Most people would love to travel more, but with the stress of living through difficult economic times, it often seems an unreachable dream.
Everyone deserves some downtime however, even if your budget only stretches to a staycation or a last-minute city break. Plan your budget well and you could make that idyllic beach holiday you’ve been fantasizing about. Here’s how to cut the costs and still get away somewhere exciting this year. read more…
The following article was written by Brandon Endsley, a Financial Aid Administrator and Purdue Alumni, who administers the MyMoney website at Purdue University. We asked him if he could address some of the issues surrounding student loan defaults – as they are on the rise. read more…
So with spring time upon us, it’s got me anxious to start our garden, and this year will be a little different. This year we are starting a community garden. In remembrance of my Grandpa, I decided this year to venture out and ask people about starting a community garden. So far this year we’ve got about 8 to 9 couples from the surrounding communities that are interested in starting.
The first thing to remember about home insurance is each policy is different. There are hundreds of home insurance providers in the US alone, and while many policies will be similar, your policy is likely to be different to your neighbor’s, your friend’s, and your work colleague’s.
For this reason, there is no broad cover-all answer to questions about home insurance, and what applies to someone else’s policy will not necessarily apply to yours. Each policy offers different cover, and each insurer will have its own way of doing things. You can learn more by visiting the HBF home insurance website today. read more…
One of the better books I’ve read lately dealt with the subject of negotiation. Negotiation Boot Camp by Ed Brodow is a great resource if you are looking to improve your negotiating skills (and I don’t know many who aren’t).
A reverse mortgage loan is a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured loan for home owners ages 62 years and older that uses a portion of their home’s equity as collateral. The home must be free from any liens and any existing mortgages must be paid off with the funds received from the reverse mortgage loan at closing. The home must be a single family home or a 2-4 unit home with one unit occupied by the borrower. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved condominiums and manufactured homes that meet FHA requirements are also eligible. There are generally no credit or income requirements necessary to be approved for a reverse mortgage loan. Learn more about reverse mortgage pros and cons. read more…
Parents would like for their children to grow up and become successful adults. Part of being a successful adult is having the ability to manage your personal finances. Truly, it doesn’t matter how much money you make, if you don’t know how to manage it, you can still end up in financial trouble. Money management can be complicated, even for adults, but these tips will help your children stay on the right path and enjoy a simple living when it comes to finances. read more…
This past week I was making my way to one of my favorite products at Costco: the croissants. I love croissants. At Costco, you can get a pack of 12 large croissants for $5.99. These same-sized croissants go for $4.99 at Target – but for a package of 4. That’s right – for a dollar more, I could get 8 more buttery croissants (that are – in my opinion – equally as tasty). Now – talk about a mark-up! read more…
Frequent travelers often get to know the best ways to find a bargain hotel room, but it doesn’t take much to become money-smart and stretch that holiday fund. The key is to pinpoint your accommodation budget and what you expect to get in return, before you start the search. Look at amenities, loyalty deals and even get involved in a bit of bartering and you could find yourself with a sweet deal at half the standard price.
As with most services these days, the internet is the wisest place to start shopping for good room rates. Broker sites like www.cheaphotels.com, which compare prices for the same hotels, are useful, and online holiday clubs can offer you fixed hotel rates and surprise deals for often very reasonable annual registration fees. Don’t dismiss contacting the hotel directly either; some offer free nights or other discounts to customers who pick up the phone. read more…
This past month, when I went to pay my mortgage, I noticed that they were charging me an extra $7.99 fee for paying my balance due. I thought this was odd, so I waited until this month’s bill showed up. To my disbelief there was still that nasty $7.99 fee. I thought I better call my mortgage company to find out more.
After a short conversation with the rep she said that this was due to charges Western Union was charging the mortgage company to transfer my money. I asked if there was anyway around these charges (I’m just trying to be thrifty! 
). She said I could sign up for automatic monthly transfers or their bi-weekly payment plan. I personally didn’t like either of these plans, because I like to fluctuate how much I pay when I have more money to apply to my principal. read more…
