Nobody’s Fool
“Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?” – Proverbs 17:16 No one wants to be thought of as a fool – not on April Fool’s Day, not at any time. The Bible uses that strong term only a handful of times in regard […]
Mint.com’s New Money Game: A Review
Mint.com, the popular budget site, has created an online game to help middle school students learn about money. Designed in partnership with Scholastic, Quest for Money is designed to teach young people about various money management skills such as budgeting and saving money. Since we use Mint.com and are very satisfied with the service, I […]
Why Two Savings Accounts Are Better Than One
Interested in dialing down your financial stress and making your finances run more smoothly? Open and maintain two savings accounts. Savings Account Number One: An Emergency Fund During the early days of the recession, I worked with the market research firm Synovate to conduct a national survey (See “Tough Times Call for…”) asking people how […]
Do You Love Your Stuff?
Have you ever started a sentence with the words, “I love …” and then completed it with a description of something instead of someone? For example, do you love your car? A favorite pair of shoes? Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream? We’ve probably all told someone that we “love” something or other. However, […]
Free Kindle eBook Hits a Nerve
My new book, “Money & Marriage”, free on Kindle and Nook this week only, has just been released and is already causing something of a stir. The first reviewer on Amazon slammed the book, complaining that I and/or my publisher “left out the very pertinent fact that this is a religious book.” The reviewer went […]
My New Book, “Money & Marriage,” Releases This Week
I couldn’t be more excited that this week marks the official release of my new book, “Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples.” It’s been on my heart to write this book for a long, long time. I’m sure it isn’t news to you that money is a very common […]
Can’t Build Savings? I Say, You Can
The New York Times recently ran a series of six essays offering various explanations for the generally poor job we Americans do with savings. One blamed the disappearance of defined benefits plans, which, without any conscious effort on the part of workers, provided a steady income in retirement. That same writer dismissed the efforts of […]
Accelerating Your Financial Success Through Technology
When it comes to personal finance – and life in general, for that matter – I’ve never been one to chase fads. I prefer timeless truths and proven ideas. That’s why I’m such a fan of the business classic, “Good to Great.” And it’s why I’m so intrigued with how well the insights that book […]
The Best Deals Ever
Ever since my wife, Jude, found out that Target regularly drops off brand new items at our local Goodwill Store, she has gotten in the habit of shopping there. On a recent visit, she was surprised to find new LEGO sets for 60 percent off the original retail price, so she stocked up on what […]
Mint’s New Debt Reduction Tool: A Review
This week, popular free online budget site Mint.com launched a new tool that helps people figure out when they could be out of debt and keeps them updated on their progress. I’ll explain how it works, along with its pros and cons, in a minute. But first, a little background. Making Budgets Cool When Mint […]