Article TodayFinance.Credit Card Traps, And How To Avoid Them- April 3, 2008 "0% interest for the first six months, no annual fees and a low fixed rate of only 8.9%!" Unless you count the deferred interest we will charge you if you don't pay off the full balance transfer amount when the promotional period ends. Except the ones we charge for "late payments", going over your balance, cash advances, balance transfers, membership in "rewards" programs,http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263234963/credit-card-traps-and-how-to-avoi... The Credit Card Offer- April 3, 2008 One day I got a call from my credit card company asking me if I would like to increase my credit limit by borrowing up to $9000 at their special rate of 15.9%. The operator stated, "Your credit card rate will then be a low 15.9%. 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If you were to purchase a $150,000 home with a $120,000 mortgage (80%), and you paid an interest rate of 9% for 30 years, you will have paid over $227,500 just in interest (in addition to the original $120,000). That's nearly two times the cost of the home! A credit card debt of $7000 (now thehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263234966/how-to-save-thousands-on-mortgage... Cash Advance Loans: Loan Sharks In Disguise- April 3, 2008 You have seen them on the corner and in the poorer parts of town with names like "Quick Cash", "Quick Loan", "Payday Loans", "Car Title Loans". They are starting to sprout up all over the country and will soon rival Starbucks for sheer number of locations. They are the new trend in predatory lending practices but still manage to fly under the radar of regulation in most states. They don' thttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263208170/cash-advance-loans-loan-sharks-in... Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: Who Really Pays The Most- April 3, 2008 Each April our thoughts turn to the coming of spring and the coming of the tax man. I hear a lot of people complaining about taxes at this time of year. Not just that they have to do their taxes and spend hours pouring over old records and trying to figure out indecipherable forms, but also musings and opinions about taxes in general. I often hear the opinion expressed that businesses, propertyhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263208171/taxes-taxes-taxes-who-really-pays... Personal Finance 101- April 3, 2008 The subject of personal finance is very broad, but as a beginning, I would like to discuss what I consider the foundation of personal finance: security. Security Security to me means that I am prepared for the "hit by a bus" scenario. I have life insurance to provide for my wife and children. 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Well I don't know about you but with all the tax law changes and the comings and goings it can be down right confusing for the average American. I spend half the year before Januaryhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263192695/credit-for-qualified-retirement-s... IRS Free File Is Not A Free-For-All- April 3, 2008 Looking for a way to reduce the cost of income tax preparation this year Then you came to the right place -- maybe! The IRS has launched a new program this year -- it's called "Free File", and it enables you to prepare and e-file your personal income tax return online for free. But, alas, there is no free lunch and likewise this "free" program isn't really free for everyone. You have to meethttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ArticleToday/~3/263192696/irs-free-file-is-not-free-for-all... |