Planning ahead? Try using a Financial Calendar

I’m sure that we’ve all be in similar situations — plotted out our budget for the next 6-12 months –  only to wonder why it isn’t working.  Well, in my case,  I realized early on that I had forgotten to account for seasonality — big ticket expenses such as yearly insurance premiums and quarterly tuition [...]

Calling All Bloggers: Sign up for a FREE Personal and Practical Finance by Randell Tiongson, RFP

Blogging and Personal Finance.  These are subjects which don’t normally go hand-in-hand. =)

 
Randell Tiongson, Director of the Registered Financial Planners Institute of the Philippines will conduct a free seminar for bloggers on personal and practical finance. Randell will be talking about the various financial instruments that you can invest on so that you can break out [...]

Who are you? How old are you? (in credit years)

Who are you?
We frequently get asked that question and and often talk about what we do for a living but seldom talk about our inner drivers – what motivates us to do the things we do. 
When buckling down to face a financial challenge, like paying off loans or budgeting for a house, we rarely take the time to figure [...]

Setting up an Emergency Account? Automate!

 ”E.Q be damned.  I want that _____!  I’ll just double my savings in the next paycheck.”
Does this sound familiar?
Over the past few months,  a few readers have gotten in touch with me, realizing the need to build their 3-6 months emergency fund.  The problem they were facing was how to operationalize this.    We are surrounded [...]

Analysis Paralysis: What are the Best Financial Products for You?

Ok.  So you’ve  decided that 2009 will be the year in which you will commit yourself to putting your financial house together.   You’ve done a financial health check and discovered the vulnerable areas which need additional attention e.g  too much debt, too low a return on savings or onerous finance charges which could be restructured.   You’ve [...]

Real Estate IRA: Is it for you?

With the current bear market,  the typical individual retirement funds (IRA) consisting largely of mutual funds, stocks and bonds, have taken quite a beating.   I wonder what happened to those who went to the other extreme and converted to a “self-directed IRA”.  I remember in the late ’90s that more and more people were advocating these [...]

Warren Buffett says: Today my money and my mouth both say equities

The New York Times has published a very interested Op-Ed article from Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffet in which he declared Buy American.  I Am.  View the article in its entirety by clicking here. 
He is following this simple rule:  “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”   Skittish investors are dumping stock for [...]

Looking for Certainty

In this time of financial uncertainty, an increasing number of people are looking for way to safeguard their hard earned money.   An officemate of mine recently said in jest… might as well spend your money,  at least you’ll feel good,  if only for a while. 
With all the bad news about companies which just a few months ago [...]

Today’s economy and YOUR money – what you should know

The recent (near) meltdown in the world’s financial markets have stirred up feelings of uncertainty and quite a great deal of panic.  It is difficult to connect what is happening at the macro level where the gods play to the micro level where we ants scurry.  What is important is to distill the noise down to [...]

Private Iris: a comic book that teaches money management

Gosh,  I’m really feeling my age.  I’ve made the transition from Mythology Class to Private Iris.  =) 
The comic book series created by Jamie Bautista and Arnold Arre follows the young detective Private Iris as she solves mysteries while imparting useful facts and money savings tips which are relevant to today’s youth.  
The first case – “The Cashbox Caper” introduces the lead [...]