Personal FinancierPersonal FinancierArticles on personal finance ,economics, business and Investments. How-tos, opinons, commentaries and strategies Articles
How I Saved Over 3,000$ In One Hour
2008-04-12 11:13:00 I admit the headline is a bit catchy but the amazing thing is that it?s absolutely true. I was literally amazed at how easy it was. I was even more astounded to discover that had I not been aware and acted promptly no one would have bothered telling me anything.Yesterday, by leaving work for one hour, I managed to save 3,000$ in interest payments and a year and a half (!) of mortgage payments.How was this miracle performed? Simply by being aware to falling interest levels and by snooping around at current interest rates offered on mortgages. The loan officer knew exactly what I came for the minute I sat down and was suddenly very eager to match and best any offer I had received elsewhere. A simple discount of 0.5% on my mortgage rate was enough to save me 3,000$ on interest payments and a whole year and half of payments while leaving my monthly payments the same as it was.The source of this financial miracle is obviously a combination of two powerful financial tools:1. Compound... More About: Hour
Is the Chinese Stock Market Bubble Bursting?
2008-04-10 15:57:00 If you?ve been following my posts for a while you?ve probably read my thoughts on the Chinese stock market (two quick reminders for the ones that haven?t are attached at the end of this post).One of the topics I constantly wrote about come 2008 was the Chinese stock market and the high price levels it had attained.High inflation and interest levels combined with a less than perfect stock market (mildly put) brought me, as it did many others, to believe the 2008 will prove to be a turning point for the Chinese market.High hopes were placed on the Olympics to stabilize the system but as every novice game theorist knows when a premise like that is common knowledge than each individual always has a dominant strategy to go and sell a bit early to avoid the mass sales to follow. I?m guessing that?s what?s happing, amongst other things.Meanwhile, the Chinese stock market plunged by approximately 45% compared to October 2007?s record (Chinese CSI 300 chart by Bloomberg.com):I wrote before, ... More About: Economics , Stock Market , Market , Investing
How to Successfully Navigate Your Way through Home Renovations: 10 Practica
2008-04-08 20:11:00 For a while now I?ve been writing about my recent experience with purchasing and renovating my home, a small apartment in bustling city center.One of the more difficult steps in this process was renovating our home. Home renovations have some characteristics which make them extra difficult to plan and execute:1. Uncertainty is high2. The professional knowledge at our disposal is scarce3. Our experience is very limited while the contractor is well versed4. The costs of a single mistake can be relatively high5. The work takes place at our home thus creating more pressure on usUnderstanding these crucial elements is essential to a managing a successful renovation. While the following advice I provide from my own recent experience won?t assure surprises won?t happen they will greatly reduce the risk associated with them.This is my list of 15 practical tips for successfully navigating your way through home renovations:#1 Get professional helpMy readers probably recognize by now how stron... More About: Renovations
Outsourcing, Skills and Investing ? Weekly Round Up
2008-04-06 18:00:00 It?s time for more excellent posts from fellow bloggers. Naturally these are handpicked. I genuinely hope we agree on their added value:Managing All My Money Is Futile: Outsourcing My Finances @ The Digerati LifeI?ve always encouraged consulting with professionals. They must have some added value otherwise they wouldn?t exist.Ten Killer Tactics for Developing a New Skill @ The Simple DollarI usually don?t care very much for posts about what we do intuitively. However, this post by the simple dollar is an excellent demonstration, in my opinion, of giving added value to an intuitive process.Ten Ways to Reduce the Cost of Printing from Your Home Computer @ Personal Finance AdviceAs simple as that.31 Causes of Failure #5: Lack of Self-Discipline @ brip blapI?ve written quite a few times about the traits we must develop as savers and investors. Self discipline has always been ranked high on those lists. I recommend reading this thorough discussion of the trait and its significant importa... More About: Investing , Round Up , Weekly , Skills
Where Should Your Next Spare Dollar Go?
2008-04-03 23:06:00 My wife and I have finally been able to save some money. After buying a home, remodeling it and getting married all in one year our financial resources have been greatly depleted. A couple of months with relatively smaller expenses passed and we?ve been able to save a small yet significant amount of money.Suddenly we?re faced with a question: Where should we put this money? What should we do with our next saved dollar?I believe the answer lies in the truths of basic financial planning theory. In my opinion when we consider where our next dollar should go we have to examine the following hierarchy of financial ?needs? (assuming your debt repayments are within your monthly budget):Repaying expansive debtNot all debts are bad debts, just the more expansive ones are. For example, just yesterday I wrote about the advantages a mortgage has in making us more disciplined savers (with relatively cheap interest rates).If your outstanding loans are pricey you should definitely work towards rep... More About: Dollar , Investing , Budgeting
Why Buying a Home is More Important than You Think
2008-04-02 21:25:00 Rent vs. buy comparisons are abundant. I’ve wrote quite a bit on the matter trying to illuminate the less obvious parts of it. In this post I’ll concentrate on a few fundamental financial advantages of home ownership which are too often painfully overlooked.Buying a home is indeed a great undertaking which requires maturity and an ability to commit (not to mention available funds). However, it also presents several significant financial advantages to the home owner.#1 Your home is a solid long term investmentIn financial planning a portfolio consists of the household’s entire asset allocation, including real estate investments. Buying a home is, in essence, investing in a relatively solid asset for the long term.Furthermore, as your home is usually your primary asset it automatically creates a significant allocation of solid investments.#2 Your home hedges your financial riskAs a result your home helps you hedge your financial risk. Even if your investment portfolio is investe... More About: Home
Long Term Investments Are Not Risk Free: The Fallacy of Large Numbers and t
2008-03-31 16:10:00 The S&P500 closed yesterday at 1,315.22 points. The first time the S&P500 stood at this level was April 1999. This past decade in the US stock markets has been a long-term investor?s nightmare. I?m referring mostly to retirement savings and households of course. The following chart is of the S&P500 index since 1999:The rule of thumb in long-term saving is that stocks, over time, are the best investment option available as volatility gets averaged out and all that is left is to enjoy the average returns over the years.Another rule is that the younger you are the riskier your investments should be since you have enough time to average out poor performance.While financial advisors work according to these rules the academic world has had problems substantiating them on a solid academic basis.Noble winning economist Paul Samuelson published an article on the subject in 1963 which is still referred to by almost any article ever since. The article was titled ?Risk and Uncertain... More About: Economics , Free , Investing , Numbers
Contact Me
2008-03-31 16:07:00 Please feel free to send me your thoughts, comments, questions and everything else which comes to mind at: dorian.wales@gmail.com. More About: Contact
Top Posts
2008-03-31 16:02:00 InvestingInvesting mistakes to avoidStock recommendations from analysts or brokerage houses: How valuable are they?Diversifying your risk in the stock marketKey psychological factors in stock market successTips for young investorsComparing Bonds Vs. Stock as an investmentHow to tell if a mutual fund is well managedThe Problem With Structures - Risks and Hidden CostsValuation Methods ? Discounting Cash Flows vs. Using MultiplesEconomicsHow to Protect Your Money From InflationThe Fool in the Shower - Is the Fed Turning On the Hot Water Full Blast?What is the Economic Value of Happiness?Is Present Value - Value in the Present? The Economic sense behind Net Present ValueReal EstateUnderstanding Important Hidden Psychological Aspects of Rent vs. Buy ComparisonsWhy Taking a Mortgage Is Leveraging Your Equity: Understanding the Potential Risks and BenefitsHow to Make Sure this is your Dream Home: 7 Practical TipsShould you Rent or Buy a Home?Buying a Home ? an In-Depth Look at the ProcessF... More About: Posts
About The Personal Financier
2008-03-31 15:59:00 The Personal Financier is about sharing knowledge and experience relevant to our personal finances and our financial development:Investing wiselyUnderstanding economic trendsManaging our real estateSaving time and moneyIntroducing business and management conceptsPromoting self developmentmore?The Personal Financier started out as an experiment. I enjoy writing and I set it up in order to house all the articles I wrote for freelance writing content sites. As my writing evolved and as The Personal Financier grew I found out writing for my own blog is a much better experience and definitely a more enjoyable one (even if the monetary compensation is negligible).I?ve often asked myself what it is about writing that most appeals to me. To be perfectly honest I simply enjoy the fact people are reading me. I believe it?s a sort of recognition that I have something to contribute which keeps me going.My name is Dorian Wales. I?m 30, married and I have no children, yet. I have an MBA with a sp...
The Personal Financier gets a facelift
2008-03-31 15:55:00 I've spent some time this weekend upgrading the design of The Personal Financier. Blogger is not very clever and requires and a lot of manual adjustments (I am not webmaster, I simply write).As a result the three following posts will include: an About section, a Contact section and a Top posts section which may not be so interesting to read but I must post them in order to link to them from my new menu bar.Your patience is appreciated.Regards,Dorian More About: Facelift
Colleagues and Resources: Weekly Round-Up
2008-03-29 12:56:00 I usually don't like round-up's very much since I think a blogger should contribute his own content and not leverage other peoples' content. However, round-ups are required to spread some link love and to show gratitude and appreciation to your colleagues.First, a couple of articles from two of my favorite resources online:1. Sharpening Your Skills: Disaster! @ Harvard Business School, Working KnowledgeA very relevant article on handling and managing crisis and how to develop the right skills to do so.2. Business this week @ The EconomistA good summary of what happened in the business world this week.I've particularly enjoyed the following posts by fellow bloggers and would like to share them:The Consumer Focused Carnival of Real Estate is small but promising. Hosted by Searchlight Crusade who found a very innovative solution to handling over enthusiastic bloggers which mass submit carnival posts even if they aren't related to the subject matter. I especially liked Dax Desai's... More About: Resources , Round Up , Weekly , Round
Tel Aviv Joins Earth Hour Project: The Green Trend in the Eyes of Future St
2008-03-27 21:54:00 The city of Tel Aviv joined the ?Earth Hour? project today with a one hour ?lights off? between 8:00-9:00 pm. The municipal building and towers around the city coordinated a live TV broadcasted ?lights off? which has definitely left an impression.At first I adopted a very cynical attitude towards this initiative (which was even sponsored by corporations branding themselves ?green? but in reality have a long way to go). However, I quickly changed my mind as I witnessed the effect it had on awareness.Rationally speaking one hour of darkness has no real affect what so ever. Furthermore, it may also be used as a distraction from the real environmental issues at hand which require an attention span of more than one hour and a lot more money. Marketing, however, is a whole different story. Going green has definitely become a major trend.Trends have their life spans. The green trend will soon finish its hype phase and will hopefully lead to the next step which is usually comprised of hundr... More About: Economics , Eyes , Future , Project
How to Make Sure this is your Dream Home: 7 Practical Tips
2008-03-24 18:11:00 As promised I?ll be writing a bit more on real estate. In this post I?ll discuss some practical tips on how to properly research a property before buying it. Since I?m writing for you, my readers, and I usually focus more on investments, I?ll be very happy to hear your thoughts and your level of interest in the subject in it, if any. As always if you would like me to focus more on one of the other topics I write about please let me know at:dorian.wales@gmail.comI consider myself a diligent person. Before I buy I usually read consumer reviews, compare prices, ask for a trial periods, consult with experts, consider recommendations and more.Surprisingly, I wasn?t as diligent when I bought my apartment. I did my research, and very thoroughly so, but I didn?t get a trial period (yes, there is a way) or a house inspection, for example.Buying a home, as we always say, is probably going to be a major financial deal for most of us. Therefore, we must demand it from ourselves be as diligent a... More About: Tips , Home , Dream , Make
Another Edition of the Investment Basics Carnival
2008-03-21 12:02:00 Welcome to another edition of the Investment Basics Carnival . I've picked the following articles because I believe they offer added value. I've added my own thoughts to each article. Hopefully you'll find them stimulating.Investments1. Trent presents Review: One Up On Wall Street posted at The Simple Dollar. An interesting book review of another book by Peter Lynch (former Fidelity fund manager and Wall Street guru).2. Heather Johnson presents 10 Tips for Staying Positive in a Negative Market posted at Investing Blog. Psychology is as important as finance and economics in times of crisis.3. ThePennySaved presents Learning about investing from Jim Cramer is like finding God through Jim Bakker posted at The Penny Saved. I agree hearitly. Furthermore, he needs to attract attention somehow, usually by being provocative. His last comment on the financial sector in the USA is no less than completely irresponsible.4. Bobby Handzhiev presents The Sexy Art Of Losing Money posted at The Sh... More About: Edition
Lehman Brothers? Yo-Yo: There are Lessons to be Learned
2008-03-19 17:53:00 When I first saw the following chart of Lehman Brothers ' stock, and what it went through these last couple of days, I instantly thought of a person being springed back to life using a crash cart ... charge to 200, clear! ....I don't remember seeing anything like this for a long time now. Still, I think there are some important lessons to learn here.It seems 80% Economy made room for 80% psychology. Panic rules the markets. After Bear Sterns collapsed and sold for under its fixed assets' value there is definitely room for panic. But even that should be controlled. A hint of rumors on Lehman Brothers ' liquidity problems caused its stock to crash by almost 40%. That is definitely mass hysteria. It wasn't over then, however, as the next day the stock soared back to previous levels with nothing changing but the wind and whispers.In times like these economics and finance make room for psychology. Understanding there isn't any rational behavior (or very little of it) behind what's g... More About: Economics , Investing , Lessons
How to Avoid Crippling Your Retirement Funds
2008-03-18 18:24:00 Rainy days such as these are important reminders that what goes up can also come crashing down. The recent hacks and slashes in stock prices stress the importance of good financial planning, especially when it comes to retirement funds or a household?s nest egg.Self directed IRAs (or Individual Retirement Accounts) offer great opportunities but also great risks. Managing your retirement portfolio by yourself enables flexibility, reduced commissions and completely matching your portfolio to your needs and estimations. However, professional portfolio managers exist for a reason. It is quite difficult to be emotionally detached from your own equity and decision making. Furthermore, acting unprofessionally can cost you very heavily.How can we avoid suffering a heavy loss to our retirement funds? #1 Monitor your asset allocation on a regular basis Asset allocation is critical. A right mix of financial assets can make the difference. You should constantly be aware and monitor the followin... More About: Investing , Funds , Avoid
How Much is Your Blog Worth? A Valuation Approach
2008-03-16 17:23:00 You must have stumbled upon that cute application which tells you how much you blog is worth by multiplying a link to dollar ratio. I?ll risk it and say anyone of us bloggers would gladly sell his blog for half that amount. That multiplier has obviously been proven as un-economic at the least. However, the question remains. How much is a blog worth?The financial foundationIf a blog is about making money it is very much like any other profitable endeavor or project and as such should be valuated using the same principles (with the correct adjustments). Finance theory teaches us a very simple lesson. If you want to know how much a certain project (or a company) is worth you have to examine the expected future cash flow this project or company will yield and adjust it to time and risk. Now, since we don?t always have the time to study each company thoroughly we often take shortcuts to the end. These shortcuts are the multipliers we use in order to get a ?quick and dirty? rough valuatio... More About: Economics , Blog , Investing , Worth , Valuation
The ECB and the FED: A Difference of Approaches
2008-03-15 12:45:00 I find it very interesting to observe the different approaches of the two most influential central banks in the world to the current slowdown or recession (choose whatever you think is appropriate). Both the US and Europe are showing an increasing number of negative economic indicators which point to an economic slowdown. The two banks are currently struggling with the same two generic problems:1. An economic slowdown and fear of recession2. Rising inflation and rising commodity pricesThe FED has taken quick action so far and reacted in a resolute manner to the situation in the markets by both reducing interest rates sharply and increasing the flow of funds dramatically. Just this past week the FED announced plans to inject $200 billion into ailing credit markets by offering to swap high-quality Treasuries to banks and investment houses for beaten-down mortgage-backed securities. The Fed is also expected to lower interest rates by an additional 0.75%-1.5% (estimates vary).... More About: Economics , Difference
Is Present Value - Value in the Present? The Economic sense behind Net Pres
2008-03-11 19:26:00 Present value is a very common financial tool which is used to determine the current value of a future sum of money. 1,000$ a year from now, at 5% interest, are worth approx. 952$ (As you could deposit 952$ today, with 5% interest and receive 1,000$ in a year). Discounting is the process of translating future sums of money to present value.Present value (or net present value in case of a series of timely cash flows) is also used to determine the economic feasibility of projects and entrepreneurships or in other words ? Are they at all profitable? A project with a positive NPV is worth undertaking.Net present value (or NPV) is widely used. However, seldom do we question the economic justification to use this financial tool and the economic source of an NPV. Does a positive net present value represent actual value in the present?We should start at the very basic. What is the source of a positive NPV in a project? Where does it come from? For example, a construction company has decided... More About: Economics , Sense , Investing , Present , Economic
10 Sure Ways to lose 50% of your investment
2008-03-07 15:57:00 Before I start I want to thank the ?baglady? for choosing my article on ?practical reasons why you should learn a foreign language? to be first on this week?s carnival of personal finance. I apologize for the delay in posts. This week has been hectic. And now, without further delays my post on 10 sure ways to lose 50% of your investment.#1 Have you heard of technical analysis? I?ve read this book and I?m really cashing inTechnical analysis is a method of using data on a financial asset?s past behavior to foresee future trends. Technical analysis has always been regarded suspiciously by academic scholars yet attracted a huge crowd of supporters amongst investors and traders.In academic papers stocks are usually assumed to follow a pattern of ?random walk?, meaning past price behavior can teach us nothing on the future. However, as markets are not perfect (read more on stock market efficiency) there is reason to believe technical analysis can present more information before reaching a... More About: Investment , Investing
So You?ve Decided to Buy a Home ? an In-Depth Look at the Process ? Post #3
2008-03-03 16:56:00 My in-depth look at buying a home ends with steps #9-#11 (negotiating, renovating and moving and making it a home).#9 NegotiatingNegotiating is a very valuable skill. I seriously doubt it can be taught (I myself am a lousy negotiator) but understanding some truths can really help you. Each percent in this deal is significant and well worth the effort.First of all, be aware the seller has one advantage from the start. He named the price. When you think of it we, as buyers, often treat the seller?s price as a point of reference other then deciding for ourselves what the right price to pay for a property is. Shake off the seller?s price and get a good idea of what the real value of the property is to you. Getting 5% off a property priced at 110% isn?t a good deal.A significant portion of the negotiations gets done through professional real estate agents. Be aware of their interest in getting the deal closed and use their skills to your advantage while not letting them pressure you into... More About: Home , Post , Process , Depth
So You?ve Decided to Buy a Home ? an In-Depth Look at the Process ? Post #2
2008-03-01 15:36:00 My in-depth look at buying a home continues with pointers #4-#8 (Location, research, footwork, choice and professional assistance). #4 Location, location... locationLocation probably affects the value of your home more than any other variable, either real and current or potential. Location cannot be over emphasized. Location is affected by many other considerations such as closeness to family members, public services, personal preferences and more.Sit down and think about your preferences. Consider your current and future personal status as always. If you plan on having kids soon you might want to consider a property closer to your parents or good schools for example. Are you a city or country person? Do you mind traffic? And so on and so forth.If you?re buying a house with a partner agree on your mutual preferences together.#5 ResearchOnce you?ve decided on location preferences you need to start researching. Usually several areas (neighbourhoods, districts, cities etc.) will fit yo... More About: Home , Post , Process , Depth
So You?ve Decided to Buy a Home ? an In-Depth Look at the Process ? Post #1
2008-02-27 18:51:00 This 1,000 word post is one in a series of 3 in which I will explore the process of buying a home from my recent experience and point of view. I believe I have quite a lot to offer those of you who are embarking on this voyage. In this post I'll present the background and discuss 3 of 11 crucial steps I see in the process: #1 Considering your personal status, #2 Getting a good grasp of your budget and #3 Rent or Buy?Buying a home is probably one of the more major decisions in our lives. I?ve decided to buy a home about a year ago. After a long and tedious year I can gladly say I?m writing this post from my new home. The process of buying a home is tedious, long and difficult both physically and mentally. It can be a bit easier with experience but I don?t think it changes much when you buy your second home later in life. It?s just the way it is.A year ago my wife and I decided we had enough of renting. We sat down and looked at our options and the process we?re about to go through. ... More About: Home , Post , Process , Depth
The Need for Accountability in Advertising and Marketing
2008-02-25 21:06:00 I'm working on an in-depth post about the process of buying a home from deciding to moving in. I've recently completed the process myself and would like to share my advice and my experience in the matter. In the meantime I'm publishing this post I wrote for Helium.com some time ago in the hope you'll find it interesting.Accountability , according to Merriam-Webster is ?the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions?. Is there a place for accountability in advertising or marketing?Companies invest in advertising and marketing in order to build a brand, raise awareness to a product or service, target a new audience, increase market share and more.Intuitively, a more credible and accountable message or advert would better achieve the desired results. However, accountability is not one of the traits usually attributed to advertising or marketing. Most people would say the opposite when aske... More About: Marketing , Economics , Advertising
Inflation, Frugality and Vampire Energy ? RoundUp
2008-02-23 17:47:00 InflationYou guessed it. Talking inflation again. The NY Times published an article on Thursday discussing the problems facing the Fed as growth lags and inflation rises. As I?ve written in past posts the dilemma the Fed is facing is growing ever more difficult. With no foreseeable end to the slowdown and with prices increasing the danger of stagflation is becoming more and more real. The article discusses the following:1. Despite the short-term cut in interest rates home mortgage rates are on the rise.2. Prices jumped 4.3 percent in January, compared with one year earlier.3. The Fed adjusts the forecast for growth this year to an anemic pace of 1.3 to 2 percent. Joblessness is likely to climb to 5.3 percent, from 4.9 percent today.It's worth noting the current rise in prices is more disturbing as it is composed of a rise in food and basic goods. This kind of inflation affects us all more heavily.FrugalityThis week?s edition of the Festival of Frugality on MightyBargainHunter was e... More About: Economics , Energy , Inflation , Roundup , Vampire
Inflation Rearing Its Ugly Head
2008-02-21 22:53:00 In January I wrote a post about the topics we will be discussing in 2008. Inflation was definitely on the top of the list (commodities and China were on that list too). It appears this wasn?t for nothing. In the last couple of days a series of inflation related news suddenly accumulated. As always I?m here to sum it up in a post:#1 China?s inflation rose to 11 year highAnother topic staring the aforementioned list was China which has displayed rising inflation levels for some time now. The Chinese inflation rate rose to 7.1% for 12 months ending in January.#2 American food industrialists are concerned with price levelsLarry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield foods, was quoted saying ?There's going to be real food inflation in this country?. Wheat and meat prices are continually rising.#3 Oil and gold prices keep breaking recordsThe price of gold reached another peak at 950$ and oil prices are toying with 100$ a barrel. Gold is traditionally considered a safe haven for times of i... More About: Economics , Head , Ugly
How does it feel like to lose over $50B?
2008-02-19 21:09:00 UBS shareholders have written off over $50B in the last couple of months. I can?t help but wonder how does that feel like? American companies are writing off hundreds of billions of dollar in subprime and alt-a mortgages. Housing prices continue to drop and on average each American citizen has lost more than we want to count (tens of thousands of dollars at the least).Why do most of our lives seem to go on relatively unaffected? I believe there are 4 basic reasons for this phenomenon:#1 Concentration of wealth results in concentration of lose as wellO n average the numbers point to almost 80% of the wealth in the US being held by 10% of families in (yet another interesting reference for the 80-20 principle). Naturally, when this is the case 90% of the families don?t take part in either capital gains or losses on that wealth. It appears our part in the greater financial scheme of things is less significant than we had hoped it would be.#2 The loss is not tangibleImagine losing 50$ yo... More About: Economics , Feel
ETFs and Mutual Funds ? The Slowdown Will Teach Us another Valuable Lesson
2008-02-17 19:20:00 ETFs have become the investment tool of the 21st century for household investors. It is true, they do have many advantages ranging from lower commission, better performance, tax considerations and more.With ETFs becoming increasingly popular more investors ask themselves why invest in mutual funds altogether?I am a big supporter of investing in ETFs. There?s nothing more enjoyable then watching how simple financial assets outperform the big money in mutual funds constantly preaching to the household investor when and what to buy. Mutual fund managers have nearly completely failed in justifying the commissions they charge with very little abnormal returns to show for.However, and there is always an however, sometimes the judgment and discretion of an investment manager is required. If you?re wondering when that may be the case, please consider the following behavior pattern I believe explains why ETFs outperform mutual funds and why there is a lesson to learn in the current slowdown.... More About: Investing , Mutual Funds , Psychology , Lesson , Funds
Upcoming Tax Rebates, Spotting Genuine Market Lows and More
More articles from this author:2008-02-16 12:11:00 I?ve just finished reading a very useful article in Yahoo about the upcoming tax rebates which I think you will find interesting. It addresses the basic questions of who?s entitled to get a check? How much will we get? What needs to be done? When can we expect the money? How to boost rebates? Etc... The article can be found here ?Tax Rebate Winners and Losers?.Another interesting article I thought you?d like was published in ?The Economist? titled ?Bear Necessities?. This article deals with the notoriously difficult questions of how can one spot the difference between a genuine market low and the staging point for a short-lived ?suckers? rally. The article discusses stock dividend yield vs. bond yields, p/e multipliers and the fear factor.My weekly roundup contains some of the more interesting carnivals I?ve participated in:1. Carnival of Personal Finance #139: Valentine Edition and Festival of Frugality #112 featured my post on When is it Reasonable to Take a Loan? Consider These ... More About: Market , Investing , Genuine , Rebates , Upcoming 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |



