The bank is a great place to keep money safe and readily available, but how much money do you really need to keep in your savings account? My wife and I are facing this exact question. With a transient lifestyle and a plan to head south in January, we need to have a buffer in […]
You’ve undoubtedly seen all of the news about the impending “fiscal cliff.” Whether you understand it or not, there will be consequences if we “fall off” at the end of 2012. One potential change to our tax system has to do with estate taxes. Currently, heirs do not pay federal taxes on estates smaller than […]
My wife and I are beginning to plan for our future. Part of this planning includes allocating our finances in the best possible way to meet our future goals. Up to this point, I have been handling most of the finances, but we are now considering meeting with a financial planner to get professional help. […]
I consolidated my undergraduate loans in 2003, which in some ways was the golden age of student loan consolidation. Back then, consolidating was a solid method for reducing interest rates, reducing monthly payments, and taking advantage of lender discounts. Unfortunately, there have been many changes to the regulations governing student loan consolidations since then. Consolidating […]
Last weekend, my wife had her purse taken at a wedding reception. Losing her keys was the worst part; our apartment was over an hour away, and we were stranded without a car. She was also without a phone for a day, which added to the agony. Luckily, she didn’t have any credit cards or cash in […]
For as long as I can remember, my family has purchased used and inexpensive cars. Subsequently, I never used a car that cost our family more than $5,000. I recently wrote about my decision between buying a used car or leasing a new one. If I decided to buy used, I would be on the hook […]
