December 9th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Did you know that being unselfish can actually be selfish?
Before I confuse myself and you, let me explain. I used to think that by never spending money on myself or taking time for myself, I was being unselfish. I thought that because I have family that depends on me financially, anything I spent for “me” [...]
Continue reading → 7 Practical Ways to Protect Your Most Important Asset: You
November 20th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Are you vital to your employer?
If your answer is, “absolutely!” then congratulations, your job is probably safe. If you hesitated, it may be time to look at how to layoff-proof your position. With companies laying off workers across a broad spectrum of industries, if you’re not vital you just might be expendable.
Make yourself absolutely [...]
November 13th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
For equity investors, the good news is that the year is almost over. The bad news is that the future is still quite uncertain. So how do you handle a bear market, especially a bear market that’s more angry Grizzly bear than tame Winnie the Pooh? You get creative. You think outside the normal “buy [...]
Online StoresContinue reading → Blue Chip Blues: Alternative Investments for a Bear Market
November 6th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Sometimes it pays to be a little crazy. I went through a period of extreme frugality in my life (living in my office, showering at a gym, no bank account, etc). It’s not something I want to repeat again. Group showers aren’t exactly my thing. That being said, for the truly ambitious penny pincher, these [...]
Online StoresContinue reading → Extreme Frugality: 7 (Slightly Crazy) Ways to Save Money
October 28th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
This year’s Halloween seems to be all tricks and no treat for most investors. Stocks have taken a beating in October, leaving many investors wondering “What now?”. The markets are downright spooky right now, spookier than clowns. I hate clowns.
So, what can you do?
Be creative and get frugal with your Halloween costume this year. I [...]
Online Stores Related WebsitesOctober 21st, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Mistakes in day trading can be downright brutal, and no amount of “Hail Mary”s can save a trading account when you commit these sins. How do I know? I committed them all.
With the new Lending Club secondary market open for trading, you’re now able to trade your loan notes on a liquid marketplace.
Just make [...]
October 7th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
In high school, I learned how to balance a paper checkbook. It was the year 2000, and it was a complete and utter waste of time. I was an Internet savvy, “I want things now” type of kid, and I wanted my finances to be real-time savvy as well. The last few years of Web [...]
Online StoresContinue reading → The 7 Most Useful (and Free!) Online Apps for Managing Your Money
September 25th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Were you recently let go? Do you know someone who just lost their job? This past week my mother lost her job. I’m sure I’m not the only one who knows someone who has lost their job this year.
You can survive unemployment and put that pink slip behind you. Here’s how:
1.Tell Everyone and Their Mom [...]
Continue reading → 7 Steps to Survive Unemployment and Land the Job You’ve Always Wanted
September 18th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Michael Dell… Mark Zuckerberg… You?
Michael Dell started his computer empire from his dorm room at the University of Texas with just $1000. He dropped out his freshman year to run his growing company full time.
Zuckerberg created the now ubiquitous Facebook while at Harvard.
Even if you don’t plan on being a lifetime entrepreneur, starting a [...]
Continue reading → 5 Low-Cost Businesses You Can Start From Your Dorm Room
September 9th, 2008 — from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Ah, fall. There is something refreshing about fall. For students it signals the beginning of a new school year, and for new college freshman, one of the most significant moments of your growing up: Buying stuff on your own.
Yes, gone are the days of a furnished home courtesy of your parents. And fresh fruit and [...]
Continue reading → 7 Rules of Money for New College Students
September 2nd, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Last week I wrote about the 7 things I did wrong with my start-up. This week, I hash out what I think I got right.
1. I Hired Two C’s - College Students and Contractors
If your business is near a college (whose isn’t?) and you’re not hiring college students, you are throwing money and good talent [...]
Continue reading → 7 Things I Did Right With My Start-up That Still Make Me Smile
August 26th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Like many new young entrepreneurs, three years ago I thought I was pretty hot stuff. I had a few employees, raised some angel money… and then proceeded to make huge mistake after huge mistake.
Of all my business blunders, these 7 are the ones that still make me gnash my teeth.
1) I Managed People like Michael [...]
Continue reading → 7 Teeth-Gnashing Mistakes I Made as an Entrepreneur
August 19th, 2008 — , Features from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Running a small business is hard work. Between generating new clients, managing employees and vendors, did you schedule a backup of your hard drive?
I didn’t think so.
These 16 online resources and low-cost services can make life easier (and cheaper!) for the small business owner, freelancer or startup.
Project Tracking
To-do List: Tadalist.com
While I prefer an old-fashioned [...]
Continue reading → 16 Top ‘Bang For Your Buck’ Services for Small Businesses
August 14th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
I love to run… Well, sort of.
You see, running itself is not all that enjoyable. Dodging cars in an urban environment might have something to do with it. It’s the “runners high” that keeps me coming back for more, and the more I write about personal finance the more I realize: Successful personal finance is [...]
Continue reading → 5 Reasons Running Makes You Sexy, Wealthy and Healthy
August 5th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Are you under 30? If so, you have a great chance of building a large nest egg if you start investing wisely now.
Here are 9 rules for young investors to keep you out of trouble as well as on the path to a healthy investment portfolio:
1. Don’t Be Afraid of Risk
One of the biggest [...]
July 31st, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Earlier this morning Mike brought up the “staycation,” an increasingly popular concept with gas and airline prices near all-time heights. Here are 7 tips for how to make your staycation both frugal and fun.
1. Lock up your electronics
Gather up computers, cell phones, and other electronic distractions that could keep you in your daily grind. The [...]
Continue reading → 7 Tips for a Fantastic and Frugal ‘Staycation’
July 24th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
I remember two things from the “Personal Finance” class taught at my high school:
It was taught by the shop teacher.
It was a complete joke.
I’m not alone in finding primary education severely lacking in teaching smart financial skills.
With Americans now saving a paltry $354 a year, we need a radical change in spending, saving and [...]
Continue reading → 4 Ways to Improve America’s Financial Literacy
July 10th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Saving money doesn’t mean your life has to go back to the Stone Age. With the economy in the tank, everyone is looking to cut back. Some tips however, are just downright painful. I mean, no more Lattes… ever? Let’s get real, people.
Here are 21 practical and mostly pain free tips to save cash now:
1. [...]
Continue reading → 21 Nearly Painless Tips on How to Save Money Today
July 3rd, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Our nation is no stranger to financial difficulty. Let’s look back a few centuries…
During the Revolutionary War, funding severely hampered our efforts to fight the British. The Continental dollar created during the Second Continental Congress in 1775 faced competition not only from states individual currencies, but with British counterfeiters as well.
Needless to say, our nation [...]
Continue reading → What Would Our Founding Fathers Think of Our Debt Levels?
June 24th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Banks now get an average of 27% of their revenue from fees. That’s a lot of cash out of your pocket! In fact, a typical account fee of just $6 could buy you at least a 6-pack of crush. Mmm… orange goodness.
The good news is that even these 7 most aggravating fees can be Crushed.
What [...]
Continue reading → The Top 7 Most Aggravating Bank Fees and How to Crush Them
June 18th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Just graduate from college?
If you did, you’re probably getting advice right and left from friends and family. Even that creepy old neighbor of yours that showed up to your grad party uninvited gave you advice.
While some of their advice is sound, the one topic they will probably avoid is personal finance. No one says, [...]
June 12th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending Club
Just as entering college can be a time for making smart financial choices, leaving it is one too, and doing so with a smile on one’s face and one’s chin held high certainly doesn’t hurt. In that spirit, here are my picks for the 7 best funny and/or inspirational graduation speeches of the past decade.
Conan [...]
Continue reading → The 7 Most Hilarious and Inspirational Graduation Speeches of the Decade
June 5th, 2008 — , Financial Education, Subprime Meltdown from DebtKid @ Lending Club
“When companies fail, should they give millions of dollars to their senior executives?”
- Rep. Henry Waxman.
This week two high profile CEOs have been either forced to resign, or into lesser roles within their companies (WAMU and Wachovia). They join a growing list of canned CEOs in the wake of the subprime meltdown.
So, now [...]
May 22nd, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
What can Yoda teach us about surviving a recession? Plenty, as it turns out. The Jedi Master’s teachings reach way beyond just defeating the Dark side of the force. Yoda for President in November? A good idea, this might be.
Take lessons from Chewy
“Go, I will. Good relations with the Wookiees, I have.”
Without Chewy keeping up [...]
Online StoresContinue reading → A New Hope: Jedi Master Yoda’s Guide to Surviving a Recession
May 15th, 2008 — , Announcements, Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
The time is here, the time is now. The air of summer is nibbling at the ears of millions of college kids across the nation, and a rising hum of anticipation is heard among a student populace itching for a change of season, a change of pace, a change of something…
One thing is for certain. [...]
Continue reading → Kick-Ass Student Summer Jobs: The Complete Guide
May 13th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
When Kobe Bryant was named the NBA’s 2007-2008 MVP, he completed one of the greatest turnarounds of personality and circumstance in NBA history in just under a year.
Last summer, before the season got underway, Bryant made it clear that he wanted to leave the Los Angeles Lakers for a different team. He was fed [...]
Continue reading → Consumer Finance Tips - ref.: MVP Kobe Bryant
May 8th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
Let’s be honest. Most businesses fail.
Not necessarily Enron-type failure, but many businesses continue to make mistakes that others before them have already made. Here are 7 signs your company might be on the wrong path…
1. You have a “great idea” (but no engineers)
Everyone seems to have a “great idea” that they float around whenever [...]
April 29th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
As a freelancer working from home, it’s shocking the level of ignorance most common-folk (W-2′ers) have into the lives of us freelancers. Here are the 7 most common aggravating assumptions I hear from people, and how to kindly dispel them:
1. Our Job Must Be Easy
To a worker who commutes 45 minutes in traffic each way, [...]
Continue reading → The 7 Most Aggravating Assumptions about Freelancers and Working from Home
April 22nd, 2008 — , Announcements, Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
As home values across the country have declined, and new credit is more difficult to come by, Americans all across the country are reaching for their credit cards more than ever before.
Data from the Federal Reserve released this month showed American credit card debt has reached $951.7 billion. This number is up 8.2 percent from [...]
April 15th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Social Lending Blog - Lending Club
It’s not just gas prices anymore that are out of control…
With banks’ lending divisions struggling across the country, many banks are looking to bump their bread and butter: fees.
Across the pond in the UK, the average overdraft fee is an outrageous $57, and it might be only a matter of time before higher fees hit [...]
April 10th, 2008 — , Financial Education from DebtKid @ Lending ClubSocial Lending Blog - Lending Club
With the credit market still tied up tighter than Houdini, access to capital by traditional means (read: your bank) is tough to come by. Here are some tips to help you entrepreneurs out there raise money – without going to those suits at your bank:
Tap your network
Raising angel money is all about who you know. [...]
Continue reading → Raising Money in a Soft Economy: 7 Tips to Fund Your Great Idea
April 5th, 2008 — , Features, lazy, tank from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
You recently wrote about saving up for a tank. I love tanks as much as the next guy, but would a tank really be a wise investment?
A friend challenged me six weeks ago to write something different and eye-catching. I have to admit that I can only read about Roth IRAs so many times [...]
April 1st, 2008 — , Financial Education, Wedding, creative, gift, gifts, registry, season, survive, –registry from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Will your wallet survive this year’s wedding season? With summer just around the bend, here are 5 practical tips to save money this wedding season and still stay classy.
1. Hit the registry early
Cheaper registry gifts go fast. More creative/personal gifts will go fast as well. Go online as soon as possible and check out what [...]
Continue reading → How to Survive Wedding Season Without Going Broke
March 29th, 2008 — , Financial Education, Frugal, Interviews, Lending Club, admit, beingfrugal, blazers, peer, prairie, secret, summer from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Being frugal is more than just giving up coffee, right? When someone is “being frugal,” what exactly does that mean?
You’ll be happy to know that you can be frugal without giving up coffee! I haven’t given up my coffee yet, though I have given up trips to Starbucks.
My definition of being [...]
March 25th, 2008 — , Financial Education, Lending Club, beating, broker, cake, interact, slick, street, wall, weeds from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Does anyone still call their stock broker? A number of new start-ups hope you’ll turn to their online communities instead of picking up that phone. And even with the turmoil on Wall Street, financial start-ups are growing like weeds, though many Americans’ portfolios are not.
From free trades to social lending, these companies are changing [...]
March 22nd, 2008 — , Financial Education, Interviews, Lending Club, blueprint, complaining, generation, passionate, pittsburgh, prosperity, somethings, twenty from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Jim, I’m 24. You’re in your 20’s. What is wrong with our generation’s financial health? From my own mistakes, to what I hear my peers discussing, where did we get so off track? Is our generation doomed to be in debt forever?
I’m 27, going on 28, and I don’t think it’s our generation. I think [...]
Continue reading → Catching Up With…..Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
March 18th, 2008 — , 20th, Financial Education, Lending Club, answer, bonus, comment, leave, responders’, response…and, submitting from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
If you had an extra $10,000 right now…what would you do with it?
It’s an interesting question that I love posing to groups in various amounts ($1,000 to $100 million). With my family members the answer is often vacation-related (we like to work), with friends it’s often a new TV. From the more financially savvy, “I’d [...]
March 15th, 2008 — , Blogging, Financial Education, Interviews, Lending Club, calculators, controversial, ditched, excel, honest, spreadsheet, useable from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
You are a spreadsheet master. Should the average person use spreadsheets to help manage their finances and investments?
Thanks! My wife and I ditched the commercial software programs like Money and Quicken because we didn’t like the lack of flexibility. So, we decided to set up an Excel spreadsheet to track our finances. [...]
Continue reading → Catching up with JLP at All Financial Matters
March 13th, 2008 — , Financial Education, Lending Club, currency, forex, investor, margin, shares, stock, traders, trading from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Have you ever made a real investment mistake, a disastrous one? I know I have. For the sophisticated, mistakes like these can be investment opportunities. For average Joes like you and me…they should be avoided.
When I lost over $250K trading, I was guilty of 3 of these 5 mistakes (can you guess them?). Avoid these [...]
March 8th, 2008 — Financial Education, Interviews, Lending Club, pepsi, smackdown, smackdown, soda from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Lightening Round first. Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey? Apple or PC? Pepsi or Coke? Soda or Pop?
Dave Ramsey, but I could live without either. Apple without question. Pepsi (sorry Mr. Buffett). Pop as a child; soda as an adult (I moved east). Funny story. I attended Brown University for a time. One day I approached [...]
March 4th, 2008 — Financial Education, Lending Club, bloggers, fabulous, lazy, moolanomy, ning, posts, stuff, wealth from DebtKid @ Better Rates. Together.
Most people know the big names in finance: Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, and Jim Cramer.
Online, the big boys like