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Have you been stashing your savings under your bed? It’s time to throw away that shoebox (but make sure to take the money out first) and let us teach you how to become the Joe Torre of your nest egg.

A Billie, a Billie, a Billie, a Billionaire

By Keshav Singh
9/23/08
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The Forbes 400 Richest People in America is now available for those who like to ogle old white men with silly amounts of money (the cut-off for this year’s list was $1.3 billion). But the real question for a recent grad trying to make the list by 40 is this

Video: Getting Insurance and Building Credit

By Gradspot Dot Com
9/15/08
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Rachel Solomon is the personal finance maven behind a number of articles on Gradspot.com, and she’s recently begun producing a series of money-related videos for SmartMoney geared specifically toward issues affecting recent grads.

The Pros and Cons of Prepaid Debit

By Keshav Singh
9/11/08
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If you’re still in college, you may notice fewer credit card companies offering you free Nalgenes if you sign up for some plastic. That’s because college are cracking down on credit-card marketing on campus to curb the trend of students graduating with massive debt.

How Much Money Do You Waste?

By Christopher Schonberger
9/08/08
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Loyal readers know that we’re a broken record when it comes to personal finance: “Saving money is all about getting over the hump of denial. Once you make an honest appraisal of your monthly expenditures, making a few strategic cutbacks ain’t nuthin’ but a chicken wing.”

Top Ten Most Absurd Credit Cards

By Christopher Schonberger
8/28/08
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When you’re a recent grad with a miniscule income, a sublet apartment, and no bills in your name, convincing credit card companies to throw you a bone isn’t always easy. Combine those stacked odds with the fact that it takes an advanced

Damn It Feels Good to Be a Banker

By Christopher Schonberger
8/28/08
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Bankers and consultants, it’s time to squash the beef

It's Fiiiiiinance!

By Tom Wiseman
8/25/08
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Now, in my mind "banker" is just Cockney rhyming slang, not an actual profession, and I'm only semi-ashamed to admit that my level of mathematics is similar to that of an 11 year old

Tackling Taxes

By David Pekema
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Quick Tips
  1. Keep good records – Whether going to a tax professional or going it alone, holding on to pay stubs, investment documents, and receipts for anything you want to write off makes the whole process much easier. Find out exactly which documents to keep, and how long to keep all those documents.
  2. Whom do you owe? – If your parents usually do your taxes or you've moved to a new state, make sure you don't double pay. If you moved mid-year you may want to check in with an accountant to make sure you're not leaving anyone out (or paying something you don't have to).
  3. Do it yourself – The good thing about being a recent college grad is that your taxes are straightforward. Unless you own a house or have dependents, doing your own taxes will be relatively easy. Buy tax preparation software to grease the wheels.
  4. Hire a pro – If your life is a little more complicated (home, business, moving, student loans, marriage, children, etc.), it may be more prudent to hire a professional. Just make sure you have the right documents, and let the professional find all the tax loopholes for you.
  5. Deductions are your friend – Recent college grads can take advantage of a number of tax deductibles, such as moving after graduation and job training. Keep a look out for any deductions you could apply for; they're easy to miss.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, through an elaborate propaganda program, has society brainwashed. From the moment we’re born, we are convinced that doing our taxes is some sort of horrific experience—the equivalent to simultaneously

The Grad Olympics

By Christopher Schonberger
8/12/08
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Are you amped that the Olympics are finally here? Yeah, me too—no matter how hard

Choosing a Bank

By Christopher Schonberger
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Quick Tips
  1. Choose wisely – The first thing you want to think about when picking your bank is which kind of an account you want. Depending on your budget and your needs, you have a number of options, the most popular being a basic checking account or a savings account.
  2. Put your money to work – Consider putting your money in an online savings account, a CD, or a money market, no matter what your income. Check out this article to learn about other investment opportunities.
  3. Beware the fees – Big banks earn a lot of revenue for charging customers for services they don't really want. Read the fine print before you make your choice and be on the lookout for minimum balance fees, ATM fees, checking fees, and bounced check fees.
  4. The credit trap – The easiest way to plunge yourself into debt is to start swiping plastic like a maniac and later discovering you have no money to pay for it at the end of the month. Don't treat credit cards as if they were free money—they're not!
  5. Switching banks – If you are switching banks, make sure all you have your ducks in order first (e.g., make sure all checks have cleared, notify your employer of the change if you receive payment by direct deposit, etc.).

Being suspicious of “banking” is a time-honored tradition that dates back to the days of ancient Greece, when gold was horded in temples by lecherous, inbred priests (at least according to the movie 300). Sometime later, Adam Smith used his “invisible hand” to invent capitalism

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