In January I wrote about the specifics of your credit score. Quickly, your credit score is a number between 300 and 850 that tells lenders how trustworthy you are for a loan. The better your credit is, the higher the score. Credit scores cost around $15 to get. Your credit score is based off your credit [...]
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How Much Extra Should You Pay On Student Loans?
As the class of 2010 steps into the real world, another year of students will have to start paying their student loans soon. Most student loans allow anywhere from 3-6 months before interest starts to accrue so students have time to find a job before starting the repayment process. Once the interest kicks in it can add [...]
Why a Spreadsheet is Your Money’s Best Friend
Recently, Jesse at PF Firewall wrote about his top 14 personal finance tools to help out different aspects of yourfinances. I looked through the list and had some experience with some of the products, but for me a simple Google Doc spreadsheet is my favorite money tool. It’s what I go to every month to [...]
Lending Club Update – 5 Months Later
I started a Lending Club account last year and I’ve been really impressed by the company during my time there. For those new to Lending Club, LC falls under the category of social peer-to-peer lending. It can work one of 2 ways for the average customer. One, a person can apply for personal loans from [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Save Money Like a Young Chinese Woman
“[Chinese women] under 32 have an effective savings rate of zero.” This quote comes from an article from Financial Times (via Jezebel) highlighting the 21st century yue guang zu or “spend-all-your-salary clan” women of China. These twenty-something, working-class women are spending the bulk of their monthly paychecks on glamorous items like clothes, jewelry, expensive restaurants, [...]
8 Money Tips I Learned from Clark Griswold and Christmas Vacation
Clark Griswold embodies the American dad. A caring family man who wants nothing more than to host the perfect Christmas for his family and leave everyone smiling. As we know, there were some wrinkles in the process but in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark manages to carve out the perfect Christmas for his family. Here [...]
Meditation and Debt: How 10 Minutes Can Fix Your Money Problems
Bad money situations do not appear out of mid air. Poor education, bad luck, or lazy habits are just a few of the many problems that can lead to a difficult money situation. But one thing is for certain: complicated and dire money situations are tough to navigate. Massive debt can be incredibly constricting and cause [...]
Protect Your Own Money: 4 Steps for Responsible Consumers
As some of you may know, the Federal Reserve recently banned overdraft fees for ATMs and debt card purchases. Starting in July 1, 2010, customers will have to choose to opt-in to overdraft protection or else they will be denied at the register if they attempt to purchase an item without enough money in their [...]
Welcome to FF!
Hi, my name's Austin Morgan. I teach English in Japan and write about money for twenty-somethings. Feel free to contact me with any questions and I hope you enjoy the site!
