Strategies & tactics to get ahead financially & in life
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed money fast? Or maybe you want to be prepared to get money fast, just in case. Scenarios come up all the time that might warrant the need to get a loan as fast as possible. For instance, last year my central air conditioning unit died. […]
Personal loans are one of the least talked about subjects in personal finance. It’s tricky because it combines two of the stickier areas of life – debt and relationships. One of our friends went back to graduate school with the help of a loan from his in-laws. It was like a loan from the bank […]
Imagine graduating from a MBA program and you’re now ready to take on the world only to find yourself unemployed. Sadly, it’s not exactly a unique situation. Considering the current work landscape, I like many others found ourselves struggling in our job search efforts after college. And that’s exactly what happened to me, Peter Prokaj, […]
Just when you thought you understood credit scores, they go and change the game on you. Fair Isaac Corporation, the company behind the original FICO score, has announced a new credit score that will benefit folks who do not have enough history for an accurate FICO credit score. Besides the sweet new name, UltraFICO goes […]
A few years ago, one of my dad’s co-workers was complaining to him about a shady practice you’ll find with stores that sell big ticket items – TVs, engagement rings, furniture, home theater systems, etc. It’s called “0% deferred interest finance.” Deferred interest finance is when they give you 0% for a set promotional period […]
In college, I was required to live in campus housing for my entire Freshman year. At Carnegie Mellon, that meant Donner Hall. We were in the basement floor, affectionately called the Donner Dungeon. For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed my time in the dungeon. I became lifelong friends with many of the guys on […]
Debt, like many financial tools, is a double-edged sword. As a student loan, it can be a low-interest way to pay for school. Like a credit card, it can give us financial flexibility, though at a great cost if we don’t pay it off each month. A mortgage gives you the ability to buy a […]
When I graduated college, I had about $25,000 in student loan debt. The vast majority were low-interest Stafford Loans but I had a higher interest Perkins Loan. I knew that the fastest way to pay down my loans was to tackle the highest interest rates first and then moving towards the lower interest ones. It’s […]