November 2009

Choosing a High Interest Savings Account Over My Low Yield Money Market Account For My Short Term Cash-Emergency Savings

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I have been using my Vanguard money market account as a place to save part of my emergency (short-term) funds, and when checking it recently I saw that the rate had fallen to a miserly 0.13%! This was the lowest I had seen the rate since opening the account a few years ago, and with [...]

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Golden Nations : Which Countries Hold The Most Gold Reserves

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With gold prices soaring, it seems that even central banks around can’t get enough of the yellow metal. Recent figures still show the US atop the list, but other nation’s are rapidly catching up. After all, every central bank (and the International Monetary Fund) with a large holding of American debt is worried about capital [...]

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Should I Buy an Extended Warranty : Worth It or a Waste of Money?

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If you’ve bought an appliance or electronic gadget in the last few years, the sales person has probably tried to sell you an extended warranty or insurance plan. Often they justify it as a relatively small purchase, and isn’t the peace of mind worth? Unfortunately, many of us are sucked in and end up buying [...]

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401k Cash-Out For Loans vs. Hardship Withdrawals – Penalties and Taxes

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Despite a more stable economy, many Americans are still finding it hard to make ends meet and find that they are having to tap one of their most important and final saving vehicles – their company sponsored 401k or 403b (tax advantaged) retirement plans. There are 3 ways that cash can be taken out from [...]

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Taxes and Gains I Can Exclude When Selling My Home

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Following my recent post on Tips for Selling your Home, I received a reader email asking me to clarify the tax consequences of selling their home and what the potential liability/capital gain implications would be. Based on what the IRS says, here are the key tax facts to keep in mind around figuring your gains. [...]

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Weekly Wrap – Cheaper Online Stock Trading and My New Costco-Amex Card

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I recently completed the application process and got started trading with my OptionsHouse broking account (bought CAT Shares), and so far has been a very smooth trading experience. The reason I switched trading from my current brokers – E*trade and Zecco (with whom I will continue to maintain accounts) – to this relatively new online [...]

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What NOT to Do With Your 401K and IRA Retirement Plans

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No doubt everyone who has a company sponsored retirement account (401K, 403b) or self managed plan (IRA, Roth IRA) has read about all the right things to do like regular investing, diversification and choosing low fee funds. However, it is just as important to consider what NOT to do with your retirement accounts so that [...]

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Simple Tips and Ideas on What to Do Before and While You Sell Your Home

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Government incentives like the new home buyer credit and a weak economy definitely make this a buyer’s market. However thanks in large part to all the home buyer and mortgage assistance programs, people are still buying houses. But the key for any seller is to make their home stand out to prospective buyers, which involves [...]

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Weekly Wrap: Jobs, Housing to Buying Gold in a Low Dollar Environment

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America now has a 10.2% unemployment rate. Ouch. Even though this was expected it was still a shock to see double digit figures, espically when it looked like the economy was on the mend. For many workers in the current generation, this is a definitely an alarming top line figure. What’s worse is that the [...]

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2012 Unemployment Benefits Insurance Extension to 2013

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[Updated March - 2012 Unemployment Benefits Approved by Congress] Congress has passed legislation, signed by the President, that extends unemployment benefits into 2013. This is part of legislation that extended the payroll tax credit and doctor medicare reimbursements through December 2012. However the unemployment benefits extension has been changed to a tiered structure based on [...]

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