Barbara Friedberg's Blog: Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance, page 44

How to Cut Investing Fees + Increase Returns

Cut Investing Fees and Save Thousands

I was pleased to receive this question important from Larry Russell an accomplished investor, software developer, financial planner and editor of The Skilled Investor Blog;

“What should investors do once they understand that the financial industry takes over 1/3 of their gross investment returns every year, while it adds only a small fraction of that in value?”

Not only is Larry asking this question, but so are many of my readers.

If You’re Smart-You Ca...

Top Ten Tax Saving Tips

With April 15th looming just around the corner, many people are still scrambling to file taxes (unless they filed for an extension). If you have not filed your taxes yet, one of these 10tips might help you maximize your tax return this year.

Guest Contributor, Alexandra of Real Simple Finances.com

1. Choose your tax preparercarefully.

Some people prefer doing their own taxes. Doing your taxes yourself can be cheaper, and you usually have better insight into your own situation than your accoun...

Draftapp Review-Free Investing Tool to Cut Investing Fees + Benchmark Performance

Draftapp-A Disruptive Investment Analysis Tool

Want to compare your investing portfolio returns with the top portfolios?

Do you want intelligence to help youcreate an investment portfolio with the greatest return for your particular risk level withthe lowest fees?

Interested in a true glimpse of your investing fees?

The Draftapp Backstory

Brad, the founder of Draftapp wants to give the average investor a way to compare their investment returns with real top performing investors. These are re...

Groupon Coupons Review-The Answer for (Non) Couponers

Could Groupon Coupons be Your Money Saving Salvation?

I’m the best couponer ever, until I’m not. I’ll set up a couponing system, organize the coupons, and then place a mark on my shopping list to show which items can be bought with coupons.

Sounds great doesn’t it?

You’d think I save bundles by couponing.

My Coupon Confession

Here’s what really happens.

I go to the grocery, and even with the coupons, some of the products are more expensive than the generic brands. So, I buy the generic and f...

Should I Buy Foreclosed Real Estate?

A reader from the website, Fromthisseat.com writes in;

“Is purchasing foreclosed real estate a smart investment with so many renters and so few home buyers in the market?”

What is Foreclosed Real Estate?

Before we tackle this reader question, let’s explain the term, ‘foreclosed real estate’. The foreclosure process describes the legal situation which occurs when the homeowner can’t afford to continue to make mortgage payments, and his or her rights of ownership are withdrawn. If the proper...

Why I Used to Invest in Individual Stocks + Now I Don’t

Recommended Investing and Money Articles and Links

Many years ago, I was terrifiedof the stock market. I thought it would steal all of your money.

With depression-era parents, the anecdotal information about the stock market crash of 1929 seemed frightening. I believed that you could lose all of your money if you invested in the stock market. I started investing in my 20’s with a traditional stock broker and various versions of bonds and bond funds (and 1 stock recommended by my cousin).

Over...

Should I Invest in an Annuity?

Understand the Annuity Product-In Plain Language

Annie Logueof the Root of All, Chicago on the Cheap, and author of several Money and InvestingDummiesbooks about asks;

“When are annuity investment products a good idea?”

Annuities are a hot button financial offeringbecause they are a product with a high commission for the seller. Thus, they are frequently (inappropriately) promoted to individuals for the purpose of giving the seller a fat commission.

This article will delve into the nuts an...

The Magic of Compounding-Get Rich While You Sleep

What is the Magic of Compounding?

“Everyone has the brainpower to follow the stock market. If you made it through fifth-grade math, you can do it.”
Peter Lynch

One of the greatest investors of our time attests to the simplicity of investing in the stock market. Read this post and find out why. Following is the “Cliff Notes” version of why you need to put part of your long term investment dollars in the stock market.

Stocks + The Magic of Compounding = $$$

The historical long term growth of...

Should I Contribute to a Roth IRA or a 401(k), if I Can’t Fund Both?

6 Step Plan to Decide Where to Invest for Retirement

Monica from MonicaOnMoney.com asks;

Should I contribute to a Roth IRA or a 401(k), if I can’t fundboth?

(Thanks for answering, I love this idea for your blog)

This is a common question for those just starting out. A 20-something, in her first job is automatically enrolled in her workplace 401(k) program. That’s a good thing, since it gets her money working and growing for the future!

But, wait a minute, is the company 401(k) the best cho...

How to Clean Up My Credit History

What People Overlook After They Get Out Of Debt

Guest contributor, Neal Frankle of Wealth Pilgrim.com

One of the many things I love about Barb’s personal finance blog is that it provides a wealth of strategies to help you build a solid financial future. As Barbara repeatedly points out, the first order of business is to get out of debt if you have any.

That step is very clear. But what many people overlook is the aftermath that debt leaves. The problem is, if you were late in making payments...