February 2009

6 financial goals for 20-somethings

02.28.2009 by Bob 7 comments

They suggest that by the age of 30 we should… Scale back on credit cards – Living the “excess” lifestyle should change as we mature. Own a home or have a plan to – Investing in your home is still a good idea – especially now. Have career skills developed – Have a marketable skill in case of job changes.

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Finish Rich Dictionary Review/Giveaway

02.27.2009 by Bob 1 comment

It is not as thorough as the Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms (Barron’s Finance and Investment Handbook) , but as I mentioned before, I don’t think it is designed to be. … And it is nice that the definitions are easy for most people to understand, I just wish it would have been a hard-cover – because I would like to keep it for a few decades. The giveaway So, if you are interested in winning a copy, head over to the ChristianPF Forums and leave a comment before 3-5-09 11:59 CST to be entered in the giveaway.

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What are Donor-Advised funds? Do you need one?

02.26.2009 by Jay Peroni 8 comments

A donor-advised fund offers an easy way for a donor to make sig nificant charitable gifts over a long period of time. This fund is similar to a private foundation but requires less money, time, legal assistance, and administration to establish and maintain. Because donor-advised funds are public charities, they also enjoy greater tax advantages than private foundations. Cash and appreciated securities can be contributed to a donor-advised fund potentially making use of additional tax benefits. Private businesses and non-publically traded investments may also be eligible depending on the donor advised fund company’s rules and capability. Once funded, the donor-advisor fund consults with a donor about time horizon and risk tolerance to identify an appropriate asset allocation for their donor advised fund.

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Don’t buy stuff you can’t afford – A PSA from SNL

02.25.2009 by Bob 10 comments

SNL recently had this skit called “Don’t buy stuff you can’t afford” and while I didn’t really think it was very funny (but what is on SNL?) it appeared to me to be more of a public service announcement. Watching it, I got the feeling that Loren Michaels (or whatever his name is) was trying to offer a 2 minute section of his show to help those who need it, in a humorous sort of way.

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$8000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit explained

02.24.2009 by Bob 74 comments

These are all the details of Obama’s $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers in 2009.

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Tax deductions for volunteer work

02.23.2009 by Bob 8 comments

But anyway, I just wanted to mention as a friendly reminder, you can deduct the mileage you drive to for volunteer work. From what I read, volunteers can also deduct… cost of tolls, parking fees, cab fares, bus fares if they were related to the charitable service.

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Personal Responsibility for your finances

02.22.2009 by Steve Toschlog 5 comments

Consider this thought for a moment: “Personal Finance = Personal Responsibility”. Within this statement lies the key to putting money in your pocket. You didn’t ask to be in the hole you’re in, nor did you intentionally make decisions that would ultimately lead to financial struggle. You were doing the best you could. However, you now have a choice to make.

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ChristianPF got a makeover!

02.21.2009 by Bob 8 comments

As many of you have already noticed, ChristianPF.com got a bit of a makeover this week… I am still working on some finishing touches, but overall I am very happy with how it feels now… For the email and RSS readers, below is a little preview, but I encourage you to stop by and check it out in full effect!

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“Real Simple” magazine subscription giveaway

02.20.2009 by Bob 1 comment

I have had my eye on this magazine for a while. I haven’t subscribed, but I let my fingers take a stroll through the pages whenever I see one in the line at the supermarket. While I am not always successful, I love having things organized and being as minimalist with things as possible. This magazine is great for people like me. Real Simple touches on lots of these topics and is really a good read for people like to simply and organize aspects of their life. It is a little bit girly, but there is still plenty that I find interesting in the issues I see.

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Faith, Hope, and Love: Are they part of your financial plan?

02.19.2009 by Jay Peroni 2 comments

America was founded upon the biblical principles of faith, hope, and love. According to morallaw.org, a few examples of how our faith in God has shaped the foundation of America include: Since at least the 1820s, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened its court sessions with the prayer of “God save the United States and this Honorable Court.”

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Do you tithe on your tax return?

02.18.2009 by Matt Bell 12 comments
Thumbnail image for Do you tithe on your tax return?

Amatachick mentioned this in [another thread] but I thought it was worthy of it’s own thread. So do you tithe off of your tax return? Though that begs the question, do you tithe on your income before taxes or after taxes? Personally, we tithe on our income before taxes, so I don’t feel that we [...]

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How does your cost of living compare to other cities?

02.18.2009 by Bob 5 comments

Comparing cost of living among cities… Basically you type in your current salary and it tells you how much you would need to make in the other city to maintain the same standard of living.

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Should you buy a used car or new car?

02.17.2009 by Bob 15 comments

It is one of those things that I think most people realize buying a used car is a better idea for their finances, but don’t understand the scope of it. Dave Ramsey’s critics often belittle his math on his “drive for free” method, but even if the numbers are a little generous, the same principle still applies – owning a depreciating asset is a bad move, but paying interest on a depreciating asset is a really bad move! Since I started this site I have written a bit about how you can save money by buying used cars and how they affect your financial freedom .

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