Posts Tagged ‘banks’

Should You Be Worried About the Economy?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
If you are worried about gas, try carpooling.

If you are worried about gas, try carpooling.

If you follow the news, chances are the state of the economy may have you a little concerned. Bad news is rampant, the housing market is shaky and doom appears to be around every corner. While there are some definite problems with the economy right now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to start panicking. Smart money management is always important, but if you find that you are overly worried about the state of the economy, there are a few steps that you can take to shore up your financial defenses and stop worrying.

The first step is to take a hard look at your mortgage payments, car payments and any other loans that you may have. If they are calculated under a variable rate, now is the time to start allocating a little extra each month to ensure that you have enough to keep up with the payments. If your mortgage payment looks like it is going to be too high, act quickly by negotiating with your bank for either a payment deferment or even a refinance. No one wins in a foreclosure situation and most banks will be willing to work something out with you.

The second step is to think about consolidating your credit card bills if necessary. If you are paying on multiple cards that all have high interest rates, you could be wasting a lot of money each month. Take advantage of a low or no interest card that will allow you to transfer those high balances into one. Just make sure you read the fine print to see how long the interest rate will remain low. Or use Loanio to receive a loan from lenders, this is easy and painless to do. This not only helps you save money on high interest fees, but you can also save time by paying only one bill every month.

Next, you can take a look at what you’re spending and how rising prices are affecting you. For example, the cost of gas right now has many people worried. You may find that you’re spending more to get to work than you may make for the day, or the ratio may have changed dramatically. If this is the case, consider setting up a carpool with other workers to save money, or you may even be able to arrange to telecommute. There are many ways that you can reduce your monthly expenses and free up more money to handle the rising cost of necessities.

This is also a good time to think about setting up an emergency fund. This is a very beneficial type of savings account that can tide you over if you run short during the month, or if you end up with a personal crisis on your hands. When you have the security of a savings account, emergency fund or other means of income, you’ll be in a much better position to weather any economic storm.

While the economy has been better, there is certainly no need to start panicking right now. Simply follow smart money practices, and you’ll be in a position where you can withstand whatever comes.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-28 20:01:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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How Do Savings Bonds Work?

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
Savings Bonds

What are Savings Bonds?

Savings bonds are a major offering in credit unions and at banks. It is important to know what savings bonds are all about so that you can understand whether or not they will benefit you in any way. This page is going to take you through some of the basics of what savings bonds are and how they are used.

What are Savings Bonds?

Savings bonds are securities that are issued by the United States Treasury Department. They are designed to provide funding dollars for the United States Government. In return for making use of your money, the government can then pay you interest. This discussion is going to specifically focus on covering EE Savings Bonds and I Savings Bonds.

How much interest is earned in Savings Bonds?

The interest rates generally depend upon the economic conditions. As interest rates in general begin to rise, so will the interest rates that are paid on these savings bonds. If you are looking for exact numbers based on the current conditions, the best resource is the website for the Bureau of Public Debt. In general, you will find that the interest rates are fairly competitive as far as safe, government backed investments go, and you may even benefit from additional tax incentives to enhance the returns that you receive.

What Tax Benefits are offered by Savings Bonds?

This is really going to depend on your individual situation. Depending on your situation, you may be able to earn some really nice benefits simply by using savings bonds. For starters, for example, savings bonds do not pay periodic interest that is subject to an income tax. Instead, they increase in value over the span of years. What this means is that you can delay claiming the interest until your bonds are redeemed, or until they mature, which is around 30 years following their issuance. If you do not want to claim the income now, but you want to claim the income later instead, then savings bonds can make this possible.

Another tax benefit that is associated with savings bonds is the Educational Tax Exclusion, or the Educational Savings Bond Program. If you cash your bonds in for use for qualified higher education related expenses, you may be able to exclude that income all together from your taxes. It is important that you are sure to follow the rule regarding the expenses, income limits and other regulations that exist if you want to take full advantage of this. For more information about this exclusion program, visit the website for the Savings Bond for Education Program.

Finally, savings bond interest is exempt both from state income taxes and local income taxes. What this means is that you can spend more of what you earn without worrying about the taxes. Depending on your state that you live in, this may be a big deal, but it may be insignificant instead so find out about your state’s regulations before you invest.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-10 05:03:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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