http://www.comparecards.com/blog 2009-11-13T19:30:58Z ChargeResponsiblyhttp://feedburner.google.com 2009-11-13T19:30:58Z - No Author - 2009-11-13 19:30:58 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/everyone-judges-you-by-your-credit-score.html

During most of the 20th century, credit came from personal knowledge. The local banker knew his customers personally and knew instantly who was a good risk and who was not. Today the world is more complex and impersonal. Individual credit decisions are made with the help of computer software programs, mathematical equations, and information generated from credit bureaus. Most lenders have no personal knowledge or contact with the actual borrower and consumer, and they base their credit decisions

2009-11-12T16:44:42Z - No Author - 2009-11-12 16:44:42 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/specific-credit-cards/blueprint-credit-card-features-help-you-manage-your-money.html

Cardholders of consumer credit cards are not the only ones who are trying to save money and manage their budgets this year. Major credit card companies are also struggling to keep their accounts balanced and remain profitable. While some credit card policy changes during the recession upset customers because they made it harder to manage money – with higher interest rates, more fees and charges, and lower credit ceilings – a new set of cardholder tools from Chase named “Bluepri

2009-11-11T22:08:53Z - No Author - 2009-11-11 22:08:53 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/open-a-roth-ira-account-and-take-advantage-of-irs-generosity.html

The ROTH IRA is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to save for retirement, especially for those who are self-employed and do not have the advantage of a company pension or employer-managed retirement savings plan. The ROTH represents one of the best deals ever offered by the Internal Revenue Service in terms of an easy way to save money for retirement, and if you do not yet have a ROTH account you may want to open one as soon as possible. The limits on how much you can contribute

2009-11-11T17:59:08Z - No Author - 2009-11-11 17:59:08 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/travel-insurance-details-to-research-before-buying.html

In the excitement of preparing for travel – especially travel that will take you to a foreign country – it is easy to overlook the small print on a travel insurance policy. But your coverage is spelled out in those documents, and although most of the legal language is hard to comprehend without a law degree and nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass, it is important to understand. Otherwise you may pay premiums for travel insurance that does not give you the practical k

2009-11-07T14:32:27Z - No Author - 2009-11-07 14:32:27 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-card-tips/credit-card-tips-for-travelers.html

As the famous credit card advertisement advises, “Don’t leave home without it.” Traveling light is the name of the game, and nothing lightens the load like a thin plastic credit card that can replace cash and traveler’s checks while also making financial logistics a cinch while you’re far away from home. But before you embark on your next trip, it is good idea to first make sure that you have the right card – and the appropriate procedures and precautions in p

2009-11-06T18:52:28Z - No Author - 2009-11-06 18:52:28 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-economy/a-legitimate-method-for-rapid-mortgage-repayment.html

Plenty of financial wizards and real estate gurus offer systems to help homeowners pay off their mortgages early – but you should be skeptical of any strategies that involve paying someone to set up the scheme. There are even bimonthly payment arrangements that you can create with the help of your mortgage company, for example, for a nominal fee – but doesn’t the idea of paying a fee defeat the whole purpose of trying to save money? A better way to shortcut your interest pa

2009-11-05T18:00:56Z - No Author - 2009-11-05 18:00:56 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-cards-in-the-news/credit-card-customer-fights-big-bank-and-wins.html

According to a recent news article on the CNN/Money website, an unhappy customer of Bank of America posted a video on YouTube where she complained about having the interest rate on her credit card “jacked up” to 30 percent. The article explained that since the video went live credit card customer Ann Minch has gotten action from the bank which has agreed to lower her credit card rate back down to where it was originally at a more reasonable 12.99 percent. The title of the YouTube

2009-11-05T16:31:22Z - No Author - 2009-11-05 16:31:22 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/understanding-paypal-and-ebay-buyer-protection-tools.html

To ensure a safe and successful experience, eBay – which now owns PayPal – provides extra levels of buyer protection for those shoppers who choose to make payments according to certain specified guidelines. So if you buy on eBay and pay with PayPal, for instance, you may be eligible for certain kinds of buyer protection and even a full refund to help you out if the item you bought was grossly misrepresented to you or the seller just pocketed your money but failed to ship the item you

2009-11-04T16:32:24Z - No Author - 2009-11-04 16:32:24 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/decline-those-consumer-service-warranties-to-save-money.html

These days there are more and more companies and sellers offering extended warranties at the point of purchase. Those who market the warranties benefit from the fact that that buyer is forced to make a fast decision – which makes the purchase of an extended warranty an impulse buy. The consumer already has his or her wallet open, so the tendency is to spend a few extra bucks for peace of mind and a guarantee. That makes the business of pushing consumer warranties easy for sellers, and it g

2009-11-03T16:54:59Z - No Author - 2009-11-03 16:54:59 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/keeping-an-expense-journal-for-one-month.html

A practical and easy way to reveal problem areas in a personal or household budget is to simply track every single penny you spend for an entire month. The hardest part is just doing it, because there are times when we are in a hurry, don’t keep receipts, or don’t think that documentation of rather insignificant amounts of money is all that important in the greater scheme of things. But the fact is that those who do manage to keep a record of every single penny they spend f

2009-11-03T16:53:28Z - No Author - 2009-11-03 16:53:28 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-economy/shopping-around-for-loans-can-torpedo-your-credit-score.html

While it is always a good idea to shop around for the best possible interest rates and terms when you’re in the market for a loan, it can also be a fast path to a lower credit score. That’s because each time you actually apply for new credit the lender will order a copy of your credit report. Once that’s done the action is reported to all of the major credit reporting agencies, and it eventually winds up being calculated into your FICO score, the all-important number than deter

2009-11-02T20:24:27Z - No Author - 2009-11-02 20:24:27 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/types-of-credit-cards/warning-prepaid-cards-might-lack-protection.html

In an article entitled “A Push to Regulate Prepaid Cards,” The Wall Street Journal (on 6/25/09) warned that prepaid reloadable cards—payment cards not tied to a traditional bank account—will not be covered by the new federal law designed to protect against fraud, ID theft, and losses from stolen cards. Also not covered: gift cards, wire transfers, checks, and securities/commodities transfers. “Though many prepaid card companies do offer some consumer protections,&r

2009-11-02T20:22:41Z - No Author - 2009-11-02 20:22:41 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-economy/creative-financing-help-for-home-buyers-sellers.html

A new book, “Shift—How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times,” is intended, obviously, for real estate agents. But it can provide helpful advice for home buyers or sellers, too. (And also for lenders.) For example, it lists (and then explains) nine creative things sellers can do to sell their house: 1. Seller contributions 2. Seller-funded permanent buydown 3. Seller-funded temporary buydown 4. Owner financing 5. Contract for deed 6. Seller second 7. Lease option and lease

2009-11-02T16:43:46Z - No Author - 2009-11-02 16:43:46 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/the-fine-print/why-bankruptcy-is-not-an-option-for-credit-card-debt.html

Many consumers make the mistake of assuming that if they get into too much debt by running up credit card balances, they can use bankruptcy as an escape hatch of last resort. But declaring bankruptcy does not automatically save you from having to pay overdue credit card balances. Within the past 10 years, the credit card industry lobbied hard for new legislation and won some powerful victories related to bankruptcy law. That was especially true in 2005 – when the latest big changes were

2009-10-28T21:26:07Z - No Author - 2009-10-28 21:26:07 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/6-offbeat-success-tips-from-the-donald.html

In the 12-page introduction to his 2004 book, “Think Like a Billionaire,” Donald Trump lists and briefly explains 10 ways of “thinking like a billionaire.” (Or like one of them, anyway.) Here, condensed, are quotes from six of his tips... 1. Don’t take vacations. What’s the point? If you’re not enjoying your work, you’re in the wrong job. 2. Don’t sleep any more than you have to. I usually sleep about four hours per night. I’m in b

2009-10-27T13:48:39Z - No Author - 2009-10-27 13:48:39 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-economy/facing-foreclosure.html

If your home or other real estate property is about to be foreclosed, but you haven’t done anything about it, you can’t just sit there, do nothing, and wait for the government to help you. Any government assistance—if you’re entitled to receive any—might come too late. You need to act, starting right now. A good way to start is by reading the 2007 book, “Stop Foreclosure Now,” by Lloyd Segal. Even though it may not cover the latest federal legislation

2009-10-23T14:31:29Z - No Author - 2009-10-23 14:31:29 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/moonlighting-not-alone.html

“Many Americans are coping with the worst job market in a generation by doubling up. (Moonlighting.) They’re scrambling to pick up the slack as they, or their partners, lose jobs, endure pay cuts or watch their retirement savings shrivel.” That’s a quote from a feature article in USA Today (6/24/09) entitled “Moonlighting becomes a way of life for many.” Other reasons not mentioned: To pay down credit card balances, cope with the new, higher interest rates o

2009-10-12T19:42:41Z - No Author - 2009-10-12 19:42:41 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/types-of-credit-cards/using-credit-cards-for-business-purchases.html

If so, you probably know the bad news already. As noted in The New York Times (6/19/09), “As of April, 59 percent of America’s small firms relied on credit cards to help finance their day-to-day operations, up from 44 percent at the end of last year, according to the National Small Business Association. The number of small business owners who depend on a credit card to buy everything from paper clips to heavy equipment has climbed steadily over the years.... “But credit card t

2009-10-08T17:50:42Z - No Author - 2009-10-08 17:50:42 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/your-retirement-plan-new-employer-scams.html

If the company you work for doesn’t offer a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), you should lobby for one. So says an article in summer issue of Kiplinger‘s Personal Finance magazine. If that doesn’t work, or you’re self-employed, you should set up and fund an IRA. The right plan will enable you to put aside money on a tax-deferred basis. The same issue also has an article entitled “Where the (Few) Jobs Are” and mentions a large (very large) employer you may n

2009-10-07T20:28:10Z - No Author - 2009-10-07 20:28:10 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/4-tips-on-credit-card-use.html

Although the credit card industry is rapidly changing, some tips from the past may still be valid. Here are four of them: 1. “When ordering airline tickets, pay for them with credit cards” (rather than cash, e-checks or debit cards). “The airline industry is experiencing a spate of bankruptcies. People who pay cash are in danger of losing their money if a carrier goes under. Credit-card customers usually can get a refund.” — “New Choices for the Best Years,

2009-09-17T14:07:25Z - No Author - 2009-09-17 14:07:25 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/11-surprising-financial-facts-about-women.html

Although “The Savage Truth on Money,” a book by personal finance columnist Terry Savage, was published a decade ago, many of the facts and figures are still meaningful. Here, summarized, are 11 financial facts about women, from the book (with our comments in parentheses)... 1. Women live between five and six years longer than men. (The oldest person in the world, a woman in California, was 115. But the next oldest person, a man in Japan, is 114.) 2. A 65-year-old woman today has

2009-08-31T16:33:56Z - No Author - 2009-08-31 16:33:56 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/can-you-really-make-money-on-the-internet.html

Perhaps. If you know how. If you try different things until one of them works. And if you read how others did it and emulate them. Take Ewen Chia, for example. As a young man in Singapore, with a good job, Ewen spent four hours every night, from 11 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., on the Internet, trying to learn how to become rich. He did this for five straight years, trying various business ventures and purchasing all the e-books and e-courses on Internet wealth he could find (even though most were in Engl

2009-08-20T22:03:28Z - No Author - 2009-08-20 22:03:28 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/15-key-lessons-on-starting-a-business.html

Many people started their own business because they couldn’t get a job. Others, who had a job, started a business only after they were fired or laid off. And still others started a business in their spare time, then went full time when it became very profitable. Whichever category you may find yourself in, you’ll appreciate the ideas and inspiration in the new paperback edition of “Start Small, Finish Big—Fifteen Key Lessons to Start and Run Your Own Successful Busine

2009-08-03T19:48:08Z - No Author - 2009-08-03 19:48:08 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/job-hunting-dont-overlook-blue-collar-work.html

Even if you have a Master’s Degree in “whatever,” it’s not going to help you get a job if there’s no demand for “whatever” experts. So perhaps you should think about some other field. A blue-collar job, for instance. According to a feature article in USA Today (6/23/09) about Joe Lamacchia, author of “Blue Collar & Proud of It,” there’s a shortage of blue-collar workers in many areas, and the pay is good for carpenters, electrici

2009-07-23T18:19:42Z - No Author - 2009-07-23 18:19:42 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/10-success-tips-from-a-chicken-soup-guy.html

Would you like to be more successful, so you can pay down your credit card balances and improve your lifestyle? If so, Jack Canfield offers 10 tips on success in “Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur’s Soul,” one of the more than 100 “Chicken Soup” books published since he and co-founder Mark Victor Hansen started the series 16 years ago. The 10 tips are from his (and Janet Switzer’s) 2005 book, “The Success Principles,”™ which includes 54 other

2009-07-18T15:27:56Z - No Author - 2009-07-18 15:27:56 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/beware-of-increased-activity-by-scammers.html

“In these tough economic times,” writes a reporter for The Wall Street Journal (6/17/2009), “Internet, telemarketing and direct-mail con artists know that people of all ages are especially in need of a financial victory. Foreign lottery and sweepstakes scams are particularly effective with the elderly, especially those who have lost some mental capacity.” According to the FTC, the most common marketing frauds a few years ago involved bogus weight-loss products, followe

2009-07-10T14:02:51Z - No Author - 2009-07-10 14:02:51 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/planning-to-sell-your-house.html

The better your house looks, the more money you may be able to sell it for, and the faster you may be able to sell it. But how much money does it make sense to spend to improve its appearance? In Carolyn Janik’s new book, The Monopoly® Guide to Real Estate, you’ll find easy-to-read advice on buying and selling property, paying and collecting rent, borrowing and lending money, and more. According to Janik, the relatively low-cost ways to improve your property that pay off the mos

2009-07-02T14:55:20Z - No Author - 2009-07-02 14:55:20 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/thinking-of-buying-a-forclosed-home.html

Would you like to buy a foreclosed home, so you can live in it, resell it, or rent it to somebody else? If so, the 3rd (2008) Edition of Keys to Buying Foreclosed and Bargain Homes can prove very helpful, even though the recent federal actions have affected the situation to some degree. If you know little or nothing about buying foreclosures, the book’s glossary of 186 common terms can prove very useful. See if you can define the following; then see (below) what the book says: Forclosure

2009-06-29T19:04:25Z - No Author - 2009-06-29 19:04:25 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/credit-card-tips/how-to-choose-the-best-credit-card.html

The best-known credit cards in the U.S. carry the name of Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover—the Big Four. But Visa and MasterCard cards are not actually issued by either Visa or MasterCard. They’re issued by more than 20,000 individual financial institutions (mostly banks) that are licensed to do so. And each card issuer sets—and often changes—its own rules and rates in regard to finance charges, fees, benefits, credit limits, application approval, account re

2009-06-24T21:34:50Z - No Author - 2009-06-24 21:34:50 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/thinking-of-investing-in-gold.html

First, you have to learn the lingo. The 2009 book, Investing in Gold, by Jonathan Spall, has a helpful Glossary of Terms following 12 chapters that cover gold mining, refining, lenders and borrowers of gold, bullion banks, gold exchanges, myths and reality, etc. See if you can define the following, then see the book’s definitions (below): Terms: 1. Aliquot. 2. At the Money. 3. Backwardation. 4. Bear Market. 5. Bull Market. 6. Bullion. 7. Call option. 8. CIF. 9. Europea

2009-06-23T14:57:39Z - No Author - 2009-06-23 14:57:39 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/get-rich-and-famous-with-a-big-idea.html

You can become rich, famous or both if you come up with a “big idea” and then take action on it. So says Donny Deutsch in his newest book entitled, appropriately, The Big Idea. Since ideas—no matter how big—are useless if nothing is done with them, the former ad exec and current TV host (on CNBC) cites numerous examples of people who (sometimes when they were broke and desperate) came up with big ideas and developed them into various kinds of unusual, money-making ente

2009-06-16T13:37:35Z - No Author - 2009-06-16 13:37:35 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/a-humorous-look-at-personal-finance.html

Over the years, countless comics, humorists and others have made humorous comments about money, personal finance, the economy and other related topics. Here, from a giant new book entitled Make ‘Em Laugh, by Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor, are a few of them... • “Unlike many other Broadway comedians (e.g., Groucho Marx; Eddie Cantor), W.C. Fields hadn’t been hurt by the stock market crash (of 1929). He saw the Wall Street bubble for the con it was. ‘If these s

2009-06-12T14:28:10Z - No Author - 2009-06-12 14:28:10 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/can-you-define-these-9-financial-terms.html

If someone asked you to explain them in simple terms, how would you define the following: 1. 401(k); 2. Annuity; 3. Dollar cost averaging; 4. Ex-date; 5. Gap Down; 6. Gap Up; 7. IRA; 8. Keogh plan; 9. Mortgage. Just published, Rule Your Freakin’ Retirement, by master stock trader Michael Paness, provides 255 pages of good advice on retirement accounts and related topics. But the five-page glossary of terms at the end is worth copying, in case you’re ever asked to briefly define an

2009-06-09T15:18:23Z - No Author - 2009-06-09 15:18:23 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/do-you-make-these-11-investing-mistakes.html

A top-rated stock picker and frequent guest on TV shows, Natalie Pace is the author of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is: Investment Strategies for Lifetime Wealth, published last year. If you can believe the cover blurbs, it offers these benefits (among others): • Discover How to Turn Passion into Profit • Master Natalie’s 3-Part Investment Recipe • Develop Your Perfect 6-Step “Buy My Own Island Plan” • Learn the Magic of Stock Report Cards. Ac

2009-06-08T14:33:55Z - No Author - 2009-06-08 14:33:55 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/cr-on-new-credit-crunch.html

Just published, the July issue of Consumers Reports has a three-page article called The New Rules of Using Credit (on the front cover) and The New Credit Crunch (on the inside). Either way, it offers nine tips (some obvious, others easier said than done) on what to do and not do. Here, minus all the details, are their suggestions: 1. Clean up your credit score. Aim to raise your FICO score to at least 720—or better yet, 740—to qualify for the best credit-card terms and the lowest

2009-06-05T16:12:01Z - No Author - 2009-06-05 16:12:01 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/unusual-gift-for-mothers-and-fathers-day.html

Can’t think of what to give your parent(s) for Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day? How about buying a long-term care (LTC) insurance policy? That’s the suggestion of Terry Savage in her syndicated personal finance column on May 4. She reported that “According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at least 70 percent of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives.” She also noted that a recent study

2009-05-28T17:12:17Z - No Author - 2009-05-28 17:12:17 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/types-of-credit-cards/it-might-happen-to-you-too.html

Recently, everyone with an Advanta Business Card account received a notice that their account will be closed on May 30 (even if they always paid on time, used their card responsibly, and contributed their fair share, or more, to Advanta’s bottom line). According to the notice, “The card is funded by an independent trust which owns the balance you owe on your account and provides funding for new transactions. ...The trust also restricts our flexibility to fund activity on your acco

2009-05-25T14:25:15Z - No Author - 2009-05-25 14:25:15 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/getting-checks-to-clear-faster.html

Did you ever deposit a check for hundreds or thousands of dollars, and wish it would clear right away so you can write your own checks against it? Probably so. But often—even though the new Check 21 system has speeded things up—it takes several days for a check to clear, especially if it’s on an out-of-town bank. But there are three simple things you can do, to get checks cleared faster. 1. Know when your bank switches to the next business day— it’s usually at

2009-05-22T14:49:29Z - No Author - 2009-05-22 14:49:29 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/3-work-at-home-scams-exposed.html

Many work-at-home opportunities are legit. Many aren’t. How do you tell the difference? Often, you can’t, unless you spend money for the details and/or contact the Better Business Bureau to see if there are complaints on file. The new June issue of Consumer Reports reports on three biz opps they tried. Scam #1 advertised: “Stuff envelopes! Get paid $5 per envelope, up to $1,276.57 weekly...stuffing envelopes and mailing company circulars.” (Note the oddball dollar amou

2009-05-21T14:15:28Z - No Author - 2009-05-21 14:15:28 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/helpful-tips-on-buying-a-new-car.html

Long-time personal finance writers Ken and Daria Dolan offer 363 pages of helpful advice in their 2003 book, Don’t Mess with My Money. Even though many car dealers and certain makes of cars are going out of business these days, you still need to beware of the old tricks. So here are some edited quotes from the chapter, Don’t Buy Another Car Until You Read This... “• You know (from online research) what the dealer paid for the car, but in most cases the lowest profit

2009-05-20T18:09:43Z - No Author - 2009-05-20 18:09:43 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/how-to-cut-wedding-expenses.html

Planning a wedding? Want to cut expenses? You’ll find plenty of good ideas in the 2004 paperback book, 1000 Best Wedding Bargains, by Sharon Naylor. Packed with “insider tips from industry experts,” it can help you to “have a celebrity-style wedding without paying celebrity-style prices.” Here, condensed or paraphrased, are a few of those ideas... “ • Leave kids off the guest list for the official reception. • A smaller guest list can open

2009-05-19T15:52:47Z - No Author - 2009-05-19 15:52:47 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/does-a-college-degree-really-pay-off.html

If you apply for a job at most corporations, you may not even be considered if you don’t have a college degree, especially one that relates to whatever it is the potential employer sells or how they do business. However, if you can get a job with a company that doesn’t care that much about college, or if you start your own company and it’s successful, then the question is: Is it worth all that money to get a degree from a four-year (or more) college? Perhaps not, according to t

2009-05-18T13:46:14Z - No Author - 2009-05-18 13:46:14 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/buy-junk-and-resell-it.html

As the recession continues, more people are selling used stuff they don’t need in order to increase their income, and other people are buying used stuff because it’s cheaper than buying new in stores. If you could need some extra cash or want to cut expenses, you could buy and/or sell stuff on weekends at garage sales, auctions, estate sales, flea markets, yard sales and other places. Once in a while, if you can recognize great bargains, you may be able to buy something for $1 or $2

2009-05-14T17:24:21Z - No Author - 2009-05-14 17:24:21 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/think-big-to-make-more-money.html

A book published exactly 50 years ago is often quoted as “must reading” by many highly successful people. It’s The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz, who was an expert on motivation and a popular keynote speaker. According to the front-cover blurb: “You need not have great intellect or great talent to be a giant among men. But you do need the habit of thinking and acting in the manner that brings success.” Simply by reading the Table of Contents, you ca

2009-05-13T15:04:31Z - No Author - 2009-05-13 15:04:31 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/job-related/working-more-than-4-hours-a-week.html

Published two years ago, The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss, is still on The New York Times list of Business Best Sellers (as of 5/3/09). So if you’re working more than four hours a week—or a lot more than that—you may want to read or re-read this book, subtitled, Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. As you might expect, Ferriss is a strong believer in the 80/20 Principle, a/k/a the 80/20 Rule or Pareto’s Law. As noted in The 4-Hour Workweek, “V

2009-05-13T14:57:44Z - No Author - 2009-05-13 14:57:44 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/what-you-can-learn-from-thomas-edison.html

Even if you’re not an inventor (he held over 1,000 patents), an innovator (he built an electrical network from the ground up), or a top executive (he controlled a diverse range of companies) as was Thomas Edison (1847-1931), you can benefit (e.g., improve your financial situation) by reading about what he did, how he did it, and why he did it. And in Alan Axelrod’s recent book, Edison on Innovation, you’ll find 102 Lessons in Creativity for Business and Beyond. Here are some ed

2009-05-12T15:06:42Z - No Author - 2009-05-12 15:06:42 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/do-you-suffer-from-money-madness.html

When financial adviser Spencer Sherman found himself crossing a police line to retrieve his work files from a burning office building, he realized he had money madness. He noticed it in his clients, too: irrational feelings about money that made otherwise rational adults behave foolishly—buying high, selling low, over-spending, equating their self-worth with their net worth, etc. Money madness can cause stress, poison relationships, and keep people from making as much money as they can.

2009-05-11T14:11:08Z - No Author - 2009-05-11 14:11:08 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/charging-responsibly/as-jobless-rate-hits-high-maybe-its-time-for-a-change.html

Job-hunting? Might you be soon? If so, you’re not alone. The U.S. jobless rate just hit 8.9%, the worst since 1983—up another 8.5% since the previous month. Losing your job is bad enough if you’re debt-free. But to have your income diminished or stopped and still have to pay credit card bills and all your other bills presents a big problem. So maybe it’s time to start a home-based business. There are several books that list dozens of small businesses you could start

2009-05-08T20:24:47Z - No Author - 2009-05-08 20:24:47 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/money-management/cliffnotes-on-budgeting.html

You’d expect to find CliffsNotes on algebra, chemistry, history, languages and Shakespeare. There’s even one on monopoly—not the game, but Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly. But a CliffsNotes on budgeting? Yep. Published a decade ago, it’s titled Creating a Budget and offers over 100 pages on the subject, which is very popular these days as millions struggle to stay afloat despite less (or no) income. Topics include: • Figuring Out What You’re Wo

2009-05-08T16:45:46Z - No Author - 2009-05-08 16:45:46 http://www.comparecards.com/blog/the-fine-print/read-the-fine-print-on-student-loans.html

An article by personal finance expert Gretchen Morgenson in The New York Times on Sunday (5/3/09) was titled, Students’ First Lesson: Beware Loans’ Fine Print. If you (or a relative) had, have or will have a student loan, you should read it. It points out that “Disclosures on various lending practices differ vastly. For example, lenders do not disclose all fees charged in the servicing and collection of student loans, and loan contracts do not always include benefits that ar