We’ve heard a lot of talk about the economy lately. And that talk has increased as the latest unemployment data puts the new jobless rate at 10.2%. The news is that, even though the recession is technically over, there are still some very grim economic realities to deal with. Whether you are planning on investing in economic recovery, or just want to gauge the health of the economy, MoneyNing offers three economic indicators you should not overlook:

Consumer Confidence Index: This measures how consumers feel about the economy. It is a measure of whether or not consumers feel confident enough about …read more

Yesterday’s distressing unemployment data sent the national unemployment rate above 10%. This came as President Obama prepared to sign into law a bill providing an extension of jobless benefits. The bill is a relatively small measure, by recent economic stimulus standards, at $24 billion. The bill will extend the eligibility to collect unemployment benefits by 14 weeks. In states with higher unemployment rates (of more than 8.5%), there is a 20 week extension.
But it’s not just the jobless benefits that have seen an extension. The bill is also extending the first time home buyer tax credit along the lines negotiated …read more

The Federal Reserve should be announcing its interest rate decision later today, and stocks are heading higher on the assumption that the Fed is likely to keep interest rates near 0%, as well as the expectation that the Fed will keep stimulus help coming in. Indeed, what Ben Bernanke says about economic policy going forward is more likely to influence the stock market than just about anything else today, and expectations that he will play up the fact that we’re only at the beginning of the recovery, and that there will be a continued need for economic stimulus for some …read more

One of the realities of banking is that there are fees involved. And, interestingly, the bigger the bank, the bigger the fees. It is rather frustrating to read about bailouts of big banks, only to find that very large percentages of their profits come from fees. So, not only are your taxes going to help prop up these big banks, but you also prop them up through the fees you pay. The Service Employees International Union estimates (since banks don’t reveal it) that J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America all make more than 70% of their profits from …read more

Many people are finding that they are having difficulty right now making payments. Credit card debt has gotten a bit out of control, and people are waking up to the realities of their financial situations, so it is little surprise that many are trying to get out of debt. Unfortunately, interest rates and piled on fees can make this a daunting task. The good news is that there are hardship programs available that can help you repay your debt.
I received an email from A New Horizon, a credit counseling and debt solutions company, pointing out that some credit card issuers …read more

Once a month, my husband and I fast. We go without food for 24 hours. It’s part of our religious practice, but fasting has benefits that go beyond the spiritual. Indeed, there are actually financial benefits to fasting — although some of them are a little more indirect.
Benefits derived from fasting
Here are some of the financial benefits that you can derive from fasting:

Save money: When you aren’t spending the money on food, you can save it. My husband and I probably save about $10 a month for that one day we don’t fast. It’s not a whole lot, but $120 …read more

One of the ways that you can save money on your health insurance premiums is to get high deductible health insurance. In this case, you pay more out of pocket for your health care, which results lower premiums. As many begin to consider their options during this year’s open enrollment season, it is little surprise that many are considering the high deductible option. However, it may not always be the best option. Here are some things to consider before you spring for high deductible insurance:

Loopholes in coverage: As always, read the fine print. In some cases, you might find there …read more

There are several different schools of thought about what order that you should employ when paying off debt. Some say to attack the high interest debt first. Others say that you should get rid of the smallest debt first. Depending on your style of personal finances, and what motivates, either of these methods can work for you. But there is another method for deciding what to pay off first that I read about at Poorer Than You: How annoying the debt is.
Debt annoyance theory
This theory of paying off debt has you look at what debts are bothering you the most. …read more

When you are looking for financing for your business, you need good business credit. Having business credit that is separate from personal credit is a good idea, since it can protect your personal finances from business failure, and it can help you establish your business as its own credit-worthy entity. Here are some business credit considerations:

Multiple accounts: With personal credit, multiple accounts, even if they are in good standing, can be detrimental. Business credit is different, though. Multiple active business credit accounts in good standing boost your business credit score.
Payment timeliness: One of the biggest factors in your business credit …read more

Last week I ran a contest offering 30 day access to a resume service from Pongo Resume. Yesterday was the deadline, and 5 random winners have been selected from those who left comments. Here are the five winners:

Pattie
David
Colleen C
Tom
Blaike

No more Yielding Wealth
I also have kind of sad news. b5 has decided to discontinue Bizzia. All of our blog content is being transferred to a “business/finance” category at another b5 site, EveryJoe. So there will be no more Yielding Wealth, as of the end of today. :(
This is a bit of a bummer for me, since I really have worked hard …read more