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Archives for December 2012

The Best of The College Investor 2012

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Welcome to the last day of 2012!  What a crazy year it has been in the financial sector!  Looking back on the year, I think of IPOs, a crazy Presidential election that touched on jobs and the economy as primary issues, and now the fight over the Fiscal Cliff and the Debt Ceiling (Part 2). […]

Filed Under: Life
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

What You Should Be Scared Of In The Stock Market

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It’s almost 2013, and there are potentially a lot of changes happening in the economy, in government, and as a result, in the stock market.  I’m not trying to be a doomsday predictor, but I do believe that you should be scared of a few things, and plan accordingly.  Remember, there are no unexpected expenses, […]

Filed Under: Investing
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Socially Responsible Investing: Where’s Your Limit?

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The reality is that, as investors, we make money from the success of American and international businesses. When Walmart sells groceries, investors benefit. When McDonald’s sells a Big Mac, investors benefit. The effect of one sale is marginal. The effect of millions of sales leads to quarterly profits, which lead to dividends, and hopefully appreciation […]

Filed Under: Investing
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

The 5 Most Common Money Problems

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Money problems plague all of us, and not all of them have to do with unexpected expenses.  In fact, most money problems we create are self imposed. Why do I talk about money problems?  Having money problems keeps you from getting out of student loan debt, prevents you from saving, and ultimately, prevents you from […]

Filed Under: Spending
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

The Pay Gap: Underpaid Women Blame Themselves

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Just to be clear, I am a feminist. I believe in equal rights for women, I believe that little girls should be told that they can be whatever in the world they want to be, but in my life, I think I stumbled upon part of the reason that women are underpaid. Talking about money […]

Filed Under: Employment and Education
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Preparing for Financial Emergencies and Unexpected Expenses

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It’s always the most joyous time of the year when the unexpected seems to occur, and so it is important that you’re prepared for financial emergencies and other unexpected expenses.  These can range from the mundane – needing to get your car repaired, to catastrophic emergencies like Hurricane Sandy.  The funny thing about financial emergencies and […]

Filed Under: Saving
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

How Much Should Parents Help Their College Student Financially?

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A challenging question that most parents will face as their kids are ending high school is – how much should they help their college student financially?  It’s a tough question, because with the rising cost of tuition (and room and board, and textbooks, etc.), the return on investment of education is starting to be pretty […]

Filed Under: FAFSA
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Investing in MLPs: Yields are High, but Complications are Many

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Master Limited Partnerships are all the rage on Wall Street. Known for high yields, favorable taxation, and exposure to a very popular sector (oil and gas, primarily), MLPs are the new “designer drug” for enterprising investors. Let’s work through the basics of MLPs, their tax structure, and their suitability in your portfolio. So, what is […]

Filed Under: Investing Tagged With:
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Set Financial Rules, and Live Within Them

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Last week on the FrugalPortland channel, we talked about how saving isn’t very sexy. And I’m back this week to tell you what I’ve discovered. It may not be sexy, but discovering what you can do with money that you save is as close as I can get! I realized over the weekend (post forthcoming […]

Filed Under: Saving Tagged With:
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Reader Question: What is the Average Christmas Spending for a Family?

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Welcome to another reader question!  I love the questions, so if you have something you want to ask either me, or The College Investor readers, please use my contact page and get in touch. This week’s question comes from Leslie, who is curious about what people spend for Christmas gifts… The Question I’m on a […]

Filed Under: Spending
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

How To Discuss Stocks on Social Media

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If you’re planning on discussing individual stocks on social media, or if you have an investing article where you mention individual stocks, it’s really important that you discuss them on social media the right way.  You may ask, “What’s the right way?”  Well, let me show you what I’m talking about.   How To Tweet […]

Filed Under: Investing
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Why It’s Sexier To Spend (and what we can do about it)

Last Updated On 11 Comments

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There are a hundred different ways to save a couple of dollars. There are even more ways to invest a couple dollars. I read a lot of them, myself. Every day, I’m learning that there are a myriad of ways to save or invest my hard earned money. But it makes me wonder. Why do […]

Filed Under: Saving, Spending
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Keep Safe During the Holidays

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This may be a sort of random topic for a personal finance blog, but I thought it would be important to share this friendly reminder for the Holiday season.  For whatever reason, crime always goes up during this time of year – more needs, more opportunity, who knows?  I can speak to this first hand, […]

Filed Under: Life
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.