As I was watching Michelle Obama speak at the Democratic Convention tonight, it reminded me of how bad I am at public speaking. How do people like Michelle Obama get up there with such poise and such calmness and pull off a speech in front of such a huge audience? I get nervous talking in front of a small group at work. I can’t imagine how I would feel in front of such a large crowd.

Most of my posts on this blog are written as a way for me to give tips I think will benefit my readers. Well, for this post I have decided to switch things up. I am a horrible public [...] Continue Reading…

I know many of you have been requesting that I write a post on my experience with the personal budget software, YNAB. I have mentioned it in several posts but have yet to give my review. Spoiler alert - I love it!

I have always been one of those guys that knew that I needed a budget. I would buy things on a whim and would often have to use my credit cards towards the end of the month to cover my ass. Each month I was digging a deeper and deeper hole for myself. I knew I needed a to set up a personal budget so I tried programs such as Quicken and Money. [...] Continue Reading…

Each month I try to read as much financial information as I can get my hands on. Last month I read an interesting Q and A section in Kiplinger magazine which discussed free credit monitoring services. The free service is being offered due to TransUnion violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If you had an open credit card, car loan, mortgage, student loan or any other loan between January 1, 1987 and May 28, 2008 you are eligible to take part. Like I try to do for most services I write about on this site, I decided to give it a try.

To take part in the settlement you first go to www.ListClassAction.com. This must [...] Continue Reading…

Whether you own a home or not, the information I want to share with you will either benefit you now or in the future. In 2002 I purchased my first home. Since purchasing, my monthly mortgage payment is automatically deducted each month from my checking account. Just recently I received some information in the mail that suggested by using mortgage payment acceleration I could pay off my home seven to eight years sooner. Who wouldn’t want to accomplish that? In order to accomplish this I would have to sign up for their mortgage payoff acceleration program. Once enrolled my monthly mortgage payment would be split in two and payed every two weeks. [...] Continue Reading…

Lately it seems like I have this unquenchable thirst for knowledge. It’s amazing how it seems like I don’t have enough time to read everything I want to read. When I was in school, you almost had to tie me down to read a book. I was one of those students who would much rather skim, or use CliffNotes than read the actual book. However, times have changed. I don’t know if it is because I am older, wiser or maybe both. I do realize one thing though, I can’t seem to get enough out of books!

My latest addiction is the bookstore. I can’t seem to enter one without spending at least [...] Continue Reading…

As many of you know from my previous post I am an avid user of ING Direct for my Checking and Savings. While using their site recently I came across an offer for Trusteer’s Rapport software. The software, which is offered free to ING customers, is used for consumer identity theft protection. I had not heard of the software before so I decided to check it out.

In case you are unaware the internet has become a dangerous place over the years. With so many websites requiring personal info such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and passwords, cybercrime has been on the rise targeting YOUR personal information. There are attacks such as phishing [...] Continue Reading…

For the past several months I have been using ING checking and high yield savings accounts. Their checking account is called Electric Orange and their savings account is called Orange Savings. I have been very pleased with both of them and have very few complaints. For years I used Wells Fargo as my bank of choice. The branches were easily accessible to me and this was the bank my parents set my account up at many years ago. Once you are used to something it is often hard to make a change. Over the last year I have become more aware of my budgeting and saving. As I began to take a [...] Continue Reading…

Do you use Myspace? I’m guessing that a majority of the readers of this site have used Myspace at one point or another. Creating a Myspace profile gives you an easy way to keep your friends updated on what is happening in your life. Facts about yourself and personal pics can all be uploaded for others to see. Embarrassing comments left by your friends about a funny pic you have posted or the drunken pole dance you did the night before may also be part of your page. Although Myspace can be addicting and a fun way to interact with your friends, it could be costly to your future.

Myspace is no longer just a [...] Continue Reading…

Every since I started my monthly budgeting using YNAB, I have been looking for an easy way to keep track of my daily expenses. When making my day to day purchases I try to use my debit card rather than cash. For tracking purposes this approach works the best for me. However, there are times I use cash and receive receipts for my purchases. Somehow the receipt disappears somewhere between the cash register and entering the transaction into my budgeting software.

For those of you with Apple iPhones you may be aware that version 2.0 of the iPhone software was released today. As I searched through the iTunes application store, I found a couple budgeting [...] Continue Reading…

While in school did you ever sign up for a credit card just to get the free t-shirt or glass that came along with it? At my school the credit card sign up tables lined the main walk ways the beginning of each semester. I witnessed numerous students sign up just so they could get the freebie that came with the offer. Since many college students do not learn much about credit in school, a free t-shirt for 5 minutes of their time didn’t seem like a bad deal. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Students who do not understand credit can be very dangerous. Dangerous to who you might ask? Themselves! [...] Continue Reading…