How to Use a Prepaid Debit Card to Your Best Advantage

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Prepaid debit cards are becoming increasingly common, thanks to a push to cater to the unbanked.

In recent years, banks have raised fees on checking accounts, and many consumers are fed up with it.  You might not even be safe from fees at a credit union.

My credit union added a monthly fee to its checking account products a couple of years ago.

It’s possible to avoid these fees if you can maintain a minimum balance, or deposit a certain amount of money in your account each month, but some consumers can’t realistically meet those requirements.

On top of that, the fact that some banks will deny you a checking account due to a ChexSystems report or even a credit score, makes it difficult to open a “regular” bank account.

For the unbanked, and even for other purposes, it can make sense to use prepaid debit cards.

Here are the Best Ways to Use Prepaid Debit Cards

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Children and Allowance – When to Start and How Much

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Long before we enter the working world, wage disparity can occur in the form of allowance.

I don’t remember talking to my friends about how much allowance they made, but I am guessing the subject probably came up.  As a parent, allowance is definitely something to consider carefully.  You don’t want to give your child too much nor too little.

-“This is an emergency!  I need to know all of your allowances!”

-“Why?”

-“Because you are all still friends, even with different allowances!  I have to know how you do it.”

-“Do we get different allowances?”

-“I don’t know, do we?”

From the kids’ show Arthur, in the episode More! where Arthur’s little sister, D.W., is angry she earns less allowance than her friend.

When Should Children Get an Allowance and How Much Should it Be?

Determining the Work to Be Done

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Happy Father’s Day 2013 and Links

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Thanks Dad!

It’s a shame it took until I had kids to fully understand everything you did but now I get it.  Thanks for all the time you gave me.  I certainly didn’t appreciate it all when I was a kid but I do now.

For the rest of you, take some time out to appreciate the dads in your life.  Think about the life and money lessons Dad taught you and consider what you are passing down to your kids.  They may not realize it now but they are learning a lot from your actions.

And here are some great personal finance articles to read as well:

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The Best Airline Miles Credit Cards

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“If only there were a way to get airline miles faster,” you wonder?  ”What would be really awesome is if I could get lots of cool benefits too,” you say.

Well there is and you can.

If you fly on one favorite airline for most of your trips (or even if it isn’t your favorite but you fly it because you have to), using an airline miles credit card for the specific carrier can be a great way to maximize your airline spending.

credit card for airline miles

Finding the best credit card for airline miles can help you travel for less!

If you have that one magic carrier you always use then it’s pretty easy to find an airline miles credit card to match.  Most, if not all major airlines have a credit card.

But what if you fly different carriers and have a few choices?

If that’s you then having a great airline miles credit card can make your flights more enjoyable and you can earn miles towards free trips faster.  The right card can steer you towards a specific carrier because of the better benefits.

And if I don’t know what airline I’ll be flying next?

Don’t worry, some of the best credit cards for airline miles let you transfer their miles to a number of different rewards programs so you can earn miles without worrying about one particular carrier.

But which are the best airline miles credit cards?

Below we’ll look at some great airline miles choices and what makes each card tick.

Need more convincing?

Finding the best airline miles credit card to match your favorite airline can net you free tickets to fly, miles that can be used towards car rentals and hotels, upgrades, free bag checking, preferential check-in, and more!

Keep in mind you need to responsibly spend and pay off your credit card bill monthly in order to truly make the most of your airline miles.  Keep in mind too, most airline miles cards have an annual fee (some waive the fee the first year).  You will find that if you take advantage of the benefits of the card, the fee is well made up for.

Done right, you can turn your everyday spending into airline miles and reduce the cost of your flying and possibly take advantage of special perks as well.

Take a look at the following cards and see which is the best airline miles credit card for you.

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How to Save on Running Shoes, Gear, and Events

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As the season warms up I look forward to lacing up the old running shoes again. I know there are hard-core runners who run through winter but that’s just not something for me (yet).

When I start the season off I try to take it easy and keep my run leisurely.  And yet I’ll still try to do too much and forget that it takes some time to build up my conditioning.  The next couple of days after that inaugural run are always fun [ouch]!

I got to thinking about how simple it is to run.

Here is this wonderful exercise that just about anyone can do.  People pay hundreds in gym memberships and buy expensive machines for home to workout when a simple run may be all they need.

What’s it take to run?  Go out and move faster than a walk!  I think maybe your feet have to leave the ground at some point.

But then I thought about it and I realized running can be expensive as well.

Here’s How You Can Save on Running Shoes, Gear, and Events

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How Can I Pay Off My Student Loan Faster? 3 Programs to Help

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There’s no doubt that American college students are in deep–deep in student loan debt, that is. 

The average college graduate who has student loan debt walks away with roughly $25,500 in debt.  To pay those loans off in 10 years, the graduate will have to pay nearly $300 a month and will pay almost $10,000 in interest over the life of the loan.

New college graduates in this tough job market often must settle for low paying jobs to gain experience before they can move up to a better paying position.  Factor in rent, food, a car, health insurance, and a professional wardrobe, and tacking on a steep student loan payment can be difficult.

While there is no easy way to get out of student loan debt quickly, there are a number of programs that are available to help graduates pay off their debt faster.  These programs won’t erase student loan debt, but they can give graduates a little extra help paying off their loans.

3 Programs to Help You Pay Off Student Loans Faster

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Balance Transfer Credit Cards – When Does It Make Sense to Use Them?

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Dave Ramsey and other popular financial pundits are fond of saying things like “You can’t borrow your way out of debt!”

The advice is to those that would like to open up a new credit card for a balance transfer, or get a new home equity loan or home equity line of credit in order to pay off their current debts.

And generally speaking, borrowing money to pay off borrowed money is a losing game.

Their advice is for those that can’t handle the financial responsibility of paying off the debt and spending less than they earn at the same time.

If you continually spend more than you earn, no amount of balance transfers or new lines of credit will save you.

Since many people calling into the financial shows can’t handle that responsibility (they are up to their eyeballs in debt currently, right?) the advice points against this strategy.

However, that doesn’t mean transferring a balance from one credit card to a new one is always a bad idea.

If you are smart about how you handle the balance transfer it can actually save you thousands of dollars in interest and result in you being debt-free a lot earlier than you would have been otherwise.

How Does a Balance Transfer Credit Card Work?

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First Comes a House, Then Marriage?

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Did you live with your spouse before getting married?

If so, you’re not alone.

More and more Americans are choosing to live together before getting married.  According to a CDC study, 48% of women interviewed between 2006 and 2010, ages 15 to 44, had cohabitated with their significant other.  This trend has been on the rise, so it’s not surprising.

When you consider the level of student loan and credit card debt some adults have when leaving college, living together may also be prompted out of financial necessity to pool resources and be able to afford living expenses while paying down debt.

A New Trend — Buying a Home Before Marriage

Did you buy a house with your spouse before you were married?

The opportunistic housing market with low housing prices and unbeatable interest rates combined with the trend for many couples to cohabitate has sparked a new trend — buying a house together before getting married.
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Vacation Time for Employees in the U.S. Vs. Other Countries – Do You Need More Time Off?

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Around the world, Americans are known for their solid work ethic.

Here in the United States, we place a premium on hard work.

However, that might actually be detrimental to us.

If you are looking for a good work/life balance, the fact that you leave an average of 11 vacation days on the table (according to CNN Money) could be a bad thing.

It might even reduce your productivity level.

vacation time for employees

How Does U.S. Vacation Time Stack Up against Other Countries

We take much less vacation than other countries.

In fact, many countries require companies to give a certain number of paid vacation days for employees with 10 years of services.  The United States isn’t one of those countries, but China is (10 paid vacation days).  Other countries include the United Kingdom, with 28, and Japan with 20.
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Celebrating Memorial Day 2013 and Links

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Memorial Day is a great long weekend for most people in the United States.

But the point isn’t to take a day off just to go to the lake for a cookout.

Memorial Day, originally titled Decoration Day, is to honor and remember the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who died during their service.  Take some time to think about that this weekend as you enjoy your time off.

Having an extra day off is a great time to get your finances straightened out. Here are some good reads for that:

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