Dow Crosses 14,000 and Links

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 14,000 this week.

This achievement was a big milestone for the bull market, yet no one seems to be celebrating too much.  Some traders think the market will begin to cool off while others think the government will work with the Federal Reserve to continue pushing the economy and markets up.

For all the talk of the Great Recession, the Lost Decade of 2000 to 2010, and so forth the markets have done surprising well.  The S&P 500 is up 37%, the Dow Jones is up 36%, and the Nasdaq is up 44% since the beginning of January 2010.

If you had funds invested in the market through a low cost index fund, you’ve probably done well.  And that’s not even taking into consideration dollar cost averaging your investments into the market which would catch some of the lows along the way and drive your returns even higher.

Will the bull market continue?  No one really knows and making drastic portfolio changes based on your gut is unwise.

Focus on what you can control with these articles:

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4 Money Attitudes that Will Lead to Financial Failure

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Sometimes, the way we think about money can have a big impact on how successful we are financially.

It seems strange that your mindset could matter so much, but how you think about money, and what you think is possible, can affect your financial success over time.

Take a few minutes to examine your money attitudes, and determine whether or not they are healthy.  Think about some of the attitudes you have that might be bringing your finances down the road to financial failure, including:

1. I’ll Start Saving When I Make More Money

My husband and I fell victim to this attitude early on in our marriage.  We thought we had to be making a certain amount of money before we could start saving.

Eventually, though, we realized that we needed to start small.  Building the habit, especially with our low income, was more important than anything else.

It’s important to get in the habit of saving.
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How to Get Cheap Life Insurance

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Life insurance is that insurance that we desperately hope we’ll never need to use—or at least that our loved ones won’t need to use.

But in so many respects, it can be the most important type of insurance that you have.

It’s your way to provide for your dependents if you aren’t around to do it for them.

OK, you want to help protect and provide for your family but life insurance can be expensive.  How can you get cheap life insurance?

Below are some ideas on how to get cheap life insurance.

Buy Term Life Insurance

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Citi Simplicity® Card Review – No Late Fees or Penalty Rate Hikes

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Would you like a credit card with no late fees, no annual fee, no penalty rates hikes, and more?

Take a look at the Citi Simplicity® Card!

In this review I’ll show you the basics of what this card is all about so you can see if it’s the right card for you.

To start, here’s a quick rundown of what the Citi Simplicity Card has to offer:

  • 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 12.99% – 21.99% based on your creditworthiness.
  • There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
  • No late fees – EVER
  • No penalty rate – EVER
  • No annual fee – EVER
  • Save time when you call with fast, personal help, 24 hours a day.

Right off the bat you are getting a card with a very long 0% introductory and balance transfer APR rate (18 months).

If you have credit card debt on other cards, and the interest rate is weighing you down, transferring your debt to a card like this can really help you make a dent in your debt (assuming you will be paying off more than the minimum amount due, of course).

Transferring my debt to a 0% Intro APR card years ago helped me pay off my credit card debt faster.  You are able to make payments that go right to your principle rather than paying off your interest.  This lets you pay off more faster.

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Should You Break Up With Your Credit Card? When to Move On

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I’m a big believer in using credit cards to better your financial situation.

That means using your credit card like a debit card, not like a free flowing spigot of money.  There are too many benefits to using a credit card like a free month of float on your money and free warranty extensions on products you buy to ignore credit cards completely.

That isn’t to say that credit cards are risk-free.

Obviously, many people get trapped in credit card debt paying high interest rates with balances that take forever to pay off.  (Many times this is through their own choices of spending too much money on the card, but I digress.)

Just like any other tool credit cards can be used for both good and bad.

The choice on which is up to you.

Even if you aren’t up to your eyeballs in credit card debt there are times when it is just time to move on and decide this isn’t a good card for you.

3 Big Reasons to Break Up With Your Credit Card and Find a New Card

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Stamp Prices Increase and Links

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The cost of stamps will rise to 46 cents per stamp on Sunday. 

The US Postal Service is in dire shape; the organization nearly defaulted on payments it is required to make twice last year.  A decline in demand for sending items through the postal service combined with rising healthcare and pension costs has put extreme pressure on the Postal Service.

When is the last time you sent a letter to someone?

Aside from occasional bill payment or sending a birthday card, my use of postal services has dropped significantly.  What will the USPS do as demand continues to drop?  Only time will tell.

When things change financially you have to take action. Don’t wait for a Congressional bailout like the USPS. Take action with these articles:

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Where Can I Get IRS Tax Forms (or Where Can I File Free)?

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Remember when you used to get a package of small booklets in the mail at the beginning of the year?  They had those real thin pages, like newspaper and there would be official computer forms included.

Well those packets, your IRS 1040 tax forms for the previous year, haven’t been mailed out since 2011.

According to the IRS, fewer and fewer taxpayers have been receiving tax packages in the mail in recent years.  In fact, in 2010 only 8 percent of individuals who files taxes received tax forms in the mail.

Wow, have times changed!
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What is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust?

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Thinking about your own death is often unpleasant yet unfortunately necessary.

When you die there are a certain set of rules that dictate how your assets will be distributed to your heirs.  Those rules are set by your state’s estate tax laws.

If you don’t want your assets to go to the state and likely take years to be doled out to your heirs then you need a will.  Some people may also need a trust, but a will and a trust are two different legal issues.

Finding out the difference can be pretty confusing and having the wrong type of legal protection for your assets can be a catastrophic estate planning error.

How are a Will and Trust Different?

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5 Strategies for Keeping the Peace When Parents Move Back in with Their Adult Children

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As much as parents love their children, some parents prefer that their grown children fly the coop and don’t come back to live. 

Having adult children move back in with you can be challenging and often requires that you establish firm boundaries and ground rules so both generations can live in peace under the same roof.

While much has been written about the boomerang generation, not much has been said about the reverse trend–parents moving in with their adult children thanks to an inadequate retirement or health problems.

If you foresee that there may be a day when your parents could potentially move in with you, it is important to begin preparing now, years before it may actually happen.

Here are some strategies to help keep the peace when parents move back:

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The Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards 2013

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For a while, 0% balance transfer credit cards disappeared from mailboxes.

Now, though, they are starting to make a comeback as the economy improves, and as credit scores start to rise.

If you are looking to transfer some of your higher-interest credit card balances, you can use one of these offers — you usually receive 0% on purchases for the introductory period as well.

Saving Money with 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

One of the great things about the best 0% balance transfer cards is that you can save money in interest, and pay down your debt faster.

These credit cards don’t charge you interest on the balance transfer for the introductory period, so whatever you pay goes right to your balance.  This can help you get out of debt faster.  Of course, make sure you pay more than the minimum to really take advantage.

Additionally, if you plan to make a large purchase and have a card that offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases, these kinds of credit cards can help you get what you want and then pay it off quickly — without paying interest at all.  It’s a great way to save money instead of putting the item on a high interest credit card, or getting a loan. Continue Reading