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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tax Credits on Home Energy Improvements
Everyone is talking about energy use and saving money with home energy improvements. People are buzzing about white roofs in the New York Times, By Degrees: White Roofs Catch On as Energy Cost Cutters, to tax credits in the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I like the tax cred...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
A New Twist on Credit Score Questions
With the changing economy, people are asking me about credit scores but the questions are different than they were a year ago. Maybe you've been wondering about your credit score -- and what affects it -- too. Generally when people talk about credit scores they are actually referring to FICO credit scores -- the main provider of credit scores....
Friday, July 17, 2009
Should I cancel this credit card? Will it hurt my credit score?
This is probably the most common question I get about credit. A person has a credit card she's no longer using, and she's thinking about canceling it. But because we're all so concerned about our credit scores today, she wants to make sure that cancelling it won't hurt her score. Years ago, the recommendation was clear: cancel any credit card you aren't using. But today, the issue is mo...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Michael Jackson's Death Sheds Light on Planning Well
The past couple of weeks have been filled with discussions on wills and trusts, guardians and executors. Unless you have a legal background or some knowledge of how these things work, some or all of what has been said may have gone right over your head. I will attempt to shed some light on the discussion of Michael Jackson's estate. I just viewed the Will of Michael Joseph Jackson. At first I w...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
FDIC Insurance, NCUA Insurance: Higher coverage extended to 2013
The amount of money in your bank or credit union account that is insured will stay at $250,000 through Dec. 31, 2013 as a result of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 . Eve...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Practice Saving Money
The personal savings rate is inching up. Bob Murray , from WTAX Radio in Springfield Illinois, and I chatted this morning about saving money -- how quickly a little bit can add up and some ideas on how to get started. Listen to the...
