bubble

By: Velizara Petrova Real Estate Views: 3480 | Comments: 1 | Votes: 1

After the initial bloom of real estate, price growth was expected to slow down to 15-20 per cent year annually, compared to 34 per cent rise last year, which showed a maturing market. UniCredit will continue to support real estate projects, but we are not likely to finance a seaside hotel,” Hampartzoumian said, calling for common sense on the part of all industry participants. More

Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan

By: Sanda Hnatjuk-Bahic Real Estate Views: 3478 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

President Obama unveiled the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, which will offer assistance to as many as 9 million homeowners, while attempting to prevent the destructive impact of foreclosures on families and communities.The plan contains three main components, and only applies to primary residences. The U.S. Treasury Dept. Guidelines are scheduled to be released by March 4. More

Reverse Mortgages - Pros and Cons

By: Goran Jovanovic Home Loans Views: 3469 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

A reverse mortgage is a type of loan that allows seniors to turn some of their home's equity into cash. Unlike a home equity loan or second mortgage, however, the loan doesn't have to be paid back until the home is sold or it is no longer the mortgage holder's primary residence. - Income from a reverse mortgage typically does not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits. More

Save on your Florida property taxes.

By: Antonio Vega-Pacheco Real Estate Views: 3443 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

The 2 main provisions to be voted in are; to double the homestead exemption (from $25,000 to $50,000) and to improve on the existing “Save Our Homes” benefit, plus make it portable. The doubled homestead ($50k) will apply to homes with a just value of over $75,000… which is most Florida homes. Homes valued under $75k will also get a smaller increase to homestead exemption. More

Do You Want Debt Freedom? These 6 Helpful Hints Will Help

By: Goldfish Personal Finance Views: 3441 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

Is your debt level getting you down? Don't know how to fix it? Welcome to the club, you're in fine company. Many American families are suffering with the same fears and worries as you are. There is a way out, however. It just takes some basic knowledge and commitment. Do you want to be debt free some day? You can be, if you follow some easy steps and put a plan into action. Let's go. More

Financial Planning for Twentysomethings

By: Amanda Gleason Financial Planning Views: 3436 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

This morning's Wall Street Journal had an article called "Financial Planning for the Not-Yet-Rich" that I found rather relevant for my blog. Basically, the article on how traditionally, financial planners have not been particularly interested in our age group - people in their 20s and 30s just beginning their careers and families - because we don't represent very high net worths. More

Addiction is Expensive

By: Amanda Gleason Personal Finance Views: 3431 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

Although "soft" addictions have been kind of a hot topic recently in terms of their financial affect on a person's life, apparently "real", hard addicitions are still the most costly to individuals and society. I wrote a while back on shopaholics, and how that kind of compulsive behavior leads to credit card disaster and often bankruptcy. So what are the 5 most costly addictions? More

Understanding the Note Buyer's Mindset

By: Alan D. Fisher Real Estate Views: 3427 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

Market pricing for real estate cash flows Banks and other financial institutions purchase cash flows on a regular basis. These payment streams are often purchased without a discount. Aside from a change of recipient address for their monthly payments, the transfer is completely seamless to the payer. If the buyer of the loan is comfortable with the risk, then no discount is needed. More

Saving Energy = Saving Money

By: Peter Suhai Personal Finance Views: 3425 | Comments: 0 | Votes: 0

An easy way to save money is to conserve energy. Not only is it good for your wallet, it’s also good for the environment.Look for the ENERGY STAR logo.ENERGY STAR is a government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. It is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. ENERGY STAR qualified appliances use 10–50% less energy and water than standard models. More