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Do Your Taxes Online, For Free!
Doing your taxes online can save you money and time. There are many online tax preparation services that can accommodate most taxpayers' circumstances. Some are even free. However, there are a few gotchas to watch out for when choosing and using an online tax service. Here's what you need to know...
Continue reading "Do Your Taxes Online, For Free!"...Get Your Free Credit Score
Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your financial life. This one number summarizes your creditworthiness, and it's the first thing lenders look at when you apply for a loan, and often the last. Learn how a credit SCORE is different from a credit REPORT, and find out how to get your credit score, for free...
Continue reading "Get Your Free Credit Score"...Ten Identity Theft Protection Tips
A friend of mine lost thousands of dollars because of an identity theft scammer. That person was arrested, but undoing the damage has been difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Can you give me some practical tips to help defend against identity theft?
Continue reading "Ten Identity Theft Protection Tips"...Tap to Pay with Google Wallet?
I was just in Macy's and saw a sign at the checkout, inviting me to pay with Google Wallet, by tapping my smartphone on the credit card reader. It also said something about NFC, which I don't understand. Can you tell me more about this, and how it works?
Continue reading "Tap to Pay with Google Wallet?"...Five Free Alternatives to Quicken
For years, I've been using Quicken to manage my personal finances, balance the checkbook, and track expenses against my budget goals. I'd also like to manage my investments, but that requires Quicken Premier, which goes for $89. Are there any free Quicken software alternatives that can do it all?
Continue reading "Five Free Alternatives to Quicken"...Beware the Free Credit Report Scam
I heard about a government website where I can get a free credit report, but after I log in, it seems they want me to buy a 'credit monitoring' package before I get my 'free' report. Is this a scam, or did I miss something in the process?
Continue reading "Beware the Free Credit Report Scam"...Selling Your House
Most home sellers rely on professional real estate agents to handle the legal and marketing details of selling a home. But the realtor's commission takes a big bite out of the proceeds of a home sale. With home prices already depressed, a growing number of sellers are attempting to sell it themselves. Here are some online tools to help you sell your home...
Continue reading "Selling Your House"...Coupons Online
Discount and special offer coupons are a favorite way to save money at the grocery store. But gathering coupons, clipping them, and keeping them organized are a tedious hassle. Fortunately, we are well into the age of electronic coupons. Here are some tips on finding online coupons and discount offers...
Continue reading "Coupons Online"...Unsecured Loans Online
John Good owns Bubbles Galore, a successful car wash business in Davison, Michigan. He had good credit and a great idea to add a dog washing service to his business. When the bank said no to a modest $16,000 loan request, Good went looking online for alternative unsecured loan options...
Continue reading "Unsecured Loans Online"...Online Savings Account
I've heard that online banks offer much better interest rates, but all the accounts I've found so far have pitifully low rates. Why are interest rates so low, and are there any online savings accounts that offer higher yields?
Continue reading "Online Savings Account"...Loan Calculators Online
There are hundreds of ways to look at a loan, and an equally bewildering number of loan calculators online. Do you need a home refinance calculator; a home loan payment calculator; a home equity calculator; a home improvement loan calculator; a reverse mortgage calculator; a loan amortization calculator; an interest-only calculator; or a loan comparison calculator? It's out there, if you can find it among all the other loan calculators. Here's where to look...
Continue reading "Loan Calculators Online"...Online Commodities Trading
There may be no more effortless way to make money than online commodities trading. Buy low, sell high with just a few keystrokes and mouse-clicks. Commodity trading online is as fast and furious as any real-time multiplayer shoot-em-up game; the adrenalin rush itself is fun. But trading commodities online is also fraught with perils for novices who do not understand the game...
Continue reading "Online Commodities Trading"...Credit Monitoring
Your credit is one of your most important assets in this day and age. It's also vulnerable to identity theft; credit reporting errors; and simple misunderstandings that can damage your credit and adversely impact more than just your ability to borrow money. It's important to monitor your credit and correct any problems you can as quickly as possible. Here's how...
Continue reading "Credit Monitoring"...What is Forex?
Forex is short for foreign exchange. It's sometimes abbreviated FX but don't confused that with the gamer's terms for effects. Forex is no game; it's about very real, very large sums of money. But there are a lot of games involving forex being played on the Internet. Be careful; the rules are not always what they seem to be...
Continue reading "What is Forex?"...Free Credit Score
Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life. This one number summarizes your creditworthiness, and it's the first thing lenders look at when you apply for a loan, and often the last. Here's how to find out your credit score, for free...
Continue reading "Free Credit Score"...Free Credit Reports Online
I've heard some people say that I can get a free credit report online, but the websites I looked at want to charge me a fee. Is it true that I can get a free credit report once a year?
Continue reading "Free Credit Reports Online"...What is GnuCash?
I've heard that GnuCash is a free accounting program, similar to Quicken. So it's free, but how does it compare with Quicken or Microsoft Money, for basic household or small business accounting?
Continue reading "What is GnuCash?"...Currency Converter
How many Drachmas in a Dinar? How many Rupees can you get for a hundred Rubles? In what countries are the official currencies called the Zloty and the Punt? A visit to the Universal Currency Converter will answer all these questions - read on!
Continue reading "Currency Converter"...Stock Investing
If you're a stock market investor, there lots of great resources on the Net that will help you keep tabs on your stock portfolio, keep up with the latest market news, do company research, and even do your trading online. This article will point you in the right direction if you're looking for a little help finding the best stock market and financial websites.
Continue reading "Stock Investing"...
