Wealth Today » Uncategorized

Have You Switched Electric Plans

joshuak — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:40:47 +0000

In Texas, TXU is offering customers an option to switch to a plan based on the price of natural gas. I’ve switched, and have not gotten my first full month’s statement. A close friend reported some incredible savings, to the tune of thirty five percent. I look forward to that first bill, and hopefully open it with a sigh of relief.

Save some money on your next digital camera

joshuak — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:32:01 +0000

I was checking the specs on my new CyberShot and noticed Sony has re-started their Digital Camera and Camcorder Trade-Up Program. It’s a good way to save a bundle if you’re wanting to upgrade your digital camera.

The Market

joshuak — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:01:00 +0000

My 401k’s suffered over the past week with the market’s beating on subprime lending. Has anyone else had any better luck?

401k Update – More Good News!

joshuak — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:04:21 +0000

I checked my 401k’s balance today, and noticed a hefty increase… from a non-elective contribution.

Ok, so I get no choice about it. My company’s going to give me money. C’est La Vie!

Warren Beatty on Success

joshuak — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:10:04 +0000

You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you’re doing is work or play.

Warren Beatty

The High Cost Of Pets

joshuak — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 23:15:27 +0000

I used to brag about how my pets were cheap. I fed them good food, and in the long run, I thought it saved me oodles on vet bills. Boy was I wrong. With some new experiences, I’ve discovered that’s phooey. My cats being declawed set me back a half g. A friend who I helped out wounded my dog’s eye, which took 8 visits, 4 bottles of drops, a week’s worth of vacation, and an e-collar to resolve. Pets are expensive. Save your wallet. Get a small fish tank, or a betta if you want a pet. I also recommend the leopard gecko, but make sure there’s a Petco on the way home.

And it’s not just the vet bills. It’s the treats, the food, the stuff she eats….two dozen pairs of shoes, photographs, frames, our food, bottles of medication and vitamins, 4 lbs of chocolate [not to mention twice], the extra special carpet cleaners for the messes from recycled godiva chocolate, the ball gloves that have leather tanning on them so that the accidental outcome now has that same warm, rich, buttery tone to it, the ENTIRE box of chocolate EX-LAX including the foil, the cardboard packaging, and the surrounding sealed cellophane. The days of missed work for the vet visits.

The stress is the worst part of it all. No price compares to “What’s next?? Will it be the couch? My TV? A cat? A desk..table..”

What makes up your credit score?

joshuak — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:45:43 +0000

As I’ve been helping share the process of credit repair with my friends and family, I’m often asked about what factors account for their credit score. Today, I found a great article on it at MoneyCentral that goes into the issue in great detail. You’ll discover why your credit score is where it’s at.

Here’s some of the most interesting information in the article:

The final number is a composite of individual ratings in five categories:

Payment history (35% of the rating)
Length of credit history (15%)
New credit (10%)
Types of credit used (10%)
Debt (30%)

Cool Money Tools at Money Central

joshuak — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:20:26 +0000

I found a very easy to use money tool at MoneyCentral today. It’s the Debt Evaluation Calculator. It asks about your income, your house payments, other payments. Using the information you provide, it then displays the results and provides a summary. For example, here’s what it tells me:

Results

You pay $1456 in debt payments and have a total income of $5450 each month, resulting in a debt ratio of 27%.
You have a relatively low debt ratio that puts you in good stead to make all of your payments.

Graduation Spring 2006

joshuak — Sat, 08 Apr 2006 23:06:27 +0000

I get my Associate of Applied Sciences for Software Development on May 11th 2006 from Brookhaven College in Dallas County Community College District. Then I’m off to continue my education some more. I’m setting a personal goal to try to get a masters by age 35. I know, I know, it should have been a long time ago. This is going to feel good though.

401k Help Needed for a Performance Based Company Match

joshuak — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:28:30 +0000

Our company met our goals, so they’re dropping in a bundle of cash into our 401k. It won’t quite be a 100% match, but it’s pretty good.

The value also went up yesterday to the highest I’ve seen since I’ve been enrolled. That pleased me to peaches.

This is the first time I’ve seen a company do matching based on performance. I think it’s a good idea, because we really get to feel a partnership with the company, but at the same time I wish it was more like a 100% match and I got whatever I put into it. Currently, I’m not putting enough into it to max out a IRA, but people around me tell me to put the minimum in the 401k to qualify for the performance based match, and then invest the rest into an IRA. If I max that out, then put anything else into 401k. I’m not so certain that this is a good idea, but I’m definitely interested in hearing other people’s opinions on it.

How do you feel about this strategy?