Ben Edwards's Blog: Money Smart Life, page 33

Chase Hyatt Visa vs. Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express

Reward card users are typically concerned with earning airline tickets. And while the prospect of a free flight is very alluring, travelers to major cities might find that their hotel bill actually approaches or exceeds their transportation costs. Therefore, using a hotel rewards card can be a great way to reduce the cost of your vacation. Chase offers its Hyatt Visa that earns points in their Gold Passport program while American Express offers its Starwood Preferred Guest card.

Lets see how t...

Why Income Security is the New Job Security

Until about a decade or so ago, employees were heavily concerned with job security. It’s not that that’s no longer a concern – it’s just that it’s so much harder to come by now. For this reason, income security has become the new job security. If it’s impossible to be guaranteed a job, then the next best thing is working to make sure you at least have a steady income.

Even “Permanent Jobs” Aren’t So Permanent Anymore

It used to be pretty clear-cut; there were permanent jobs and temporary jobs,...

Why Catastrophic is Better than No Health Insurance at All

A lot of people are turned off by the very mention of catastrophic health insurance. It may be that some see it as inadequate coverage, while others see it as a mystery concept filled with unimagined traps. But is that the real truth? In most cases having catastrophic is better than having no health insurance at all.

The Usual Arguments Against Catastrophic Health Insurance

There’s actually nothing mysterious about catastrophic health insurance at all. It’s simply a regular health insurance pla...

How to Make Your Side Business a Success

A lot of people have – or would like to have – a side business to make some extra money. The prospect of turning it into a full-time venture is always there, but not everyone wants to quit their day job to become a full-time entrepreneur. If that’s what you want to do, what can you do to make your side business a success?

1. Be sure to treat it like a business, and not a hobby.

Since the business will be a side venture, it can be very easy to treat it like a hobby rather than as a serious money...

5 Ways to Diversify Your Fixed Income Portfolio

Historically, investors have spent incredible amounts of time doing research to diversify their equity portfolios. Figuring out just how much should be allocated to emerging markets and small cap can be a never-ending exhausting process. The problem is after all of the time devoted to equities, the standard practice for many investors is to just buy a Total Return bond fund for their fixed income.

Diversifying the fixed income side of a portfolio is just as important, if not more so, than the...

Why Debt Consolidation May Not Be Right for You

Debt consolidation has become a favorite way to deal with high levels of debt, and this is especially true for credit card debt. The basic concept is simple: roll several high interest credit card debts over into a single, low interest consolidation loan. Generally, the monthly payment on the consolidation loan is substantially lower than the combined payments on the credit card balances. And the lower interest rate of the consolidation loan enables faster payoff of the entire debt.

So far, so...

Comparison of Hilton HHonors Credit Cards

With over 3,750 properties, Hilton is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, and Hilton hotels comprise no less than 10 different brands including DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and the Waldorf-Astoria. Like most hotel chains, guests can use a co-branded credit card to earn points toward free night stays. In particular, Hilton offers several different credit cards co-branded with both Citi and American Express.

So which is the best card for you? Let’s compare them all and take...

Citi Simplicity vs. Clear from American Express

There are some people who look for credit cards with the best rewards or the lowest interest rates. But then there are those who just want the card with the lowest fee and the most simple terms and conditions. In fact, President Obama actually met with credit card executives back in 2009 and asked if they could each offer a “plain vanilla” credit card.

Personally, I have a hunch that Mr. Obama might have experienced his own frustration with credit cards as a young adult. If so, then he is one...

10 Ways to Make Money in Your Spare Time

Are you looking for a way to make extra money in your spare time, without getting tied down to a part-time job? There are plenty of opportunities to earn some extra cash, and all you need to do is to tap into your personal talents. Here are some ideas . . . .

1. Find some micro-jobs.

There are dozens of online work sites that offer micro-jobs. These are usually single-purpose jobs that you do essentially on a contract basis from your own home. Companies such as Mechanical Turk, Mobileworks and...

How to Deal With Collection Agencies

If you’ve ever had the displeasure of dealing with collection agencies you know what a pain in the neck they can be. They will call you umpteen times a day, send you threatening letters, and maybe even call your neighbors. The whole point of the effort is to get you to pay money so they will go away.

If you owe someone money that you have been unable to pay, you might not be able to make the collection agency go away. But you may be able to find a better way to live with them, at least until y...