Jul
21
How Long Should I Keep Credit Card Statments?
July 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Have a pile of credit card statements ? Find out how long you need to keep your old statements and why.
When deciding what financial records to keep and what to throw away, there are several important criteria. Do you use your credit card for business expenses ? Do you have any tax deductible purchases ? If you answered yes to these questions, you'll need to hold onto your credit card statements for 7 to 10 years.
However, if you …
Jul
16
If you have an Edward Jones account, you now have the option of getting your statements via email. I hated getting all that paper from Edward Jones and I think it's about time they step into the 21st century.
I've called my local office and the main number several times asking for either electronic delivery or no delivery as you can get your statements online. At the time I was told that the SEC required investment companies to send statements via …
Jul
7
Moving My Money Away From Prosper
July 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
… balance out of Prosper.com. I know they've made some changes recently but I'm not going to bid on new loans. It's just way too risky.
I've posted about my experience with Prosper.com in previous articles. Here's an index of my articles on prosper.com.
Peer to Peer Lending with Prosper Et Al.
What is Prosper and How Does it Work?
Lending Money on Prosper: What Are the Risks?
Lending Money on Prosper: My Results
What's Wrong with Prosper? …
Jun
4
Stimulus Payment Notification - What Does It Say?
June 4, 2008 | 16 Comments
… notification letter would say. I finally received mine so I can share it with you.
I already showed you what the envelope looks like so you don't throw it away. I scanned in the stimulus notification for my records. It states in bold print that you should save this notification for your records. I keep all my important documents in digital format. I just scan them in using my HP scanner and store them on my hard drive. I back them up online to make sure I never lose them.
Since …
Comment by Chris: … any money you owe to the government from your check.
May
27
… expecting a stimulus payment check from the IRS. You filed a joint tax return for 2007. However, you're now divorced and the check is in both of your names. What do you do?
Well, like most checks that are made out to two people, most places (banks, etc) will require both signatures to cash the check. The key here is to understand the difference between AND and OR. If the check is made out to John AND Jane Doe, then both must endorse (sign) it. If the check is made out to …
Comment by Disgruntled ex: Who can I go to besides the cops? The IRS doesn't …
Apr
24
How Will Global Food Shortages Affect You
April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
… in the world. North America, South America and Africa rely on corn as a source of food and livestock feed.
The ethanol industry has increased the demand for corn. Government subsidies for ethanol have encouraged the construction of a large number of ethanol plants in corn producing states.
Livestock prices and thus meat and dairy prices have increased because of the competition for corn which is used as feed for a large number of animals.
Rice
The price of rice has …
Apr
3
Peer to Peer Lending with Prosper Et Al.
April 3, 2008 | 2 Comments
Maybe you’ve heard of peer to peer ( p2p ) lending. It’s also known as social lending or person to person lending. What is it and how does it work? I have some experience in this area so read on to find out what p2p lending is all about.
Borrowers
Consumer loans are big business. According to Wikipedia there is a $2.5 trillion (that’s 25 followed by 11 zeroes) consumer lending market in the United …
Apr
1
Retirement Revolution - Part Two
April 1, 2008 | 2 Comments
The US retirement system is about to face its biggest challenge. The baby boomers are starting to retire. What can the baby boomers do to prepare for retirement? What will they do with themselves during their long retirement?
Retirement Revolution is PBS show hosted by Paula Zahn. The first part airs on PBS for the first time on March 31, 2008. The second half “On Our Own” airs on PBS Monday April 7th, 2008 for the …
Mar
19
What is Your Investment Philosophy?
March 19, 2008 | 2 Comments
I’ve come to believe the most important investment decision you can make is deciding upon an investment philosophy. I call it a philosophy but it could also be called an investment style, an investing strategy or even and investment system. All of these terms are rather hard to define. Some have clear meanings. Let’s elaborate on investment philosophy.
As usual I searched for these terms on …
Mar
17
What is a Hedge Fund?
March 17, 2008 | 1 Comment
Hedge funds are getting a lot of press these days. It seems that hedge funds are in the news every day and not for good reasons. In the current financial downturn, hedge funds are collapsing left and right. If you’re like a good portion of the general public you have no idea what a hedge fund is. So let’s answer the question: What is a hedge fund?
My first stop in any research is usually Google. …