down payment

I recently heard an interesting discussion on Dave Ramsey’s radio show about the length of time you need to live in a home in order for it to make sense going through the process and expense of purchasing it. It’s a rare occasion that I disagree with Dave Ramsey, but in this instance, I [...]

When someone is first enter the world of finances, they will need to learn some new basic finance skills.  Unfortunately, many teenagers and young adults get to college without having a clue about some basic personal finance tasks.  You might make a lot of bad money choices, but if you have some basic financial knowledge, [...]

I believe that cash flow is one of the most powerful concepts in personal finance. People tends to know how they feel about their personal finance — e.g., whether they are comfortable or are struggling. Unfortunately, not too many people truly understand cash flow and how important it is to your finances. When you understand [...]

While traditional brick and mortar banks can be very convenient, they can rarely compete with the high interest rates offered by online high yield savings accounts. Personally, I think these online high interest accounts are the best place to stash your emergency fund and save up money for your short-term goals, such as, saving money [...]

April 15 looms on the horizon. There may be any number of reasons that you are not prepared to file a tax return, from not having your dividend statements back, to waiting to get a home buyer tax credit, to straightforward procrastination. No matter your reasons, you can actually file for an extension. Any taxpayer [...]

I recently read an article in The New York Times (hat tip for bringing it to my attention: MAPping Company Success) about the increasing trend of using real money to pay for virtual goods. The article also addresses the rise of credit, via a company called Kwedit.com, to pay for virtual purchases online. This article [...]

There’s no shame in admitting it: It’s possible to make it through college and into the real world without having the first idea about investing, money management, or anything that deals even remotely with finances. But thanks to the growing number of Web sites and online tools devoted to fiscal responsibility, it’s easier than ever [...]

Debt consolidation loan is simply a type of loan obtained to pay off multiple loans. The good thing about this debt management tool is, it helps lower interest rates and allows you the freedom to pay a monthly lump sum instead of multiple payments. Put differently, a debt consolidation loan lets you rearrange your numerous [...]

iPhones are often criticized as expensive and ostentatious. Why buy a smart phone when you can make calls from a $10 pay as you go phone? It may seem like a waste of money, but used properly an iPhone can be a powerful tool in your personal finance arsenal. Here is just a small sampling of [...]

Before you buy a home, you should obtain a pre-approval letter from the mortgage lender that states how much you’re eligible to borrow. This provides you with two important information: (1) the price range that you should be focusing on, and (2) the starting point for your monthly mortgage payments calculation. You can use an [...]