Archive for the 'Personal Finance' Category

When the “normal” economy is causing a financial pinch, people turn to folks who have developed their own methods for surviving without lots of cash. In this case it’s the Amish.
This reminds me of a family I know who got started in business just this way. They started buying “bents and dents”… often from insurance […]

First it was the Locavores who wanted locally produced food. But today’s headlines shows that growing food in your spare backyard space may really help you make or at least SAVE money.
Fuel prices are causing grocery costs to skyrocket: Era of cheap food ends as prices surge this article reads. My mother in law […]

To try to curb astronomic health costs, Health Savings Accounts are something that should be encouraged.
The so-called “Tax Payer Assistance and Simplification Act” (which isn’t either of course) contains an all out attack on Health Savings Accounts which prompts threat of a Presidential Veto.
“The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 5719, the so-called “Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification […]

If people are really “Trading parking passes and briefcases for bunny slippers and laptops” I’ll wager that in most instances it’s not a willing trade. The “subprime lending crisis” aka “We made hay while the sun shined and now we hope the taxpayers will bail us out crisis” is sending lots of bank workers […]

This article is about Hedge Funds buying bonds for pennies on the dollar.
But it applies to lots of situations… foreclosures, etc.
What looks like a pretty good deal right now might be vastly overpriced if the situation continues to deteriorate.
Sophisticated investors aren’t emotionally attached to deals so they make their choices based on cold logic, not […]

Lifelock is being sued by Experian. It looks like another attempt of the big credit bureaus to preserve their profits while attempting to avoid policing the fraudulent use of consumer data as identity theft increases.  Lifelock represents these clients but the big credit information bureau is attempting to keep the company from filing fraud alerts […]

This was a good if a bit routine article on home office deductions since it’s time to be preparing your taxes.
The actual IRS publication in question is #587 “Business Use of Your Home (Including Daycare Providers) 
The deductions need to be related to your business.
Please make sure they’re directly related to business like corporate board meetings in […]

Here’s an interesting story about house sitting as a home business.
This couple was stuck in two low paying jobs in a high cost town… a college town.
The wondered how on earth they could save money for a house when everything they earned went to pay the bills.
So as they were examining their budget looking for […]

The Wall Street Journal has a good article on the new tax deductions your small or home based business may be eligible for.
You may be able to depreciate capital expenses faster on new and used equipment.

These are prompted by the current economic woes that ARE NOT A RECESSION! (or maybe we are but it’s FORBIDDEN to use the word in an election cycle because it might make voters do irrational things like vote out bums.)
These are also good preparation for preparing to start a business.
From Bankrate.com
1. Eliminate the nonessentials
2. […]