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Posted
Oct 09 2008, 11:36 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
People are more than a little miffed about the weeklong hoedown AIG held for independent life insurance agents days after the government threw the company an $85 billion lifeline. More details about the gathering at the palatial St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort came out the same day the government extended a second loan, for $37.8 billion, to the massive -- and massively troubled -- insurance company. Total taxpayer bailout so far: $122.8 billion. Total cost of fun-filled week at super-posh California resort: $443,344. But get this: Despite the public outrage, AIG was going to proceed with similar get-togethers as planned.
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Posted
Oct 04 2008, 12:19 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Meant to cure near-clinical depression on Wall Street, the $700 billion bailout for the economy contains an unexpected gift for those who truly struggle with mental illness.
Among the non-bailout items that are part of the bill is a popular measure to put insurance coverage for treatment of mental illness and substance abuse on a par with standard health care coverage. No more higher co-payments and deductibles or stricter limits on doctor visits for mental health care. People with mental illness will spend less out-of-pocket getting the treatment they need.
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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 05:30 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
"Vh" at Funny about Money and other bloggers focused a critical eye on their finances after another blogger raised a serious issue: If you were to cut back, which regular bills could you stop paying? This exercise would force you to make some tough decisions, too. But isn't it better to do it now than when you really have to? The first to go on vh's list would be a catch-all category that includes newspapers, magazines, clothes and miscellaneous junk, followed by the yard man, and life and long-term-care insurance. In fact, in a worst-case scenario, this Phoenix resident figures she could pare nonfood expenses down to $857 a month. (She owns her house.)
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Posted
Sep 17 2008, 10:57 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Ron Haynes at The Wisdom Journal is almost ready to bet the farm that you aren't doing everything you could to better manage your money. Doing our best to make every penny count could provide a greater sense of security as we collectively ride an economic roller coaster. So we took him up on the challenge and reviewed his "50 frugal things you aren't doing." He's right. We're not doing all we can.
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Posted
Sep 16 2008, 03:09 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of U.S. teenagers. So why shouldn't we talk about raising the legal driving age? "BeThisWay" at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest Of The Time I Know You? tackled the question head-on in a post called "Captain Obvious reports: 16-year-olds maybe shouldn't be licensed." Her conclusion may surprise you.
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Posted
Sep 15 2008, 11:32 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
David at MoneyNing asked his reader this question: "Would you do something immoral to increase your wealth if you won't get caught?" (It boosts our faith in humanity that in a poll at his site, a healthy 67% chose "No!") But how often do people cross a line? Case in point: "Miss Thrifty" wasn't injured in a four-car pileup that dinged her fabulous Thriftymobile. (She wasn't at fault.) But everyone she knew, including her mother, told her to file a whiplash claim. "Everyone does it," they said.
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Posted
Sep 10 2008, 12:14 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Two encounters with illness have cost David of My Two Dollars and his wife nearly $10,000 out-of-pocket so far this year, and that's not including the $320 a month they were paying for health insurance premiums. Health care is a huge personal-finance topic, but PF bloggers rarely write about it -- unless it hits close to home. Luckily, David and his wife were able to absorb the unanticipated expenses. But, he wonders, what about people who can't?
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Posted
Sep 05 2008, 04:17 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
There's an interesting debate going on at Prime Time Money about whether it's smarter to buy a new or used car. Right now, used seems to be winning. What do you think? Before you jump in, read the exchange between "PT" and contributor "J." It's instructional and highly amusing. PT also gives great tips to use whether you're buying a new or used car. Here's a serious part, with J arguing for a new car: PRO (J): Interest rate of 1.9%.
CON (PT): The rate may be low but your monthly payment is almost certainly going to be much higher. Not to mention off-the-lot depreciation. That's money you could be using for retirement savings or your kid's education.
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Posted
Jul 28 2008, 02:07 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
An article in The New York Times about more Americans than ever living on the verge of financial ruin got "Frugal Zeitgeist" thinking about her own contingency planning for disasters. If a terrorist attack, a catastrophic illness or job loss struck, would she survive financially? This blogger does have a plan -- in fact, several -- and she is worth listening to. She's so financially disciplined that she just paid off the mortgage on her New York City apartment and did it in less than seven years (although some would argue that's not always the best way to use extra money).
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Posted
Jul 17 2008, 06:05 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
When Amanda of Value For Your Life was 12 year old, she begged and begged until her parents finally got her a dog. Enter Jasper. Eventually Shadow joined the clan. What Amanda didn't know was that when each dog moved in, her mother began automatically depositing $25 a month per dog into a do-it-yourself pet insurance fund. That money -- growing in a high-interest savings account -- came in handy over the years, and without the limitations often attached to pet insurance policies. It was there to help Shadow as he developed back problems and, eventually, terminal cancer. (Read her remarkable account of Shadow's passing. Amanda, a veterinarian, euthanized her beloved dog at home. Warning: You may shed tears. We did.)
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