How to Lose Money Fast
In my younger days I learned a card counting system and, along with some buddies who did the same, frequented Las Vegas and isolated casinos elsewhere with the aim of making money playing Blackjack....
View ArticleCredit Sesame Overview
The site and service CreditSesame.com can help you stay on top of your credit and debt, shop for the best mortgage, track your financial progress, and make better financial choices. All this reduces to...
View ArticleThe Vision Thing
Broccoli-hater in chief Imagine a poll of all Americans: Who is the most memorable U.S. President? How many do you suppose would answer George H.W. Bush? I’d guess five, or zero excluding George H.W....
View ArticleBe Cool AND Save
Hi Money Counselor readers, I’m featuring a guest post today. Please welcome Jason Wall, HVAC technician extraordinaire! There’s no doubt that your heating and cooling can take up a huge share of your...
View ArticleTo Save Enough Start Early!
I’ve got another worthwhile guest post for you today. (You’re tired of hearing from me anyway, right? ) Please welcome Patrick Russo, a wizard at getting the most from your savings. A survey released...
View ArticleFinancial Gain Without Pain
How Much Do Americans Pay in Credit Card Interest? According to the most recent Federal Reserve statistics, Americans’ outstanding credit card debt totals $850 billion. And according to...
View ArticleTax Refund: Spend, Save or Blow?
In the personal finance blogging world, the annual parade of advice on what you should do with your tax refund is well underway. If you’ve managed to stay awake through even a few of my articles, I...
View ArticleKiller Fund Fees
In “Fund Fees: Nest Egg Killer” I wrote about the surprising and shocking toll even seemingly low—in percentage terms—investing fees will take on savings. I put together this graph to make the point:...
View ArticleSave $100 This Week!
Nearly all of us have this same lament about money: “I wish I could save more!” And for almost all of you (and me!), here’s the Money Counselor reply: “You can!” No, you don’t have to eat boxed mac...
View ArticleSpend Now or Spend Later
You’re holding a $20 bill in your hand. You’ve got two options: Spend it Save it And you thought personal finance was complicated. Consume Now or Consume Later: That Is the Question We make a choice,...
View ArticleBucketize Your Savings
Big mouth money bloggers like me make a living (well, not a living—more like a nickel here and there) mostly preaching to the great unwashed about how they should SPEND LESS so they can SAVE MORE. But...
View ArticleWorld’s Best Layaway!
An alert popped in my email this morning: “Retailers roll out layaway plans early for 2014 holidays.” Whoa! That’s right, Labor Day’s over, so it must be time to embrace that annual consumerism...
View ArticleWhat’s an Indicator Choice?
You’ve heard of “indicator species,” right? From Wikipedia, an indicator species is “any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment.” I want to introduce the idea of...
View ArticleDon’t Miss These Tax Savings
Uncle Sam’s got a gift for you! Another year is winding down and holiday revelry, shopping, decorating, and general merry-making fill your plate! But before the year slips away, take a moment to assure...
View ArticleThe New myRA
Are your household earnings less than $191,000? Then you’re eligible to open the new myRA account President Obama created by executive order this year. But should you bother with the myRA? Let’s run...
View ArticleSavings: Key to Happiness?
Call me a cynic if you want, but I can’t avoid concluding as I watch the world go by that most people think what will make them happier is 1) earning a bunch of money and then 2) madly spending all...
View ArticleAre Electric Toothbrushes Worthwhile?
You use an electric toothbrush, right? Okay, snicker if you want, but up until a couple of weeks ago I’d been using a manual brush my entire life. Yes, I’m what you might call a “late-adopter,” or even...
View ArticleShare, Don’t Own!
Loyal readers will know I’m a passionate proponent of carsharing. In the early and mid-2000s, I helped found and manage the nonprofit Hourcar in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and I’m on the Board and...
View ArticleLong-Term Car Financing
Everybody on the planet who sells something spends lots of time dreaming up ways to persuade you to buy more of whatever they’re selling. The real specialists are “marketing professionals” or “brand...
View Article14 Steps to Get Ahead
Are you sick of living paycheck to paycheck, always on the brink? I’m positive you can change that! Here’s how: 14 Steps to Start Getting Ahead Financially 1. Track Expenses for 3 Months You might...
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