Get Financially Fit!
by Brion Lau
Six Gas Saving Myths
May 19th
With gas prices hitting record levels, everyone seems to have tips on how to save gas. Some have even altered their driving habits (i.e. working from home, taking public transit, biking to work). For those of us who still rely on a car to get around, check out Peter Valdes-Dapena’s article on CNNMoney.com as he debunks several misconceptions about saving gas.
Jim Cramer’s Just Plain MAD
May 19th
I read an interesting opinion on Jim “Mad Money” Cramer. For those of you who don’t know him, he is:
- The host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” show
- The co-founder of TheStreet.com
- A bestselling author of “Real Money” and “Stay Mad for Life”
Now back to the blog post. For those of you who are fans of Cramer, this post is from Marc Andreessen.
Marc is one of the most successful entrepreneurs (called a Silicon Valley “whiz kid” ), startup coach, blogger, investor, and a multi-millionaire software engineer best known as co-author of Mosaic, the first widely-used web browser, and co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation. He was the chair of Opsware, a software company he founded originally as Loudcloud, when it was acquired by Hewlett-Packard. He is also a cofounder of Ning, a company which provides a platform for social-networking websites.
Check out Marc’s comments:
Jim Cramer is still putting random words in random order
Cramer: an apology
Living Large on a Budget
May 13th
Kimberly Palmer’s article on Yahoo! caught my attention. Her article is actually a brief synopsis of Farnoosh Torabi’s book, You’re So Money. I think I’m going to order this book for an upcoming birthday gift. I don’t think it would be tactful if I gift wrapped a borrowed version from the library with a note to return before the due date. Just kidding!
I personally have a different philosophy. I’m of the school where one should think of ways to earn more money live abundantly and enjoy the lifestyle one desires.
By the way, Farnoosh’s claim to fame is her video reports on TheStreet.com website. Does that ring a bell? I’m sure you’ve seen one of her interviews with company founder, Jim “Mad Money” Cramer. Chalk this up as a daily dose of trivia, factoid or whatever you want to call it.
Enjoy!
In Search of Credit Card Deals
May 5th
Recently, I discovered a resource to help one find the best credit card deals. The website is called RequestCredit. While I’ve seen similar sites, this site offers a nice presentation, layout, and navigation. For instance, check out the different category winners such as Best Rates for Everyday Purchase or Great Choice for Balance Transfers on the home page.
Another interesting feature on this site is the credit news and articles. Other sites tend to focus on the credit cards and simply facilitate the application process. RequestCredit takes the extra step to educate consumers on this important topic.
Finally, I like how the reviews are also sorted by credit score. For instance, if I have a fair credit score, I can navigate to a web page that shows only the Fair Credit Credit Cards. If I have no credit history, I can view the best deals for this situation as well.
Despite the positive features, the one limitation I spotted immediately is the credit cards by banks section. There are several major credit card issuers missing from this list such as Bank of Amercia and JPMorgan Chase (Chase Credit Cards). However, this limitation can be easily fixed as the site continues to evolve over time.
Enjoy!
McCain reports over $400,000 in earnings
Apr 18th
Let’s break down his earnings as reported by the Associated Press.
Income
- John McCain = $258,800 in taxable income based on the following:
Senate salary was $161,708.
Navy pension was $58,358.
Social security income was $23,157. - Cindy McCain earned $432,991from Hensley & Company, her family’s beer distributorship.
Expense
- The McCains donated $105,467 to charity (including their Family Foundation).
- They paid $136,572 to household employees.
- John McCain also paid $17,700 in alimony.
Note: Cindy McCain’s tax returns were not released as the couple files taxes separately. However, Cindy McCain’s fortune is well within the $100 million range.