Personal Finance 4 You

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Goodwill Car Donation

Check out this new site that my friend started to educate people about donating their cars and the related tax benefits.
Goodwill Car Donation

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Your 5-Step Game Plan For Buying A Car

Use this tip sheet to help make the process a bit easier.

By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, May 2009

1. Your top price. Run the numbers with our monthly-car-payment calculator at kiplinger.com/tools to figure out how much you can spend. Never reveal to a dealer your top monthly payment.

2. Financing. Get preapproved by your bank or credit union and know what rate you qualify for so that you can compare it with the rate the dealer's finance office offers you.

3. Target price. Look up dealer retail prices on Edmunds.com for each model you'll test-drive. Be sure to factor in options, mileage and the condition of the vehicle.

4. Competing deals. Arm yourself with printouts on similar vehicles from AutoTrader.com, Cars.com or the local classifieds. A competing offer is probably the best motivator for a seller to lower the price.

5. When to walk away. If something feels fishy or the price is too high, go to the next seller on your list. If you've done your homework, you'll know when the deal is right.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

9 smart personal finance moves in 2009

Nice article on Bankrate on what could be a tough year financially.

1. Know yourself.

2. Know where the money goes.

3. Know when to say no.

4. Know when to say yes.

5. Know when and who to ask for help.

6. Know your risk tolerance.

7. Know your portfolio.

8. Know your mortgage.

9. Know your credit.

Bankrate.com

Monday, June 2, 2008

Free real-time quotes from Google Finance

Google Finance now offers free real-time quotes. Check them out!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Steals of the Day

Just ran across a new website which lists deals and bargains from the top online retailers. Definitely add it to your bookmarks

Deals & Bargains

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tax Tip: How to get a replacement W-2

Kay Bell on Bankrate.com tells you how to get a replacement W-2 in case yours didn't make it to you in the mail, or if there is something wrong with it.

Check with payroll
Alert the IRS
Form 4852
Do-it-yourself W-2

Read the details at bankrate.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Mailbox alert!

The documentation that you will need to complete your tax forms is hitting the mailbox around this time. Be on the lookout and start putting them in a folder so you will have everything when you sit down to do your taxes.

Monday, January 14, 2008

10 must know IRA terms

Another gem from Kay Bell on bankrate.com

10 terms you should be familiar with when opening an IRA account.

1. Adjusted gross income (AGI)
2. Contribution
3. Deductible or nondeductible
4. Education IRA
5. Individual retirement account (IRA)
6. Modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)
7. Required minimum distribution
8. Rollover
9. Roth IRA
10. Tax and penalty-free withdrawals

For the details go here.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Best investing moves to make in 2008

Thinking about investing in the new year? Bankrate.com lists the following to try and make the best of what could be a scary investing year.

• High yield -- don't settle for less.
• Offset the falling dollar's effect on your retirement.
• Don't be afraid of foreign investments.
• Diversification and a long-term approach -- ho hum, but smart.
• See a financial adviser.
• Stuff your retirement plan.

More at Bankrate.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

7 tax-filing moves you can make now

Kay Bell has a nice article on Bankrate.com that lists tips to make tax filing as painless as it can be this year.

1. Get ready for the arrival of records.

2. Track down Social Security numbers.

3. Find your forms.

4. Decide how you want to do your taxes.

5. Consider electronic filing.

6. Use direct deposit.

7. Don't panic.

To read it in detail visit Bankrate.com

Monday, December 10, 2007

10 smart year-end tax moves

Bankrate.com lists 10 things you can do now to reduce your 2007 tax bill. Make it part of your holiday to-do list.

1. Get in the giving mood
2. Assess your assets
3. Let your home help you out
4. Eliminate energy excesses
5. Focus on fuel efficiency
6. Maximize medical expenses
7. Make more miscellaneous payments
8. Keep an eye on the 'kiddie tax'
9. Shop for your classroom
10. Ramp-up retirement contributions

Tax to-do list

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

30+ Stock Market Tools and Resources

Mashable.com has posted a nice list of online tools and resources for following or trading in the stock market.

Check it out here.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Big Three offer best deals on 2007 models

It is one of the best times of the year to buy an automobile, and according to Bankrate.com's auto experts, the best deals are on domestic products.

Need a minivan? Chrysler is offering rebates of between $3,500 and $4,500 on its Town & Country vans.
Dodge is offering up to a $6,000 rebate on its Ram 1500 pickup.
Want a big, comfy -- if not exciting -- luxury sedan? Consider the $7,000 rebate on the Lincoln Town Car. If a Lincoln is a little too flashy, check out the Mercury Marquis sedan, which also carries a rebate of between $6,000 and $7,000.
Even the sporty Mustang is available with rebates from $1,500 and $3,000 on 2007 models.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Mint.com is live

Mint.com, an online money management solution, is live and available to all users. I am still not convinced that storing all my financial data online is the safest thing to do. What do you think?

Technorati Tags: online money management, software

Monday, September 17, 2007

Interesting concept for bloggers...

Just joined Blogrush. Let's see what kind of results it brings.

Monday, August 27, 2007

8 ways to cut honeymoon costs

Bankrate.com lists 8 ways to have a memorable honeymoon that doesn't break the bank.

1. Book way ahead.
2. Wait until the last minute.
3. Postpone your honeymoon.
4. Ask for freebies and barter for services.
5. Scout deals out in advance.
6. Plan a destination wedding.
7. Consider a package or all-inclusive.
8. Cut back on the length of your trip.

8 ways to cut honeymoon costs

Technorati Tags: saving

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

20 timeless money rules

Money magazine lists 20 timeless money rules to live by. Some good solid advice in there for everyday thinking and managing your finances.

Technorati Tags: money, saving, advice

20 timeless money rules - Be humble (1) - Money Magazine

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Host Tag: Personal Finance 4 You

iPhone Worth Every Penny (?)

Kiplinger Finance thinks so. I on the other hand, am not convinced. I am sitting on a $599 Apple gift card, wondering what to spend it on. I am not sure if the Iphone is worth that much money, or whether I really need a Mac mini. What to do, what to do...

Thoughts?

iPhone Worth Every Penny - Kiplinger.com

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Top 10 money drains

Bankrate.com lists the top 10 things you are probably spending money on, that you could quit and pocket the money. I don't know if I agree with them but anywho...

1. Coffee -- According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.

2. Cigarettes -- The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,660 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.

3. Alcohol -- Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.

4. Bottled water from convenience stores -- A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.

5. Manicures -- The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.

6. Car washes -- The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.

7. Weekday lunches out -- $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,350 a year.

8. Vending machines snacks -- The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.

9. Interest charges on credit card bills -- According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!

10. Unused memberships -- Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

Money drains