Category: Saving and Investing ideas

[Updated] Gold prices reached record levels following S&P's sovereign credit downgrades and ongoing fears of Euro market/region instability. Coupled with volatility in global equity markets many investors and sovereign nations have rushed to invest in the yellow metal for protection and price speculation. A number of analysts are predicting that ongoing…
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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC), the agency that guarantees bank deposits, is expected to ease rules restricting relatively weak banks and thrifts from paying higher rates to attract deposits. Under current rules, institutions rated below "well-capitalized" are restricted from paying rates much higher than U.S. Treasury bond yields. But…
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It is very easy to buy a stock. Selling a share or stock though, especially if it has lost value, is a much harder process because of the emotions involved. Knowing when to sell a stock, and actually doing it, is tough and that is why most people like to…
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I received the following email from a reader, Justin, asking me where I would invest in the current market given all the turmoil. Here is part of the discussion that formed the basis for this post, and my thoughts on investing for the year ahead: Original Email from Justin: I'm…
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Like most investors still braving this market I keep trying to find a safe place to invest that provides decent returns. With a stock market that seems to have many more down days than up days, it is hard to have confidence in future growth prospects. However with interest rates…
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Why are tax free money market funds providing relatively decent yields compared to leaving your money in a regular bank account? Pamela Wisehaupt Tynan, who oversees Vanguard's municipal money market funds says "These unusually high yields are simply a function of how the money market arena is reacting to events…
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After driving the same family car for the last 7 years, my wife and I decided it was time to get a new car that provided better fuel efficiency and some of the nice to have modern features. Not having bought a car for quite some time meant that I…
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With the latest Democrat tax proposals, a growing national debt and continued increases in government spending, taxes are going up sooner or later. Despite all the political mutterings, rising taxes seem a certainty. Tax hikes will be rising to finance our high national debt and to pay for long term…
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Over the weekend I went shopping to a specific large outlet mall with some visiting out-of-town friends. This outlet mall was one that they specifically wanted to go as was not in the city they came from. During the shopping trip, which lasted about 2hrs, they spent close to $1000…
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Gas Shortages and Siphoning One of the more unsavory aspects of the sudden rise in gas prices has been a marked increase in criminal gas siphoning activities. This has been widely reported in the media, but over the weekend it struck very close to home when a neighbors car, which…
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With gas prices at an all-time high, more and more people are looking for ways to reduce their fuel costs. Being a personal finance blogger, I thought I would join in on the advice band wagon and provide some simple ideas I use and have read about to save on…
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