Category: Personal Finance and Money

With gold prices rolling past record highs on a regular basis, a number market pundits feel that we are entering a gold bubble.  Like the housing and financial bubbles many have gotten swept away with the lure of easy money, only to coming crashing to earth when the bubble pops.…

In today’s flip-flop economy, just about everyone has an opinion about what you should do with your money. From the din of these many opinions a few financial “gurus” seemed to have emerged. Some have become bona-fide celebrities by advising people on how to escape financial ruin, while making millions…

Most people still spend more time planning a vacation than choosing the person who'll steer their life savings. And the stakes compound: a 1% difference in all-in costs on a $500,000 portfolio is $5,000 a year, every year, growing with the account. The good news is that vetting an advisor…

What does No Preset Spending Limit (NPSL) mean to you?  Many consumers, normally with excellent credit, take this popular credit and charge card feature to mean “no limit.”  They think that NPSL products—such as the charge cards offered by Chase and American Express as well as Visa Signature credit cards…

Saw an interesting graphic in the Economist depicting the approximate amount of taxes (net of offsets) governments around the world collect on $100,000; about the middle class average income level in developed countries. This is compared to the amount of social security (or safety net) the government provides to its…

One of the worst forms of creditor harassment is relentless debt collection calls. For some people, the collection calls become so annoying that they are forced to change their phone numbers or even disconnect the phone altogether. Though the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) has laid down clear guidelines…

This post's title was drawn from a recent USA today article which looked at the debt issue plaguing our younger ("Y") generation (20's to 30's) Interestingly, while the recession exacerbated their financial issues the cause is much more due to Generation Y's mindset and poor personal finance habits. There were…

The average credit card now carries north of 21% APR — above 23% on new accounts — so the cost of a credit card mistake is higher in 2026 than it's been in decades. Banks make billions a year in fees and interest, and nearly all of it comes from…

Many employers, and certainly the larger ones, use a prospective employee’s credit history as a pre-employment screening methodology to judge their character and credibility. The reasoning is that your inability to handle your financial commitments may be a sign of personal irresponsibility, which may spill over into the workplace. For…

In the current financial climate as the economy slows with rising inflation, many of us are under pressure to pay the bills, buy basic household items and meet our day-to-day expenses. Finding spare cash to pay off loans, save for your kids college expenses and to build up a decent…

The average credit card now carries north of 21% APR — higher on new accounts, per the Federal Reserve — while a 30-year mortgage runs closer to 6%. That gap alone tells you most of what you need to know about labeling debt "good" or "bad," but it's not quite…

President Obama has released his latest budget and one of it's the hallmarks has been an increase in taxes on the "rich". This would be done by reinstating 10-year-old income tax rates of 36% and 39.6% for single Americans earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000…

I recently went to a ball game in my hometown and had a great time watching the local team win. However one thing I have noticed for the longest time is the rising price of things sold at the ball games and I am sure at many other sporting events.…