It’s 2010 already! We wish you all a happy new year. As of this date, The Smarter Wallet is just a little over a year old and continues to find its place in the wild world of the financial blogosphere. 2009 was a year of both personal and business growth for us, but it also was a year of financial challenge for so many people we know. So all in all, the year was a thoroughly mixed bag.
We’d like to end the year and start the new one with a review of what went on in this blog. We covered a range of topics in the world of finance, consumerism and retail. Here are some of the money tips and ideas that we covered here in 2009:
JANUARY: Help, I’m Unemployed! What If My Unemployment Checks Run Out? We shared some tips on how to deal with being without a job or source of income, particularly when one’s unemployment benefits expire.
FEBRUARY: Student Loan Programs I’ve Used To Pay For My College Tuition Costs. So how are you paying for college? Here we discuss some student loan programs that you can apply for, to help defray college costs.
MARCH: Budget Your Money and Control Your Spending Using This Simple System. Use a budget to get better control of your money. Take a look at YNAB (You Need A Budget) — our favorite budgeting software to help you better manage your finances.
APRIL: Learn How To Invest: Develop An Investment Plan. Before you invest in the stock market, it’s a good idea to develop an investment plan first. We present a couple of case studies that describe and analyze common investing mistakes. Hopefully these are stories we can learn from!
MAY: How To Be A Millionaire: Secrets To Success. And we give you more case studies of people who have persevered to become true millionaires. Are you shrewd and industrious? Disciplined? Then you have a strong shot at a million one day (if you aren’t there already)!
JUNE: How To Manage Debt: Credit Management Tips For College Students. A lot of students graduate from college carrying a lot of debt. By teaching them basic personal finance skills early on, we can help them avoid this situation when they’re out on their own.
JULY: Credit Monitoring Services To Check Your Credit Report. Do you have good credit? These days, monitoring our credit has become more important as the credit squeeze makes it harder for us consumers to attain cheap credit lines.
AUGUST: Get A Credit Card That’s Right For You. I’d compare credit card offers before applying for a new card. If you pick the right card for your needs, you’re likely to save more money than if you didn’t.
SEPTEMBER: HSBC Advance Review: Top Savings Account. This month, we reviewed a well-known online bank and its savings products. Yes, the interest rates in banks are incredibly marginal right now, but if you’re looking for quality banking with a bit more of an edge on those rates, then online banks like HSBC Advance may be an option. Your local credit union may be a good choice too!
OCTOBER: How 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards Can Save You Money. If you are fiscally disciplined with healthy credit, then by applying for a balance transfer credit card, you may be able to cut down on your card debt pretty quickly.
NOVEMBER: Free Online Stock Trading & Broker Promotions. For those ready to open new investment accounts, you can take advantage of some ongoing promotions in the investment world by checking out our article! I’ll strive to keep this page up to date.
DECEMBER: How To Get A Free FICO Credit Score. Can you really get a hold of free credit scores? Yes, but be careful — there’s a catch: credit scores that are advertised as “free” are either not true FICO scores or are given away on free trials for a limited period of time. After your free trial is over, you’ll have to start paying for your scores. For FICO scores on discount, check out myFICO coupon code offers instead.
Wow, there are a lot of “how-to” articles in this list. Well, we’re here to offer you resources for managing your finances and getting the best deals out there. For the new year, let’s all wish for more savings, better investments, a stronger economy, good health and happier times. 🙂