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I've received a postal order, but the last letter of my surname is missing on it, can I still cash it? |
Postal order has my name mis-spelt, can I still cash it? |
What expenses do 401k funds charge? For example, do they charge front-end or back-end loads (commission when buying or selling funds)? Also how do I find out if the 401k administrator charges a fee? |
What expenses do 401k funds charge? |
Say I receive an offer letter from a potential employer. They state clearly the offered salary, and I have a good idea how to value the benefits. With all that, it's less than I'd like.
How can I successfully negotiate the salary upwards? How long should I wait? What language should I use? |
What's the proper way to negotiate a job offer's salary? |
There is no proper way, but I think you have decide before you even try what the minimum you will accept for the job and be ready to decline the offer if you don't get it.
Further, don't just go into the conversation with the attitude "I want more money, give it to me." Be ready to restate your qualifications and t... |
After reading RDPD by R. Kiyosaki I'm trying to find chances to biuld up my Passive Income.
By Passive Income I mean that I do not have to take care dat-to-day of that "thing", but it generates some money (doesn't have to be huge).
As an Internet-Person (spending lots of time there) I was wondering what are ideas t... |
After reading RDPD by R. Kiyosaki I'm trying to find chances to biuld up my Passive Income.
By Passive Income I mean that I do not have to take care dat-to-day of that "thing", but it generates some money (doesn't have to be huge).
As an Internet-Person (spending lots of time there) I was wondering what are ideas t... |
Based on financial conversations I've had with trusted family members, I believe that asset allocation is one of the more critical things to "get right" during retirement savings.
Based on an aggressive investing portfolio and timeline, where can I find more information about what asset allocation is right for me? ... |
**Some background information:**
I'm 23 and living at home. I have a good full time job as a web programmer that I've been at for over one year. It includes benefits and 401K (which after one year I now get to contribute to. I'm giving 5%/paycheck to the 401K).
Within the first year, I paid off all of my colle... |
How do I know when I am financially stable/ready to move out on my own? |
It all depends on what your financial goals are when you are ready. You sound like you could be ready today if you wanted to be. The steps that I would take are.
1. Do some serious living expenditure work. Figure out the actual expected costs of a place (Would you be living with roommates? This saves significant... |
After reading RDPD by R. Kiyosaki I'm trying to find chances to biuld up my Passive Income.
By Passive Income I mean that I do not have to take care day-to-day of that "thing", but it generates some money (doesn't have to be huge).
As an Internet-Person (spending lots of time there) I was wondering what are ideas t... |
The notion that you can put product on the web and sit back and watch the money roll in is a myth, plain and simple.
If you put content on the web and expect people to pay money for your products (t-shirts, etc), you have to do the work to get your stuff seen by people, and preferably the right kind of people who w... |
It's all about risk. These guidelines were all developed based on the risk characteristics of the various asset categories. Bonds are ultra-low-risk, large caps are low-risk (you don't see most big stocks like Coca-Cola going anywhere soon), foreign stocks are medium-risk (subject to additional political risk and curre... |
Just curious what the consenus is on just dumping 100% of your 401k into one of the age related mutual funds.
My 401k is through Fidelity and they have "FreedomFunds" which retirement dates.
So I dump everything into the FreedomFund 2050 (since thats around the time I'll be retiring)
Is that a good idea? |
It's all about risk. These guidelines were all developed based on the risk characteristics of the various asset categories. Bonds are ultra-low-risk, large caps are low-risk (you don't see most big stocks like Coca-Cola going anywhere soon), foreign stocks are medium-risk (subject to additional political risk and curre... |
I will be starting a job on Monday that yearly will net me in excess of 120k. I know that this income exceeds the maximum earnings for a Roth IRA and I'm sure other things. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to retirement investment, so what are my options and what are the pros and cons of each option? |
If I make over 120k a year, what are my options for retirment plans? |
Abstract
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Phew... This turned out be **a lot** longer than I expected. So, here's the overview.
Despite the presence of asset allocation calculators and what not, this is a subjective matter. Only you know how much risk you are willing to take on. You seem to be aware of one rule of thumb, namely th... |
My car has apparently has a blown head gasket...
The options at this point are basically:
1. put $5k into an 8 year old car with 120k mi that is otherwise in good shape (with a 2 year warranty on the new engine), or
2. spend $15k on a newer (used) car -- which will essentially be an unknown quantity in terms... |
How to decide whether to replace or repair? |
Is the car worth $5K?
If the car is not worth $5K, sell the car for scrap or parts or whatever and add that tiny amount to your purchase for a new car.
If the car *is* worth more than the cost of repair ($5K), I'd fix it up. |
Abstract
----------
Phew... This turned out be **a lot** longer than I expected. So, here's the overview.
Despite the presence of asset allocation calculators and what not, this is a subjective matter. Only you know how much risk you are willing to take on. You seem to be aware of one rule of thumb, namely th... |
So i want to support a gamming company (square-enix japanese one).
And i was trying to find out how i could go on about buying some stocks. From what i've seen on my own bank it only uses european and major international stock exchanges. And from my searches it seems listed on the tokyo stock exchange (company name ... |
Aggressiveness in a retirement portfolio is usually a function of your age. Your portfolio is usually a mix of the following:
- **Stocks** = Highest return, most volatile
- **Foreign/Developing Countries** = Potentially a high return, but it's more of a gamble. (What if China's economy doesn't boom like we expe... |
So i want to support a gaming company (square-enix japanese one).
And i was trying to find out how i could go on about buying some stocks. From what i've seen on my own bank it only uses european and major international stock exchanges. And from my searches it seems listed on the tokyo stock exchange (company name S... |
Investing in foreign stocks: In Portugal, wanting to buy a Japanese-listed stock. How to? |
Uncrossed postal orders can be turned directly into cash and thus definitely take no time to clear.
Crossed postal orders have to be paid into a bank account, and so it's possible the bank would take some time to clear them. However they can't be rejected because of insufficient funds, as the sender already paid for... |
You're right, the asset allocation is one fundamental thing you want to get right in your portfolio. I agree 110%. If you **really** want to understand asset allocation, I suggest any and all of the following three books, all by the same author, [William J. Bernstein][1].
- [**The Intelligent Asset Allocator**][2]... |
You're right, the asset allocation is one fundamental thing you want to get right in your portfolio. I agree 110%. If you **really** want to understand asset allocation, I suggest any and all of the following three books, all by the same author, [William J. Bernstein][1].
- [**The Intelligent Asset Allocator**][2]... |
After reading RDPD by R. Kiyosaki I'm trying to find chances to build up my Passive Income.
By Passive Income I mean that I do not have to take care day-to-day of that "thing", but it generates some money (doesn't have to be huge).
As an Internet-Person (spending lots of time there) I was wondering what are ideas t... |
(Legitimate & respectable) strategies to generate "passive income" on the Internet? |
You're right, the asset allocation is one fundamental thing you want to get right in your portfolio. I agree 110%. If you **really** want to understand asset allocation, I suggest any and all of the following three books, all by the same author, [William J. Bernstein][1].
- [**The Intelligent Asset Allocator**][2]... |
What is the best asset allocation for a retirement portfolio, and why? |
I have played around with GnuCash a little but it doesn't quite meet up to what I am looking for. I currently run QuickBooks and use class tracking to keep a fine line of separation between my personal and business finances. I didn't see anything like this in GnuCash but maybe I missed something.
So, what does anyo... |
How effective is it? It's as effective as your mortgage rate. If your mortgage is at 6%, it's a 6% per year return. The bank will let you pre-pay because, well, your mortgage is not all that special. When you pay back the money, they can just use it for something else. (This is the same reason they let you refinance yo... |
Have you tried others on [Wikipedia's][1] list?
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free_and_open_source_software_packages#Finance |
**The best asset allocation is one that lets you sleep well at night.** Can you stomach a loss of 50% and hold on to that asset for 3 years, 5 years, or however long it will take to bounce back while everyone is telling you to sell it at a loss? All these calculations will be thrown out the window at the next market pa... |
A little while ago, I asked a [question][1] where the consensus was that the bank won't be coming after me for the remainder of the money after the house was foreclosed on.
Seeing how they can't come after me, why is that amount still on my credit report? And more importantly, is there a way to remove them from t... |
Possible to remove remaining debt off my credit report? |
If by "investment" you mean something that pays you money that you can spend, then no.
But if you view "investment" as something that improves your balance sheet / net worth by reducing debt *and* reducing how much money you're throwing away in interest each month, then the answer is definitely yes, paying down debt... |
I have all my money at a credit union in Michigan, and have recently moved out of state. I never had personal checks mailed to me (my money was in my savings and I would use ATMs to withdraw cash).
I recently opened up an account at a credit union here, and want to transfer my money from my first bank to this one. U... |
Is it a bad idea to transfer all my money via ATM? |
My retirement account goal analyzer advises that I keep 3% in cash. My retirement date is over 30 years from now, so I can tolerate heavy volatility and certainly don't need liquidity. Does it make much sense to buy long-term "cash-equivalent" ETFs such as [TLT][1] (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF) for the ... |
> Unfortunately, I can't simply write a check.
Why not?
Getting a certified check or a money draft from your original bank would be the safest way of transferring money. You can also get it wired directly -- talk to your new bank and see if they can get something set up for you. |
My retirement account goal analyzer advises that I keep 3% in cash. My retirement date is over 30 years from now, so I can tolerate heavy volatility and certainly don't need liquidity. Does it make much sense to buy long-term "cash-equivalent" ETFs such as [TLT][1] (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF) for the ... |
My retirement account goal analyzer advises that I keep 3% in cash. My retirement date is over 30 years from now, so I can tolerate heavy volatility and certainly don't need liquidity. Does it make much sense to buy long-term "cash-equivalent" ETFs such as [TLT][1] (iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF) for the ... |
I recently moved out of state and have all my money in the bank where I used to live.
I've opened up an account at a credit union here, and want to transfer my money from my first bank to this one. Unfortunately, I can't simply write a personal check since my money is in my savings.
As far as wiring or having the... |
Are there any Index Funds or ETFs that focus on [Socially Responsible Investing][1], or will I have to choose my own basket of stocks?
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socially_responsible_investing |
Are there Social Repsonibility Index funds or ETFs? |
20-year Treasury Bonds are **not** equivalent to cash, not even close. Even though the bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, they are **long-term debt** and therefore their principal value will fluctuate considerably as market interest rates change.
When interest rates rise, the mark... |
Is there an online brokerage, for UK citizens, that provides access to Greek bonds? [Interactive Brokers][1] doesn't.
Alternatively, are there other assets (say ETFs) that have a percentage invested in Greek bonds?
[1]: http://www.interactivebrokers.co.uk/ |
How to buy Greek bonds? |
Is one better than the other?
I've noticed that national banks seem to charge more (and higher) fees. Is that just me? |
What's the difference between credit unions and banks? |
Vanguard offers an index fund. Their FTSE Social Index Fund. For more information on it, [go here][1].
[1]: https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/snapshot?FundId=0213&FundIntExt=INT |
How to buy Greek bonds either directly or via ETF? |
Are there any Social Responsibility Index funds or ETFs? |
Possible to remove remaining foreclosed mortgage debt off my credit report? |
There is no proper way, but I think you have decide before you even try what the minimum you will accept for the job and be ready to decline the offer if you don't get it.
Further, don't just go into the conversation with the attitude "I want more money, give it to me." Be ready to restate your qualifications and t... |
How do I get into investing in stocks? |
How do I get into investing in stocks? |
Is there anywhere online I can lookup forward rates for foreign exchange? Preferably this would include historic rates too. |
1. Start by paying down any high interest debt you may have, like credit cards. Reason being that they ultimately eat into any (positive) returns you may have from investing. Another good reason is to build up some discipline. You will need discipline to be a successful investor.
2. Educate yourself about inv... |
Use Google search, e.g.,
1 cad = ? usd
1 usd = ? jpy
1 usd = ? eur
or you can spell out
1 canadian dollar = ? us dollar
1 us dollar = ? japanese yen
1 us dollar = ? euros
Another good website with 30-day or 120-day historical data is [x-rates.com][1], you can select b... |
Could someone explain me in simple terms what a leverage account is and why it is mandatory in some trading platforms to operate through leverage?
Also please help me understand the associated risks. Can I end up loosing more money than I invested? |
Here is a [list of cross currency pairs futures][1] offered by Intercontinental Exchange ("Ice"). They show existing future contracts for the given currency pairs.
It's not exactly what you were looking for, but hopefully it helps.
[1]: https://www.theice.com/productguide/ProductGroupHierarchy.shtml?group... |
my bank checking account allows me to get notifications / alerts for every check or withdrawal activity over a certain amount immediately. My credit allows frequent balance notifications, but not purchase activities notification. Any recommendations for a credit card with better notification options ? Thanks. |
As part of children learning the value of money, I believe it is important that they learn to earn their own money. While I could assign arbitrary monetary values to household chores such as cleaning, yard work, etc., I'd rather find something they can do with an objective monetary value. And I'd like to do so at as ... |
How can small children contribute to the "family economy"? |
Have the recent CARD act made reduced the likelihood of getting a rate reduction if you call and ask the card company's service department? |
Has the likelihood of getting a lower credit card interest rate by calling and asking been reduced by the recent credit card regulations? |
Since reading [this][1] and [this][2] about the essentials a guy needs in his closet, I've come to realize that mine is...perhaps somewhat lacking.
My wardrobe was seriously overhauled about 2.5 to 3 years ago, and since then, aside from buying a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt here and there, I haven't spent any sign... |
Wardrobe: To Update or Not? How-to without breaking the bank |
Has the likelihood of getting a lower interest rate by calling & asking been reduced by recent credit card regulations? |
1. Start by paying down any high interest debt you may have, like credit cards. Reason being that they ultimately eat into any (positive) returns you may have from investing. Another good reason is to build up some discipline. You will need discipline to be a successful investor.
2. Educate yourself about inv... |
I have about 5 department store credit cards that I never use. If I cancel those accounts, will my score improve? Even a little? Again, these aren't credit cards. They're store cards (like Home Depot, Office Max, etc.) If I shouldn't close these accounts, then how can I imporve my score? I pay off my one credit card mo... |
Will Cancelling Department Store Credit Cards Improve My Credit Score? |
I have a friend that has five credit cards of debt. A couple of the cards have high interest rates (20-25%). The rest are 15% and below. The total debt combined of all five cards is ~$10k.
How does one go about consolidating their credit card debt to bring down those high interests rates? I've personally never ... |
How to do Credit Card debt consolidation or get rates lowered? |
I've been procrastinating with organizing my finances, but I have most of my receipts from this year.
Are there any tutorials out there that are geared for people who are a little behind with tracking their expenses for the year? (Using Quicken would be ideal but not necessary.)
If not, I may just need to figure... |
Tutorials for "catching up" with expense tracking, ideally in Quicken? |
I am looking for a free way to get a large amount of data on the prices of stocks. I am not a trader or anything like that so it wouldn't be worth it to pay for a service to give me stock prices. I have a mathematics background and I would like to make my own determinations of what stocks to invest in. To do this, I n... |
A lot of smaller (and/or weaker) countries did not have much choice when Germany and France decided to rename the German Mark as the Euro, as most of their trade was already in Marks. It was even common for their population to have their savings in Marks.
So the question was.
> Do we wish to have to use the Eu... |
If you budget for cloths and save up the money, you may be able to take advantage of sales when they are on. However only buy what you will use!
You need to ask yourself what **value you** put on cloths compared to other things you can spend the money on. Also would you rather have money in the bank encase you n... |
Will bonds (including international bonds) be able to offer more than 7% annual return? |
The best way to save on clothes is up to you. I have friends who save all year for two yearly shopping trips to update anything that may need updating at the time. By allowing themselves only two trips, they control the money spent. Bring it in cash and stop buying when you run out.
On the other hand in my family... |
You probably can get [more than 6% out of bonds][1], but realize that bonds *are risky* and only bonds with significant risk would give you so much return.
Remember interest on bonds (and accounts and CDs) is payment for use of your money, and for risk.
[1]: https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/vanguard/b... |
Apart from this website, are there any other websites out there that are focused on trading and investing?.
I am looking for a website where I can find articles etc on trading and investment - say stocks, options or futures. Anything from beginner to advanced material will be useful.
Can anyone recommend such a s... |
Where to find really good articles on stocks and general trading information? |
I also prefer to crunch the numbers myself. Here are some resources:
* Information on getting things from yahoo - http://www.gummy-stuff.org/Yahoo-data.htm
* EODData - http://www.eoddata.com/
* Google Docs spreadsheets have finance functions - https://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=54198 |
I don't believe this is related to the personal gift tax rules as this deals with businesses giving gifts to individuals.
Since I'm receiving something of value, I assume I need to pay taxes on it. Is there a limit under which it doesn't matter? (like the $600 limit for 1099-MISC) Should my employer just issue me ... |
My boss wants to buy me a gift. How do I account for taxes for this? |
Are there any months where car or house prices usually drop in Canada? Is the difference noticeable enough to justify the waiting? |
What's the best time of a year to buy a car or a house in Canada? |
I recently opened an account at a credit union here, which includes a checking account. They gave me a book of checks on the spot.
Are they valid and usable? They simply came out of the drawer and don't have my name on it or anything. |
Are these checks usable? |
My company does **not** have a matching 401k. Instead it is a profit sharing 401k. How should I approach this? Should I consider investing primarily in an IRA instead? How much should I be contributing since there is no maxed matching contribution amount like a matching 401k? The max contribution, period, per year... |
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