Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Review

Review of Quicken 2014 for Windows – Get Your Finances In Order and On Track

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How much time do you spend each month going through receipts, bank account transactions, and credit card statements?

Staying on top of your finances is wise, but spending hours upon hours doing it makes the task seem like a waste.

Thankfully there are many great tools available to help you automate and streamline the process of staying on top of your finances.

Today we’re going to take a look at Quicken 2014 Deluxe for Windows.

How You Can Take Charge of Tracking Your Money – Quicken Deluxe 2014 for Windows Review

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All About Free Online Checking Accounts – Why Pay More Fees Than You Have To

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Don’t you hate it when you look at your checking account and see less money there because of fees you were charged?

And isn’t it annoying when you look at the requirements of checking accounts of many traditional/brick and mortar banks?  (Are you checking the requirements?  Gotta ask.)

They say they have free checking but you have to fulfill a maze of requirements: have a direct deposit with them, have an account balance of at least X for the month, stay under Y transactions… It’s hard to keep up!

blank_checkSo what options are out there?  Free online checking accounts!

As technology and the internet have grown, companies have stepped up and recreated the wheel, so to speak.  A number of banks have introduced free online checking accounts that are easy to use and full of features.

And because these companies are online and don’t have to manage physical bank locations, they can offer their customers more benefits such as higher interest rates, cash back rewards, and free services like bill pay – all nice bonuses in addition to a free online checking account.

Are you not with me yet?  Fine.  Understand that there are many checking accounts out there that are chock full of serpentine fees just waiting to suck your hard-earned money out.

These Are some Common Checking Account Fees You Want to Avoid

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Do You Know What All Your Investments Are? – Personal Capital Review

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It’s tough keeping track of all of your money and investing accounts.

There’s your savings, checking, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, 529 plans, investing accounts, 401(k) plans… it can go on and on.  If you’re lucky some of those accounts are with the same company so you can see a few of your accounts in one place.  But odds are you’re still going to need to jump around to get a complete picture of your finances.

It’s not impossible to track everything, for sure, but it can be a pain switching between accounts to see exactly what you are invested in for which account.

Wouldn’t it be great if you had one place that can give you a snapshot of your money?

And then wouldn’t it be awesome if you could get a better idea of your allocations to better make sure you are diversified  in the right places?  Oh, and if you could see what your fund fees were costing you in one spot that would be nice too, right?

Some objective financial advice based on your accounts would be a sweet thing to have access to as well, wouldn’t it?

Enter Personal Capital.

Personal Capital describes itself as “Your Next Generation Financial Advisor”, and it may be just that.

Not only does the application allow you to combine your various financial accounts in one place, but it also provides expert, personal investment management with low fees.

How Personal Capital Makes Your Life Easier

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Review: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

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Are you looking for an incredible travel rewards credit card that allows you to earn free nights at high-end hotels and resorts AND can be used towards airline miles programs?

How about a card that, besides rewards, comes with additional travel benefits, purchase protections, and more?

Then look no further than the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.

Starpoint® Rewards Program

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TurboCharge Your Costco Savings! TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express Review

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Are you a member of Costco, or thinking about it?  Want to make your dollar go even further there?

Then the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express may be for you.

Shopping at Costco (or any warehouse store) is one of those things you have to evaluate – is it worth it for your family at its current size and eating/spending habits?  Buying in bulk can sometimes mean great savings but it can also be deceptive and even cost more than your local grocery store when all is said and done.

If you’ve calculated that Costco is right for you, the TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express can help you earn cash back on your purchases there and elsewhere.

Let’s review the TrueEarnings Card a little more in-depth and explore how you can combine this credit card with Costco’s Executive membership for extra savings:

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