Tech Ticker
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Archived Under: Financial Blogs , Investing , New and Notable
Tags: Investing, Investing Blogs, New and Notable, Tech Ticker
What's better than the smell of coffee in the morning? For technology and investing aficionados, the smell of profits is the only way to start the day.Yahoo's recently launched video-centric blog, Tech Ticker, with its tagline, "I Love the Smell of Profits in the Morning," aims to "bring stocks and and the stories to life - and to reveal the culture of an ecosystem often understood only by those who inhabit it."
That's a mouthful in the morning, but a visit to the site reveals investment insights like today's lead about Google's new mobile operating system, Android.
Contributors to the site include many well-known Wall Street and Silicon Valley journalists.
If you can't forsake your coffee, try caffeine with profits, a powerful combination any day.
FrontDoor
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Archived Under: New and Notable , Real Estate
Tags: FrontDoor, New and Notable, Real Estate
Is there a refreshing spring breeze in the real estate market? While it is too early for talk of a full-blown real estate recovery, HGTV's FrontDoor offers hope for a fresh start and better future.Launched in December last year by Scripps Networks and powered by HGTV, FrontDoor enters the crowded space of online real estate listings.
"FrontDoor closes the loop for the millions of home enthusiasts who know and trust HGTV as a valued resource, while also supporting the business strategy of strengthening our footprint in the home space online as well as on-air," says John Lansing, president of Scripps Networks. "With our family of brands, we are able to provide entertaining and easy to understand information to consumers covering the entire home-ownership lifecycle -- from search and decision-making with FrontDoor, to decoration and personalization with HGTV, maintenance and remodeling with DIY Network and HGTV Pro, then preparation to sell and start the cycle again with FrontDoor."
FrontDoor is in beta, but already has an impressive list of partners including Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby's International Realty.
FrontDoor hopes to stand out from the crowd through the experience of HGTV, a television and online leader in home and garden content.
If you are looking to buy, sell, move, or finance a home, FrontDoor provides tools, information, and more than 300 videos to enrich and improve your real estate decisions.
An inviting portal to the inevitable real estate recovery, hope springs eternal at FrontDoor.
Financial Goal Setting Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Financial Goal Setting , Financial Planning
Tags: Directory Updates, Financial Goal Setting, Financial Planning
The foundation of a successful financial plan is an understanding of where you want to be financially in both the short and long run. The Moneysmartz Financial Goal Setting category provides links to tools and worksheets to help you set financial goals. If you have at least one half hour, visit the About Frugal Living listing that provides systematic directions for determining financial goals. For a quick introduction to financial goal setting and helpful financial calculators, visit the Financial Goal Setting listing from CCH Finance. If you plan to manage your finances on your own or work with a financial professional, a review of financial goal setting basics will help lay the groundwork for financial success.
Retirement Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Life Events , Retirement Planning
Tags: Directory Updates, Life Events, Retirement Planning
Are you prepared for retirement? The experts say no. The best response is to begin taking action today, so you can enjoy retirement tomorrow. The recently updated Moneysmartz Retirement category includes simple tools, powerful resources, and the gentle nudge you need to move forward in your retirement planning. This category now includes navigation tips for getting the most out of retirement planning resources on the web, including links to easy to use retirement savings calculators, financial portals, and online encyclopedias. If you are short on time, visit the Editor's Best Bets at the top of the category listings. Designed to save you time and get you moving, the Moneysmartz retirement planning page will help you prove the experts wrong.
Insurance Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Insurance
Tags: Directory Updates, Insurance
Are you protected against unexpected risks? The Moneysmartz Insurance category will help you understand the forms of insurance that protect you from financial catastrophe. When navigating the Moneysmartz insurance page, visit the Yahoo! Finance and Fool.com listings for a wealth of articles, resources, and calculators. For a comprehensive introduction to insurance, visit the Insurance Information Institute listing. For quotes and comparisons, visit Insurance.com. The old adage an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure applies to insurance where a minimum investment of time yields maximum protection and peace of mind.
Philanthropy Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Philanthropy
Tags: Directory Updates, Philanthropy
According to the Giving USA Foundation, Americans contributed almost $300 billion to charity in 2006. If you are considering giving to charity, then the Moneysmartz Philanthropy category will help you find charitable organizations, understand the tax implications of charitable giving, learn more about philanthropic causes, and stay away from less than scrupulous charitable organizations. To find a charity in your area, visit the Justgive.org listing. To understand the tax consequences of your giving, go to the H&R Block listing. Finally, for some cautionary advice on charitable giving, visit the FTC listing.
Federal Reserve Bank Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Economics
Tags: Directory Updates, Economics, The Federal Reserve Bank
In trying economic times, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (the "Fed") plays a key role in sustaining the economic health of the U.S. economy. The Moneysmartz U.S. Federal Reserve Bank category includes listings from the Fed and the network of Federal Reserve banks throughout the United States. The Wikipedia listings and the How Stuff Works listing provide an overview of the Fed and its meaning in your financial life. While most won't immediately feel the financial impact of Federal Reserve Bank actions, an understanding of the inner workings of the Fed can help determine the timing of important financial decisions. Since the Fed plays a very important role in the rate of interest we pay on loans, a close watch and understanding of the Fed can yield big returns when determining when a mortgage should be financed or refinanced or when a company should pursue a lower interest loan.
Financial Calculators Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Financial Calculators
Tags: Directory Updates, Financial Calculators
Most financial portals and specialized finance websites offer financial calculators. These calculators are easy to use and best of all they are free. The Moneysmartz Financial Calculators category includes listings from many of the leading financial portals. A click from most of the Moneysmartz listings will bring you to a home calculator page with links to more specialized calculators organized by major category, including investing, mortgages, retirement planning, savings, and insurance. It is easy to get confused by the large number of websites offering financial calculators. The best advice is to stick with a site that you trust and find easy to use and then frequently visit that site as your calculator needs change. A good place to start is the Yahoo! Finance Calculator page with many specialized calculators, including banking and budgeting, career and work, college and education, family and home, insurance, loans, real estate, retirement, and taxes.
Tax Preparation Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Taxes
Tags: Directory Updates, Tax Preparation, Taxes
The face of tax preparation continues to change, with an increasing number of services offering easy to use tools for a nominal fee. However, buyer beware, as you still need to know what you're doing to truly take advantage of potential tax breaks and understand the intricacies of tax law. The Moneysmartz Tax Preparation category includes listings from tax preparation services like H&R Block, tax preparation software, including Turbo Tax, and a wealth of resources to help you more effectively and efficiently prepare your tax return. The Internal Revenue Service offers forms, information, plenty of instructions, and even a free income tax filing service for qualified seniors. For the lighter side of tax preparation, don't forget to visit H&R Block's Digits.
Mortgages Update
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Archived Under: Directory Updates , Mortgages and Loans
Tags: Directory Updates, Mortgages
What a difference a year makes. The Moneysmartz Mortgages category has undergone a big change since last year. Most notably, several providers of mortgage loans are no longer listed as they are out of business. This category includes links to providers of mortgage loans, sites that compare mortgage loan rates, and informational resources like Wikipedia. If you are looking for a mortgage, then this is a great place to start to get the information you need to find or negotiate a great rate with the most reliable providers of mortgages. If you are not depressed enough by the news of the mortgage crisis, then click the Sub Prime Lending Crisis listing by Wikipedia.
All Eyes on the Federal Reserve Bank
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Archived Under: Government Resources , Investing , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: Government Resources, Investing, The Federal Reserve Bank, The Moneysherpa Pages
Much maligned and frequently misunderstood, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank is in the spotlight, with all eyes on Ben Bernanke's every move. Since the Fed is playing an increasingly important role in our financial lives, particularly as it struggles to conduct monetary policy in a way that contributes to the health of the economy, it is probably in your best interest to learn a little more about the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. We will spare you the nitty gritty details, but instead offer a convenient bookmark to the Moneysmartz U.S. Federal Reserve page, with links to the Fed, its member banks, and more information on the inner workings of the Fed. After visiting this page, you will be better prepared to translate your Fed watching into smarter financial decisions.
The Sound of the Other Shoe
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Archived Under: Investing , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: Investing, Investor Psychology, The Moneysherpa Pages
In case you were not listening, there was a very loud boom from Wall Street today as Bear Stearns reached out for help from The Federal Reserve and JPMorgan. We won't bore you with the details, but we will pose the question, "what do you do when the other shoe drops and panic begins to take over?" Run. Stay put. Pray? The short answer is to try to keep your cool. However, since we are already jittery from a very rocky 2008, keeping cool is much easier said than done.As you attempt to stay calm, some insight into investor psychology may help soothe your nerves and clear your mind. A recent MSN article by Richard Conniff about how fear can make you lose millions, speaks to how a little fear is healthy, but too much fear can be disastrous in the end. Another similar article from Investopedia on fear and greed offers cautionary advice based on previous bubbles and crashes.
After gaining a little perspective your feelings of fear may subside and be replaced with thoughts of the future and what you can do to prepare yourself, and your portfolio, for the long haul. This is possibly the best advice in both up and down markets.
Gold Websites
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Archived Under: Best of the Personal Finance Web , Investing
Tags: Best of the Personal Finance Web, Gold, Investing
With gold near $1,000 an ounce it may be a great time to consider buying gold, or if history is a guide, an even better time to consider selling and moving on to the next bubble. For a quick introduction to gold and gold as an investment, visit Wikipedia's Gold and Gold as an investment. For a broad mix of information and links, visit the World Gold Council's website, which includes the science and technology of gold and investing information. For spot prices, visit Kitco's 24-hour gold spot chart. If you really have an itch to buy gold, then visit Bankrate.com for a primer on ways to invest in gold. Before rushing in, be sure to do some home work and remember that commodity prices can swing wildly.
Quick Tips to Lower ATM Fees
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Archived Under: Banking Services , The Moneysherpa Pages
Tags: ATM Fees, Banking Services, The Moneysherpa Pages
Are you frustrated by ATM fees? The following easy to implement tips should help you lower your ATM fees right away:- Use a bank that has a lot of ATM branches near where you work and live. If you travel frequently, then find a bank that has a large national network.
- If you have to go out of your bank's network of ATM's, then make a larger withdrawal, instead of several smaller ones. You'll pay a lot less in fees.
- Get cash back when using your Visa or bank card at the store. This will avoid a trip to the ATM and possibly extra fees.
H&R Block Digits
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Archived Under: New and Notable , Taxes
Tags: H&R Block Digits, New and Notable, Taxes
Looking for some fun to lighten the load during tax season? H&R Block Digits "highlights the connections between money, art, politics, the planet and people everywhere. You'll get access to the tax and personal financial resources you'd expect from H&R Block ." Digits is truly not what you would expect from a company that is known for preparing tax returns. Digits is about more than entertainment, so if you need some serious tools, then don't forget to visit Tools of the Trade for financial calculators and OrganizIT an exclusive tax preparation tool to help you get ready and get organized. If you are looking for an unexpected laugh, then be sure to view the short video clips from Truman Greene, H&R Block's resident man on the street.