by The Smarter Wallet on March 17, 2011
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There is an incredible amount of good that can come from investing time & money in yourself. But many people don’t make the effort to do so.
If you are in need of some more evidence of the power of doing this, you should take a look at people who typically find themselves at higher positions in life. We’re not necessarily talking about politicians, executives, leaders or other such people, but think instead of people who succeed in business and earn a lot of money from it.
Business owners certainly have the potential to earn a lot of money because they own their own business and don’t just take an employee’s fixed wage from it. But even employees can earn more in the long run if they invest in themselves and perhaps spend money on doing so.
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by The Smarter Wallet on March 15, 2011
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Now be honest –- how many times do you actually check your credit card statements? Do you sit down every month and go through them item by item as soon as they come in? Or do you just pay the minimum (or whatever you want to pay) and forget about anything else?
It’s understandable in today’s busy society that you would struggle to find the time to check through your statements. This is especially true if you use your credit cards a lot and you can’t face going through two or three pages of items each time.
Why You Need To Double Check Your Credit Card Statements!
But there are some very good reasons why you should make the time to do this. If you need convincing, read the three points given below.
1. You may owe something you had forgotten about. This point is more for when you think you have paid off the entire balance on a card. Let’s say you get your statement and you make the required minimum payment straightaway. In between the deadline for making that payment and making the next one, you decide to pay off the rest of the balance to clear the card. That’s fair enough, but you will already have accrued more interest in between the two payments. You will need to check your next statement to make sure any extra interest is paid off, so you don’t get slapped with a charge for late payment.
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by The Smarter Wallet on March 10, 2011
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Most people accept that it is normal to have a full time education until your late teenage years. From then on it is time to start building a career.
But does this apply to entrepreneurs? Is there an age limit below which you can’t (or shouldn’t) be an entrepreneur?
Not according to the evidence.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that entrepreneurial skills start coming out at an early age among those people who have these traits. We’ve even asked the question before: are entrepreneurs born or made? I believe it’s a little bit of both. Here are just a few examples: Richard Branson was publishing a successful magazine at the age of sixteen. Bill Gates was in his early to mid teens when he first started to program computers –- a skill that would lead him to develop Microsoft and become one of the richest men in the world. Ingvar Kamprad, the man who created IKEA, started his entrepreneurial career selling matches as a boy. He bought them in bulk and made a profit selling them on in small packs. This bulk buying idea is still seen in action in IKEA stores across the world today.
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While we seem to be bombarded with commercials advocating over the counter medicines, consumers never get to see advertisements for generic drugs and store branded medication. This may lead people to assume that the store brands are not as effective as the big name brands — a belief that can cost many consumers to spend more money on medication than necessary.
The Reality of Generic Drugs and OTC Medications
The reality is that over the counter medications must be approved by the FDA, just like the brand names. While there is no physician’s prescription needed to get medications like pain relievers, headache medicine, and cold pills, over the counter medications are still held up to strict guidelines for usage and interaction information as all other medication, OTC or otherwise.
The FDA has been working to get consumers more access to medications and have changed some medications such as Zyrtec and Prilosec from prescription only medications to over the counter brands. This can actually be a disadvantage to insured consumers who will end up paying more money for over the counter medications than they normally would for a prescription with a co-pay. This is a prime example why consumers need to pay more attention than ever to prices and alternatives for buying medications.
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by Stacey Doyle on February 24, 2011
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As a WAHM, I’m always looking for new work at home opportunities. It’s almost like an addiction to find the latest ways to earn extra cash. Even when you’re busy, you find yourself briefly perusing the possibilities. The greatest concern is figuring out which ones are scams and which ones might be worth a few extra minutes of your time. IM Report Card is a reliable way to find and sift through the endless resources on the Internet today.
IM Report Card: Reviews of Work-At-Home Opportunities
First things first: What is IM Report Card? Well “IM” stands for “Internet Marketing”. It is a site that aims to review every single internet marketing and online business opportunity out there. It sounds like a good source of information for people who aspire to make money online. You can make a bit of money by promoting certain products and services online, but how do you know which ones are on the up and up?
When you first enter the world of online marketing, it’s overwhelming. Scammer and spammers have the answers to all your questions, making online marketing sound better than the lottery. The reality is that most of these get rich quick programs are scams that only make their creators money. Most participants don’t even recoup their initial investment.
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by Lorie L. on February 21, 2011
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One of the biggest issues that people today face is that of being financially disorganized and inefficient. Many regular working-class citizens experience trouble handling their finances, and this is what pushes some folks to the financial edge. For those in dire financial straits — not only do they suffer from debt-servicing fatigue, but the financial crises they face also cause conflict in their relationships as well as anxiety and despair. That is why as soon as you realize that it’s high time to straighten up financially, you’ll need to face your challenges head on. Be serious about getting out of debt, persist and stay the course when challenges come, and keep going until you emerge victorious. And when you do, keep practicing the things you’ve learned so as not to become derailed from your financial plan.
Improve Your Money Habits, Control Spending
Here are five articles that will help you achieve that end:
5 Bad Money Habits You Should Try To Break is a bird’s-eye view of some issues that should be improved upon (when it comes to our money). These may be areas which you’ve already seen that you need to improve, or these may be areas that you may not even be aware of. It’s a good reminder of how we should manage our finances.
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by The Smarter Wallet on February 18, 2011
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Just wanted to let everyone know about an ongoing giveaway at Credit Sesame. For those who are new to Credit Sesame, here’s a quick description of what they do: it’s a great site that allows you to get a free analysis of your debt situation. You can also get your credit score for free through their tools each month, and you’ll have the ability to track your debt, loans and credit payments in one place.
If you are interested in a chance to win $50, you can do the following things.
- Visit Credit Sesame’s giveaway page through this link.
- Leave a comment on their giveaway article or on their Facebook page.
- Email Credit Sesame to join (feedback@creditsesame.com).
Make sure you follow their instructions so you are entered. You only have until February 28, 2011 to join.
by The Smarter Wallet on February 16, 2011
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With housing prices still down in some places, is it time to invest in real estate?
Property is highly regarded as a good investment over time. It’s one of those things with a great track record for price and value appreciation throughout history. Sure, there are times when the economy is not doing so well and the values drop. But long term homeowners are generally quite happy with the way their property values have held.
As you might guess, there are lots of reasons why investing in property is a good idea. But conversely, this isn’t the best investment for everyone. It’s much like credit card spending –- some people can control themselves with credit cards (those 0% balance transfer credit cards are tempting!) but others will spiral into debt quite easily without even realizing it.
Pros and Cons of Investing in Real Estate
So here are reasons to invest in real estate, and reasons not to.
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