Mortgages! The government needs to help the rest of us!

The government should help people like us. People who are not delinquent on their payments, but have little or no equity. I hear Washington my be helping soon.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29158056

V-day! Becareful about the hype.

Valentine's day is a great day to spend money. You can spend wisely or stupidly and you still feel like you have not spent enough. Is that the media's fault or mine? I use to get my grandmother flowers, even when I was broke. When she passed it seemed as though the holiday disappeared, only to be banged into my head repeatedly by the ad's on tv. I started looking for things to buy, on my tight budget, and only found a handful of things. This leads me to think that the "love" industry is still making $$$$$$$$$$. $5 for a dozen roses are resold for $40. That is an awesome profit margin. I think I will pitch in with a friend and make my own bouquet and leave it on her gravestone. Happy Valentine's day to all our loved ones who are no longer here!

Those that can't do, teach. Really?

I have been approached to teach the basic understanding of finance as it pertains to investing in mutual funds, life insurance products, and annuities. At first I thought the idea was crazy, but now I think i just might do it.

If ignorance is bliss, and knowledge is freedom,then what is teaching? Sounds deep, huh?

Pride has no place in investing!

I know people who attach their self-confidence to the ebb and flow of the market. I have made the mistake of taking pride in a stock pick only to regret the choice a moment later. I have learned to attach pride to the work it takes to make that investment choice. I take pride in the process of the "homework". Reading the balance sheet, reviewing the competitors, looking at the opportunities specific to that company, weighing the obstacles that have arisen in the current economic environment, and then reading the charts. The market does not listen to my emotions. The market does not react with kindness and sympathy to my pride. The market is coldblooded. You must first remove emotion before you even look at a stock. For example in Dec. of 1999 I liked Corning (NYSE:GLW) at $40 a share, only to have it sink to $1 in 2002. I would have been depressed and sold out if I were emotional about the choice to invest. The fundamental reasons were still there so I continued to buy it. Today, even in this market, I have gained from my rationale, and not my emotions. What emotions do you feel when you open your investment statements?

Tax time: Start Now I did!

Taxes! What if you can't afford to pay your income tax? Do you charge it, refinance your house, or just avoid it until you can pay it?

403B: What do you do when your employer has reduced your choice of vendors?

Have you ever been to a resturant that you love, only to return and find that the menu has been reduced to the bare minimum. That is what it feels like when your employer reduces your investment choices. Many people may be familiar with a 401K but some of you who work in a non-profit may have a closer relationship with their 403B. The 403B is the 401k equivilant at non-profit companies. Due to new rules employers have reduced the number of vendors that are allowed in the 403b systems. This may reduce some costs to the employer but it has caused many employees to have concerns. One major concern is about the contribution they may have made to a previous vendor. The second concern is the new company and its product offerings. The simple rule is that one watches their investments and only makes changes once all tax consequences and penalties have been reviewed. The second move is to review the current vendor list and investment options. Then take the change as an opportunity to rethink personal investment horizons and risk tolerance levels. Make sure that you find someone to help you make sense of any concepts you have no clue about. What would you do?

Balance transfers: No good deed goes unpunished.

Is transferring your high interest credit cards to another credit card company with a low interest rate offer a good move? The simple answer should be a resounding "YES", but it is not always the case. Transferring your balance will lead to a balance transfer fee that may be as high as 3%, and this is not all. If the balance is not paid in full, some companies charge you the entire interest accrued during the introductory period, even if you made payments on the principal. Another, booby-trap is the late payment penalty clause, some companies state that if you are late on your payment once, or pay less than the minimum by any marginal amount (ex. $.01) you may be subject to the current rate. The current rate could be larger than the rate you were paying on your previous card. It is not uncommon to see rates of 20% or more. Has this happened to you?