personal finance: Money Management: Give Yourself a Money-Makeover Day - 05/17/12 09:38 AM
The next time you have a day off and want to use it as a spa day or for any other recreational activity, consider having a financial wellness day. Although the spa day may have you feeling great for a couple of hours, a financial wellness day could put your mind at ease for a couple of months, if not years.
Having a day for you to get to all those money management and personal finance tasks that have been put on the back burner, (as opposed to trying to cram it into down time at work) comes with a couple … (0 comments)
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personal finance: A Smart, Sustainable Saving Strategy from a NY Times Best Seller - 03/06/12 09:48 AM
On today's Equifax Finance blog, New York Time's best selling author Dan Solin has a simple, smart and sustainable strategy for you to save money. Whether you're looking for a better strategy to balance your finances or you're preparing for retirement, his tips are invaluable.
He is the author of the New York Times best sellers The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read(Perigee Books, 2006) and The Smartest 401(k) Book You’ll Ever Read (Perigee Books, 2008). His latest book is The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read. Solin has appeared on The O’Reilly Factor, MSNBC’s Weekend Economic Review, CNN’s Money, … (0 comments)
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personal finance: What Are The Perks of Prepaid Debit Cards? - 03/05/12 01:53 PM
From the amazing personal finance blogger Miranda Marquit comes this Equifax Finance post about the pros and cons of prepaid debit cards. It is as simple as it sounds, a debit card that is endorsed by major credit cards that you load up with as much or as little money as you'd like. Out of all of the benefits though, the one that stands out the most is as an instructional tool for money management and your kids.
Prepaid debit cards are a great way to safely teach and moderate your children's budget for the following reasons:
You can put … (3 comments)
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personal finance: 10 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score - 02/13/12 04:42 PM
Improving your credit score is an essential way to gain greater financial options and more favorable credit offers from lenders. However, achieving a high credit score is not an instant fix, but that does not mean that you cannot take steps to gradually improve it.
Today’s Equifax Finance Blog written by Equifax Experts gives a “Top Ten” list of strategies to improve your credit score.
Tip 5: Know your FICO credit score. You are allowed one free credit report per year from one of the three major credit bureaus, so inform yourself about what these numbers mean.
Tip 4: Check … (0 comments)
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personal finance: Credit Reports and Identity Theft: When to Lock - 02/07/12 12:35 PM
As technology becomes more accessible, so does our personal information. How can you avoid identity theft? On today's Equifax finance blog, a post gives you another option for limiting access to your personal records. Unlike security freezes and fraud alerts, you can limit who views your credit report by putting a lock on it.
A security lock can be valuable because you can keep it in place or lift it at will. Naturally if you need someone to view it for applying for a loan, refinancing your mortgage, setting up new utility accounts and opening a new credit card, you … (2 comments)
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personal finance: 4 Steps to Take If You Are the Victim of a Data Breach - 08/08/11 04:12 PM
Recent hacking scandals have placed new focus on online security. So what should you do if you think your account has been breached? The experts at the Equifax personal finance blog have written a post today on the four steps you should take if you're the victim of a data breach. Of course, not every data breach means you'll be the victim of identity theft, but it's important to act quickly if you think your security has been compromised. Here's what the experts recommend:
Place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit reports. Close your affected accounts. Monitor your … (3 comments)
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personal finance: How To Get Out of Debt... For Good! - 07/18/11 02:55 PM
With home values declining and first-time buyers still facing an uphill battle, it's easy to fall into debt. Getting out, however, is not so easy. On today's Equifax personal finance blog, CredAbility expert Mechel Glass has written an excellent post on how to get out of debt for good. While many people want to get out of debt, it can be overwhelming to take the first step. Mechel Glass says it all begins with finding out how you got into debt in the first place. He likens it to dieting: Just because you know you want to lose 20 or 30 pounds doesn't … (1 comments)
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personal finance: Can I Save My Home From Foreclosure? - 05/13/11 02:42 PM
I have spent the past month traveling across the country, speaking to hundreds of employees about financial wellness. During this time I have learned a lot by listening to the questions I am asked at the end of each speech. Many of these employees are curious to know how they or someone close to them can avoid losing their home to foreclosure.
Today on my blog I answer the question many people are asking: where can I get help to save my home?
Contact HUD. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers access to certified housing counselors who … (0 comments)
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personal finance: What Financial Advice Would You Give To Graduating Seniors? - 05/09/11 01:13 PM
Kids learn a lot in high school, but not always about finances. On today's Equifax personal finance blog, guest blogger Mechel Glass of CredAbility offers five lessons that every high school graduate should know to avoid debt and financial crises. Though graduating seniors may be ready to take on college or the work place, are they ready to handle credit cards, budgeting, and money management? Not if they don't know these five key financial lessons:
How to create and stick to a budget How to use a checking account How to save How to use credit cards How to protect a credit … (0 comments)
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personal finance: The Ins, Outs And In-Betweens Of Savings Bonds - 04/26/11 11:49 AM
What are the best ways to use savings bonds? Retirement expert Roger Wohlner explains on today's Equifax Personal Finance Blog how savings bonds are great avenues for savings but depending upon your long-term goals, they might not be best for you.
Either as a thoughtful gift or a sound investment, savings bonds uses are as diverse as their benefits:
Insured for full faith and credit by United States government. Can be purchased directly from government with no brokerage or agent fees. If bonds are used for higher-education, interest may be excluded from federal income tax.
But depending upon when … (0 comments)
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personal finance: Homeowner Headaches: Itemized Deductions, AMT, and Other Tax Nightmares - 03/30/11 03:24 PM
The deadline to file taxes this year is April 18th. If you own a home, the process of deciding whether or not to take the standard deduction or itemize your expenses can have you reaching for a bottle of Excedrin.
Equifax Personal Finance Blog expert Eva Rosenberg offers a handy guide for answering the eternal question.
There are a number of changes in the standard deduction rules, comparing 2010 with 2009. They fall under the following categories:
Sales Tax Property Tax Disaster Law The list of potential itemized deductions can be daunting, but homeowners will want to pay particular attention to … (1 comments)
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personal finance: The Crisis in Japan and Your Investments: 5 Potential Impacts - 03/29/11 11:56 AM
For nearly three weeks, the world has watched anxiously as the third largest economy, Japan, has been rocked in quick succession with an earthquake, tsunami and a lengthy nuclear radiation crisis.
The massive loss of human life and extensive infrastructural damage are heartbreaking to behold. There has also been considerable financial fallout for the country, as its stock market has posted losses of over 11 percent since the catastrophe began.
In an increasingly global economy, what happens across continents has personal repercussions, down to the individual household level. Equifax Personal Finance Blog experts Roger Wohlner and Cathy Curtis examine five ways … (0 comments)
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personal finance: How to Save Money on All Your Insurance Premiums - 03/24/11 11:32 AM
A focus on maximizing the family budget has never been more critical. At the same time, premium payments for all types of insurance are rising exponentially.
Are your deductible amounts too high? Too low? Understandably, people worry about not having enough coverage, with the result that they end up overpaying on premiums for benefits they never use. But a deductible that is too high can leave you scrambling financially when you need help most. Be certain that you are protected at the right price.
Equifax Personal Finance Blog expert Linda Rey offers guidelines for cutting costs on the following types of … (0 comments)
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personal finance: The Four Questions That Can Get You the Right Insurance Policy - 03/17/11 12:09 PM
It would be great to have a fortune-telling crystal ball when buying insurance coverage, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, not even our insurance agents can see what all of our risks may be. But there are some ways to make sure you get the right coverage. Being prepared for a worst case scenario starts with asking your insurance agent some questions, so they can zero in on just the right policy for you.
Insurance expert Linda Rey shares the four questions she wishes clients would ask her:
1. What happens if I wait to buy life, disability, or long-term care insurance? … (0 comments)
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personal finance: Estate Tax Filing Choices for 2010. Which One is Right for You? - 03/16/11 11:02 AM
Tax season is four weeks away. Do you know how to file your estate taxes?
Equifax Personal Finance Blog tax expert Eva Rosenberg explains the two options for filing estate taxes this year.
This past December, we got the estate tax law we all expected to see in the first quarter of 2010. The 2010 Tax Relief Act establishes an exclusion from estate taxes for $5 million dollars per person, effective for all of 2010 through December 31, 2012.
How does this year-end tax law affect all those people who died during 2010?
The Tax Relief Act gives estate … (1 comments)
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personal finance: The Three Things You May Not Have on Your Homeowner's Policy - 03/10/11 11:01 AM
From earthquakes to mudslides, extreme weather can derail even the most careful homeowner. Make sure you are covered for anything that Mother Nature might throw at you.
Insurance expert Linda Rey lets us in on the three types of coverage that you probably do not have on your homeowner's policy...but definitely need. No one wants to find out at teh wrong time that what they thought was covereed by their homeowner's policy isn't actually covered. Let't look at what your homeowner's insurance doesn't (or probably doesn't) cover.
1. Flood.Floodig is not covered by homeowner's insurance. Period. No gray … (0 comments)
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personal finance: 7 Ways To Talk To Your Partner About Debt Before You're House Shopping - 03/07/11 08:58 AM
On the list of unromantic date ideas, talking to your boyfriend or girlfriend about debt is probably near the top. Still, if you're considering buying a home or moving in with your partner, the "debt talk" is one you should have sooner rather than later. Personal finance expert Liz Weston has great tips for taking that tough first step and starting the conversation about debt with your significant other. Her 7 points ensure that you and your partner will talk openly and get on the same page with your finances:
Understand where your partner is coming from Appreciate your partner's strengths … (1 comments)
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personal finance: Twitter Anniversary! - 03/02/11 03:27 PM
Sadly, I missed my 5,000 tweet milestone! Maybe with the help of my Twitter friends I can make it to 5,000 followers by the end of March?
Follow me @Glink. Thank you!
Ilyce Glink is the author of several books, including 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask and Buy, Close, Move In! She blogs about money and real estate at ThinkGlink.com, The Equifax Personal Finance Blog and CBS Moneywatch She is Chief Content Strategist at RealtyJoin.com, a community for real estate investors.
… (1 comments)
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personal finance: Five Questions You NEED to Ask Potential Investment Brokers - 03/01/11 12:37 PM
My fellow blogger Dan Solin is pretty critical of investment brokers--"I don't believe anyone should rely on brokers or onvestment advisers who claim to be able to 'beat the market' for investment advice"--but he was kind enough to share the five questions that anyone in the market for a broker needs to ask.
If you insist on using these brokers or advisers, here are five questiosn you need to ask them. When you get the answers, you may be persuaded to fundamentally change the way you invest:
1. Can you predict the future?
2. How risky is my … (0 comments)
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personal finance: Should You Pay Your Grandchildren's College Education? - 02/22/11 12:12 PM
When thinking of a great graduation gift for your grandchildren vacations, appliances, or dorm essentials may come to mind, but what about tuition. If you have determined that you can afford to pay for a portion of your grandchild's college, what other considerations should you keep in mind?
Assuming you have the financial means and the desire to do this, paying your grandchildren's college tuition (and other related costs) is a great way to transfer wealth to subsequent generations of your family. If you're thinking about paying your grandchild's tution, here are some things to … (3 comments)
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