Andy

Articles by

Andy

Are you a generous tipper or do you give the minimum tip possible? Do you tip extra for good service or not at all for bad service? Do you tip for take-out or to-go orders? Well, everyone has their own tipping philosophy and it does vary by where you live,…
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I hope you didn't reduce your 401K or other retirement account contributions when stock prices and markets tumbled earlier this year. Even though the value of your current 401K or retirement plan probably fell over this time, in the long term the power of dollar cost averaging and recovering/rising markets would…
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It was recently reported, by the Federal Reserve, that consumer borrowing surged again in March. Consumers increased their borrowing at an annual rate of 7.2%, compared with a 3.1% rate of increase in February. Here is a summary of the worrying borrowing and debt figures: The increase in consumer debt…
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Recently there has been a spate of minor burglaries in my apartment complex, which prompted my wife and I to consider getting an alarm system for our apartment. We looked into this via various on-line sites and calls to security companies in our local area and found that the costs…
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[Update] I wrote this article a few years ago as average national gas prices were approaching $5 per gallon. That seemed preposterous then. Fast forward a few years and $5 seems mild now as we may see $8 gas in some states as inflation spikes and supply constraints worsen due…
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Looks like Technology stocks are back in vogue, after rallying nicely over the last two days. I think the "long commodities/short dollar" trade, which has been the primary trade for the past three months is clearly reaching the end of its profit potential. This trade relied on the falling dollar…
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When I moved here a long time ago one of the financial mysteries for me was the taxes on my paycheck. This included what would be deducted from my pay check and more importantly how much should I withhold to meet my tax obligations. I learned the importance of understanding…
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Is your desk currently buried under a mountain of mysterious envelopes? You are likely dealing with "financial document fatigue." Signs of this include bills piling up and statements sitting in random piles. Your desk might even be invisible under stacks of paper. Most of us have experienced this chaotic feeling…
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