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Posted
Jul 27 2009, 07:56 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This guest post comes from "vh" at Funny about Money.
How much do you figure your neighbor's dog (cat, parrot, boa constrictor, tame alligator) costs you? I have to say, I expect my own pets to be destructive and figure the repair bills to be part of the cost of doing business. But one thing we tend not to budget for is the depredations of other people's critters.
While M'hijito's roommate was in Singapore visiting his relatives and hustling for a job, he left his brand-new Infiniti parked in the driveway (Roommate is the scion of a ridiculously wealthy family).
Quick backstory: Some time back, Roommate became enamored of a cat belonging to the old guy who lives in the house behind M'hijito's place. He took to feeding and watering the beast, much to M'hijito's disgust (it uses the vegetable garden as its litter box), and he has thought of it as "his" cat. In his absence, the cat has taken up residence on top of the Infiniti, where it sleeps at night, out of reach of hunting coyotes and stray pit bulls.
So the other day as M'hijito was headed out to work, he noticed a couple of brown mounds on top of the Infiniti. On closer inspection ... oops! Cat mounds!
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Posted
Dec 03 2008, 06:45 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Filed under: banking, The Dough Roller, mortgage rates, credit rating, credit cards, credit reports, credit card rates, credit score, bad credit, car insurance, insurance rates, homeowners insurance
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. We all know just how important our credit score is when we apply for a loan. High credit scores get approved, while low scores do not, subject to other factors, of course. But your credit score and credit history affect a lot more than whether you get approved for a loan. Here are seven unexpected ways your credit score and credit history can affect your finances.
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Posted
Dec 02 2008, 06:30 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Filed under: banking, credit, Bargaineering, online banking, financial planning, credit cards, credit reports, homeowners insurance, mutual funds, estate planning, wills, executor, emergency fund, income tax, tax software
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. Popular Mechanics created a list called "100 skills every man should know," which naturally gravitated toward DIY/physical skills like jump-starting a car and splitting firewood. The Frisky listed "30 skills every woman should have before turning 30," which actually touched on more than physical skills (though No. 12 is physical), with a handful of financial skills (Nos. 17-20). The following isn't a checklist of things you necessarily need to do in your life. It's a list of things you should know how to do in case the need arises.
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Posted
Nov 11 2008, 02:13 PM
by
Karen Datko
Filed under: insurance, Consumer Affairs, home insurance, auto insurance, car insurance, insurance companies, insurance rates, homeowners insurance, life insurance, insurance claims, save money
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Mark Huffman at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.
When it comes to selecting the right insurance policy, consumers need as much clear, concise information as possible. A study released by the Consumer Federation of America suggests they aren't getting it from their states.
The study also found that state insurance department Web sites in six states were "excellent," while those in 18 states were deemed to be "inadequate."
CFA is sending the report to all state insurance departments with a personal letter urging the states whose Web sites are not yet excellent to make improvements.
"At a time when consumers are under increasing financial pressure, state insurance departments can do their part by making available current information about the rates, solvency, and complaints of individual insurers as well as tips for consumers to use to secure fairer and faster claims settlements," said J. Robert Hunter, CFA's director of insurance and a former Texas insurance commissioner. "And it's essential that insurance departments widely publicize the availability of their Web sites and related information."
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Posted
Sep 16 2008, 04:20 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. We've made it through four of the seven deadly sins of personal finance and touched on many good topics so far. The first few were easy -- have an emergency fund, don't raid your retirement, budget and plan and project for the future. We're starting to get into the hazier areas of personal finance, where the answers aren't quite so clear-cut and where much of it depends on you and your specific situation. That brings us to today's deadly sin -- being improperly insured.
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Posted
Aug 18 2008, 02:54 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Ah, the much-maligned condominium -- not quite a house, not
quite an apartment. Traditionally seen as a low-cost alternative to
homeownership, condos are often great ways to grow equity -- plus you never
have to mow your lawn.
But to Flexo at Consumerism Commentary condo
living leaves much to be desired. In his post titled "Why
I will (probably) never buy a condo," Flexo lists four reasons why he'll never
embark on "Apartment Living Part 2":
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Posted
Oct 23 2007, 02:23 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A woman cries as she gases up a car carrying her anxious family and household belongings. Families are forced to flee, with nowhere to go. These are among the images conveyed by bloggers who remain in the San Diego area, where raging wildfires have destroyed 1,000 homes and forced massive evacuations. "Three of my co-workers have already lost their homes and 300 of them are homeless tonight," Scott Gulbransen reported after he and his family were allowed to return home late Monday. "This roller coaster ride we're on seems to never stop." After watching TV coverage of a fire near his family home, a former resident asked: "Are you ready for an emergency?" He urged everyone to take stock. Do you have food, water and essential documents ready in case you'd have to evacuate? Do you have adequate homeowner's insurance ?
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