In looking for financial advice, there is any number of financial analysts out there who adhere to any number of fiscal and economic philosophies that are willing to give you their opinion. What’s tricky is sorting and separating those who give good financial advice from those who will cause you more financial grief.
Recently, I have become a gradual fan of one man who I think stands as a voice of honesty and sound fiscal management in a crowded arena of financial advisors. If you have heard Dave Ramsey on the radio, you know what I am talking about.
Continue reading "Paying Off Debt the Ramsey Way" »
Wednesday, April 28. 2010
Chicago School Teaches Kids Finance and Investing
I stumbled across this little news item today, which profiles a Chicago school where finance and investing are core elements of the curriculum.
Read here: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103549&catid=2
According to the article, Ariel Academy, which serves students from elementary through intermediate grades, integrates interactive finance activities into the students’ long-term education.
Continue reading "Chicago School Teaches Kids Finance and Investing" »
Read here: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103549&catid=2
According to the article, Ariel Academy, which serves students from elementary through intermediate grades, integrates interactive finance activities into the students’ long-term education.
Continue reading "Chicago School Teaches Kids Finance and Investing" »
Tuesday, April 27. 2010
National Mortgage Fraud Rises for Second Year
There is a fun report out this week, courtesy of LexisNexis, comparing the number of cases of mortgage fraud by state and region.
Topping the list, New York City was reported to have had the most cases of mortgage fraud in 2009. The report found that about 12 percent of the nearly 70,000 nationwide incidents of suspicious activity originated in the Big Apple. Los Angeles and Chicago were second and third with eight percent and five percent respectively.
Continue reading "National Mortgage Fraud Rises for Second Year" »
Topping the list, New York City was reported to have had the most cases of mortgage fraud in 2009. The report found that about 12 percent of the nearly 70,000 nationwide incidents of suspicious activity originated in the Big Apple. Los Angeles and Chicago were second and third with eight percent and five percent respectively.
Continue reading "National Mortgage Fraud Rises for Second Year" »
Thursday, April 22. 2010
Good News: Home Sales Up, Unemployment Down
Two news items caught my eye today as I perused the latest financial happenings. The first was the big news that home sales went up 6.8 percent in March, more than analysts had expected. The rise reversed three months worth of declines in home sales. Experts say the boost was largely the result of government incentives for home buyers.
Reports say that sales rose in every region of the U.S. The good news is a sign that the housing market is stabilizing. However, experts caution that the same federal tax credits that likely fueled the surge will expire at the end of this month. What happens after that will show us whether the effect will last.
Continue reading "Good News: Home Sales Up, Unemployment Down" »
Reports say that sales rose in every region of the U.S. The good news is a sign that the housing market is stabilizing. However, experts caution that the same federal tax credits that likely fueled the surge will expire at the end of this month. What happens after that will show us whether the effect will last.
Continue reading "Good News: Home Sales Up, Unemployment Down" »
Tuesday, April 20. 2010
The Icelandic Volcano and You
There’s nothing like a natural disaster in one part of the world to remind us that we live in a global economy. If you thought the erupting Icelandic volcano was only Europe’s problem, think again.
The volcano, officially dubbed the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano (a name I’m not even going to try to pronounce), spewed ash all last week into the skies over Europe, grinding air traffic on that continent to a halt. Travelers had to find others ways to get from point A to point B. But so too did those in charge of moving global commerce.
Continue reading "The Icelandic Volcano and You" »
The volcano, officially dubbed the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano (a name I’m not even going to try to pronounce), spewed ash all last week into the skies over Europe, grinding air traffic on that continent to a halt. Travelers had to find others ways to get from point A to point B. But so too did those in charge of moving global commerce.
Continue reading "The Icelandic Volcano and You" »
Monday, April 19. 2010
Cleaning Your Credit to Buy a Home
The New York Times business page has a story today featuring tips on how to clean up your credit in order to buy a home.
Their advice:
- Get your free credit report – You can get a free copy of your credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com. The Times notes that not qualifying for a home loan is often the result of having a low credit score. Continue reading "Cleaning Your Credit to Buy a Home" »
Their advice:
- Get your free credit report – You can get a free copy of your credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com. The Times notes that not qualifying for a home loan is often the result of having a low credit score. Continue reading "Cleaning Your Credit to Buy a Home" »
Thursday, April 15. 2010
A Tax Blog for Tax Day
Since it is tax day, it seems fitting that the Fiscal Issues blog should mark the occasion with a post.
A piece in the Christian Science Monitor about the need to reform the U.S. tax code caught my eye. Among other things the article points out is that the tax code in 1955 was a document of 409,000 words. But thanks largely to lobbyists who pad the pockets of members of congressional tax writing committees, the code today is an astounding 2.1 million words.
As a result of such tomfoolery, the tax code has evolved into an ultra-complex monster that spews out credits and deductions in some places, while hauling in government funds in others.
Continue reading "A Tax Blog for Tax Day" »
A piece in the Christian Science Monitor about the need to reform the U.S. tax code caught my eye. Among other things the article points out is that the tax code in 1955 was a document of 409,000 words. But thanks largely to lobbyists who pad the pockets of members of congressional tax writing committees, the code today is an astounding 2.1 million words.
As a result of such tomfoolery, the tax code has evolved into an ultra-complex monster that spews out credits and deductions in some places, while hauling in government funds in others.
Continue reading "A Tax Blog for Tax Day" »
Tuesday, April 13. 2010
Bank Leaders Say Mortgage Relief Efforts Would Do More Harm
Big news concerning the mortgage crisis today as executive from four major banks met in Washington to tell lawmakers that they are not in favor of government programs designed to help troubled borrowers by forgiving a portion of their debt. The executives claim that to reduce the amount owed by borrowers in danger of foreclosure would be seen as unfair by those who are paying their mortgages on time.
David Lowman, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, told the House Financial Services Committee that such large-scale efforts to reduce mortgage principles could further harm the economy and the mortgage markets in particular. He said that reducing home loans to levels such that people would not be paying more than their home is worth would cost up to $900 billion, including more than $150 billion from the government.
Continue reading "Bank Leaders Say Mortgage Relief Efforts Would..." »
David Lowman, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, told the House Financial Services Committee that such large-scale efforts to reduce mortgage principles could further harm the economy and the mortgage markets in particular. He said that reducing home loans to levels such that people would not be paying more than their home is worth would cost up to $900 billion, including more than $150 billion from the government.
Continue reading "Bank Leaders Say Mortgage Relief Efforts Would..." »
