April 28, 2008 by Michele
With real estate markets in a downward spiral and many Americans having upside down mortgages (owing more than their homes are worth), a recent study by Forbes seems appropriate.
Forbes studied the 150 largest housing markets in America, and using data from the US Census and the National Association of Realtors, they created a list of the 50 communities with the highest amount of homeowner debt. For this study, they looked at the median house price, percent the house value changed since 2007, number of outstanding mortgages, houses that had second mortgages or home equity loans, and houses that had both...
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April 23, 2008 by Michele
Time and time again,
financial experts recommend that we invest in index funds. But despite their carefully reasoned arguments,
index funds and ETFs only account for 17% of equity assets. Despite being the cheaper, better performing solution, most investors don't seem to buy into the pro-index arguments on a visceral level.
And while John Bogle, Peter Lynch, and Warren Buffett may have failed to make people index believers, I thought I'd take a crack at fixing the problem with what I jokingly call "Checkout Line Bingo."
Everyone has played Checkout Line Bingo. You glance across the lines, trying to factor...
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April 17, 2008 by Erin Steiner
With our economy in what happily could be called a tailspin, is it really the right time to start your own business? The answer is, of course! Studies have shown that economic downturns are the best times for entrepreneurship and thinking outside of the box. If you have been toying with the idea of starting your own business, it might be time to take the leap.
Of course, before you jump into the deep end, make sure you have a few things covered:
1. Don't quit your day job until you have enough money saved to sustain...
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April 12, 2008 by Erin Steiner
Technically the recession is still up for debate, and there are very smart people who insist that we are not in or heading into a recession. Regardless of the recession's status, it can't hurt to start living frugally. After all, it's always a good idea to save money, right? Here are a few tips to help you save some money:
Believe it or not, the best way to save money is to live as "green" as you can. Rinse and reuse your sandwich bags, water bottles, and anything else you can. Use grey water to water your...
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