Search results for Karen Datko
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Posted
Nov 05 2007, 02:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
JLP chimes in about news of casualties of the subprime mortgage debacle in a short but sweet post at AllFinancialMatters called "I don't understand severance pay." He notes the huge compensation of Stan O'Neal, the ousted CEO at Merrill Lynch ($161.5 million in restricted stock, options and retirement benefits) and Charles Prince, who quit as head of Citigroup Inc. (and "appears to be eligible to depart with cash and equity valued at roughly $31 million," said The Wall Street Journal). "When most people get fired from a job, they walk out with a box full of their stuff, not a nice monetary gift. Why is it not the same for a CEO?" JLP asks.
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Posted
Nov 16 2007, 03:05 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
LifeEdit.net provides some very sound advice to people in their 20s about managing money: Save for retirement, pay off student loans as soon as you can, budget and keep your credit score high. But there's more than one way to skin this cat. The Retirement Hobo is 24 years old, and he's already retired.
He's aware that some readers might be incredulous. "At a first glance, you might think my blog about (extremely) early retirement is about a lazy guy trying to find a loophole in the system so he can keep on being lazy. I assure you, that is not the case," he writes in his first post, called, appropriately, "Newly retired."
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Posted
Jan 08 2008, 11:56 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Do you have the urge to confess your financial blunders but don't have an audience? Will it make you feel better to read that others spend more recklessly or have less for retirement than you do? Geezeo makes it possible with a handy site to post money confessions. We thank The Consumerist for pointing out this service and listing some favorites, including: "I just paid for a pay-per-view movie that I know I have but just didn't feel like looking for it," and "My 6-year-old daughter this morning: 'Why can't I have a credit card like mom's?' Yikes!"
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Posted
Jan 09 2008, 05:34 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Have you seen this episode of "The Office"? Michael, worried about his money (or lack thereof), tells officemates he's declaring bankruptcy. Oscar schools Michael on money, using a three-column spreadsheet to illustrate Michael's spending. One column is for necessities, one is for wants, and the third and largest is what he has spent on things he doesn't need. We can learn a lot from this, writes RacerX of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money. "In other words," RacerX writes, "a trip to Europe is a desire, contributing to my IRA so I don't eat dog food when I am 70 is a want, much less making sure I have my own shelter (a need)."
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Posted
Jan 10 2008, 01:09 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Ana's thoughts upon reaching her 35th birthday will sound familiar to many people: "Looking back, I've been a bit of a wild child. I shudder to think of how much money I have spent over the years on alcohol, cigarettes and assorted junk that has long been thrown out," she writes at DebtFree-Revolution. She also has a mere $391 in her retirement account.
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Posted
Jan 10 2008, 04:59 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Earlier today we almost bought blogger Ana's line that she needs "Investing for Complete and Utter Idiots." That is until we came across The Great Credit Card Debate between Ana, of DebtFree-Revolution fame, and Madison of My Dollar Plan. If you need a solid education about the slick ways of credit card companies, read Ana's first post in the debate. You'll learn all about double-cycle billing, rate jacking and universal default, plus the "move-the-due-date game." Little Ms. Clueless she's not. And neither is Madison, who counters with "25 reasons to love credit cards."
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Posted
Jan 11 2008, 02:23 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
An Iowa mother billed herself as the "meanest mom on the planet," but some bloggers disagree. "Kudos to Jane Hambleton, who sold her 19-year-old son's car after she found alcohol under the front seat," writes Chief Family Officer. Adrienne at Baby Toolkit said her husband and fellow blogger, Jim, was almost killed in a crash with a drunken driver. "I'm really proud of Jane Hambleton for going public with this important lesson for parents and young drivers," she writes.
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Posted
Jan 14 2008, 12:28 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Our partner blogger J.D. Roth at Get Rich Slowly recently asked his readers to share accounts of downright cheapness they had witnessed, and readers responded with gusto. Some of the stories are grotesque. Jens Dalsgaard wrote about an elderly aunt who had received a box of chocolates. During a visit, Jens munched from a bowl of hazelnuts on the table. His aunt had a piece of chocolate. "My aunt took one bite of the chocolate and took out the hazelnut inside and placed it in the bowl. 'I don't like hazelnuts, but it would be a waste just to throw them out,'" she said.
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Posted
Jan 14 2008, 02:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Inspired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's advisory system and his own quirky sense of humor, Frugal Guy at A Frugal Living Blog by a Frugal Guy has devised his own Financial Risk Advisory System. It has five "threat levels" ranging from green to red, and it's even written in bureaucratese. For instance, if you're at Threat Level Red (underemployed/using credit), he advises that you "implement extreme frugality initiatives" and "prepare selective defaulting plans." If you're fortunate enough to be at Threat Level Green (employed/positive savings), "It is the responsibility of citizens in this state to undertake efforts at budget preparation and to adequately prepare for an involuntary transition to a higher threat level."
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Posted
Jan 15 2008, 07:01 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This is an amazing concept: A Web site called gethuman.com gives instructions for avoiding the interminable voice menus used by companies and government agencies -- and reaching a real customer-service person. We're bookmarking this baby. If the company you need to contact isn't listed, a tips page tells you how to find the phone number and gives some suggestions for reaching a person, like punching the zero on your phone repeatedly, mumbling when the machine tells you to speak, or asking for "account collections," which generally is quick to answer the phone. "When you do finally find a human, ask them how to connect directly the next time (in case your call gets disconnected, etc.), and be sure to tell us so we can then list their number here," the site says.
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