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Ways to Save Money on Gas

Saturday, May 19th, 2007

Here are some helpful tips to remember when trying to conserve gasoline. This is even more important since gas prices are sure to rise this summer driving season.

Keep your tires fully inflated. When they are not they decrease fuel efficiency.
Take all the junk out of the trunk. More weight=less MPG.
Change your oil and fluids regularly.
Replace dirty air and fuel filters.
Combine multiple trips into one.
Keep a steady pace. Starting and stopping cut gas efficiency.
Use regular unleaded gas
Search for cheap gas, but do not drive all over to find it.
Try to use less air conditioning.
Do not fill your gas tank to the top because it can cause spillage.

Posted in Budgeting, Household, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Travel: All Inclusive Vacations

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

All inclusive vacations are very popular with travelers for many reasons. An all-inclusive vacations can be at a resort or even a crusie ship.

They often include:

Free Drinks, meals and snacks
Taxes and Tips
Resort entertainment
Transfers from the airport
Most water sports

If you are lucky they will also include:

Free golf
Free scuba diving
Off-site excursions

Some all-inclusive vacations are family-oriented, adult-oriented, couples only and for honeymooners.

Popular resorts range from Cancun and the Caribbean to a cruise to other exotic destinations.

Ask friends and family what type they have used and what were the positives and negatives.

What are the name brand chains that are the best?
What time to go?
Where to go?
What package works best?

Once you have determined what the plan is then you need to search the net in order to find the best deal that fits your plan best. Your friends and families might have ideas on how to get a great deal.

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Life Insurance: Buying a Term Policy

Monday, March 26th, 2007

As responsibilities have grown my wife and I have gone forward with getting life insurance for both of us. We have been married for about 15 months and have owned a home for 4 months so we should have started this process earlier, but we didn’t.

We each are going with a 20-year term policy for $500,000. When the policy expires, hopefully we will no longer need to consider the life insurance money necessary to pay for bills. Plus, hopefully we will not have to used it either.

So about a month-and-a-half ago we set up a life insurance physical for each of us. The insurance physical was about 45 minutes for each of us. During this time they draw blood, take measurements and ask a lot of health-related questions.

Unfortunately, my health background caused my policy to be 3x as expensive as me wife’s, but they said within a year that price could be lowered. We have hard from our insurance agent and he will be meeting us soon to sign the papers.

I considered Genworth Life Insurance as well, but we stayed with Erie Insurance because of my wife’s long relationship with them.

Posted in Insurance, Uncategorized | No Comments »

LLC Bank Account

Friday, March 23rd, 2007

Bank accounts typcially are not a difficult proposal, but when you venture into something like a sole proprietor LLC bank account it can be a little tricky.

Each bank may have slightly different requirements, but you will need documents that prove your business is an actual entity.
Any money that you spend, period, whether or not it is from the initial $1,000 or from your sales revenues, will be eligible for a tax deduction according to IRS rules.
You’ll most definitely need an EIN and have to provide your Social Security number.File a Schedule C and disregard your entity for income tax purposes.
Report your business as a sole proprietorship.
You need to keep your business money separate from your personal money in order to retain your limited liability status

Each state has its own rules, so you will need to research what your state requires.

It is not as much of a chore as it might seem, but hopefully it will all be worth it when your LLC bank account is loaded with your profits.

Posted in Banking, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Early Retirement Forums

Thursday, March 15th, 2007

Honestly, who doesn’t want to retire early if they have the means to do it. However, the means is precisely the roadblock in many people’s way. I have a plan on getting there, but there are a lot of hurdles in the way.

On average we live longer; therefore, we must save more so it will fund our entire lifespan. This is no easy feat, but it can be done. It will take discipline and wise investments in order to get there.

If you want to discuss early retirement there are a couple great forums out there where you can bounce some ideas around. Also, you can see sample plans on how to retire early, executing an early retirement plan and making your funds last your entire lifetime.

Here are a couple good early retirement forums:
http://early-retirement.org/forums/
http://www.retireearlyhomepage.com/

Posted in Retirement, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Causes of the Stock Market Crash

Saturday, March 3rd, 2007

The history of the causes of a stock market crash are wide in variety. Tuesday’s dash down was mainly caused by computer glitches in addition to a 9% drop in the Chinese stock market. In a micro mindset there is little you can do to prevent the causes of a stock market crash from manifesting. On a macro level things can be done, but it would require the SEC to impose more draconian measures–which will not happen.
Stock market growth had been the norm since the lull of last May in the stock market. S&P 500 stocks have continued to break all-time highs. This went along will geopolitical tension, rising oil prices, a trade deficit, an unbalanced checkbook from Congress, etc. Reaching stock market highs were the norm, but that might have gone out the window. Tuesday will change stock on wall street, the mutual fund market, the amex market; it will change all markets. This is because the herd on wall street causes the big investment houses, mutual funds, etc. to move the market. Many will panic and many will not, but the stock market will not be the same for a while.

This might become a bigger trend of a stock market crash and meltdown, but it is difficult to measure the causes of the stock market crash while it is happening.

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Wall Street to Open Higher

Monday, February 26th, 2007

Early reports have the stock market moving higher this morning.Â Eli Lilly and Merck will lead the charge on FDA approval of an anti-depressant drug for Lilly and an upgrade from Citigroup from hold to buy.

Posted in Investing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Personal Finance Blogs Update

Monday, February 19th, 2007

Below are some excellent personal finance blogs.

Blueprint has some insight on tax brackets

Blogging Stocks describes the evolution of MTV and NPR

The Simple Dollar on Cutting Splurge Spending

All Financial Matters gives a shout out to Debt Blogs in the NY Times

Binary Dollar on getting rich

Boston Gal has some more info on gettin’ rich

My Money Blog has some good info on 403 (b)s

I Will Teach You to Be Rich on Bill Gates

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Everbank, Continued

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

Last year I began the process of opening a checking account with Everbank because I was enticed by their 6.01% introductory APR. The process has been tedious in many ways. A couple weeks back everything seemed to be corrected, but I noticed my wife’s name was not on the account when I received their checks in the mail without her name; her information was on the checking account application.

This has started another round of back-and-forth with Everbank that I have been assured is now being addressed. My wife had to provide of a copy of her social security card, proof of address and other forms of identification. The first attempt we had foillowed Everbank’s directions, but later I received an email from them saying it was insufficient information. Obviously, this has been a pain, but once her name is on the account we will move forward. I do not expect further issues, but if they arise I might have to pull the account. It will be another ugly process, but sometimes you have to vote with your checking account. I had problems with Netbank when I first started my account, but things calmed down after the initial set-up stage. I hope this is the same case with Everbank.

Posted in Banking, Uncategorized | No Comments »