photo credit: DRB62 One of the most under-appreciated professions out there is that of an auto mechanic. How many people do you meet in your life that have such an impact on you and your family’s safety as well as your finances? A good, trustworthy mechanic can save you a ton of money in the long run. Unfortunately, a good auto mechanic can be hard to come by. Here are some pointers on how to find them.  Where Should I Take my Car? You generally have three options. Large national chains... Read Full Story

photo credit: Mike Licht In the midst of recent market turmoil, it is more important than ever to focus on your long term goals and develop patience in order to achieve financial peace of mind. We know where the market has been, but nobody truly knows where it is going in the future. Historically, in fear driven markets such as the one we are experiencing right now, there usually is a bounce back, or rally, in stock prices when normalcy begins to set in again. Historically is the key... Read Full Story

photo credit: gavinrobinson I’ve been a pretty big proponent of electric vehicles on this site in the past, and was absolutely giddy over the specs on the 100% electric Tesla Roadster, made by Tesla Motors. Electric vehicles will be a major solution to U.S. oil dependence, global warming, and when priced to scale, they should save consumers a ton of money on fuel and upkeep. Admittedly, electric vehicles are still a few years away from being a realistic solution in a financial sense for... Read Full Story

photo credit: respres What do Frannie and Freddie Actually do? The US Treasury finally bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The markets are responding positively to the decision, as expected. So why this is such a big deal? Let’s start with what these two companies actually do: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are two government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that practically run the secondary mortgage market in the United States. They are private corporations owned and operated by... Read Full Story

photo credit: Kyknoord I have 4 checking accounts and three credit cards. Before I get ripped for admitting that as the author of a personal finance site, let me quickly explain. I have two checking accounts at two different banks, two for personal use and two that I share with my wife. Why two banks? I fully expect one of the banks to go public someday, and I want to have holdings there in the event that they do (you can actually buy discounted shares when this happens). The three credit... Read Full Story

photo credit: spring dew This is part 5 of a multi-part series entitled ‘Green Matters’, which will focus on how reducing your environmental burden will also reduce your expenses. Part 5 is going to cover one of the most often overlooked utility expenses, water. For most people, getting the water & sewer bill isn’t going to be to big of a hit to the bank account. I receive a bill every 3 months, and it usually averages out to about $40 a month. However, the thing to keep in mind in terms... Read Full Story

photo credit: lenchensmama. The Tax Policy Center recently released an updated version of their “Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans“. It’s an excellent read if you want hard figures on how your vote may effect your bank account in terms of how much of your own money you will get to keep if that candidate wins the election. In general, I think it’s safe to say that there is a perception that democrats tend to want to tax citizens more than republicans do. I’ll let... Read Full Story

photo credit: pinkbelt In this post, we’ll discuss some best practices when it comes to purchasing index funds and mutual funds, in general. Mutual funds are a great option for those who don’t have the time or savvy to purchase stocks or other types of investments. First, let’s cover some basics on mutual funds.  What is a Mutual Fund? A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools money from investors and then invests that money into a combination of investment vehicles, usually in... Read Full Story

photo credit: volpelino Sometimes what seems like the obvious to seasoned investors is not so clear to someone just entering the world of investing. In this article we’ll take a look at how to simply buy and sell stocks, where to trade, and the types of trade orders that you can place. There’s a lot of new brokers out there and types of trades to choose from, so even seasoned investors may pick up a thing or two. In an upcoming post, we’ll discuss the same for mutual funds.  Where Can I... Read Full Story

photo credit: supa pedro Personal finance blog, Wisebread, had a very interesting post the other day that I thought was worth recycling here because it comes down to you and your family’s safety. I bought brand new tires two weeks ago and then discovered what (I’m guessing) few Americans have any awareness about whatsoever - tires have cryptic manufacture dates on them, and if you’re driving a tire over six years old, you could be in grave danger! But they Look Brand New! Have you ever... Read Full Story