tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52737056095786897012011-11-23T19:39:26.268-05:00Myth-busting personal finance budgets including insurance quotes, home equity loans, mortgages, auto-car buying, school college education loans, credit cards, cheap rentals, debt refinance, interest rates, loan consolidation, cash settlements, annuities, tax relief and refunds, retirement savings, and investment decisions: Share free tips, training, and discussion.J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-5164904206209159792009-06-14T17:09:00.012-04:002009-06-26T22:56:58.435-04:00

Previous: Payoff Mortgage v. Invest Stocks: Housing Myths Part 12Do not simply compare nominal interest rates, even tax-adjusted rates (which many people miscalculate). Where you are in the mortgage repayment amortization schedule is only one of the additional factors that determine your cost-benefit analysis.Tony asked, "I have a current home loan of 50,000 and I have 70,000 in a money market

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-11823799031557938502009-05-06T10:14:00.012-04:002009-06-14T18:16:58.745-04:00

The new IRS property tax deductions make mortgage debt an even worse deal than it already was.2008 and 2009 tax years allow you to take the standard deduction but also deduct $1,000 in property taxes (if married filing jointly, or $500 if single) simply by checking box 39c on Form 1040.IRS Standard Tax Deductions for 2008 Tax Return (ie, no "itemized" Schedule A needed)$ 5,450 (single)$ 5,950

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-6388099313919713132008-10-14T17:21:00.002-04:002008-10-14T17:25:54.019-04:00

Some people muse idly about the coming winter's fuel costs as if it were a storm over which they have no control. However, you do control your heat costs. Moreover, if everyone did these smart actions, lower demand would put downward pressure on fuel prices.Insulate: What would you think if someone left his/her front door wide open all winter and then complained about his/her heating costs? Lax

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-26668568297948286982008-06-24T14:28:00.010-04:002008-06-24T16:29:52.198-04:00

School Subsidizes Teen PregnancyMedia Reports Miss the Main Point on Spike in Teen PregnanciesA large number of high-school girls intentionally got pregnant or were happy to get pregnant at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, Massachusetts.Earlier reports of a formal group "pact" to get pregnant are now disputed to be a post-pregnancy pledge for the teen mothers to somehow support each other,

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-7979823597908257042007-11-30T21:02:00.000-05:002007-11-30T21:08:02.458-05:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Savers Are from Mars. Debtors Are from Venus. Episode 5" was featured by the 128th Carnival of Personal Finance at Stock Trading To Go in an "Investment Truth" edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-82243954647430236912007-11-25T19:36:00.000-05:002007-11-25T19:41:46.268-05:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Payoff Mortgage v. Invest Stocks: Housing Myths Part 12" was featured by the 127th Carnival of Personal Finance at Moolanomy with a "Wonders of the World" theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-35440087549174050072007-11-24T18:32:00.001-05:002007-11-29T23:28:35.666-05:00

Turning Gold into Lead: How To Lose $100k, and Your House, and Your Family"Wendy's home had appreciated in value by about $100,000, only months after she and her husband bought it. So, they took out a second mortgage for almost $80,000 to enhance their new home. It was at 8% interest. When the housing bubble burst, that $100,000 in equity evaporated. But, the interest on that second adjustable

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-81433218937684322922007-11-21T15:35:00.001-05:002008-06-28T18:16:47.724-04:00

Look Who's Coming to 21st-Century DinnerNational Public Radio (NPR) yesterday interviewed a woman who could not afford airfare to visit family. High fuel prices raise the cost of air and road travel. Better than a card or phone call: Use a webcam to virtually visit for almost free. You might already own the computer, internet connection, and webcam needed to virtually visit distant family (and

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-42824738786040684502007-11-18T19:33:00.000-05:002007-11-18T19:46:34.468-05:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Home Decorating Costs: Housing Myths Part 11" was featured by the 126th Carnival of Personal Finance at Million Dollar Journey, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-14602767498820155772007-11-12T14:49:00.001-05:002008-06-28T18:17:39.113-04:00

"Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information" (Associated Press (AP), Yahoo! News).Privacy (noun) = the government knows everything about you--but keeps it a secret from you. ????????????????????????

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-77769461241748630892007-11-08T05:02:00.000-05:002007-11-08T22:19:26.663-05:00

Congratulations, the United States gross national debt now exceeds $9 trillion. You owe $30k. Your baby owes $30k. Your family of 4 owes $120k. Your government put you in all this debt to make you richer, in case you were wondering why your life has felt so easy and virtually cost-free all these years.Remember that when choosing a presidential candidate.Why stop at $9 trillion? Should the federal

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-37322895403601966402007-11-07T05:53:00.012-05:002008-07-13T06:42:38.535-04:00

Previous: Home Decorating Costs: Housing Myths Part 11Hock Your House? Beware Over-Hyped Benefits of Leveraged Stock-Market InvestmentsFree Money Finance (FMF) responded to a pro-debt, pro-leverage Ben Stein article. Stein and some FMF commenters unfortunately repeated a number of false assumptions about stock market returns and dubious expectations about arbitrage net returns.Sustained real

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-39895611945287208552007-11-06T07:29:00.001-05:002009-07-10T09:23:59.516-04:00

Amusing Theme Yields Impressive Funds for Presidential Candidate Ron PaulAir Force veteran, Congressman, and obstetrician Dr. Ron Paul is one of the most interesting presidential candidates for the 2008 election. Ron Paul inspires energetic loyalty and outperforms other alleged "frontrunners" in some respects. Paul's supporters ("Paulites") spontaneously organized an earnest if humorously named

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-83876586017674453502007-11-04T16:52:00.000-05:002007-11-20T12:05:59.344-05:00

Previous: Homeownership Cost Cliches: Housing Myths Part 10The Million-Dollar Paint JobPeculiar Priorities To Justify Spending a Million DollarsThose who concede that homebuying is not always financially better than renting often switch the argument from financial bottom lines to unquantifiable personal preferences that cannot be tested by Excel spreadsheets.One of the favorite intangibles that

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-24531927969491479372007-11-02T20:47:00.000-04:002007-11-02T20:58:59.036-04:00

Gangrene on the Greenback: The Falling US Dollar If South Park did Ben Bernanke and Federal Reserve monetary policy:

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-72266261409600316802007-11-02T05:49:00.000-04:002007-11-02T05:54:48.959-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Did this Couple Do Everything Wrong or Everything Right?" was featured by the 124th Carnival of Personal Finance at Millionaire Mommy Next Door with a reader participation poll, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-64214424853586591102007-10-26T11:40:00.000-04:002007-11-07T04:27:07.412-05:00

Two Wise Acres wrote about an older couple who succeeded in the real estate investment rental business by doing "everything wrong" by violating these "rules":1. "Leverage Your Investments to Maximize Growth" (instead, they paid off a property before they bought another). 2. "Always Make Sure You Have Well-Drafted Leases with Tenants" (instead, they rented month to month with no lease). 3. "

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-75624370743545008202007-10-26T10:22:00.000-04:002007-10-26T10:29:11.082-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Homeownership Cost Cliches: Housing Myths Part 10" was featured by the 123rd Carnival of Personal Finance at The Dough Roller in a Halloween theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-76582747713459699862007-10-22T17:03:00.000-04:002007-10-22T23:54:56.482-04:00

Single Ma's Fabulous Financials posted these helpful links:text link calculator link worth rank Someone added my blog to Blog Shares: The Fantasy Blog Stock Market. Apparently, I have 2 investors.Have you valued your blog?

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-31531493006148015222007-10-19T22:31:00.000-04:002007-11-04T17:27:26.032-05:00

Previous: House Depreciation-Maintenance: Housing Myths Part 9Housing Clichés Can Cost You DearlyThe last article mentioned that counting just 2 factors (inflation and maintenance/repairs) can cancel any supposed real-estate “investment” appreciation but there are many more costs that can turn home ownership into a loss: mortgage interest, taxes/insurance/fees, and opportunity costs of missed

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-78547210475595362782007-10-18T20:51:00.000-04:002007-10-18T20:58:03.628-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "House Depreciation-Maintenance: Housing Myths Part 9" was featured by the 122nd Carnival of Personal Finance at Mighty Bargain Hunter in a fanciful Dr. Seuss theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-70160464078411934802007-10-16T16:52:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:06:01.318-04:00

Birthdays without Pressure claims,"If you think children’s birthday parties are getting out of control, you’ve come to the right place." What do you think?See also: Is Your Baby Cost-Free?-

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-6594652625811258492007-10-14T17:53:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:04:06.929-04:00

Previous: The "Debt-Free" Deception: Housing Myths Part 8 The Accidental Money Pit:Do you have a few hundred thousand dollars lying around to sink into a 0% investment?Real Estate marketing hype is that you sit back and smoke a cigar while your home value goes up, up, up--but the reality often is that you drag yourself home from work to find that you have to bail water out of your basement before

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-64125897159528162272007-10-12T19:41:00.000-04:002007-10-12T19:48:47.637-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "The "Debt-Free" Deception: Housing Myths Part 8" was featured by the 121st Carnival of Personal Finance at Mr. Credit Card in a fanciful presidential debate theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-80066084365650255812007-10-07T14:06:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:09:16.551-04:00

Previous: Home Mortgage Tax Deduction Snake Oil: Housing Myths Part 7The entire rent/own/mortgage debate is thoroughly confused, misguided, and backwards. You are NOT debt-free if you have a mortgage. Mortgage is debt. The love of mortgage debt is so bizarre that some people try to deny that mortgage is debt--and then accuse debt-free people of being in debt.Have you ever had anyone tell you that

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-13644649440292299002007-10-05T21:58:00.000-04:002007-10-05T22:03:06.478-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Home Mortgage Tax Deduction Snake Oil: Housing Myths Part 7" was featured by the 120th Carnival of Personal Finance at My Retirement Blog, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-63533873417704085892007-09-30T16:55:00.002-04:002009-06-14T19:12:59.772-04:00

Previous: Hidden Burden of Overbuying: Housing Myths Part 6The Home Mortgage Income Tax Deduction NEVER Saved ANYone ANY MoneyTaking the Mortgage Deduction Always LOSES You MoneyMortgage Tax "Savings" Are Always LossesTaxes are losses. "Tax savings" are NOT real savings. Tax reductions reduce tax losses of your initial "pile" of income from, say, negative 10% to negative 9%--but still negative (

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-49239012784848489952007-09-28T07:19:00.000-04:002007-09-28T07:23:53.626-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Hidden Burden of Overbuying: Housing Myths Part 6" was featured by the 119th Carnival of Personal Finance at Blunt Money in a puzzle edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-27677980280913189172007-09-23T16:59:00.001-04:002009-05-06T10:55:43.415-04:00

Previous: Do Not Confuse Houses with Housing: Housing Myths Part 5Would You Pay $250,000 for a Room? The Housing Bubble: Historical Growth in Houses Square Feet per Person4 Reasons People Overbuy Housing--and How To Avoid ItExpected Duration of Use: People who borrow, say, a lawnmower are not inclined to scour the city to borrow from the person who has a mower with all the exact, ideal features

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-1298994397133850362007-09-21T21:49:00.000-04:002007-09-21T21:58:30.423-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Do Not Confuse Houses with Housing: Housing Myths Part 5" was featured by the 118th Carnival of Personal Finance at Money, Matter, and More Musings in a "Fun Money Facts" edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-29095910916717054822007-09-21T14:42:00.000-04:002007-09-21T14:50:30.349-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Ignore Average Annual Return Rates: Geometric Mean V. Arithmetic Mean" was featured by the 117th Carnival of Personal Finance at Kmull, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-57537581224909518132007-09-19T21:11:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:14:22.802-04:00

Fed Raids Your Paycheck and Bank Account To Bailout Banks, Wall Steet, and Mortgage Delinquents

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-60982155019432530262007-09-18T08:37:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:15:11.705-04:00

Here is a Columbia Business School (CBS) spoof of Ben Bernanke's appointment as Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, based on "Every Breath You Take" from The Police Synchronicity Album:See more Fed spoofs: Canada Forces US Federal Reserve To Raise Interest Rates?Alan Greenspan: Fun with Financial Armageddon and Famous Movies

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-5660226992909738102007-09-17T21:05:00.000-04:002007-11-02T21:12:03.336-04:00

Here is a Saturday Night Live (SNL) Golords spoof of foreign frustration with "Easy Al" Greenspan's loose US monetary policy in 1998: (Warning: violence and sexual content)Except for a 25 basis points (bps) hike on March 25, 1997, the Fed only held or lowered the Fed-funds benchmark interest rate for over 4 years after Februart 1, 1995 and until June 30, 1999 while the stock market bubbled. The

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-42978735790098083332007-09-17T12:15:00.000-04:002007-11-02T21:12:41.001-04:00

Which movie best explains Alan Greenspan's tenure as Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve?Comment on these and post your own choices.-------------------------------------------Dr. Greenspan: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bubble---Greenspan: The Man with the Golden ARM (ARM=Adjustable Rate Mortgage) See more Fed spoofs: Canada Forces US Federal Reserve To Raise Interest

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-54638622503807941962007-09-16T16:57:00.002-04:002009-09-17T21:44:17.432-04:00

Why Housing Is NOT an InvestmentWhy Home Mortgages are BAD DebtsPrevious: Homeowner Profits Ignore Huge Costs: Housing Myths Part 4“You Have To Live Somewhere” and Getting Rich by Eating TwinkiesSome people try to close their eyes to the bad investment of a home mortgage by asserting that the bulk of the borrowing costs “don’t really count.”The common “You have to live somewhere” argument

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-53791344628050825862007-09-07T16:50:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:33:54.743-04:00

Brother, Can You Spare a Trillion? Greenspan Needs YOU to Bail HIM Out?

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-84443585917919976222007-09-06T08:46:00.000-04:002007-09-06T08:51:40.788-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Simplify Your Bills and Life: Streamline Paperwork" was featured by the 116th Carnival of Personal Finance at Advanced Personal Finance in an NSA edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-63658282884787801572007-09-05T10:15:00.000-04:002007-11-19T12:18:18.196-05:00

Previous: Vanguard 500 VFINX Loses 20% of Your Money from 8 Years AgoProtect yourself from slick marketing: This article explains the importance of the geometric mean and how to calculate it to read and report returns on investment (ROI) accurately.Misleading "Average Annual Returns"The average annual rate of return tends to overestimate your gains because it is an arithmetic mean (an average

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-89754610839329928822007-08-31T13:47:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:28:18.305-04:00

The paperless society never materialized. A paper trail is valuable in a financial dispute but many people are awash in useless paper. You can keep what you need and shred the rest.Use might some combination of these options:Keep a shredder where you take in and open mail. Reduce handling by making a keep-or-shred decision the first time you see something. Handling each item 3 times is like

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-23250313311853837682007-08-29T09:26:00.000-04:002007-08-29T09:31:06.013-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Americans’ Net Worth in the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)" was featured by the 115th Carnival of Personal Finance at Free Money Finance, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-59556693755352439792007-08-26T04:20:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:29:06.104-04:00

What if a Quarter of Your Wealth Were Imaginary?Net worth is a favorite topic in the buck-o-sphere (personal finance blog-o-sphere) and many people pounce on a government or media report to see how they stack up against their fellow Americans. You need to understand the source of the information and know how to read economic and financial reports correctly.The Federal Reserve’s triennial Survey

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-35764579220431621732007-08-25T09:34:00.000-04:002007-08-25T09:45:37.719-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Vanguard 500 VFINX Loses 20% of Your Money from 8 Years Ago" was featured by the Festival of Stocks at Fully Stocked, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-44031906701005321202007-08-24T10:18:00.000-04:002007-08-24T10:24:32.119-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "FNBO Blunder: Due Diligence 2nd Request Email" was featured by the 114th Carnival of Personal Finance at The Simple Dollar, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-82193199707541069992007-08-19T16:51:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:32:57.023-04:00

FNBO achieved the seemingly impossible: It created a run on an FDIC-insured bank."Security" Measure Creates Mass InsecurityFNBO Direct followed its previous threat to keep customers’ money with this new threat:As part of your initial application, we did not receive information regarding your current employer, occupation or position. In many cases, this is because you have a status of retired,

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-7936035007073639172007-08-17T10:23:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:33:32.619-04:00

Should Ben Bernanke Resign? Who Should Be the New Federal Reserve Chair?

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-90724873464643779682007-08-14T18:02:00.000-04:002007-08-14T18:11:01.364-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Fact V. Emotion in Personal Finance: Do Not Confuse" was featured by the 113th Carnival of Personal Finance at My Open Wallet in a "TGINF" edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-41907026708209742142007-08-14T14:54:00.000-04:002007-08-14T15:04:17.238-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Savers Are from Mars. Debtors Are from Venus. Episode 4" was featured by the Carnival of Money Stories at Bryan C. Fleming, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-56972925336668291272007-08-13T20:47:00.000-04:002007-08-13T20:56:03.270-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Inflating Leveraged ROI Can Ruin You" was featured by the Carnival of Financial Planning at The Skilled Investor, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-1811382923972003492007-08-13T18:15:00.000-04:002007-08-13T18:26:19.999-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Leveraged Investments: High ROI Is Not Always Best" was featured by the 13th Carnival of Money, Growth & Happiness at Credit Card Lowdown , along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-230802054633496372007-08-10T18:43:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:34:49.619-04:00

Previous: What Is Your PFblogs.org Delay?Atom feed picked up my last blog post quickly but it took a day to appear on PFblogs.org so I am testing the time lag with this post.Update: This post appeared on Atom feed within minutes and on PFblogs.org within an hour.The fastest lag that I have noticed is about an hour delay but there are periods where performance degrades to a day later, which

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-61178121722943741502007-08-09T16:56:00.000-04:002007-08-09T17:06:00.434-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Homeowner Profits Ignore Huge Costs: Housing Myths Part 4" was featured by the 112th Carnival of Personal Finance at The Frugal Law Student in a "Best Week Ever" edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-64005012018178691852007-08-03T20:50:00.000-04:002007-11-19T12:15:10.399-05:00

Previous: Beware Vanguard 500 Faulty Logic & False Performance Measures for InvestmentsUpdate 8/4/07: This article originally was based on Google Finance Beta's "10y" graph on 8/3/07 but the "10 year" graph did not cover 10 years (thanks, Google) so I re-adjusted the article for 8 years.When Claims of +160% End at -20% The Vanguard 500 S&P 500 index fund, often claimed to give a 12% return on

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-56586796103802199292007-08-02T16:51:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:38:06.923-04:00

Negative 11% is one of the best "appreciation" rates in the nation. The Real Estate Bloggers posted a list of the top 20 real estate markets over last year.Look at Detroit (below).If the "top" 20 home-value "appreciation" rates include double-digit negative rates, what do the worst 20 markets look like?Top 20 Markets: Real Estate Property-Value Appreciation Rates over Last YearSeattle 9.10%

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-91198789329997697582007-08-01T18:04:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:43:02.705-04:00

Feel-Good Finance Folly Lazy Man recently posted about taking the personal out of personal finance. He and the commenters made good points about how, if people need psychological or morale boosts, they should get boosts by seeing the benefits of the rational choice, rather than wallowing in the bliss of ignorance. I agree so far but there are important distinctions about which "personal"

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-9219416117721483882007-07-31T22:31:00.000-04:002007-11-12T12:24:34.649-05:00

Is Renting So Bad that You Would Steal?You find a wallet. What do you do? If you are Elizabeth Cabrera-Rivera, you steal Jose Lara's identity to commit loan fraud by getting a no-documentation mortgage ("no-doc mortgage") for a $419,000 townhouse in his name. Mr. Lara only discovered the plot when he received a $2,800 refund for closing costs and the jig was up for Cabrera-Rivera.It gets even

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-22497641279956581462007-07-31T17:25:00.000-04:002007-07-31T17:32:13.131-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Home Mortgages Are Bad Investment Tools? Housing Myths Part 3" was featured by the 111th Carnival of Personal Finance at Plonkee Money in a theme of the Glastonbury music festival, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-70689668303687892482007-07-26T14:29:00.000-04:002007-07-26T14:35:13.072-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Beware Vanguard 500 Faulty Logic & False Performance Measures for Investments" was featured by the Carnival of Financial Planning at The Skilled Investor, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-52207105301796519942007-07-26T09:30:00.000-04:002007-10-28T15:49:00.142-04:00

Previous: Leveraged Investments: High ROI Is Not Always BestThe previous leverage article covered how the common method for measuring leveraged Return on Investment (ROI) can mislead you by underestimating the work and risk. Add overly-optimistic “magic” numbers to inflate ROI and this article shows how the combination of rosy estimates and ignored risk can trick you into a bad investment.We will

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-43913631392866106062007-07-24T12:59:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:51:47.307-04:00

A recent leveraged-investment discussion revealed that people can calculate a high Return on Investment (ROI) from borrowing by not counting the debt principal as a cost and (in one case) not counting the debt interest as a cost.Consider a choice to invest $250 cash v. $250 debt:Investing cash to earn 10% earns 10%.Investing debt at 5% interest-cost to earn 10% earns net 5%.However, it is common

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-37260403175529683202007-07-24T08:42:00.000-04:002007-10-23T00:59:51.267-04:00

"You have to live somewhere"="Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain"It is an incantation to evade close scrutiny of real estate accounting.Part of a series of articles on housing myths.Previous:Home Mortgages Are Bad Investment Tools? Housing Myths Part 3Some people make the “you have to live somewhere” argument to ignore most mortgage costs and make the home-as-investment accounting

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-76219425429519043992007-07-23T17:09:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:01:19.772-04:00

The Lure of the No-Brainer Get Rich Quick Scheme Part of a series of articles on housing myths.Previous: The $200,000 Blunder: Housing Myths Part 2Home Mortgages Are Leveraged Investments . . . Just Like Our Greatest Financial ScandalsThe greatest financial scandals of the past century were caused not by the specific financial product purchased but by the method of purchase—leveraging, i.e.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-83125686526691404592007-07-20T16:45:00.000-04:002007-07-20T16:46:05.694-04:00

Beware Vanguard 500 Faulty Logic & False Performance Measures for Investments

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-21279954213257903542007-07-20T14:19:00.000-04:002007-10-28T15:35:49.765-04:00

The Vanguard 500 S&P500 index fund is popular in the buck-o-sphere (PF blogosphere) and bloggers often cite its historical annual rate of return of 12% since inception in 1976. However, besides the usual caveat that past performance is no guarantee of future performance, too many people ignore another vital factor. The Vanguard 500's real performance is not nearly as stellar as many

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-27833098590199936172007-07-18T07:32:00.000-04:002007-07-18T07:38:43.525-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Destroy Your Retirement Nestegg with Happy Thoughts" was featured by the 109th Carnival of Personal Finance at Mint with a "First Post" theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-39617362414591244922007-07-15T07:21:00.000-04:002007-11-20T10:45:30.270-05:00

Magic Numbers: Pick One . . . Whichever One Makes You HappyMy recent article about investing vs. paying off your mortgage, Never Prepay Mortgage? Housing Myths Part 1, has a bigger lesson for the subprime mortgage and Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) mess.“Prove” anything by picking the magic number.My article noted how a 2001 Fool.com article predicted a 12% annual return on investment (ROI)

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-36959339924850858332007-07-11T05:39:00.000-04:002007-07-11T06:18:40.627-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "How To Measure Prosper Profits Accurately" was featured by the Carnival of Long Term Investing #9 at Forex Reader, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-66880694029430381952007-07-10T21:55:00.000-04:002007-07-10T22:03:06.033-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "“Savings” Pitch Tricks You into Overspending" was featured by the Carnival of Debt Relief #10 at Debt Consolidation Lowdown, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-79184445830359946052007-07-10T19:25:00.000-04:002007-07-10T22:38:44.255-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Is Your Baby Cost-Free?" was featured by the 108th Carnival of Personal Finance at Broke-[A##] Student, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-37822342556721685602007-07-06T19:07:00.001-04:002007-10-23T01:08:50.052-04:00

Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz finally learned that she always had the power to achieve her goal. The solution to financial freedom always has been and still is available to you or anyone who wants it. Note: I separated this message from another post: Declare Independence from Housing Slavery: A Famous 4th of July Lesson on Personal Finance.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-46038488946370517622007-07-05T18:21:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:09:22.811-04:00

Can you hear me now?I have seen 3-hour delays and yesterday more than a day's delay between blog post and the post's appearance on PFblogs.org. In the recent case, it seemed that the post never appeared on PFblog.org's first page because it posted in an already-buried position.What affects the delay and what delays do you encounter?Update 7/6/07: This post did not appear on PFbolgs.org until

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-64007166228718271702007-07-05T03:17:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:10:22.081-04:00

Yaba-Daba-DooBedrock City, Here We ComeThe British housing bubble must be going strong because a man paid 100,000 pounds (about $200k) for a cave home in Worcestershire.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-38947031220252742192007-07-04T09:16:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:11:26.595-04:00

The 4th of July is an anniversary of this famous American's important personal-finance decision:Personal Independence Day Built Affordable Home

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-36898212439883071772007-07-03T17:53:00.000-04:002007-07-03T17:58:29.036-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "You Decide: The Best Con Artist Is . . ." was featured by the 107th Carnival of Personal Finance at Blogging Away Debt, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-23384803077968292642007-07-02T11:26:00.000-04:002007-10-23T16:22:55.882-04:00

How much does a healthy baby or child cost?Some new parents get carried away so it might be healthy (financially, physically, and psychologically) to remind yourself of the basics.The true consumption items$1,250/yr formula, food, and diapers.$0 breast feeding$0 for CDC free child vaccinations, or nominal administrative cost. You will have a US federal tax deduction of about $3k and a tax credit

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-50855617173261224992007-06-28T12:05:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:13:56.440-04:00

More Dark Alchemy:“News”=Advertising “Saving”=SpendingFree Money Finance cited a finance article about 15% of US households with $0 net worth. The article is a perfect example of tricking you with slick sales marketing that masquerades as news. First, however, look at the faulty analysis: The article cites 15% of households with $0 net worth but is on thin ice when it converts households to

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-16835544799442682242007-06-27T08:43:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:15:35.263-04:00

Mind-Boggling Personal StoryA middle-class husband and wife live on the razor's edge of deficit and seek advice from Get Rich Slowly (GRS) when their spending habits turn a wrecked car into a financial emergency.GRS: “Well, what about the cable bill? You’re paying $60 a month for that. That’s an easy one. What about cutting back to basic cable?” [I would add, ". . . or no cable?"]Debtor (wife): “

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-14940421497837753932007-06-26T18:05:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:18:25.024-04:00

See "Prosper Private Lending Service: Do You Want To Be a Collection Agency?" for background.Prosper.com lenders are apt to overestimate their profits:Your returns might appear high at first (when borrowers make the first payment because they are still eager and excited about their new money and the novelty of Prosper) but do not be surprised if defaults increase over time as borrowers get bored

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-27466805628565310952007-06-25T11:45:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:20:01.507-04:00

An amateur or garden-variety fraud or con is when you find out too late that the fraudster emptied your bank account or stole your investment and disappeared. This is sloppy for the fraudster because now he/she is "wanted" by the law.The "best" con artist is the worst for everyone else's safety.The "best" con artist is the one who cons you so well that you do not realize that you have been

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-18438859283109520532007-06-25T11:25:00.000-04:002007-06-25T11:31:45.198-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "The $200,000 Blunder: Housing Myths Part 2" was featured by the Carnival of Debt Reduction 93, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-70499588907549160072007-06-25T08:41:00.000-04:002007-06-25T10:11:06.701-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Freezing Credit To Stop Identity Theft: Good or Bad for Savers?" was featured by the 106th Carnival of Personal Finance at The Digerati Life in an "Epic Journey" theme, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-45218947485293118382007-06-25T08:08:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:21:11.494-04:00

Get Rich Slowly posted 2 useful links to stop unwanted credit offers and junk mail. You can use these opt-outs to prevent identity theft since dumpster diving for thrown-out junk mail (even ripped applications) is a tactic of identity thieves.Credit bureaus opt-out from credit offers such as pre-screened or pre-approved credit cards (Federal Trade Commission (FTA) endorsed), or call 1-888-5-

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-5715644292209456312007-06-23T17:26:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:23:23.079-04:00

Part of a series of articles on housing myths.Some people will make a $200,000 blunder but think that they are making money.Chasing UnicornsNever Prepay Mortgage? Housing Myths Part 1 covered how would-be moguls fail to assess different risk levels when keeping mortgage debt to chase possible investment profits. Some people (real people, not hypothetical people) think that a money market (

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-90268208677264078742007-06-21T12:36:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:24:21.774-04:00

The Sun's Financial Diary mentioned that ING Direct has lackluster rates but a 52% market share and asks why.Here are some possible reasons for ING Direct's strong market share:Advertising visibility.Brand-name recognition as a "real" bank without having to check FDIC lists.Ease of setup (How many people bailout in the middle of other banks' applications?).Minimal strings attached (do not have to

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-91254727624914058202007-06-21T08:10:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:25:44.197-04:00

Here is a good list of precautions to take against identity theft from privacyrights.org.I am still trying to find if various credit blockers will interfere with opening savings accounts.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-83147248485614429722007-06-20T17:46:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:27:06.598-04:00

A chastity belt for your financial reputationMany readers of this blog probably have little interest in taking new debt and might be interested in the "credit freeze" which guards against identity theft by preventing anyone from opening new lines of credit without special permission.My understanding is that you (or even an identity thief) could use your current credit card as normal but you would

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-9145617796133018992007-06-19T12:53:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:28:06.100-04:00

The Wolf in the FoldVictims of identity theft often find that someone they know has committed the crime. Roommates, hired help, and landlords all have access to your home, and it is possible for them to access private information. Identity theft within families is also fairly common. This causes particular difficulties, because victims may be reluctant to notify the authorities or press charges.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-58546942103055146752007-06-18T06:26:00.000-04:002007-06-18T06:32:59.925-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Is the American Dream Dead? Debunking the Pew Charitable Trusts' Economic Mobility Project" was featured by the 105th Carnival of Personal Finance at Get Rich Slowly in a music-themed "greatest hits" edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-24039656505380100352007-06-15T22:25:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:28:52.392-04:00

I mentioned FNBO's assertions that it can keep your money indefinitely and Bank Deals posted that he will attempt to test withdrawals (thank you), although he did not mention the amount.Small amounts will test nothing. People want to know if they will miss their house closing when they need to withdraw 5 figures or close the account.FNBO claims that it can refuse to transfer to accounts that it

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-56945717204542017992007-06-15T08:38:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:29:45.482-04:00

Has anyone been unable to get their money back from FNBO?Here is what FNBO lets you know in an email after you have deposited money:Because security of your account is important to us, we want you to beaware of one of the steps we take to maintain security: We may temporarilyrestrict all deposits to and transfers from your FNBO Direct account if wedetermine a security risk exists and we may

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-43870780739436285362007-06-14T20:42:00.000-04:002007-06-18T06:36:02.812-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Never Prepay Mortgage? Housing Myths Part 1" was featured by the 104th Carnival of Personal Finance at Getting Green in a nice Minimalist Edition, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-23691265493021143732007-06-14T19:50:00.000-04:002007-06-14T20:52:00.267-04:00

The Isle of Misfit PostsThe 103rd Carnival of Personal Finance did not publish Home Finance Freedom's submission because it did not match the editor's theme of a fictional counter-terrorism TV show. Therefore, I am inaugurating a new series, The Isle of Misfit Posts, for submissions that met the carnival's requirements (no spam, etc.) but were rejected for the editor's tastes. If your

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-50165929509770776552007-06-08T22:04:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:32:03.120-04:00

Hat Tip: Ed provoked this post.Part of series: Biggest Net Worth Mistakes: Is Your Net Worth Accurate or Useful?Do not deceive yourself by inflating your net worth.Yes, it is difficult to estimate some items but it is better to underestimate your wealth and later be pleasantly surprised than to overestimate and lay a trap for yourself.The taxman cometh.People often leave taxes and regulatory

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-41693808212676475882007-06-07T19:13:00.000-04:002007-10-28T19:44:16.311-04:00

This is the first in a series of articles on housing myths.Should You Prepay Your Mortgage?“Rule #1” of personal finance is to pay off debts because killing anti-savings is the best savings in terms of real, after-tax, return on investment (ROI). Unfortunately, the complexity of comparing relative interest rates with differing tax rules can confuse people into breaking this rule in the wrong

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-43865826142081278532007-06-02T18:04:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:35:44.237-04:00

Money Smart Life knows a guy who lost his car and is staring at 20% interest to finance an emergency replacement.The burdens of automobile ownership are common enough that this guy's situation is a good invitation for all of us to reject the trapped mindset and remind ourselves of all the options we have. Problems like his are good opportunities to reevaluate monthly expenses and often provide a

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-46457766177393868522007-05-31T02:48:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:36:59.106-04:00

Lazy Man and Money mentioned his tribulations with Prosper.com, a service where individuals buy and lend to each other.I had looked at Prosper some time ago, and decided not to lend money there at that time for the following reasons:The advertised high interest rates are for the lowest-rated, riskiest borrowers and the forum told tales of defaults so it seemed unlikely to net a significantly high

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-67082808414562969812007-05-31T00:55:00.000-04:002007-06-02T17:48:09.071-04:00

Home Finance Freedom's "Best-Worst Financial Measures: How To Track Your Financial Independence and Security" was featured by the 102nd Carnival of Personal Finance at Money Smart Life, along with a number of good articles from fellow PF bloggers. Thank you.

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-1045081289130443572007-05-28T17:36:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:40:19.200-04:00

The recent Pew Charitable Trusts Economic Mobility Project’s claim that the American Dream "may well be shifting" (about sons not doing as well as their fathers) has been spreading through the mainstream media like a rash and Flexo at Consumerism Commentary asked me to explain my skepticism so here is my quick impression:It is always a good idea to go to the original report and check the “

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-47657825799589791502007-05-27T16:55:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:42:08.285-04:00

Previous: Give Yourself a Raise: Best Saving Is Not SpendingHow long a vacation can you take?Financial security or financial independence or being independently wealthy ultimately means being able to pay your bills without working. This might seem like a fantasy for people who today are behind the eightball but almost anyone should be able to achieve financial independence by taking one

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5273705609578689701.post-48328687025443712232007-05-27T16:48:00.000-04:002007-10-23T01:42:52.693-04:00

Previous: Best-Worst Financial Measures: How To Track Your Financial Independence and SecurityHow To Give Yourself a Raise: The Best Saving Is Not SpendingYou generally have more control over decreasing your spending than you do over increasing your income, so lower spending is the best way to give yourself a raise.Minimize Fixed Overhead, the 800lb GorillaThe most important way to lower

J at IHB and HFFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02454951293182876692noreply@blogger.com0