Money 101

Profiles in Personal Finance: John D. Rockefeller

I thought it might be interesting from time to time to learn about and profile some of the most interesting and influential characters in the world of money. Who better to begin with than the man considered to be the richest man of all time, John D. Rockefeller. John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Rockefeller believed since he was a child that his purpose in life was to make as much money as possible, and then use it wisely to improve the lot of manki...
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The Truth About Payday Loans

The Kansas City Star recently reported that a single mother used a payday loan to borrow $300 for a trip to the dentist. When she couldn't pay the loan two weeks later, she extended it and paid $50 twice a month for almost four months and still owed the entire principle amount. A woman in North Carolina started with a payday loan of "$50 or $100," and before she knew it, she was getting one loan to pay another and had racked up $700 in high-interest debt. (more…)
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Carnival of Personal Finance #95

Welcome to the 95th episode of the carnival of personal finance. Take a look around. If you like what you see, subscribe. Title Site Excerpt Self Employed Retirement Savings - Your Options Debt Free Being self employed affords you some advantages not enjoyed by the average person. Who Pays for Credit Card Rewards and Rebates? The Finance Buff The rewards and rebates from credit cards are not free lunch. There is no free lunch. What does 23 cents buy? Cents You Asked I do agree that t...
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Lowering My Broadband Bill

When we moved into our house, we signed up for high speed internet with a promotion for $29.99/month for 6 months. That 6 months expired a couple of months ago and since then we have been paying the regular price of over $50/month. You don't have to read too many personal finance blogs to find examples of people who have had their rates for various services lowered just by calling and asking for it. So, I figures I would give it a try. (more…)
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.002 dollars does not equal .002 cents

Wow. I was both shocked and horrified as I listened this recording of a phone call to Verizon. In the call the customer is trying to resolve an issue where he was quoted a price of .002 cents per kilobyte but charged .002 dollars per kilobyte. He speaks to a rep, a supervisor, and a floor manager. All three of them are convinced that .002 dollars and .002 cents are the same amount. The call is a bit long at 27 minutes, but you don't have to listen to the whole thing to get the point....
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