Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Glen Craig

10 Things Similar About Personal Finance And Running The NYC Marathon

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It was a little over two years ago that I completed all 26.2 miles of the ING NYC Marathon.  This past weekend over 40,000 people ran the race.  Let me tell you running a marathon is an awesome experience!  There’s a lot of work and pain but it’s all worth it once it’s over.

Know what else is a lot of work and pain but well worth it?

Taking care of your personal finances! 

In fact there are a lot of similarities between running a marathon and personal finance.

Here are ten thoughts on personal finance and marathons:

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Bank of America Changes its Mind: No Debit Card Fee

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A little while back we reported about Bank of America’s move to start a $5 a month debit card fee for those who used their card for purchases.  In that article, two things we talked about were 1) Making some noise and let BofA know you aren’t happy about the new debit card charge, and 2) Switch your account to another bank, like a credit union or an online bank with free checking.

Well guess what?

Bank of America is dropping their $5 fee on debit card usage!

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What Are Virtual Credit Card Numbers and How Can They Protect You?

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There’s no shortage of hackers in today’s cyberworld and this has many people concerned about security when shopping online. Are you looking for an option that may help alleviate the fear of giving out credit card numbers?

Then having a virtual credit card number may just be what you’re looking for.

What is a Virtual Credit Card Number?

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What is DRIP Investing and How Can it Grow Your Wealth?

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A great deal of focus has been placed on dividend investing lately, and for good reason: Dividend stocks (especially dividend aristocrats) often have solid fundamentals, and can usually weather stock market downturns.  On top of that, you receive regular income from dividend stocks.

Stocks that pay dividends are paying out portions of their profits to shareholders.  This money is paid out monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, and is paid out regardless of share price.  You can use dividend income for whatever you want; it’s yours and can’t be taken back.

One aspect of dividend investing is taking part in a DRIP – a Dividend Re-Invesment Plan.  Let’s explore what DRIP investing is and how it can grow your wealth.

What is a DRIP?

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Foreigners Could Get Visas for Buying US Homes – Does that Make Sense?

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We need to do what we can to stimulate housing and the economy.  Right?

That seems to be the overriding sentiment aimed at the new proposed bill authored by Senators Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah) , the section titled, “Increasing Home Ownership by Priority Visitors,” who want to give foreigners a visa if they purchase $500,000 or more in American homes.

It can’t be just any real estate, either.  They can’t buy land, warehouses, or office buildings.  We’re talking about residential real estate like town houses, homes, or condos.  They’re free to use them as investment property but the minimum purchase is $250,000 per property.  If they want to purchase 10, $50,000 homes they can do that but they won’t qualify for the visa.
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