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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

Saving Money After College

By Julie Fishman
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Just like Snoop Dogg, a lot of college grads have their mind on their money and their money on their mind. When you're dealing with rent, utilities, cell phones, cable, and paying for your own beer, it's easy to fall into the dangerous cycle of living paycheck to paycheck

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

Budgeting the Easy Way

By Julie Fishman
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Quick Tips

  1. Budget for tomorrow – Budgeting isn’t always fun, but it’s a lot better than spending the last week of every month living off Ramen. Map out your salary and expenses and make sure that you won’t end up in the red. Budgeting isn’t a punishment; it’s just spending wisely.

  2. Be comprehensive – While budgeting, we tend to make sure that we can cover the big ticket items (e.g., rent) but sometimes forget about the small ones (e.g., haircuts). Be sure to be thorough when setting up a budget. Review prior bank and credit card statements to understand spending habits.

  3. Budgeting tools – The best way to budget is to use a guide, whether that’s Quicken or creating/downloading an Excel budgeting spreadsheet. Don’t be afraid to geek out.

  4. Keep at it – It’s really easy to stop budgeting (particularly when using a credit card because you’re not layout out any cash). But be sure to review your accounts at least twice a month to make sure you’re keeping within your budget.

  5. Don’t forget to save – A big benefit of budgeting is that you can start saving. Include a small amount each month to tuck away into a savings account. This will keep you afloat down the road…or ,enable you to buy a Ferrari.

Even though it sounds like something that no one under the age of 60 would actually do, budgeting is an essential first step in sorting out your personal finances.

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

Live Cheaply: Eat out of a Dumpster

By Chris Zoia
8/11/08
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In the past, only liberal arts majors had to scrounge around for food in garbage bins. Not anymore. Enter the freegans (free + vegan) the newest iteration of hippies who make political statements about the excessive waste produced by Western consumer society

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

Off to Mongolia

By Christopher Schonberger
8/07/08
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I'm "mailing" this post in via BlackBerry because I've been hustling like a madman to get ready for my trip to...Mongolia!?! There was a time when I never would have predicted that I'd ever go to Mongolia, but life is funny like that

Money Saving Tricks

By Chris Zoia
8/06/08
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The reason why saving money is so difficult is because it usually involves convincing yourself you don't want things you actually do want and telling yourself that, no, you didn't "earn" a Starbucks latte by waking up on time for work.

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