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My credit score has been stuck at 695 for about four months. That's a vast improvement from the 500 or so it was four years ago, so I've come a long way. I have two credit cards with balances on them, very low and an Amex I pay in full every month. I have utilities (gas, electric, etc...) in my name. I have a...
How should I value benefits such as health insurance and employee stock purchase plans when I'm comparing jobs? I'd like a conversion to dollars so I can fairly compare them to jobs with only direct compensation.
How to value employee benefits?
I've had a credit card for a long time, and every so often they've sent letters telling me they're increasing my available credit. Does it negatively affect my credit score to have a high limit, one that I never come close to on this card?
Is a high credit limit on a credit card bad?
I might want to move the money in my 401k from US to Canada. I do not work with my previous employer anymore, but now I am self-employed. Can I do this without incurring penalties?
Looking at some large lotto games out there, it seems that the lump sum (cash) option comes in at anywhere from about 50 to 70 percent of the jackpot amount (sum of annual payouts, typically over 20 to 30 years). I'm a fan of the phrase "money today is better than money tomorrow." There's no telling how laws will c...
I've seen the commercials for freecreditreport.com, but commercials with singing pirates make me uneasy; maybe they'll steal all my booty (personal information). What are the different ways to check my credit score? How will checking affect the score?
How can I check my credit score?
I've seen credit cards that provide you your credit score for free, updated once a month and even charted over the last year. Unfortunately the bank I used to have this card with was bought and the purchasing bank discontinued the feature. Perhaps someone out there knows of some cards that still offer a feature lik...
How long before a flight is the best time to get the lowest fares? Do prices on fare-finding sites change depending on the time of day or day of week? When is best?
When is the best time to buy airline tickets?
[This article][1] seems to have good information: - Buy early, but not too early - Don't necessarily wait until the last minute - Sales tend to happen at the beginning of the week - Technology is your friend [1]: http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4519704
How many credit cards do I need? Should I open another just for the cash back feature?
How should I value benefits such as health insurance and employee stock purchase plans when I'm comparing jobs? I'd like a conversion to dollars so I can fairly compare them to jobs with only direct compensation. ---- My ESPP is a income taxable 15% discount on stock, up to $10k input / 6 months.
How long should I retain my income tax information in the US? Should I retain all my deduction evidences as long as I keep my W-2 and return paperwork?
How long should I retain my income tax information?
I have been told to never go over 50% of my credit limit on any credit card even if I pay always off in full for each statement, in order not to hurt my credit score. Is this true? What is the ratio that I should always stay under?
What is the optimal ration of used credit to credit limit for your credit score?
What is required by law?
How long should I retain my tax information in Canada?
What is the optimal ratio of used credit to credit limit for your credit score?
What is a timeshare and why might I want one? Are there any hidden costs to timeshares?
What is a timeshare?
Does the size of my down payment on a house affect the chances I'll be approved for a loan? Can a 50% down payment overcome a relatively low credit score?
Does size of down payment affect chances of home loan approval?
Short term: ask for a raise or look for a new job that pays more. Longer term: * Expand your skill set. PHP programmers are plentiful. Unless you are exceptional (e.g. you wrote a top selling PHP book) you're going to get PHP programmer market pay. If you have other skills you will be in high demand. * Keep an...
Is the "Bank on Yourself" a legetimate investment strategy?
There seem to be a lot of advertisements by ["Bank on Yourself"][1], promising to show how you can invest in a certain type of life insurance policy. Is this really a legitimate investment strategy, or just another scam trying to sell information that doesn't really gain you anything? [1]: http://www.bankonyours...
Is the "Bank on Yourself" a legitimate investment strategy, or a scam?
Technically, this doesn't seem like a scam, but I don't think the system is beneficial. They use a lot of half-truths to convince you that thier product is right for you. Some of the arguments presented and my thoughts. * **Don't buy term and invest the rest because you can't predict how much you'll earn from...
I normally don't pay for product protection plans or extended warranties on electronic devices, but I just got a new IPhone 4, and it sits at the nexus of portability (losable and drop-able) and high cost. Here are the options I'm considering: - Getting the AT&T Insurance. At $14.00/month, this is pretty pricey...
Is IPhone insurance good buy or a waste of money?
I inherited a stock portfolio from my grandparents, and it has been sitting at the investment house where it was when I got it. I want to move this portfolio somewhere where the fees are lower and where I will get good investment advice that trues up with my personal goals. The internet has not been a good source...
What's a good way to find someone locally to help me with my investments?
I have two separate rental properties that each have a LTV of about 75%. I'd like to leverage these properties to buy another investment or rental property so I am considering refinancing with cash out. I am having trouble finding a lender that will work with my scenario in the current financial environment even ...
Can I refinance a rental property that is currently only 75% loan to value?
Health insurance varies wildly per state and per plan and per provider - but check them out to have a baseline to know what it should cost if you did it yourself. Don't forget vacation time, too: many contract/comp-only jobs have no vacation time - how much is that 10 or 15 days a year worth to you? It effectively...
Stocks are pieces of companies. They represent a part of a company. If you were to buy up all the shares of a stock, then you should be the new owner of the company (I realize there are different ways to structure stocks and their relationship to companies, but lets stick with the simple case.) Wisdom is defined a...
I currently hold some shares of a stock that I don't expect to regain much value. I bought this (at a higher price) about 8 months ago. My limited understanding of the way capital gains taxes work in the US (so please correct me if I am wrong) is that if you gain money on a stock that you owned for less than a ye...
Should I wait to sell a stock (at a loss) that I have held for less than a year?
I have multiple 401k's from past employers. I know I can roll each of these over into new 401K accounts at my brokerage, but do the 401K rules allow me to combine these 401K's into one account? (assuming they are all the same type of 401K, etc) The rollover forms are always phrased in terms of rolling old 401K acc...
Combining 401k's from different past employers?
My wife & I are 28 years old and are looking to purchase our first home in the next 1-3 years. Our financial situation looks something like this: - 24% gross annual income in very low-interest student loans - 24% gross annual income in a 403-b - We have about 3 months of salary is set aside in a 1% FDIC insure...
Looking to buy a house in 1-2 years. Does starting a RothIRA make sense?
I currently hold some shares of a stock that I don't expect to regain much value. I bought this (at a higher price) about 8 months ago. My limited understanding of the way capital gains taxes work in the US (so please correct me if I am wrong) is that if you gain money on a stock that you owned for less than a ye...
From [Intuit][1]: #Can I deduct my capital losses? "Yes, but there are limits. Losses on your investments are first used to offset capital gains of the same type. So short-term losses are first deducted against short-term gains, and long-term losses are deducted against long-term gains. Net losses of either type ...
#Can I combine all my 401ks into one account? Yes. Short and sweet.
My understanding is that losses are first deductible against any capital gains you may have, then against your regular income (up to $3,000 per year). If you still have a loss after that, the loss may be carried over to offset capital gains or income in subsequent years As you suspect, a short term capital loss is ...
When I was young and stupid a few years ago, I took a job that I thought was salary originally with properly handled taxes (W-2) and whatnot and it ended up being a 1099 contracting gig that wasn't communicated properly. I was overwhelmed by the tax burden because I was unprepared for it and didn't pay my taxes for tha...
"Back Paying" Income Taxes [U.S.]?
My wife & I are 28 years old and are looking to purchase our first home in the next 1-3 years. Our financial situation looks something like this: - 24% combined gross annual income in very student loans (half at 2.62%, half at 3.12%) - 24% combined gross annual income in a 403-b - We have about 3 months of sal...
My wife has a 401k with her employer that she has been contributing to for years. They recently switched administrators for the 401k, and the new outfit is simply terrible - bad fund choices and outrageous fees. I would like to roll over her 401k into an IRA where I can manage the investment choices myself. I know...
Can I roll over a 401k with my current employer into an IRA?
What are some of the pros,cons,and differences of investing in a 401k vs. investing in an IRA (either Roth IRA or regular)?
What are some of the pros, cons, and differences of investing in a 401k vs. investing in an IRA (either Roth IRA or regular)?
Pros, cons, & differences in investing in 401k vs. IRA?
I normally don't pay for product protection plans or extended warranties on electronic devices, but I just got a new iPhone 4, and it sits at the nexus of portability (losable and drop-able) and high cost. Here are the options I'm considering: - Getting the AT&T Insurance. At $14.00/month, this is pretty pricey...
Is an iPhone insurance or warranty a good buy, or a waste of money?
My wife & I are 28 years old and are looking to purchase our first home in the next 1-3 years. Our financial situation looks something like this: - 24% combined gross annual income in very student loans (half at 2.62%, half at 3.12%) - 24% combined gross annual income in a 403-b - We have about 3 months of sal...
Looking to buy a house in 1-2 years. Does starting a Roth IRA now make sense?
Aside from the horribly optimistic interest rate projections in the "[Drive Free, Retire Rich][1]" video, is this a plausible way to deal with auto expenses over one's lifetime? [1]: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/drive-free/
What are your thoughts on Dave Ramsey's "Drive Free, Retire Rich" idea?
e.g. CIM or AEE both have high yields, but what are warning signs that these might be dividend yield traps?
How do I know if a dividend stock is "safe" and not a "dividend yield trap" ?
Oddly enough, I started to research the "Bank on Yourself" strategy today as well (even before I'd ran across this question!). I'd heard an ad on the radio for it the other day, and it caught my attention because they claimed that the strategy isn't prone to market fluctuations like the stock market. It seemed in their...
My wife & I are 28 years old and are looking to purchase our first home in the next 1-3 years. Our financial situation looks something like this: - 24% combined gross annual income in very student loans (half at 2.62%, half at 3.12%) - Our 403-B is currently worth 24% of our FY2010 combined gross annual income ...
My wife & I are 28 years old and are looking to purchase our first home in the next 1-3 years. Our financial situation looks something like this: - 24% combined gross annual income in low interest student loans (half at 2.62%, half at 3.12%) - Our 403-B is currently worth 24% of our FY2010 combined gross annual ...
Oddly enough, I started to research the "Bank on Yourself" strategy today as well (even before I'd ran across this question!). I'd heard an ad on the radio for it the other day, and it caught my attention because they claimed that the strategy isn't prone to market fluctuations like the stock market. It seemed in their...
I have multiple 401k's from past employers. I know I can roll each of these over into new IRA accounts at my brokerage, but do the 401K rules allow me to combine these 401K's into one IRA account? The rollover forms are always phrased in terms of rolling old 401K account into a new IRA account, never any option to ...
How do I know if a dividend stock is "safe" and not a "dividend yield trap"?
e.g. [(NYSE:CIM)][1] or [(NYSE:AEE)][2] both have high yields, but what are warning signs that these might be dividend yield traps? [1]: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CIM [2]: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AEE
zPesk has a great answer about dividends generally, but to answer your question specifically about yield traps, here are a few things that I look for: 1. As with everything, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. A 17% yield is pretty out of this world, even for a REIT. And I [wouldn't bet][1] on it hol...
How credit card companies make profit by giving us credit for 40-50 days(India). I purchase something on my credit card and I pay it to the credit card company after some days. How are they going to make profit with this where I'm not paying any service charge to them? I'm asking this for couple of reasons. 1. I ...
How creditcard companies make profit?
How do credit card companies make profit by giving us credit for 40-50 days (India). I purchase something on my credit card and I pay it to the credit card company after some days. How are they going to make profit with this where I'm not paying any service charge to them? I'm asking this for couple of reasons. 1...
How do credit card companies make profit?
I've always seen a mutual fund with two types (specifically pointing India mutual funds) that are XYZ - Dividend/XYZ - Growth mutual fund? What exactly they mean here? Which is the best to buy?
What is the difference between dividend and growth in mutual funds?
A family member once told me about a method for reducing the term of a mortgage "significantly". They didn't know (or I can't remember) the details but it had to do with certain mortgages that recalculate the interest quarterly. From what I remember the idea is to make the monthly payments on time and then pay off a...
Reducing mortgage term by paying off a chunk of the principle each quarter - how effective is this?
A family member once told me about a method for reducing the term of a mortgage "significantly". They didn't know (or I can't remember) the details but it had to do with certain mortgages that recalculate the interest quarterly. From what I remember the idea is to make the monthly payments on time and then pay off a...
Reducing mortgage term by paying off a chunk of the principal each quarter - how effective is this?
I've always seen a mutual fund with two types (specifically pointing to Indian mutual funds) that are XYZ - Dividend/XYZ - Growth mutual fund? What exactly they mean here? Which is the best to buy?
Bond aren't necessarily any safer than the stock market. Ultimately, there is no such thing as a low risk mutual fund. You want something that will allow you get at your money relatively quickly. In other words, CDs (since you you can pick a definite time period for your money to be tied up), money market accoun...
Nothing's generating a whole lot of interest right now. But more liquid and stable is better (cash or cash-like). But a related question: Why a new car? You can knock thousands of dollars off of the price of a comparable vehicle by buying one that's one or two years old. Your new vehicle loses thousands of dolla...
My wife & I are 28 and plan on purchasing our first home in the next 1-3 years. Right now our assets are in two places: - 403-b that I will not touch for the next 30+ years - FDIC-insured savings account earning 1% interest I have the option to start a Roth IRA account under [a fund that offers a guaranteed 3...
Penalty to withdraw from a new Roth IRA for first time home buyers?
As far as I know when someone wants to deposit money in a bank he can choose between a deposit account and a certificate of deposit. With a deposit account a person is assigned an account bound to his name and only that person or someone to whom the person delegates the right can withdraw money. With a certificate of d...
What are advantages of certificate of deposits compared to a deposit account?
This is all about money management which we need to do on a periodic basis to have financial freedom. There are many articles which say about this, but in real life I found many people managing it in their own way and getting financial freedom out of it. For ex: Simplest money management system suggested by a friend...
What is the best way to manage your hard earned money?
Can you explain to me the difference between APR and APY and which one I should care about more? I know that comparing APR and APY to each other is like comparing apples to oranges but I am just not sure the difference.
As far as I can tell, most reward point programs are [confusopolies][1]. I have a difficult time figuring out how much my points are really worth since the exchange rate seems to vary depending on what you are using them to buy. The fact that points can expire also affects the value of the points. Is there any way ...
Are credit card membership points best used for swag or for travel?
I think there are a few facets to this, namely: - Could it be a smart thing to pay off the mortgage early? I would say so, because it (a) frees up cash that you'd otherwise thrown at the interest, no matter how low it appears to be and (b) having no house payment and owning your house outright gives you more optio...
> Possible Duplicate: > [What is the difference between Interest Rate and APY?](http://money.stackexchange.com/questions/1528/what-is-the-difference-between-interest-rate-and-apy) <!-- End of automatically inserted text --> Can you explain to me the difference between APR and APY and which one I should care a...
Should I ask for an offer for my tracker mortgage? [Ireland]
How long does a postal order take to clear? 7 days? Or is it instant?
How long does a Postal Check (postal order) take to clear?

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