August 2009 Score Card — Part I: Net Worth

Another good month is in the books. Though the August performance isn’t as good as July, it’s still good enough to push our net worth to another all-time high, which is pretty exciting. The gain in August is the sixth in a row since March. Comparing to the returns of the stock market last month (the Dow up 3.5%, the S&P 3.4%, and the Nasdaq 1.5%), the gain of 4.43% in our net worth again exceeded the market performance. Overall, we added $29,424.84 in August from the previous month . [more...]

Date: 2009-09-02 19:53:13

Blog posts (125) | Videos (75)
 

Mortgage Rates Dip to Low 5’s

criteria that I use for pricing Friday’s rates.  Do check with your local Mortgage Professional to see what rate you qualify for.  What’s caused this big dip?  You can thank the Fed for stepping in to buy $600 billion ... the company was in violation of financial debt covenants of its note-purchase agreement and credit agreement [more...]

Date: 2008-11-25 16:14:43

September 28 Game Recap: Astros 8, Phillies 2

What happened? The Phillies failed to reduce their magic number as the Astros tagged Cole Hamels to take the first game of the series. Who did what? Cole Hamels (L, ) allowed six runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five. Yorman Bazardo (W, 1-2) allowed two runs on two hits in five and two-thirds. He walked and struck out four. Miguel Tejada went 4 for 5 with an RBI. Carlos Lee went 2 for 5 with a double (33) and two RBIs. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-29 02:29:32

Ross, Dixon & Bell Spreads Holiday Cheer

Ross, Dixon & Bell doesn’t have much time left before the law firm’s name is lost in its merger with Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders ... San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. This year, due to economic considerations ... 600 kids in limbo after they had been promised a trip to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, a party [more...]

Date: 2008-12-23 20:43:30

Real Estate: Getting From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be

When I'm driving, and get to busy main streets, I hate turning left onto major streets unless there's a light there ... % financing with a 520 credit score." Three words: Not. Gonna. Happen. But there are alternatives. Seller carry-back or raise your credit score are the first two that come to mind. Given the market right [more...]

Date: 2008-07-20 14:23:38

2008 in Review

Since I have the day off and it's snowing about a foot an hour it's a good time to review how this year has gone financially. If you look at the left side of my blog you'll see that months and months ago I posted the following goals:Create an Emergency Fund of $700. Increase salary to $55,000.Start Health Savings Account [more...]

Date: 2008-12-12 15:24:00

Why Do Purchase Escrows Fall Apart? (And Why Is It Happening More Often?)

There have always been real estate transactions that fall apart. The reasons why they fall apart are as varied as the people who enter into the transaction in the first place. Let's get back to the very basics for a moment. An offer to purchase is a representation that a given prospective buyer would be at least willing to purchase the property on [more...]

Date: 2008-06-11 13:52:06

Does Debt Validation Actually Work?

A recent reader at Sample Debt Validation Letter questioned as to whether or not requesting debt validation would prevent a collection agency from pursuing a judgment. Since his debts were nearly past the Statute of Limitations he was hoping to prevent payment and a possible appearance in civil court [more...]

Date: 2008-12-26 04:58:06

Debt Settlement Increases Income Taxes

Debt settlement might sound like the best option for you. Besides, many companies “claim” to be able to help you settle for half of what you owe ... company. You still may end up owing over $1,000 in income taxes. In addition, your credit score ... , some of it is likely principal that you are not having to repay. Whatever you bought with that credit [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 20:07:23

Government Mortgage Refinance Plan – Saving Money with a Lower Rate

The Government mortgage refinance plan Making Home Affordable was created to help you save money with a lower mortgage interest rate.  Over the last year, mortgage rates have dropped over a full percentage point and most home owners could greatly benefit from having a low mortgage rate on their home loan.  Even though credit scores have dropped over the last year, many home owners still have had the opportunity to refinance at lower rates. [more...]

Date: 2009-09-30 14:58:06

Ask BillShrink Guy: Should We Pay Off Car Loan to Improve Credit?

A reader of the blog, Andrea from Andrea’s Original, recently sent in a question about car loan and improving credit score: Hi there ... . We have Juniper credit cards which give a free (semi-accurate) credit score, and tips on how to make it better ... question. What is the best way to use this loan to increase his overall credit score? Should he pay [more...]

Date: 2009-01-12 23:27:32

Why do People Pirate?

This is very old news by now but I will bring it up because it helps me to frame my point. Remember that delightful little indie game called World of Goo which I reviewed not so long ago? It turns out that over 90% of the people who activated the games online score sharing feature did [more...]

Date: 2008-12-10 15:42:40

Currency issues, IMF grants loan, Structural reform, New Business, Human ights, Russian Gas, Ukraine, Polish scandal, New, Sport and Culture

From the Top...#377Alexander Lukashenko advises citizens not to change currency of their savingsFrom: BelTA and the Office of the PresidentThere is no need for citizens to change the currency they keep their savings in, because nobody knows how the global financial crisis will unfold, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told reporters, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 09:39:00

The bustle of change: 7-1 Students and the Anticipatory Emotions that accompany both them and their nation

The arrival back to school heralded with it the reality that “things are picking up” in 7.1 Social Studies. Indeed, students approached the week back from school with a sense of understanding about where we are, where we are going, and where we need to be. I was struck by how students perceived that there were standing on a precipice [more...]

Date: 2009-01-10 20:50:00

Bush with Lipstick

(updated below) If you haven't read today's New York Times profile of Sarah Palin, you should. The parallels between Palin and George W. Bush are striking: hen there was a vacancy at the top of the State Division of Agriculture, she appointed a high school classmate, Franci Havemeister, to the $95,000-a-year directorship [more...]

Date: 2008-09-14 02:34:48

The Credits Secrets Bible Can Help Your Credit Score

Credit is a necessity that we all need. But if it is abused or overextended, you could end up in a bad situation. Credit cards and loan debt is at an all time high and people are looking for ways to repair a damaged credit rating. A product called Credit Secrets Bible (CSB) is now available from the Consumer [more...]

Date: 2009-01-11 14:35:09

Daily Owner Earnings

ThoughtsI keep reading how bad holiday sales were, but I have yet to see any nominal numbers? In terms of revenue are we back at 2004 numbers?In 2008 the government handed out roughly $600 per person and it cost roughly $150 billion. At $600 Billion that would only be about $2,500 per person. That won’t do much. Even [more...]

Date: 2009-01-08 23:36:00

Prepared text of Gov. Jon Corzine's State of the State speech

Happy New Year and thank you all for attending today's State of the State. Reverend Clergy; Senate President Codey; Speaker Roberts; Majority Leaders Sweeney and Watson Coleman; Minority Leaders Kean and DeCroce; Chief Justice Rabner and Justices of the Supreme Court; Members of the Legislature; Members of my Cabinet; Congressmen Pallone, Payne, [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 01:13:00

Shop For Groceries Online, Not Paying Off Credit Cards @ The Carnivals

free credit scores by telling us all about Credit Karma! Money Smart Life: Henry confesses to being a credit card expert with a secret ... : A reader has a quandary about gift certificates given out as gifts. No Credit Needed enjoys spending ... company, I feel oddly reassured… Recent Carnivals Shop For Groceries Online, Not Paying Off Credit Cards [more...]

Date: 2008-07-16 23:00:00

Wow! Times have changed…

I found a pile of Time magazines from the 50s and 60s and this ad was in a 1965 issue. ... on a budget How a man retired on less than $600 a month. The IRS is going to be increasing the mileage rates ... A quick reminder: Credit cards are not the problem, the lack of self control is the problem [more...]

Date: 2008-07-06 13:50:20

What Can You Expect After a Bankruptcy? The Time Line

Recently, someone called this article to my attention, which extolls the advantages of bankruptcy ... because of BK 4 years to 7 years: Credit score below 680, forget about getting an unsecured credit ... : No credit cards, loans, insurance rate skyrocketed. 1 year to 2 years: No credit cards except secured cards [more...]

Date: 2009-01-09 15:35:08

Live-Blogging Goldman Sachs’ Fourth-Quarter Earnings

We nominate this for the securities industry’s saddest sentence: “For the period ended Nov. 30, Goldman reported a net loss of $2.12 billion…compared with net income of $3.22 billion… a year earlier.” As even bunnies hiding in the woods know by now — because the Wall Street Journal’s Sue Craig, [more...]

Date: 2008-12-16 16:26:31

Live-Blogging Goldman Sachs’ Fourth-Quarter Earnings

We nominate this for the securities industry’s saddest sentence: “For the period ended Nov. 30, Goldman reported a net loss of $2.12 billion…compared with net income of $3.22 billion… a year earlier.” As even bunnies hiding in the woods know by now — because the Wall Street Journal’s Sue Craig, [more...]

Date: 2008-12-16 19:11:00

Private Mortgage Insurance

Earlier in the week, one of our blog readers asked a question about ‘is it harder to get PMI (private mortgage insurance) now then in the past ... that you can still put 3% down to obtain an FHA loan but you would need a credit score of 600 or above. He also ... obtain an FHA loan with only 3% down with a credit score of 600 or above. He also stated that [more...]

Date: 2008-10-24 15:38:14

Lowest Rates for Home Loans

Lowest Rates for Home Loans To buy a car with bad credit, you can take a loan through auto dealerships, online lenders, or high-risk lenders. Usually, these loans are available if your credit score is less than 600. If you buy car with bad ... application to a number of lending companies because that would lower your credit score even more. Thus [more...]

Date: 2009-01-07 15:00:19

How To Buy A House

There has been a lot written about the mechanics of how to buy a house ... changes are reflected in your credit score, you may be able to apply again and get a mortgage loan ... . But what if you can’t get preapproved? What if you have little income, bad credit or other serious problems [more...]

Date: 2009-01-13 02:01:00

1923 and the June 15 Trade Deadline

My publisher has asked me to do some editing on my latest manuscript, It Ain’t So: A Might-Have-Been History of the White Sox in 1919 and Beyond, so I don’t have much time to write anything fresh for Seamheads.  Here’s an article I posted to the site over a year ago.  I’ll post some new material soon [more...]

Date: 2009-01-02 13:00:36

What Is My Credit Score and How Is My FICO Calculated?

If you’re like most people out there, there’s inevitably going to come some point in your life when you’ll need to apply for credit and seek out ... of 760 for the same prime interest package. The subprime credit mess has made one’s credit report ... Your Credit Report History and Credit Score Help Determine Your Credit Worthiness, But Credit Scores [more...]

Date: 2008-07-08 03:19:44

Bad Credit Loan

Bad Credit Loans are specially designed for individuals who are facing problems with their credit history ... money lenders will charge higher interest rates for bad credit loans because of the risk inherent ... in a timely manner, thus entitling him/herself with a poor credit score. Credit score is a rating which [more...]

Date: 2009-01-16 12:47:59

Understanding Your Credit Score - First Step on the Road to Financial Freedom

There is no excuse today for not knowing your credit score, that all-important number that can have such an impact on your financial future ... your score in the future. Your credit score is based on a closely-guarded mathematical formula ... with favorable terms. Credit scores range from 300 to 850. A score between 700 and 850 is good [more...]

Date: 2009-01-08 20:25:37

The Top Franchise Trends For 2009

Two words will be dominating the franchise landscape for 2009: cautious optimism ... credit score, and low personal debt, will increase the chances of getting a franchise loan.  More tips ... business produces goods and services worth over $880 billion yearly (Figures above obtained [more...]

Date: 2009-01-09 07:30:34

BMW offering ALL its models with 0.9% APR

Filed under: Car Buying, BMW Justin B. from TTAC sent us a tip that BMW NA is offering all of its models - from the 135i to the Alpina B7 - with a ... credit score of 600 or more. We called up our local BMW dealer to find out if there are any exceptions, and apparently the credit score and a loan spanning 24-60 months are the only things keeping [more...]

Date: 2008-10-23 21:40:26

PINEWOOD STUDIOS - 70 YEARS OF FABULOUS FILMMAKING

Although Pinewood Studios -70 Years Of Fabulous Filmmaking aspires to be the ultimate movie coffee table book, ... through WW II. (J. Arthur Rank was the founder of Pinewood and the owner of more than 600 cinemas ... ) there was usually a credit at the end stating, “This film was made at Pinewood studios.” What I didn’ [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 13:19:43

Store Cards Not Worth Discounts

Making a purchase at a new retail store often comes with an offer of saving 10% on your purchases that day ... to be applied to your credit report. It can lower your credit score anywhere from 1 to 5 points ... percentage of your available credit. This will reduce your credit score as your credit utilization [more...]

Date: 2009-01-09 18:27:44

My Erev Christmas Present

*****Warning! Warning! Alert! Alert! Ultimate Bet Content Ahead!*****Booo Yahhhh!Just look at this thing. 160 runners, deep stacks to start, super awesome structure, and over $5300 for first place. 160 runners! This is like playing a 180-man sng on stars or full tilt, only with 20 fewer players, [more...]

Date: 2008-12-24 07:13:00

Sound Classics Crowns New King…Make That New Queen Of Car Trivia

As usual, the Classically-Tough Trivia Quiz puzzled many of the best automotive minds ... , we found the average score was well under ten points. That’s where “usual” stopped and Classically-Tough ... to the new Queen of Classic Car Trivia Isabelle T. from Nova Scotia. Not only did she win with a score [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 09:00:13

Refinance Auto Loan – Improve Credit and Lower Interest Rates

Getting a refinance for your auto loan may help you to save quite a bit of money.  By improving your credit you could lower the interest rate on your auto loan or any loan in general.  The government has worked very hard to keep interest rates at historically low levels so it is your responsibility to improve your credit and gain access to these low interest rates. [more...]

Date: 2009-10-01 14:18:51

Home Equity Loan after Bankruptcy - Make a Fresh Start after Bankruptcy

Making a fresh start after a recent bankruptcy is the best approach for rebuilding your credit history ... below 500. The only way to improve your score is to establish new credit accounts. Realistically ... be eager to improve your rating. Those who act quickly to boost their credit score can expect [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 06:04:42

Carnival of Money Hackers – 82st Edition

Welcome to the 82st Edition of Carnival of Money Hackers . Moolanomy.com was kind enough to let me host this week so enjoy the posts and the pictures. Investing Photo Credit: epicharmus Tallahassee Real Estate presents Housing Market Bottom Reached In Tallahassee posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog . [more...]

Date: 2009-09-16 02:06:01

Morgan Stanley - It’s Big Part in the Great Housing/Mortgage Crisis

Where does the blame for the mortgage and housing crisis lie? That is the big debate still raging ... and easy credit given to anyone and everyone never existed before and never will again.  Now house ... under house prices created by the high-leverage and easy credit is simply being deflated.  Home prices [more...]

Date: 2008-12-22 15:48:49

Indicator Update for October 26th

this post for calculation of the adjusted TICK). As we plunged to intraday lows on October 10th, we made a low in the cumulative TICK line; ... open. If we take a look at the S&P 500 Index (SPY) from the start of September, we find ... sessions from October 10th to the present. Indeed, during that time, the S&P 500 Index--if we look [more...]

Date: 2008-10-26 22:55:57

What is the Definition of Living Beyond Your Means?

In a recent episode of the SuzeOrman show a caller asked Suze for her definition of living beyond your means ... on the definition with the following five signs that you are living beyond your means:Your credit score is below 600. (Typically low credit scores are caused by having too much outstanding debt, failing to pay [more...]

Date: 2008-12-28 03:00:00

Credit After Bankruptcy - How to Get Credit and Manage New Credit Accounts

This article is part one of a three part series that takes an in-depth look at getting credit after bankruptcy, ... - A credit score between 600 and 700 means that you might be able to qualify for a slightly better ... and the best ways to raise your credit score. Bankruptcy can be devastating to your credit score [more...]

Date: 2008-12-04 15:28:35

What's Your Credit Score?

By John Rasor importance of knowing whats on your credit report Most people don’t know their credit score. Mine’s a 780. What does that mean? ... credit before you will not have a credit score. This number ranges from 350 to 850 with most people having scores in the upper 600’s. The higher the score, the less risky you are to banks, landlords [more...]

Date: 2008-12-25 05:03:32

Improve Your Credit Score: Determine Your Creditworthiness

Sure, the economy may be flailing, but learning to preserve and maintain your creditworthiness and improve your credit score is still extremely ... be floundering. Send Away for Your Credit Report - for Free! Are you interested in seeing what’s on your credit report and determine your creditworthiness for yourself? It’s easy [more...]

Date: 2009-01-16 09:18:45

Checking Your Credit Score

Most people don’t know their credit score. What does that mean? ... debt. Never close your oldest accounts because they can add valuable history to your credit report. Set ... those that do not. Check your credit report regularly. Keep it free of inaccuracies and mixed [more...]

Date: 2008-12-23 11:58:12

What is the FICO number that is considered PRIME?

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question ... is and what the term prime means as it relates to credit scoring and lending. A FICO score is a three digit number that is determined by calculating various factors in your credit report. FICO scores range [more...]

Date: 2009-01-14 17:50:30

Low FICO Score

Low FICO Score posted on January 8th, 2009 If you have a low FICO score, you face difficulty in getting credit or purchasing or renting a property. This is because any lender would run a check on your FICO score, which a sign of your credit worthiness. It is easy to comprehend that a low FICO score is an indication of low credit worthiness [more...]

Date: 2009-01-09 04:17:07

Auto Financing Loan Advice

Buying a new or used car can be an exhilarating experience. It can also be frustrating ... high interest rate, the amount can be astronomical. Your Credit Score Your credit score and credit ... financing. However, it is vital that you know your credit score and what your credit report says [more...]

Date: 2008-12-22 15:24:46

Online Auto Loan-Love to Know

When you are looking for online auto loan, you also have to consider everything related to auto loan since this will give you more understanding ... . Before having  an auto loan online look up your credit score and save time comparing rates. Get an idea of your credit score, known as FICO. If you have a credit score under 600, you probably [more...]

Date: 2009-01-15 02:13:55

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