http://www.hello-money.org Welcome to the world of Personal Finance. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:33:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Recently I called my mortgage company to see about a refinance with all the low interest rates as of late. I was surprised when the representative told me she was checking the value of my home online. Apparently with the values of homes in such a state of ... http://www.hello-money.org/2009/05/31/home-value-estimators/ image source: sxc.hu Know the price of items you buy. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know the going price of things you buy. When you go from store to store you can compare and know if you are getting a deal or not. This ... http://www.hello-money.org/2009/01/09/5-ways-to-save-on-groceries/ Although I don't like credit card debt, I do like credit cards. By using credit cards to pay for most of my purchases throughout the month, I get rewards points. Then at the end of the month, I pay the balance in full. It's like getting a ... http://www.hello-money.org/2009/01/07/amex-pay-with-points-and-cheap-flights/ At the start of a new year, many people set resolutions for themselves.  I see these people at the gym every year.  This coming Monday after work time, the gym will swell with new faces and hopeful aspirations for rock hard bodies.  Precisely two weeks later, like clock-work, the gym will resume ... http://www.hello-money.org/2009/01/05/new-year-goals/ After considering how to be financially ready for a baby, I decided that now would be a good time to start a 529 plan.  While some people may be in hysterics over the declining stock market, I see it as an opportunity.  By starting to contribute to a 529 plan ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/10/13/529-plan/ As I look through our mid and long term goals, the thoughts of a baby are now looming closer on the radar. And even though I thought I was doing well financially, with the thought of a baby on the horizon, I suddenly realize I need to completely re-vamp ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/10/07/financially-ready-for-baby/ We've all been hearing the doom and gloom from Wall Street and Washington for weeks now. At first, I didn't let it bother me. I thought it would only affect people with sub-prime mortgages or maybe those using credit cards to live. To be honest, I don't personally ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/10/06/how-will-this-financial-crisis-affect-me/ After selecting my life insurance policy, and the application process, I finally got a call from my insurance agent this week.  The underwriting was complete and my policy was ready.  When I picked up the policy packet, I found that I qualified for the "Super Preferred" rate.  My agent said ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/09/12/buying-life-insurance-iii/ Before Gustav even made landfall, we lost electricity.  Four hours into it, and all the usual wind/rain with nothing out of the ordinary.  The dogs went outside with no problem.  We were just waiting for it to finish passing then move on with our lives.  But then, all of a ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/09/07/when-finances-matter-little/ With hurricane Gustav on it's merry way toward the still-recovering gulf coast, I got to thinking about my homeowner's insurance policy. After people were royally screwed by their insurance companies after Katrina, I am very suspicious about the effectiveness of my insurance. It makes me wonder if homeowner's ... http://www.hello-money.org/2008/08/29/the-state-of-homeowners-insurance/