Upon contemplating how to implement our first budget, I ran into an inevitable problem: how to cash flow monthly expenditures. Having worked in retail for large corporations, I understood that other people had a similar problem. When it came time to pay their bill, some would say, “Well, I don’t get paid until Friday. Can […]
Archives for 2010
Devotional: The Source Of Happiness
This past week I read several posts in the personal finance blogosphere that talked about how having more money can lead to living a happier life. While I do believe that having enough to keep ourselves out of poverty is a desirable thing, I don’t think having money or any material thing is what can […]
Should I Pay Off My Home Mortgage Early Or Invest?
In the past couple of years my wife and I have been able to dig our way out of debt – and a couple of years ago we paid off our last debt, a student loan for my college education. It was an amazing feeling being able to do that – it was a weight […]
Are You Making These 5 Retirement Planning Mistakes?
Retirement is certainly a hot topic. Most people are concerned about how much they need for retirement, when they can retire, which discount broker to use or whether they should open up a Roth IRA or contribute to Traditional IRAs. What’s amazing, however, is that although there are many folks preparing for retirement, there are […]
Buying A Home? Consider The Costs Of Home Ownership First!
Owning a home can be a blessing or a curse. Truly, homeownership can lead to great wealth or great financial ruin. If you’re thinking about buying a house, consider these potential expenses before diving in. While you might already be paying for some of these things while renting, it is still important to have an […]
Obama Administration Urges Congress To Pass Another $200 Billion Stimulus Package
As the effects of the $787 billion stimulus package of last year begin to wear off, the Obama administration is now looking at the option of passing yet another “limited” stimulus package to help dig the economy “out of a deep valley”. Without it they fear that the slow gains our economy has made this […]
How To Protest County Property Tax Appraisals
It may differ by county, but you more than likely have received your county property tax appraisal in the mail recently. The county assesses homes each year to determine property tax liability. County appraisers apply mass appraisal methods and techniques based upon individual characteristics that affect the market value of your home. As a homeowner […]
Home-Buyer Tax Credits Are Being Delayed Or Denied For Some Filers
Over the past year we’ve talked quite a bit the home-buyer tax credits that were available to both first time home-buyers, and more recently to existing homeowners looking to buy a new primary residence. The bill was originally passed in February 2009 as a part of the Obama stimulus package, and was extended at the […]
2011 Federal Income Tax Brackets: IRS Marginal Tax Rates
The 2011 tax year promises to be one where there will be some significant changes to the marginal tax brackets. What those changes exactly will be still remains to be seen. There seems to be a couple of scenarios that people think are more likely to happen. The 2001 Bush tax cuts could be allowed […]
Car Maintenance Tips To Avoid Car Debt
It’s a good idea to stay in front of what your car will cost you, and have a good game plan for handling car maintenance costs.
Why Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps Really Work
If you’ve been around the past few years, you’ve probably heard the name Dave Ramsey. The ups and downs of the economy have helped popularize his teachings about saving, eliminating debt, and sound investing. Perhaps you’ve been curious about Dave’s Baby Steps, and whether or not you should give them a go. For those of […]
We’re Adding A New Staff Writer. Please Welcome John Frainee!
Over the last few months I’ve been added several staff writers to the Bible Money Matters site. The reason? I want to vary the content, bring in some different viewpoints, and make things interesting for the readers. I have a vision of making this site one of the go-to places in the blogosphere for Christian […]
Don’t Let College Debt Crush Your Will To Learn
Nobody ever said that attending college was going to be easy. In fact, with the downward spiral of the recent economy putting the crunch on public services across the board, schools are placing more and more of the burden of paying for higher education on the shoulders of students. Even in cases like California, where […]
8 Things Every High School Graduate Must Know About Money
I once wrote (well, more than once) an article that got some negative criticism. The article was called How To Write A Check And Other Checkbook Basics. I found out that a lot of people graduating high school didn’t know how to write a check, so I wrote an article on the topic. There was […]
