Working from Home

Have you been thinking about starting a business of your own, a home based business? Never before has there been as much interest in this opportunity and it may be just the thing for you.

Why a Home Based Business Now?

Starting your own home based business has been the dream of many people over the years, but for most it has been little more. However, in the economic circumstances faced by the world today, this may prove to be the best time ever to make it a reality instead of just wishful thinking.

Necessity is the mother of invention as the old saying goes. One reason many people are thinking about a home based or secondary business income now is due to people having a lower income from their regular jobs. The average family income in America has dropped more than $4,000 over the last few years while expenses keep escalating.

No one wants to lower their standard of living, no surprise, so people are looking for ways to earn some additional income. Beginning a part time home business can be an appealing option.

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Get Your Free Credit Score!

Today I was reminded again about that little three digit number so many people like to talk about—their credit score. Everybody seems to be concerned about their number, right.

What is Your Credit Score?

There is so much publicity about your credit score (how to find out what it is, how to protect it, how to improve it, etc.) that it is doubtful very many people do not know what it is, but just in case here is the plain English definition.

Your credit score is a three digit number compiled by the credit agencies that rank your credit worthiness in their eyes based on your credit history which is used by financial institutions and others to help them decide whether to give you a loan, how much to charge for your auto insurance, and whether to give you a job (among other things).

Often you hear your credit score referred to as your FICO score. Technically this refers to the score provided by the Fair Isaac Corporation (now officially renamed FICO) which is the most widely used by financial institutions. A number of other organizations provide credit scores as well, but they are not so well known.

Can You Get Your Credit Score for Free?

Your credit report is more important in many ways than your credit score and you can get it for free. Once a year each of the three major credit reporting agencies are required by law to give you a free copy. You can ask for yours at AnnualCreditReport.com which is operated jointly by the three major reporting companies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).

But what about your credit score? Is there any way to get it for free?

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When the Unthinkable Happens

Sometimes tragedy slaps us in the face. It leaves us with sorrow, but there are usually some lessons we learn as well. In this post I want to share some lessons associated with a recent personal tragedy. Some problems were anticipated, others not so much.

Facing the Death of a Child

December was a sad time for our family as we lost our youngest child. Brian was 32 years old when he died which is remarkably old considering his many health issues, challenges so severe that he was not expected to live but a short time when we took him in foster care at 17 months. Certainly, no one suspected he would live long enough for us to adopt him a couple of years later.

Fortunately, Brian responded to love and good care from ourselves and a multitude of great doctors, nurses, and other caregivers. He became the joy of our lives as he shared his engaging smile with those he loved. We loved Brian greatly and miss him immensely.

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Is a Second Housing Crisis Imminent?

Are we past the home mortgage crisis? Or is there a possibility that there just may be a round two? If there is another round of mortgage defaults, how can we avoid getting caught up in it?

One Woman's Mortgage Problem

This morning I read about a woman who had just had her hours at work cut back. She was concerned about what to do because of the crimp it put on her budget.

In particular, her new hours did not provide enough income, as she saw it, to be able to keep up with her house payments….

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Why People Can’t Save Money

How often have you heard someone say, “If I had a nickel for every time I heard that I would be a rich man today!” I know I have heard it many times. And the truth is that human behavior does seem to follow a lot of repetitious patterns.

Common Excuse for Not Saving Money

This is true with our economic choices and ideas as much as it is anywhere. Specifically, it is common to hear what I heard again this week…

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Are Prepaid Cards a Good Idea?

Prepaid cards are the talk of the day in some circles. They are said to have a number of advantages, not the least of which is that they require no credit check! But that alone ought to cause the discriminating mind to raise a few concerns.

Are Prepaid Cards a Good Idea?

Think about …

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I Built This Site Myself!

Now that's not a political headline. Just a fun (I trust) parody of one. However, it is intended to draw attention to one fact: what you read on this site is written by me, growing out of my own education, experience, and real research.

That is one reason why, in my opinion of course, I believe you can trust what you read on Success With Money to be the truly valuable information you need to help you reach your goal of financial success.

This post is a little different than most. It is not about money as such; it is about my philosophy of work when it comes to writing the content you find here. It is intended to give a little insight into my approach and purpose for the site.

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Your Outlook on the Economy
Determines Your Success!

One of the most important truths you can ever learn in life is that your thinking determines everything. The way you think shapes your life.

In no area is this more significant than in your financial life. You will never be successful with money until you see yourself and your opportunities as filled with potential rather than failure.

Mike's Money Success Attitude Story

Recently I read a great post by Mike McGroarty dealing with the economy. It isn't his particular field of interest—he promotes growing plants for sale as he has done himself—but he makes some great points in this…

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Can We Avoid Low Wages Ahead

A noteworthy article titled Low-paying jobs are here to stay appeared on CNN Money today. It does not report good news, but it does focus our attention on a very real situation that we must adjust to and respond to if we want to do well in future.

Wages to Remain Stagnant for Years

The story reports on a study done by the Economic Policy Institute. Overall conclusions of the study are…

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Why I Did Not Buy Facebook Stock

It is always risky to say why you declined to invest in any stock, I suppose. Especially in the tech field. You always stand the risk of trying to explain later why you didn't recognize the value of an Amazon or Apple. But, here I go, with the hope that my reasoning is worth considering.

Is Facebook Viable?

First, I do not see the economic viability of a company like Facebook. The question I ask myself is…

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