As the effects of the $787 billion stimulus package of last year begin to wear off, the Obama administration is now looking at the option of passing yet another “limited” stimulus package to help dig the economy “out of a deep valley”. Without it they fear that the slow gains our economy has made this […]
Archives for May 2010
How To Protest County Property Tax Appraisals
It may differ by county, but you more than likely have received your county property tax appraisal in the mail recently. The county assesses homes each year to determine property tax liability. County appraisers apply mass appraisal methods and techniques based upon individual characteristics that affect the market value of your home. As a homeowner […]
Home-Buyer Tax Credits Are Being Delayed Or Denied For Some Filers
Over the past year we’ve talked quite a bit the home-buyer tax credits that were available to both first time home-buyers, and more recently to existing homeowners looking to buy a new primary residence. The bill was originally passed in February 2009 as a part of the Obama stimulus package, and was extended at the […]
2011 Federal Income Tax Brackets: IRS Marginal Tax Rates
The 2011 tax year promises to be one where there will be some significant changes to the marginal tax brackets. What those changes exactly will be still remains to be seen. There seems to be a couple of scenarios that people think are more likely to happen. The 2001 Bush tax cuts could be allowed […]
Car Maintenance Tips To Avoid Car Debt
It’s a good idea to stay in front of what your car will cost you, and have a good game plan for handling car maintenance costs.
Why Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps Really Work
If you’ve been around the past few years, you’ve probably heard the name Dave Ramsey. The ups and downs of the economy have helped popularize his teachings about saving, eliminating debt, and sound investing. Perhaps you’ve been curious about Dave’s Baby Steps, and whether or not you should give them a go. For those of […]
We’re Adding A New Staff Writer. Please Welcome John Frainee!
Over the last few months I’ve been added several staff writers to the Bible Money Matters site. The reason? I want to vary the content, bring in some different viewpoints, and make things interesting for the readers. I have a vision of making this site one of the go-to places in the blogosphere for Christian […]
Don’t Let College Debt Crush Your Will To Learn
Nobody ever said that attending college was going to be easy. In fact, with the downward spiral of the recent economy putting the crunch on public services across the board, schools are placing more and more of the burden of paying for higher education on the shoulders of students. Even in cases like California, where […]
8 Things Every High School Graduate Must Know About Money
I once wrote (well, more than once) an article that got some negative criticism. The article was called How To Write A Check And Other Checkbook Basics. I found out that a lot of people graduating high school didn’t know how to write a check, so I wrote an article on the topic. There was […]
Finding Your Retirement Sweet Spot!
Do you remember playing baseball while you were growing up? One of the best feelings in the world was finding your groove with your swing and hitting the ball with the bat’s sweet spot. The ball seemed to jump off the bat with little effort! If you’re a golfer you know that feeling too. Getting […]
Living On Less Before You Need To: Getting By With One Income
Last week I read a post over at Debt Free Adventure about how it’s a good idea to start living on one income, whether or not you need to. If you’re married and have no kids, it can be a good exercise to see what it may be like if you end up having children […]
Discover Bank Review: High Yield Savings Account
Discover Bank has some of the highest interest rates in the country and all of their accounts are FDIC insured. They definitely have a solid bank offering.
Energy Saving Home Improvement Rebates: The Homestar Program – Cash For Caulkers
A while back we talked about the energy efficiency tax credits for home improvements that are available through the end of 2010 for homeowners to upgrade their windows, heaters, insulation and other energy efficient products. Now it sounds like the government is considering passing another program, the Homestar Program, that would give rebates to homeowners […]
Should I Have Bought An Extended Warranty?
A couple of months ago I purchased a new Dell laptop. We’ve needed a new home computer for a while now and the deal I ran across was too good to pass up. So I purchased it for $400 via the Dell website. As an aside, Dell has always been good to us. Their products […]