I’ve received some emails from readers asking what I wrote to the debt collectors claiming I owe them money. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if you formally dispute the debt within thirty days of original notice, the debt collection agency is required by law to provide proof that the debt is indeed valid.
I […]

Sadly, it looks like the Chairman of the Federal Reserve ignored my open letter last week and decided to cut the federal funds rate by three quarters of a point to 2.25%. Of course, if you’re watching the news right now, everyone is saying that this dramatic cut is a good thing. After all, the […]

If you were following the news yesterday, you might have seen how a barrel of oil closed at a all-time high of over $105. Gas prices in many areas are above $3.50 a gallon, and rising. With the summer driving season rapidly approaching, industry experts are saying that we shouldn’t be surprised to pay over […]

If you’re on top of your finances, odds are you have a bunch of different accounts. A checking account, a savings account, a CD, a 401(k), a Roth IRA, and maybe even an HSA. These days, there are many ways to store your money, but nothing beats the classic savings account. The interest is guaranteed […]

An emergency fund is an important, if not the most important, part of your general budget. Unexpected things happen in life, and odds are they cost money. If you don’t have an emergency fund to catch yourself when you fall, you can easily get caught in a endless cycle of credit card and payday loan […]

Cash under the mattress is the ultimate emergency fund. My wife and I have been discussing whether we should keep a “mattress fund” for those unexpected expenses in life that need to be paid right away. But we weren’t sure how much. What did we feel was a good amount to keep hidden in our […]