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That might sound a bit silly to people from USA but is it really that common to use checks in America? I am from Austria and here (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) checks play practically no role in daily life. I haven't actually held a single check in my hands in my entire life. So is it really common to get a pay...
Do americans really use checks that often?
I still use checks to pay rent and occasionally some bills/liabilities. That said, I did notice an (elderly) lady paying by check at the supermarket a while ago. > So is it really common to get a paycheck in the sense that you get a piece of paper? Yes and no. There are some people that opt for the physical p...
That might sound a bit silly to people from USA but is it really that common to use checks in America? I am from Austria and here (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) checks play practically no role in daily life. I haven't actually held a single check in my hands in my entire life. So is it really common to get a pay...
The loan is in the United States and can only be paid using direct debit from a US bank account which is already established. However, all earnings are in GBP in the UK. What is the most efficient way to transfer funds, in terms of both frequency and mechanism, in order to make the loan payments?
What is the most efficient way to pay a student loan in the US from the UK?
I've recently moved to the US, but I still own a house and a car in the UK so I need to make regular transfers from the US to the UK in order to pay my UK mortgage. Admittedly I've left it a little late this month so I'm probably just going to make a wire transfer from my BoA account, but I'm not to keen to pay the wir...
Most cost effective way to regularly transfer funds from the US to the UK?
Steve Jobs is one of the Apple Co-founders, and as such I think he probably owns a good number of Apple's shares. However based in his Net worth: $5.5 billion (2010) (via [Wikipedia][1]) and the total equity $31.64 billion (2009) of Apple (via [Wikipedia][2]). I think he could at best own a little part from the com...
Do Steve Jobs Owns Apple?
I am in the process of saving money for a different car. I already have $5000.00 saved and am planning to save at least $5000.00 per year until I buy the car. So obviously some of this money will be parked for a while. I have always heard and agree with the idea that if you will need the money in 5 years it should not...
I am in the process of saving money for a different car. I already have $5000.00 saved and am planning to save at least $5000.00 per year until I buy the car. So obviously some of this money will be parked for a while. I have always heard and agree with the idea that if you will need the money in 5 years it should not...
As the US gubmint continues to issue record levels of debt, I don't think it can continue to sell that debt at 2 - 3% interest. It will face the simple supply/demand law of economics - the more supply of an item, the less valuable each item is and thus the price of the item goes down. Or, in other words, the US gubmint...
How do you short US Treasuries?
As co-founder, does Steve Jobs still own enough Apple shares to control Apple Inc.?
I'm a college student and I just got my first credit card (through Chase). The only reason I got the card is to try and build my credit score. I also have a checking account with Chase, and they let me pay off my credit card any time I want. For example, right now I have a balance of $92 on my credit card, but my bi...
Should I pay off my credit card online immediately or wait for the bill?
An oft overlooked, but important insurance product that has the ability to protect us from a reasonably likely and fiscally devastating event, [Long Term Care insurance][1] seems like a slam dunk for something I am going to need to be considering some day. My question is, when is some day? I'm sure it gets more expe...
At what age should I consider buying long term care insurance?
I work for myself and at times buy a piece of software or something for someone I am working for. Like my title says, I live and work for people in PA. If I pass the product on to my customer at exactly the same price I paid for it, do I need to worry about sales tax? Along the same line, if I mark it up a littl...
The tax shouldn't be paid twice on the item. If you paid it, then your customer doesn't. If you didn't pay it (bought it tax exempt) and re-sold it to your customer, I'd think you'd be responsible for collecting the tax and then passing it on to the PA Dept of Revenue. In that case, you'll probably also need to le...
Do Americans really use checks that often?
I'm living in Malaysia, around [Klang Valley][1]. One thing I notice is that the housing price keeps on increasing and increasing and increasing ( just my perception, no data to backup my point), with no sign of abating even during the tumultuous years of 2007 global economic crisis. I'm hoping for the music to end and...
For me, AMEX is a preferred choice because I can earn more treat points. But I found that ( at least in Malaysia), a lot of merchants are rejecting AMEX card in favor of Visa or Master card. Why?
Why is it That American Express Card is Not As Popular as Visa or Master?
What is a [403b][1]? > A 403(b) plan is a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan available for public education organizations, some non-profit employers (only US Tax Code 501(c)(3) organizations), cooperative hospital service organizations and self-employed ministers in the United States. Kind of a rare thing. ...
Did you consider AppleCare? http://www.apple.com/support/products/iphone.html > very iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its [limited warranty][2] and up to [90 days of complimentary support][1]. The AppleCare Protection Plan for iPhone extends your coverage to two years from the origin...
I am from Hungary and I will visit the UK for about a month (just for fun). I would like to open a bank account there. Can I do that? What are the latest regulations? Are there any special requirements? (I read somewhere that a job is required, which I certainly don't have - but then again I don't think the UK governme...
Can a foreigner open a bank account in the UK?
A few searches on Google revealed a few sites: * [the Wall Street Journal][3] (okay, I didn't Google for that one, I just guessed) * [quotes.ino.com][1] * [barchart.com][2] I think that any trading platform willing to let you trade futures will also let you see the current prices (e.g. E*Trade). You can prob...
I recently ran across the term "closed-end fund", but the author didn't explain what it was. What is a "closed-end" fund vs a typical mutual fund, and are there advantagets/disadvantages to each?
What is a "closed-end fund"?
I have been using quicken to track my financial life for about 10 years now and am generally happy with it. A couple of years back Intuit changed the ability to download stock quotes for 2 years maximum. After that 2 years you need to buy the next version of Quicken. Not cool since the features I use have not change...
The [Texas Ratio][1] attempts to measure how well a bank can cover its losses on nonperforming loans. A ratio over 100 indicates the bank is in trouble. I cross referenced the texas ratio for banks obtained from [here][2] (last updated 10/2009) with the latest list of bank failures from the [FDIC][3] (last updated ...
Would you withdraw your money from you bank if you thought it was going under?
When fund managers makes statements like this... "... [many market] inefficiencies persist for years due to the long-term nature of _secular_ and structural changes [...]" ... I assume that they are not referring to declining church-attendance. So, if they aren't using "secular" in its normal sense, what do th...
Would you withdraw your money from your bank if you thought it was going under?
Do you keep ATM receipts? I've occasionally heard some bank-insider's tips that say it's a good habit to keep the ATM receipts and check them against the online bank log. Having a programmer background I cannot understand what could possibly happen since it's (supposed to be) an automated procedure that picks al...
Do you keep ATM receipts?
Do you use any other online features of Quicken? How many unique ticker symbols do you have? How often do you really need to update the prices? You can always continue to use Quicken, and enter the stock prices by hand. Maybe update them once a month to get an idea of how your investments are doing. That should work...
I am thinking about getting a new or used car from a local dealer in town. I have worked and saved some money to use as a down payment for it. Some people have told me that I should save nearly all the price of the car before purchasing it, while others have said it doesn't really matter. The dealer is running a sp...
How much of a down payment for a car should I save before purchasing it?
If and *only if* the car you were already considering from your research happens to be the 0% finance offer, go ahead a take the financing and save your cash. If however you are being tempted to a different car, or would spend more than you initially thought were wanted to, 0% financing is just another trick to get ...
With the inevitable legalization of Cannabis, I can imagine there being big money in Hemp producers because of it's wide variety of applications. Where would be a good place to put your money before the legaliztion? Does anyone have any information on who would be producing Hemp?
Investing in Hemp?
With the inevitable legalization of Cannabis, I can imagine there being big money in Hemp producers because of its wide variety of applications (e.g. paper, clothing, rope, bio-fuel, biodegradable plastics, and of course medical) and it's large biomass/hectacre. Where would be a good place to put your money before the ...
With the inevitable legalization of Cannabis, I can imagine there being big money in Hemp producers because of its wide variety of applications (e.g. paper, clothing, rope, bio-fuel, biodegradable plastics, and of course medical) and its large biomass/hectacre. Where would be a good place to put your money before the l...
For me, AMEX is a preferred choice because I can earn more treat points. But I found that (at least in Malaysia), a lot of merchants are rejecting AMEX card in favor of Visa or MasterCard. Why?
Why are American Express cards are not as popular as Visa or MasterCard?
Definition of "secular" in the context of markets?
Investing in hemp producers in advance of possible legalization in Canada?
Do you keep ATM receipts? Why might keeping bank ATM receipts be a good habit?
What is a "closed-end fund"? How is a closed-end fund different from a typical mutual fund?
How to deal with PA sales tax for item bought on behalf of my customer and resold to them?
Let's say I have a day job that contributes to the majority of my income. Now if I do some Android development (or similarly iPhone, Blackberry, or any other hobby that produces an additional income) and make some money by selling apps, how should I report this income on my taxes? Google takes a 30% cut, and gives ...
What is the proper way to report additional income for taxes (specifically, Android development)?
Let's say I have a day job that contributes to the majority of my income. Now if I do some Android development (or similarly iPhone, Blackberry, or any other hobby that produces an additional income) and make some money by selling apps, how should I report this income on my taxes? Google takes a 30% cut, and gives ...
I think it depends on who is being paid for your app. Do you have a company the is being paid? Or is it you personally? If you have a company then that income will disappear by offsetting it through expenses to get the software developed. If they are paying you personally then you can probably still get the inc...
On the quality angle a big part of it is experience, but the biggest thing is careful observation. You have to take a close, critical look at any article of clothing. (This holds true for just about any purchase.) 1. What is the quality of the fabric? (This would include bstpierre's point about the color fading a...
On the quality angle a big part of it is experience, but the biggest thing is careful observation. You have to take a close, critical look at any article of clothing. (This holds true for just about any purchase.) 1. What is the quality of the fabric? (This would include bstpierre's point about the color fading a...
I'd stick with 20% down. Truth is - we don't know enough about you. Are you single and staying that way? How is your retirement savings doing? As others asked, any other debt? You can put 20% down, take a breath and see how it's going. I did just that, the 20. We then had a baby, and 5 nanny-years to pay for. When s...
Do you *need* the car, or is this an optional purchase for you? Do you currently have a car that is in good working order? If you can continue to save for the car instead of buying now, you'll be getting interest on what you've saved -- and that's a lot better than 0% financing.
I am currently looking at getting a credit card for myself. However, as per [this question](http://money.stackexchange.com/questions/2953/global-credit-record-would-my-good-credit-history-apply-internationally), I would like to get a credit card from an international bank / credit provider so that when I move countrie...
I have only ever bought one stock, and I did it on a whim ($100 whim) online. I know my broker mails me a small phone book when I pick new funds for my IRAs, but I honestly don't remember getting anything for my shares in the company. I was talking about when people find some long lost original shares of [Coke][1] ...
Can I actually get a share of stock issued with a piece of paper anymore?
Issues in my head raised by the quesion about [withdrawing money from a bank before it goes under][1] If the purpose of the FDIC in the United States system is to insure deposits, how is the money the FDIC has collected? Is there an international entity with a similar mission? Are there country specific agencies w...
How does the FDIC in the United States work?
> how is the money the FDIC has collected Fees collected from the banks: > The FDIC receives no Congressional appropriations – it is funded by premiums that banks and thrift institutions pay for deposit insurance coverage and from earnings on investments in U.S. Treasury securities. http://www.fdic.gov/about...
Yes, indeed. For example, Ford Motor Company's website [has a bit about them][1]. > Is there any advantage to having an actual physical note instead of a website? You can safeguard them yourself. Which may or may not be a good thing. It certainly brings up a bit of hassle and extra costs if you want to sell th...
I'm a 25-year-old recent college graduate in the US with a full-time job. My credit score is 766, grade C, 43rd percentile (VantageScore formula). My TransUnion report lists the following factors that impact my score: 1. You have too few credit accounts 2. Time since oldest account opened is too recent. 3. Y...
Is my credit score lower than it should be?
Is my credit score of 766 lower than it should be?
I'm a 25-year-old recent college graduate in the US with a full-time job. My credit score is 766, grade C, 43rd percentile (VantageScore formula, not FICO). My TransUnion report lists the following factors that impact my score: 1. You have too few credit accounts 2. Time since oldest account opened is too rece...
Obviously, losing your credit card is bad for plenty of reasons. But say you lose it, report the loss, and get a new card without anyone else having used it in the meantime - no charges need to be reversed. Will this damage your credit rating? If so, by how much? Does this change if someone else has falsely used ...
Does losing your credit card damage your credit rating?
A [lot][1] of [articles][2] about this kind of thing ask you to do the simple math: $5k < $15k. If you've got a trustworthy mechanic, and you're looking to save money, it's simple, you're looking at $10k in savings, not even counting interest, higher insurance, etc. On the other hand, if you're just lusting after a...
Which international credit card would fit my requirements?
I recently relocated to USA and have no Credit Score. Is Secure Credit Card is the only option for me to start building my credit score? Also please recommend which other credit cards are available for people like me to build credit score
Relocated to USA. How to get credit card without existing credit history / score?
Have you used Kiva.org, Microplace.com or any other microlending institutions? Any positive or negative experiences? Does this seem like a decent way to improve overall yield, assuming I'm willing to take the risk?
My girlfriend has been unable to get a credit card because of an outstanding (and, we think, fradulent) debt on her record. We tried to contact the collection agency using the address listed on all three of the credit bureau websites, but the mail got returned. Since then, we've filed disputes with all 3 bureaus. On...
Are Kiva or other microlending institutions a decent way to improve overall yield?
Should I open a joint credit card account with my girlfriend? She can't get her own card.
Here's a [blog][1] by a guy who is trying to do this: [Personal Loan Portfolio][2] And here's another one: [bobharris.com][3] Do a quick search for "prosper loan" or "kiva" on [blog search][4]. [1]: http://www.personalloanportfolio.com/ [2]: http://www.personalloanportfolio.com/ [3]: http://www.bobha...
I'm not a financial guy. That being said, I think you can make a couple of common sense points here: The reason this site exists is because in some of these countries there just isn't an established way to create credit history. Partly because the infrastructure is risky to build. It may also be due to the corruptio...
If I make over 120k a year, what are my options for retirement plans?
> how is the money the FDIC has collected Fees collected from the banks: > The FDIC receives no Congressional appropriations – it is funded by premiums that banks and thrift institutions pay for deposit insurance coverage and from earnings on investments in U.S. Treasury securities. http://www.fdic.gov/about...
I have both an IRA in Vanguard and an old employer's 401k with Fidelity management. I would like to compare the performance between the two accounts over time, in order to determine if I should rollover the 401K into an IRA, possibly at Vanguard. I have dollar cost averaged with both accounts, meaning that I have h...
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...
FYI...prices don't always go up. Inflation is a monetary phenomenon. I'm simplifying greatly here: if more money is printed (or the money supply increases through fractional reserve banking) and it is chasing the same amount of goods then prices will go up. Conversely, if money is held constant and the economy becom...
There's a popular saying: > *It's better to have bad credit than no > credit.* Is this true?
Is it true that it's better to have bad credit than no credit?
I can send money with paypal from Croatia, but can't receive it. Is there any workaround?
This sounds counter intuitive to me but this is the best answer I found. Bad credit is better than no credit. Bad credit means that you were extended and trusted at one point. Bad credit score could also mean that you're paid off, but the bad history of the past is still weighing your score down. Depending on your c...
I can send money with PayPal from Croatia, but can't receive it. Is there any workaround?
Receiving money on PayPal in Croatia?
This sounds counter intuitive to me but this is the best answer I found. >Bad credit is better than no credit. Bad credit means that you were extended and trusted at one point. Bad credit score could also mean that you're paid off, but the bad history of the past is still weighing your score down. Depending on your ...
I ran your assumptions through a similar spreadsheet I put together. Here's a chart: ![Comparing ending balances of two index funds with different fee structures][1] The assumptions I used were: - Fund 1, a mutual fund, having 1.00% MER and no commission to buy. - Fund 2, an ETF, having 0.17% MER and $5.00...
After searching a bit and talking to some investment advisors in India I got below information. So thought of posting it so that others can get benefited. This is specific to indian mutual funds, not sure whether this is same for other markets. Even currency used for examples is also indian rupee. A mutual fund gene...
I want to record Dow Jones Industrial Average's PE. Yahoo Finance gives N/A [1]: >>> import y_finance >>> print y_finance.get_price_earnings_ratio('^DJI') N/A So: 1. How to calculate the PE for indices such as DJI? 2. How do you weight each PE of a firm by their assets, equity, market cap o...