Debt

Reason #97 Public Pensions Are Wrecking America

September 26, 2013

While many working-class Americans have now since retired on public-sector pensions rather comfortably, the reality is that many cities and municipalities are finally realizing they wrote checks they couldn’t cash and the bill is due.  Similar to the notion of Social Security, which was enacted when the average American life expectancy was only a few […]

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How to Screen Loans on Lending Club for Big Returns

June 16, 2013

Screening and scrubbing through available loans on Lending Club is a lot easier once you know what you’re doing. Using the net return and default rates screener at Nickel Streamroller, one can quickly “backtest” various selection strategies to find the loans with the best ROI. I’ve tested a few different ways to weed out Lending […]

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5 Reasons You Should NEVER, EVER Sell Your Pension

June 2, 2013

Over the past several years, we’ve seen every manner of “financial innovation” which ultimately led to hardship. We’ve seen the securitization of mortgage loans which helped fuel the housing boom/bust, we’ve seen reverse mortgages leaving many seniors and heirs in the dust and now, there’s a major move afoot to buy pensions from Americans. Sure, […]

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Should I Do a Home Equity Loan OR Not?

May 13, 2013

Since we’ve decided to stay in our home semi-permanently (whatever that means – we decided to forgo new construction, put an anchor in our backyard and not move), I’ve been thinking more about enacting some longer-term, higher cost projects around the house like new windows, replacing the front door, etc. These are things we know […]

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How Much Would You Sell a Kidney For? Seriously, Name your Price

January 27, 2013

I read the occasional story about someone selling a kidney for what amounts to a few hundred dollars or less in emerging markets and it begs the question as to what a fair price is for a kidney for an individual.  Circumstances vary, but people donate kidneys to loved ones and even strangers all the […]

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Committing Financial Adultery – Lurid Examples, Gray Areas and Your Stories

January 22, 2013

Financial adultery is a newer term you’re probably going to be hearing a lot more about.  This recent survey indicates that HALF, yes, half the people surveyed have committed financial infidelity.  As the economy languishes and people continue to struggle with low-paying jobs and increasingly burdensome amounts of student debt, this notion of couples hiding […]

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