Lessons Taken from “Extreme Couponing”

Now that summer has arrived, I finally have the time to clean out my DVR and catch some re-runs.  Last month, I caught a part of TLC “Extreme Couponing” marathon.  For those who have never heard of it, “Extreme Couponing” is a show about people who have mastered and perfected the art of using coupons [...]

Cash for a Clunker Appliance

Similar to last year’s cash for clunker program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has allocated $300 million for rebates to eligible residential consumers when they recycle their used appliances and purchase new energy-efficient ones (otherwise known as ENERGY STAR appliances).  Each state is in charge of designing  and implementing its own unique [...]

To Travelers: Time to Make Room in Your Wallet

Capital One has recently launched a new travel rewards credit card, as you might have already heard from its many TV commercials.  If you like to travel, Capital One’s Venture Rewards credit card could be your match made in heaven.

IRS Open Houses Begin

This Saturday, March 27, IRS began holding Open Houses from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at over 180 offices across the nation to help taxpayers with their tax questions.  Click here to find the location nearest to you and here for the entire list of services provided.  And no worries if you missed this past Saturday, [...]

Tip of the Week: Get in the Habit of Checking Your Credit Report

The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees each person free access to a credit report from each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) every twelve months.  It is generally good practice to periodically check your credit report to make sure it is accurate and that there are no suspicious, fraudulent, or unauthorized activities.  [...]

Insurance is Not Just for You and Your Car

Most of us at are probably renters.  We might be testing out different career paths or deciding which graduate school to attend, but the bottom line is that most of us have neither the funds nor the commitment to purchase a home and stay in one place indefinitely.  Instead, we hold a premium on being [...]

Relief for Retirement

Good news, the 401(k) match is back!  According to Chavon Sutton at CNN Money, 80% of the companies that suspended or reduced their 401(k) programs are planning to restore them this year.  When many companies stopped their 401(k) match programs last year, I suggested that people stop contributing to their 401(k) accounts and instead start investing [...]

Homebuyer’s Credit: It Might be Better to Wait

If you are rushing to purchase a home and sign a binding contract before May 1, 2010 in order to get the homebuyer’s credit (a maximum $8,000 for first-time buyers or $6,500 for repeat buyers) and secure a low mortgage rate, it might be better to wait especially if you are still unsure.  According to Jack Hough [...]

Three Tips for Filing Taxes

No one likes to file their taxes and April 15, 2010 seems far away, but the deadline will be here before you know it.  Here are three tips to make it somewhat less onerous: File your taxes electronically – You can (1) e-file through the IRS website (this is the only option without any tax preparation [...]

Three Tips for Filing FAFSA

If you are returning to school this year as a graduate student, filing the FAFSA this time around might be slightly different from when you did it for college.  Here are a few tips to maximize your financial aid. File as soon as possible – While FAFSA requires information from your 2009 tax return and schools will [...]