Exchange Traded Funds are created to gain broad market exposure, like mutual funds, that individual investors could not have achieved on their own. But built upon mutual funds, exchange traded funds actually combine different features of different types of mutual funds to make them available all in one single ETF, namely the valuation feature of open-end mutual funds and the tradability feature of closed-end funds.
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You need a safe environment to keep your money that also allows you easy access to it.
This is where a checking account can help.
A checking account is an account that you have with a bank.
They hold your money and allow you to withdraw it, buy things with it and pay bills with it. The bank will issue you checks, a debit card and/or an ATM card. Your ATM card can only be used to withdraw cash from an ATM (automated teller machine) and your checks can only be used to make purchases or pay bills; your debit card can combine these conveniences and do both. Your debit card can be used like both a check and a ATM card. You can use it to make purchases at a store or online, as well as to draw cash out of an ATM. You may also be able to set up automatic withdraws in your checking account so that your bills as paid on a certain day each month, automatically.
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I received my American Express Blue bill recently.
When I opened it up the bill looked a little different. To my surprise there was specific information that now appeared as a result of the new credit card rules from the Credit Card Act that took effect in February.
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As the owner of an independent health insurance agency and the founder of a website for comparing health insurance providers I often get asked, “What type of health insurance do YOU have?” Of course, no one health insurance company or health insurance plan is right for everyone because everyone has different needs, lives in a different area, etc… but I can certainly feel comfortable telling people that I personally have a Health Savings Account (HSA) and I absolutely love it!
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I’m not much of a DVD movie buyer. Back in the day I would buy VHS movies that I liked. Most of them were watched frequently so the purchases were justified (I even wore a few out). But now that we are in the age of DVD (ok, we’re probably past that, but I’m a little slow to catch up to BluRay), I don’t really need DVD’s of my favorite movies. With cable and Netflix around I can always find something to watch and hardly get to any of the few DVD’s I already own. But there’s one BIG exception – KIDS MOVIES!
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I’d like to introduce a new book by Robin Sharma – The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in Life. If Sharma sounds familiar its because he is also the author of the bestseller – The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny.
In The Leader Who Had No Title, Sharma writes a parable where we discover that to increase your happiness, advance in your career, and fully become who you are meant to be we must all become leaders; leadership isn’t something reserved only for the executives at the top.
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Do you have goals, dreams, and ambitions? Chances are you do, which brings me to my next question. Do you have a budget? If you don’t have a budget then the chances of you reaching those goals, dreams, and ambitions are smaller than if you had a financial road map to follow. Unfortunately, too many people attach negative connotations and misconceptions to what budgeting actually means for you.
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Do you want to make money with your blog? You work your rear off writing great articles and designing your site. Would you love to be able to earn some income for your work? With the right steps you can build up a site that can supplement your salary, pay off your car, pay your mortgage, or perhaps even one day become a full-time career.
Today is the day credit cards change ways they do business. Most of the rules in the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009 are going into effect today.
Here is a rundown of what changes are taking effect (for more details see my article The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, And Disclosure (CARD) Act Of 2009- Effect On Credit Card Holders:
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The question comes up all the time when a person wants to start getting their credit cards under control – Pay off the cards with the highest interest or the cards with the highest balance?
On the one and you have high interest credit cards – A high interest rate costs you every month and compounds the amount you owe every month you aren’t paying off the entire balance. High interest costs you for what you borrowed. For some people the interest rate can close in on 30%. That’s basically agreeing to pay one third more for everything you bought on the card (or more depending on how long you owe)!
On the other hand you have high balance cards – You’ve used the card so much that the balance may be in the thousands and no matter what you are paying the balance doesn’t seem to ever go down. Even if you have a low interest rate you may be paying a lot of interest because of your high balance.
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