Don’t Turn Old Bills Into Zombie Debt
The zombie apocalypse is real and they\'re out to get your money! Find out how a mistake can make an old, noncollectable debt collectable again. More »
Fooling My Family Into Saving Money On Groceries
In 2012 I stated that food prices would rise, and unfortunately, they have. Now, I\'m using sneaky methods to fool my family into reducing our grocery budget. More »
What Does a ‘No-Cost Refi’ Really Mean?
The no cost mortgage refinance pitch might sound great, but are there potential hidden fees that could make this deal not so free? More »
How To Score Free Money From the Airlines
I\'ve flown for free a number of times. You can easily get free airline tickets with these tips. More »
5 Easy Ways to Make Money by Using Your Credit Cards
Your credit cards don\'t always have to cost you money. Given the right circumstances, they can MAKE you money too. More »
Reviewing My Rental Property Returns
Someone pointed out that I am long overdue for a financial update on my rental properties. You’re absolutely right. Since buying the second rental property last year, so much has happened that I haven’t taken the time to evaluate just how they’re doing financially. It’s time to share.
For those of you who have not been around for the past three years, I now own to rental properties containing three units. These homes are located in an economically depressed area in Pennsylvania. Did I mention that I live in New York City?
I decided to buy both of these homes strictly as investments. In order to do that, I raided my 401(K) to finance my purchases since I did not have the cash on hand and because it’s incredibly hard to find financing for homes valued at less than $50,000. You can read more about that decision in Why I’m Buying Rental Property While Still In Debt. Anyway, it’s time to get to the finances.
How to Prepare for Your International Move
There are many things that can take us away from our current location. Perhaps you currently live away from your family and your parents now need care. Or, maybe you just got a new job that will require you to move out of the country. Or perhaps you’ve finally decided to check a few items off your bucket list and seek adventure another country. Whatever the reason, you will need to be sure that you are thoroughly prepared and that everything is in order before you make this important move.
Stock Up On Cash
No matter which country you move to, money talks. Now, keep in mind that you can’t take excessive amounts of physical cash with you through the airport (typically no more than $10,000 unless you like being detained for hours while the government checks to see if you are laundering cash), so plan to take just what you will need to sustain you for about one week. By taking this cash you will be able to pay for food, shelter and whatever incidentals you incur upon your initial move.Â
Tracking the Journey of the Global Superwealthy Infographic
I’m the kind of person who avidly awaits the annual ranking of most wealthy individuals. I like to see how their net worth of the world’s wealthiest individuals fluctuate and just what made them so wealthy.
While there are more than 29 million individuals worldwide with a net worth greater than $1M, there are 3.1 billion people with a net worth of less than $10,000. With a net worth just abut breaking even, I’m in the latter group. Today I’m sharing an infographic showcasing the wealth gap.
Don’t Turn Old Bills Into Zombie Debt
The zombie apocalypse is real, and it’s eating your money. Well, it’s trying to anyway, and you might unknowingly be helping them.
If you’ve every received a phone call or letter in the mail demanding payment for a debt that is years old, you might have unfortunately have zombies knocking at your door. Some debt collectors have a way of resurrecting debt that is so old that is might actually be outside of the statutes of limitations for collection. We call that zombie debt.
Rectify Your Credit Score Through These Proactive Tips
One of the important things to learn about personal finance is how to avoid harmful credit. A good credit score can allow you to save more money and receive better offers on certain assets and items like homes. Bad credit can arise owing to a number of scenarios ranging from unemployment to health issues. In such a situation, repairing of credit should be your topmost priority.
An initial way to start is with an authority in credit fix. In many cases, it may happen that there might be some incorrect entries or duplications. You would be amazed that this fix has worked for a number of people and gave their FICO score a significant boost.
I Make Money Online: Blogging
I don’t know why I never thought abut writing this article because I do this every month, but one way that I make money online is by running this blog. How much am I making? On average I net about $1,000 each month but it has been higher than that as well. I think that I made close to $3,000 during my best month. You can make money blogging as well.
First, let me be completely honest with you. Everyone can have a blog, but not every blog can or will make you money. That’s the truth that everyone selling you the dream of riches earned with your keyboard will not tell you. Second, having a blog that will make you money takes time. Once you calculate the amount of time that it takes to make money on your blog, you might decide that it is easier and more time effective to just get a second job. Okay, on to how I make money blogging.
May 1 Debt Check In
It’s the beginning of the month and time to review my finances again. Just a reminder, the entire reason why this blog exists is to chronicle my debt journey. Since the very first post here, I have shared an embarrassing amount of personal financial information about myself on this blog. It’s not because I’m a glutton for punishment, but because I believe in teaching through real examples. I want to show that is it entirely possible to pay off a six-figure debt without filing bankruptcy, all while making a five figure wage.
I’m still gloriously unemployed, but I’ve been making my time as productive as possible when possible. I was sidelined for half of April since I was pretty sick. I’m still recovering, but at least now I’m out and about and not laying in bed in a haze of medication. Sweet, sweet, medication.
Saving Money On Your Car Insurance
Although car insurance can be highly valuable for your peace of mind and could give you some much-needed financial relief, for example, if you suffer a personal injury in a car accident, it can also be very expensive. That is why, if you have car insurance,it’s a good idea to attempt to reduce the amount that you regularly have to pay for it where possible. Here are a few tips to help you to do just that.
Don’t accept a renewal quote
It is often not a good idea to just accept a renewal quote from your existing insurer, even if you have built up a tidy no-claims bonus. This is because insurance businesses rarely give financial perks to existing customers; on the contrary, they often offer large discounts to potential customers  and higher premiums to existing customers for exactly the same cover. Protest by voting with your feet.
The Worst Credit Score I Have Ever Seen
I’m in the market for a new set of tenants these days. On Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting two young ladies and their entire family as they came to look at what will be their first apartment. I sent both girls a link to an electronic background and credit check service that I am now using on all tenants since the last one decided to become a drug dealer.
Once they agreed to the terms and paid the application fee, I was given access to their criminal history and credit check. While I learned that they were not on the terror watch list, I also learned that they are young, cute, sweet, and broke. In fact, one of them has the worst credit score that I have ever seen in my life. I knew that a score under 500 was possible, but I had just never actually seen a score beginning with a 4, especially since it’s attached to a 21 year old. Let’s refer to her as Ms. Holy-Crap-That’s-A-Horrible-Score.
