February 2011

Jump Start Your Financial Goals

February 17, 2011

Starting to save money is like going on a diet. You are much more likely to reach your goals if you make lifestyle changes that lead to gradual improvements. It isn’t healthy to try to lose 20 pounds in a week, and saving money is not going to happen overnight, either. However, just as experts [...]

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Insurance Lingo 101 – What is Personal Injury Protection (PIP)?

February 16, 2011

A few weeks ago, I got in a car accident near my home in southern California.  My car was toast, but luckily the other driver and I both walked away without sustaining any injuries.  If we weren’t so fortunate, and instead ended up in the hospital, we might be exploring whether our auto insurance policy [...]

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Will Detroit Ever Recover?

February 15, 2011

Once the United States’ fifth largest city, Detroit has seen a massive shift in residence. Enough people have moved to the suburbs that the city now ranks eleventh most populous in US. We’ve all seen the Super Bowl commercial about the gritty city with a heart of gold. So why are so many people moving [...]

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How To Build a Budget with a Variable Income

February 15, 2011

Photo: Flickr Some of us are lucky in that we know exactly how much will hit our accounts when we receive our pay checks. Although we may not realize or recognize it, living on a fixed salary makes it extremely easy to budget and plan, especially when we feel we have job security and can [...]

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Filing an Auto Insurance Claim Might Not Be the Best Idea

February 14, 2011

Your car insurance provider frequently tells you to report even the most minor car accident.  Contrary to these instructions, sometimes it’s best not to file an insurance claim. A few years ago, I was in a minor fender bender with another car.  I admit it: the accident was definitely my fault.  But the damage was [...]

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What is IRS Tax Form 2290?

February 14, 2011

If you are required by law to register a highway motor vehicle with a gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more, that means becoming familiar with Form 2290. Most filers of this form will be corporate or business entities of some sort, as few individuals own these sorts of vehicles. Form 2290 is used to: [...]

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Why You Might Have the Wrong Credit Card

February 14, 2011

If used correctly, a credit card in the right hands can be a very effective personal finance tool and you can take advantage of many different credit card types. For example, big spenders can benefit from generous rewards cards, whereas those trying to pay off debt can capitalize on low credit card interest rates. With [...]

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How Financially Fit is Your Insurance Company?

February 13, 2011

Whether we like it or not, insurance companies are a very important part of our lives. Depending on the coverage one buys, we rely on insurance to cover loss on our cars, homes, health, and life. Basically, we look to insurance to protect some of the most important and most valuable aspects of life. And [...]

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You Wouldn’t Dare Borrow Money From Your 401k Would You?

February 11, 2011

I generally regard financial advisers to be smart people when it comes to money. Since they almost universally warn against taking out a loan against a 401k plan, I tend to think they must know what they’re talking about. Recently, however, research has come out indicating that borrowing money from your retirement account can actually [...]

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