Financial Solutions

How to choose the best balance transfer credit card for your needs?

January 19th, 2012

Of course, any person with high interest debt on one or more credit cards is tempted to choose one of balance transfer credit cards. Well, today, there are many variants out there and it will pay to see which one best suits your needs. Here are some tips and tricks on how to do it.

How fast can you pay off the outstanding balance?

The most important factor in the choice of the card balance transfer credit is how fast you can reasonably pay the debt you transfer from other cards, because the interest rate will be very low or zero percent for a limited time only. Read more…

Tags: balance transfer credit cards

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What Credit Card Reward Schemes are there?

December 11th, 2011

From 0% balance transfer credit cards to interest free credit cards, there is a wide range of choice available for anyone looking to apply for a card. As well as options such as this, there are also some good credit card reward schemes in existence that add extra benefits for consumers. Read on to find out about some of the most popular options.

Discount schemes

One good reward scheme on offer from credit card companies is the discount scheme. It’s worth looking in detail at the specific discounts on offer with the card you are applying for to see whether you would be able to get use out of them.

Examples of discounts you can find include reductions on the cost of gym memberships, reduced rates when you book holidays through a specific company and discounts on some exciting days out.

Air miles

One common question about credit cards is how air miles credit cards work. T Read more…

Tags: good credit card

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Cash Envelopes For Couples

January 21st, 2012

Using cash envelopes can be a huge financial blessing for singles and couples. Many people steer clear because theyre unsure how to make them work in their relationship.

Here are 4 great tips to help you get started. My goal is to get you to use them because they have saved us money, time, and financial stress for years.

You can argue cash envelopes wont work for you but until you try it your point is moot. Keep an open mind, listen to our experience, and consider the benefits to your financial health.

To show how cash envelopes save money I considered pointing to some Ivy League study, but Ill keep it existential since its what I know.

Using cash sets limits in each category. When the money in each category is gone, its gone. Y

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Tags: Cash Envelopes, Couples

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Absolut Repurposing: 17 Uses for Vodka

January 18th, 2012

In college, I studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia. In a place where you can buy a liter of some of the finest vodka for only $3 and street stands sell bottles of the drink for 50 cents, it’s no surprise that I came across some odd uses for the vodka while abroad. Here are ways to make the most of it.

Did your in-laws just call giving you a 10-minute warning that they’re on their way over — and you’re all out of cleaning supplies? For the following remedies, mix one part vodka to three parts water in a spray bottle for any of the following cleaning methods. Then let sit and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

1. Shine and Polish Most Surfaces and Jewelry

Porcelain, glass, chrome, stainless steel, and most metals can be polished with the help of vodka.

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Tags: 17 Uses, Vodka

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Comparing Currency-Hedged and Unhedged Holdings

January 18th, 2012

In the past couple of updates on the performance of currency-neutral funds, we found that these funds do not quite live up to the expectation of removing the effects of currency fluctuations for a modest cost. Instead the currency-neutral funds show a performance lag ranging from 2.33% for the iShares SP 500 CAD-Hedged ETF (TSX: XSP) to 1.30% for the iShares MSCI EAFE CAD-Hedged ETF (TSX: XIN) (See posts Performance of Currency-Neutral SP 500 Index Funds and Performance of Currency-Neutral MSCI EAFE Index Fund).

Reader Cal wondered how the lag would affect an investor who wants to invest $10,000 in US stocks and has the option of simply picking XSP versus converting to US dollars, buying IVV and after 25 years converting back to Canadian dollars.

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