Showing posts with label online stock trading and investments. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

personal finance budgeting

If you die owing money, that means you won the game of life. But some folks harbor a silly fantasy of actually clawing their way out of the imploded Chilean mines of debt they've created for themselves. They put themselves on a budget, hope for job security and the eventual reinstatement of raises and map out exactly when they might taste the financial freedom all too few get to taste.

Personal Finance blogger Girl with the Red Balloon, who is chipping away at more than $16,000 of student loan debt on a $24,000 salary says she'll be out of debt June 1, 2013. She uses the far-off date as encouragement to stay focused on her frugality.

How much debt are you in, and if you plan on getting out of it one day, when do you hope that will be?

Debt Free Date [Girl with the Red Balloon]

Conduct a Financial Fire Drill to Assess Financial Health

We conduct fire drills to ensure fire warning systems are functional and that building occupants know what to do in the event of a fire-related emergency. Apply that same type of stress test to your money with a financial fire drill.

Photo by Steve Snodgrass.

Finance and frugality blog Frugal Dad urges us to take stock of our financial health by conducting a financial fire drill. Just like a real fire drill helps you run through a dangerous scenario without risk—"Who put the file cabinets in front of the fire exit?"—a financial fire drill shows you how effective your escape routes are and how big your safety net is.

You'll need to gather up all your bills, take stock of your savings and emergency fund, and head over the Frugal Dad to run through their financial fire drill checklist—which includes great tips like making a slash-and-burn list of non-essential services you can cancel the minute you get laid off or in other financial trouble.

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Scripting News: Design challenge: River of News in HTML

Design challenge: River of News in HTML. By Dave Winer on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 8:13 PM. I'm a big believer in designers, programmers, writers, artists, news people all working together. Permanent link to this item in the ...

News - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

Great Dolly News! | PerezHilton.com

Yes! We´re totes excited for this! Dolly Parton made the official announcement on her website today that she is planning not only a brand new album full of brand new music, but a worldwide...

Scripting News: Design challenge: River of News in HTML

News - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

Great Dolly News! | PerezHilton.com

Yes! We´re totes excited for this! Dolly Parton made the official announcement on her website today that she is planning not only a brand new album full of brand new music, but a worldwide...

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Scripting News: Design challenge: River of News in HTML

News - Tixdaq

Foo Fighters have been confirmed to headline the final night at Isle Of Wight festival 2011.

Great Dolly News! | PerezHilton.com

Yes! We´re totes excited for this! Dolly Parton made the official announcement on her website today that she is planning not only a brand new album full of brand new music, but a worldwide...

Friday, September 24, 2010

personal finance planning

When Crepes Bonaparte was first approached by the Food Network to participate in the Great Food Truck Race, in which seven acclaimed food trucks compete for the highest sales in various cities across America (and a grand prize of $50,000), Murcia jumped at the chance to compete against some of the other well-known trucks from across the country. As Murcia puts it, “It was an opportunity to test our abilities against some of the most successful food trucks out there.” Spoken like a true competitor. Of course, arriving on the first day of the competition to be greeted by famed chef Tyler Florence was no doubt an exhilarating experience for the show’s contestants. Murcia recalls, “We were a little nervous because it was a little intimidating. You know…you show up, and there’s Tyler Florence!”

Two of the six Great Food Truck Race episodes have aired to date. The first episode took Crepes Bonaparte and the competition to San Diego, California, where Murcia had his first taste of the challenges that were to come: “We were thrown into an environment of, ‘OK, you’re going to San Diego…GO!’ so it was very rushed to figure out what to do. We were planning literally as we were on our way to San Diego.” Murcia also recalls the challenges met in the second episode’s trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico: “We ran out of food like three times, so we had to keep buying more food! It’s tough to know how many people to prep for when you’re in a place where you don’t know what your sales are going to be.”

One can’t help but wonder how the dynamics were between the contestants off-camera in such a competitively-charged atmosphere while on the show. Murcia explains, “When we were selling, we were competitors. We didn’t talk at the end of the day about who had done what in terms of sales…but we’re all great friends. We all got to try each other’s food, and it was all delicious.”

Also featured on the show as a key member of team Crepes Bonaparte is Murcia’s then-fiancé Danielle. Now married, Murcia jokes, “We spend more time together as a couple than I think any other couple out there.” Despite the long hours logged side by side, the duo works very well together. Murcia explains, “I’m more the numbers, finance guy who has to do all the paychecks, HR, and permitting, and Danielle is very much our marketing and operations person. Because we work so much, it’s a great way to spend that time together.”

Of course, operating a food truck presents its own challenges, television show or not. The most challenging aspect of the business for Murcia is simply working within such a small physical space. Murcia explains, “Dealing with a small kitchen and operating a full service catering business out of here as well is the biggest challenge. We are constantly dealing with never having enough refrigerator space, and having to get creative with how to position things in the fridge and make it work.”

Challenges aside, Crepes Bonaparte has benefited from the exposure gained through the show, if not a few borderline-obsessed fans. Murcia laughs, “We do a farmer’s market in Anaheim, and one lady literally shoved her cell phone in the truck and was like, ‘I have to take a picture of you!’ I thought, ‘Whoa, that’s a first!’ When people come by the truck who have seen the show and say, ‘Oh, I’m rooting for you guys,’ it has made our work environment that much more fun.” Call it irony, but Murcia has yet to watch any of the episodes of the Great Food Truck Race. “I don’t have cable!” he confesses.

Murcia first conceptualized Crepes Bonaparte as an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California. Lacking the big dollars required to open a full fledged restaurant, Murcia first operated Crepes Bonaparte as a catering firm specializing in crepe stations, with the hope of evolving into to a restaurant in the future (catering still comprises 30% of the business). Of course, given the popularity and expansion of the food truck industry over the past few years, Murcia is content with current operations: “As of now, I plan on staying with the food truck, and just seeing it out because it’s still such a new trend. We don’t really know exactly where it’s going…we’re all learning.”

Behind the beret, Murcia is a businessman with a passion for providing customers with crepes just the way they are in France: “simple, cheap, and on-the-go.” Murcia reflects, “Every time I see a Yelp or blogger review about us, I feel like we’ve done that part right. So I think that’s the most rewarding part of the business. Even though I have these ideas of how I want my business to look in my head, the consumer gets it, and it reminds me that OK, I’m doing what I meant to do.”

Maryn Nelson Moslenko is an OC-based food blogger who writes Le Cupcakerie. The Great Food Truck Race airs Sundays at 9 on the Food Network.

I've read a lot of stores lately about "credit score enthusiasts" who want to get the perfect credit score or are obsessed with improving their score. While it's certainly better than not caring about your credit score at all, it almost never pays to get a perfect score.

Despite all the stories about the odd ways your score is being used, the reality is that once you have a good credit score, you don't need to obsess about it.

Consider this - if your score is better than 760, then Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that invested the credit score formula; says you get zero benefit from improving it. For mortgage interest rate purposes, a 761 is the same as an 850. For auto loans, the bar is even lower. If you have a score about 720, it's the same as having a perfect score of 850. Visit their site and look in the right hand column - there's a table listing FICO scores and APRs for 30-year fixed mortgages, 15-year fixed mortgages, and 36-month auto loans.

If you are planning on getting a loan in the next year or two and your score is close to the next tier, by all means try to improve it. If you aren't planning on getting a loan and you have a decent score, focus your energies on something else. I assure you that you will get a better return doing something other than obsessing about your credit score.

Jim writes about personal finance at Bargaineering.com.

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Middle East Countries Race for Nuclear Power

(Sept. 24) -- Nations in the Middle East, rich in oil, natural gas and volatile politics, are pursuing nuclear power with a headlong vigor that gives some analysts pause.

Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox News Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

News - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity ...

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

Middle East Countries Race for Nuclear Power

(Sept. 24) -- Nations in the Middle East, rich in oil, natural gas and volatile politics, are pursuing nuclear power with a headlong vigor that gives some analysts pause.

Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox News Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

News - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity ...

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

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Middle East Countries Race for Nuclear Power

(Sept. 24) -- Nations in the Middle East, rich in oil, natural gas and volatile politics, are pursuing nuclear power with a headlong vigor that gives some analysts pause.

Tax The Rich! (9pm Saturday on Fox News Channel) « John Stossel

In my weekend special, The Battle for the Future -- it airs Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8 PM and.

News - Lindsay Lohan Going Back to Jail Until Oct. 22 - Celebrity ...

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox revokes her probation for failing at least one drug test.

managing your personal finances

Are you a fan of the GTD personal productivity system? Well if you like "Getting Things Done," here's GFD, Getting Finances Done, which shows you how to map David Allen's same principals to managing your personal finance and achieving your financial goals.

Applying GTD principles to your personal finances - Part 1 [Getting Finances Done]

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FARC commander 'Mono Jojoy' killed - Colombia news | Colombia Reports

One of the FARC's most senior commanders, Mono Jojoy, was killed by Colombian state forces, several media said on Thursday. The news is not yet confirmed by the authorities.

Official Google Blog: Google News turns eight

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and ...

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox News | Media Matters | Mediaite

You'll never believe this one, but it appears Keith Olbermann isn't the biggest fan of Fox News. But in case there was any doubt, on last night's Countdown he made it clear again, going after what he sees as the network blatantly ...

FARC commander 'Mono Jojoy' killed - Colombia news | Colombia Reports

One of the FARC's most senior commanders, Mono Jojoy, was killed by Colombian state forces, several media said on Thursday. The news is not yet confirmed by the authorities.

Official Google Blog: Google News turns eight

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox News | Media Matters | Mediaite

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FARC commander 'Mono Jojoy' killed - Colombia news | Colombia Reports

One of the FARC's most senior commanders, Mono Jojoy, was killed by Colombian state forces, several media said on Thursday. The news is not yet confirmed by the authorities.

Official Google Blog: Google News turns eight

Olbermann On Sharron Angle Video | Fox News | Media Matters | Mediaite

Saturday, September 18, 2010

personal finance

Well, Book Week has come to a close at Get Rich Slowly, and while it was an interesting experiment, it’s not likely to happen again any time soon.

For one thing, I learned that doing book reviews takes more work than doing regular posts. To do a review, you have to read the book (sometimes twice), decide how it’s relevant to readers, and then write a normal article. And while an occasional book review is a nice change of pace, a week filled with them is boring, both for me and for the readers. So, no more Book Weeks at GRS.

Before we ease back into normal personal-finance topics, though, I thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite personal-finance books and magazines. As a starting point, here’s a recent comment from Deb:

I’d love a running list of your top 10 fave finance books. You could keep it fluid; there’s no reason it can’t change. I’m always on the hunt for helpful financial books! I’m most confused about self-directed investing vs. having a financial advisor. I tried to wrap my mind around Bernstein’s books and just couldn’t do it, which makes me concerned about trying to do investing on my own!

Deb’s comment is interesting for a couple of reasons.

First, I like the idea of a “running list” of favorite finance books. Because she’s right: The list changes with time. As I read more, and as my own finance skills develop, different books will appeal to me.

Second, she points out that what might be a good book for one person may not be good for another. I find William Bernstein’s books perfect for my personal knowledge and philosophy. I’m sure my wife would find them tedious. We each have different tastes and needs.

So, to end Book Week, I’ve drafted a list of my current top-ten finance books. These are the books I would want in a personal finacne library if I started one today. Your list would be different (and I invite you to share it in the comments).

Here’s the list (in alphabetical order by title):

All Your Worth. You know, I hated this book at first. And I’m still not a fan of how Elizabeth Warren allows personal responsibility off the hook. But I can’t deny that this book had a huge impact on helping me find a balanced financial life. The Balanced Money Formula has been a Big Deal for me, and that’s an idea that originated here. [My review.]

The Complete Tightwad Gazette. This book is a monster — almost 1000 pages of ideas on how to live well for less. Amy Dacyczyn was the Queen of Cheap twenty years ago, and her legacy remains strong. If you want to know how to get the best deal on groceries, how to shop for clothes, and how to reuse anything, then pick up this book. It’s a treasure trove of ideas. [I have never reviewed this book, though I've mentioned it many times.]

Debt is Slavery. Not many people have heard of this slim self-published book. That’s too bad. Michael Mihalik does a fantastic job of explaining a handful of basic financial concepts, and his advice is sound. This is the perfect book for a young adult who doesn’t know where to start. I wish I’d had access to this book when I was 20. [My review.]

The Four Pillars of Investing. If I ever finish Jeremy Siegel’s Stocks for the Long Run, it may replace this book on my list. For now, though, The Four Pillars of Investing is my go-to book for reminding myself why I’ve adopted index funds as my main investment strategy. This book covers investment theory, history, and psychology, as well as the business of investing. [My review.]

The Incredible Secret Money Machine. I know, I know: You’ve never heard of it. It may be long out of print, but The Incredible Secret Money Machine is a terrific book about building “money machines”, businesses or products that keep producing nickels year after year. I wish the author had the gumption to update this (it’s over 30 years old!) and reprint it for a new generation. [My review.]

Work Less, Live More. Bob Clyatt’s book on early- and semi-retirement is one of my favorites. It’s sensible, comprehensive, and inspirational. He includes a big section on smart investing, and offers ideas for how to pursue your passions once you’ve stopped working full-time. [I've never reviewed this book, though I should.]

You Can Negotiate Anything. It was a toss-up whether to include this or Negotiating Your Salary [my review]. The latter is outstanding, and I recommend it highly to anyone who is applying for a job or asking for a raise. In the end, though, I chose Herb Cohen’s book because it covers a wider range of topics. And it’s entertaining! [My review.]

Your Money and Your Brain. I haven’t reviewed this at Get Rich Slowly yet, but it’s a great book. Jason Zweig covers the latest research into how money affects our behavior. There are a lot of interesting books out there about the psychology of personal finance, but this is the most comprehensive.

Your Money or Your Life. Of course this is on my list. Your Money or Your Life has influenced thousands of people — including me. The book includes advice about getting out of debt, living frugally, and seeking financial independence. But what most of us remember is that it helped make money less abstract, helped us see how it was directly related to time. [A guest review from the first month of GRS back in 2006.]

Your Money: The Missing Manual. Wait — I put my own book on the list? You bet. I wrote Your Money: The Missing Manual precisely to be the sort of book I needed when I was struggling with money. I think it’s a great resource, getting to the heart of a broad range of topics. Plus, I’ve done my best to point to other books and websites readers can use to get more information. If I could only have ten books in my personal-finance library, I’d want this to be one of them. (In fact, I refer to my own book almost daily. No joke. I guess that’s one of the luxuries of writing a book — you can just write the book you want!)

Are there other great books about money out there? Of course. A list of ten books can’t begin to be comprehensive. Over the past five years, I’ve read nearly 200 money manuals, and many of them contained great information. But today — on 10 September 2010 — these are the ten essential books I’d want in my personal finance library — if I could have only ten.

What are your essential personal-finance books? Which have you read and loved? Which have you read and hated? Are there books you’d recommend to people in specific circumstances?

BillFloat Pays Your Bills When You Can't

If money's tight and you need a little extra time to cover a bill, service BillFloat can take care of it for you and you can pay them back later.

After entering the company you need to pay, you give BillFloat the amount of the bill and your account number. It'll let you know how many days it'll float the bill (a maximum of 30) and how much you'll owe BillFloat—which is generally $5, but decreases with the number of bills you pay. BillFloat will collect a little more information about you, like how you're going to pay them back, and then you'll be all set. Just make sure you'll have the money in a month, since BillFloat won't float its own bills.

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Canucks News On Day 1 Of Training Camp - Nucks Misconduct

Hodgson speaks about Canucks relationship plus more.

Small Business News: Small Biz Bill Passed

So what do you think of the new small business bill passed recently in the US Senate? Supporters are no doubt high-fiving each other and congratulating.

The Hockey News: Getting To Know: Getting To Know: Gordie Howe

Mr. Hockey answers questions about funny stories from his NHL career, plus his earliest hockey memories and more.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

personal financeonline personal finance

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Pew: Online News Use Growing But Traditional Methods Hanging In ...

Print newspapers and radio are still slipping as sources but U.S. adults are spending more time with news these days when the internet and traditional platforms are combined. The amount of time spent on traditional platforms hasn't ...

Bloomberg News Hops Aboard Yahoo Finance

Perhaps to get a piece of its 45.6 million monthly uniques?

CBS News launches dedicated iPad app

iPad owners looking for CBS News content now have a free app for that. CBS is following the lead of ABC News with an app that caters to the dimensions of the iPad. The CBS News app features an easy to use interface that includes stories ...

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Pew: Online News Use Growing But Traditional Methods Hanging In ...

Bloomberg News Hops Aboard Yahoo Finance

Perhaps to get a piece of its 45.6 million monthly uniques?

CBS News launches dedicated iPad app

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managing personal finances

Average gas prices--September 13, 2010

You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll

For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire

What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers

TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices

Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small

Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4

Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling

September could be Home Star’s month—or not

LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!

Average gas prices--September 13, 2010

You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll

For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire

What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers

TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices

Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small

Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4

Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling

September could be Home Star’s month—or not

LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!

penis extender

Average gas prices--September 13, 2010

You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll

For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire

What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers

TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices

Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small

Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4

Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling

September could be Home Star’s month—or not

LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!

Average gas prices--September 13, 2010

You voted: letter grades edge ahead in fuel economy poll

For rent: 4.5 billion-year-old ball of fire

What Obama's transportation proposals mean for travelers

TomTom provides update for XL 350, XXL 550, and XL 335 GPS devices

Cash for appliances: Rebates aplenty in states big and small

Apple curtails its free case program for the iPhone 4

Daily Dispatch: Death of the RSS reader?; Toronto produces entertaining video to promote e-waste recycling

September could be Home Star’s month—or not

LG's 60PX950, the first THX 3D plasma, headed to the CR Test labs!

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