Every month, the COUNTRY Financial Security Index is released. This measure looks at the state of financial security in this country, and how people feel about their finances. The most recent survey results, from October, show that many people are planning on changing their financial habits as a result of the recent recession. Here is what a recent press release from COUNTRY Financial points out about their findings:
One in four (25 percent) say they would like to be less reliant on credit and debt in the future, 21 percent plan to keep a lid on spending on non-essentials, and 18 …read more

This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best places to look for a job can actually be at a firm that just laid a bunch of people off. Depending on the reasons behind the lay offs, you might find that such companies are ready to do a round of hiring.
Recently, an acquaintance of mine was laid off — along with dozens of others — from a local company. Imagine our surprise when the Classifieds showed job openings in that company two weeks later! The reason? In the interest of cost-cutting, the company laid off around 50 of …read more

In these times of economic turmoil, one of the biggest casualties has been personal credit. Many people are seeing a drop to their credit scores, and finding it difficult to get the best rates on a number of products and services. This includes car leases, for those who prefer to lease their cars. And, if a double-dip recession becomes a reality, this problem could continue. Those with credit that is good enough to lease may find that they are not getting the best payment plan for their money.
One way that you can improve your chances of getting better pricing is …read more

When you spend a lot of time on twitter, you’re probably making lots of friends. One of the features that I think is great on Facebook is the mutual friends display. I use this frequently to determine if I should already know this person or perhaps what the context is of the reason I should know them.

Although not quite as easy to do within the twitter interface, there is a similar tool available from the Who Follows Whom website.
Who Follows Whom allows you to put in multiple twitter usernames, up to 5, and see who are the people that …read more

One of the more interesting places that you can use to create and manage savings goals is SmartyPig. The site allows you to set up separate accounts that you can label for different purposes. These accounts then earn interest, allowing you to have your money work for you while you minutely track progress toward your savings goals. Today, SmartyPig is announcing the introduction of a 12% cash boost program. Here is what a press release from SmartyPig announces about how the program works, and the possibilities:
Now, when customers meet their savings goal they can realize up to 12% in cash …read more

This semester is drawing to a close, and that means that we will soon see another semester — and another round of buying textbooks. How well I remember those days! The good news is that we now have a number of options beyond buying new (and likely being gouged) from the bookstore. Here are some great places you can find used textbooks and save money next semester:

Student boards and online book swaps: Many university student centers offer helpful boards where you can find students looking to sell books, or to swap them. Some campuses even have online book exchange web …read more

Yesterday, we looked at four of the eight tips Investopedia offers for thinking like Warren Buffett. Here are the remaining 8 tips for investing like Buffett:

Consider probabilities: Warren Buffett is a fan of the card game Bridge, in which successful players beat their opponents by considering probabilities. Likewise, you can think of stocks in terms of probabilities. The Investopedia article points out that investors who consider the probability of a good return over 10 years is likely to ride out down cycles to find success in the long-term.
Realize that investing has psychological aspects: We would like to be unemotional …read more

Sure, the man we consider the premier investor of our time has lost billions in this recession. But it’s a recession. Everyone’s going to lose money. And even though he has lost several billion dollars, he’s still got $37 billion, and the only guy in the world that is richer is Bill Gates. Clearly, there are things that we can learn from the “Oracle of Omaha.”
Lucky for us, Investopedia took eight valuable tips from the book The Warren Buffett Portfolio and offers them to the world. Here are the first 4 of the 8 tips for thinking like Warren Buffett …read more

By some estimates, this is the toughest job market in two decades. Indeed, the fact that the unemployment rate just topped 10% indicates how difficult things are right now. Which means that relying solely on the job boards may be a bad idea. Indeed, CNN Money points out that this is not even close to enough if you are serious about succeeding in the job hunt:
According to Paul Bernard, a veteran executive coach and career management adviser who runs his own firm, many job seekers make the mistake of relying too heavily on online job boards, particularly at the start …read more

It’s time to start your holiday shopping — if you haven’t already. While you might not be able to get a gift card for your significant other (unless it’s to a romantic restaurant or for a massage), you can get gift cards for the other people on your list. And if you are looking for a great deal on your gift card, a new site, Gift Card Granny, can help you find discount gift cards.
Discount gift cards usually have balances that aren’t being used available for less than the value of the card. Sometimes stores offer gift cards for less …read more