I was pleased with myself when I recently rented a car and made use of two discounts. First, I found a coupon code using Ask Deals and then I scored a small additional rebate by entering the rental car company’s web site through Ebates. In fact, I was about to write a blog post about […]
Author Archive | Matt Bell
Worker Sentiment Sours
In an era of high unemployment, it’s not very wise to complain about your job. However, there’s a lot of dissatisfaction out there. According to a survey by the Conference Board, just 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs. That’s the lowest rating in the 22 years that the organization has been surveying […]
Keeping Your Economic Engine Tuned
USNews.com recently shared 10 career resolutions for the New Year. All were worthwhile ideas, but three really stood out. First, look for something new to learn every day. The “every day” part might be a bit lofty, but I agree with the importance of continuing to learn. Most large employers offer some form of tuition […]
A Credit Score Short Course
Your credit score impacts everything from the interest rate on your mortgage, to your insurance premiums, to whether you’ll get the job you applied for. According to MSN’s Liz Pulliam Weston, today’s ideal is to have a score of 740 or higher (scores range from 300-850). We are all entitled to a free credit report […]
Why You Need Two Savings Accounts
A very common New Year’s resolution is to save more money. That’s a worthy goal, but I recommend that you maintain two savings accounts—an “If” savings account and a near-term “When” savings account. “If” savings is your emergency fund. It’s for all of life’s if’s—if you incur significant medical or house repair expenses that are […]
May It Be
I love the start of a new year. It’s a chance to begin again, to set fresh goals and make new plans for the months ahead. As we make plans for 2010, whether financial or other types, let’s make sure that our plans are God’s plans. We can do so only by listening for his […]
Resolving to Get the Money Thing Right
Financial goals are usually among the top resolutions people make for the New Year, but this time around even more people have finances on their minds. In a story summarizing the findings of numerous New Year’s resolution surveys, CNBC noted that one-third of people who make resolutions usually have a financial goal on their list. […]
The Credit Card Game is Changing
Sweeping changes are coming to the credit card world, with issuers facing many new rules and regulations starting February 22nd. The Credit CARD Act will restrict issuers’ ability to raise interest rates, prohibit them from charging various fees, and more. As a result, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, issuers are quick […]
Do You Work Too Much?
Marriages involving a workaholic are twice as likely to end in divorce, according to a study done by Bryan Robinson, a University of North Carolina researcher and author of Chained to the Desk. In an ABCNews.com story, Robinson makes a distinction between workaholics and hard workers. While workaholics, of course, work more hours than others, […]
Becoming a Nation of Savers
After many years of declines in our household savings rate, the recession seems to have sparked a savings revival. The rate even hit a high of 6.4 percent of disposable income in May, the highest since 1993. It was 4.4 percent in the most recently reported month of October, whereas it had been hovering around […]