Sorting Your Money
by Terry Rigg
With all of the different items that the average individual or family spends money on, it can be difficult to keep it separated. You have to have money for groceries, car gas, school lunches, dining out and entertainment just to name a few.
New Year's Resolution . . . Save More Money
by Gregory Thomas
The key to making your resolution become a reality is to set a 'goal'. In other words, what do you want the 'extra' money for? Are you saving for a new car stereo system? What about a family trip to Las Vegas?
Comparing a Refinance
by Gary Foreman
Dear Gary, My husband and I want to refinance our mortgage and add a credit card debt. We owe $44,000 on our mortgage at a rate of 7 1/8% and we have 11 years left. We want to add a credit card debt of $17,000 at a rate of 9.99%. The best mortgage rate that I have been able to find is a 15 year fixed at 6.25% with a fee of $1161 and no points. Would we be wise to refinance? Thanks. I hope you can help me with the answer or point me in the right direction.
Love Is Blind, But Creditors Aren't
by Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher, I am getting married next year and have a question concerning our individual credit histories. I have good credit and my Fiance does not. I have worked hard to maintain a good credit rating, paying more than the minimum amount due each month. My Fiance however is not good at paying his bills and unfortunately his credit is suffering because of it. If we get married will whatever he has owed previously (before me) affect my credit or not? I don't want responsibility for something I had no involvement in. I understand that whatever we do together after we are married is "ours" but what about before? Can you please tell me what is right?
The Three Little Pigs: Your Child and Money
by Scott Danger
As a first-time parent, I wonder how I will handle many things. Lately, I've been thinking about how and when I will introduce my daughter to the concepts of money and saving and spending. As I was searching the Internet for more information on this topic, I found the following idea submitted by a reader on an investing web site. The concept is simple, but it teaches children about the benefits of saving and investing and spending in a simple and visual way.
Inherited Debts?
by Gary Foreman
I've heard that when parents are in debt and they die the debts are left to the children to pay off. Is this true? My parents had gotten a divorce a few years ago. My mom is doing well because she is a saving queen. My dad had remarried two years ago. His wife does not work but loves to spend money. So now they have a $20,000 debt. If my father dies, his wife is responsible for the debt, right? What happens after she dies and there is still that debt? Also, what happens if she dies first, and then my father--who gets the debt?
9 Steps to Get Organized for Financial Success!
by Scott Bilker
I've learned over the years that the better organized you are with all your transactions the less likely you are to: Bounce checks, Exceed credit limits, Pay late, Get charged for stuff you didn't buy, Get hooked into extra charges, Be stressed over bills, Go into perpetual debt, and Let fraud go unnoticed. Here are the 9 quick steps to getting organized for financial success--today!
Friendship Loan
by Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher, I would like to provide a loan to a friend from my 401k plan. What are the rules? How do I go about making this type of transaction? What are the guidelines for re-payment?
How Did I Get In This Mess?
by Terry Rigg
When I was younger and having all kinds of money problems, I asked myself this question a thousand times. It seemed like one day we were doing fine financially and the next, we owed everybody. How can it happen so quickly?
Frightening Future
by Gary Foreman
War is on the horizon. What should we do to prepare ourselves? I was a young teenager during most of Vietnam and I didn't have to make the financial decisions for my family. What do I need to know in order to plan for this frightening future?
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