This week, I’ve been included in the Carnival of Personal Finance. Pecuniarities is hosting, and she has a great Jane Austen theme. If you’ve read Jane Austen, you know that nearly every novel begins with an account of the financial situation that the heroines are in. After all, then, as now, money plays a large role in our society.
I encourage you to head on over and read the Jane Austen edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. There are some great articles included (mine is on a gatekeeper for personal finance) that should offer you some good food for financial …read more

Right now, economists and others are worrying about the continuing credit market squeeze. Indeed, they are very worried about the fact that lenders continue to tighten their standards for mortgages and consumer loans. The Federal Reserve says that domestic banks are making it harder for people to get all sorts of loans.
The result? Less access to credit will result in lower rates of consumer spending. MarketWatch reports regarding the credit market squeeze:

“This is consistent with our view that consumer spending will slow markedly over the next several quarters,” wrote economists for Lehman Bros.”

“The impending tightening may ultimately …read more

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of having life insurance. And, probably, many of us have life insurance. But how many of us have thought about disability insurance?
I have from time to time, but I haven’t got it yet. However, I’m beginning to think that it might be a good idea. What if I get into a car accident and bust up my arms or hands so that I can’t type for weeks (or even months)? There goes 75% – 80% of our household income. And while having a good emergency fund would ease the situation, disability insurance would help …read more

Yielding wealth is about more than just earning more and spending less. It’s really about building wealth based on what you understand about how money works. This means that you need to have a solid understanding about the difference between assets and liabilities. Whenever you look at your financial situation, you look at it in terms of assets and liabilities.
Assets
Basically, assets are things you want to have, and liabilities are things you want to limit. Assets are things that create wealth. They grow in value and can provide some sort of return on your investment. A house is often considered …read more