Blog Posts by Quizzle.com

Do You Need Flood Insurance?By: Kristie Lorette

If your home has never been in an officially designated flood zone, it may be now, as flood zone maps were recently modified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Couple these changes with recent devastating flood events like those along the Mississippi River, and it has never been a better time to review your flood insurance policy or establish a new one.

Flood Claims

Even if you live in a relatively low-risk area for flooding, you may want to consider taking out a flood insurance policy. According to The National Flood Insurance Program, 25 percent of flood claims made in 2010 were by policy holders on properties that were NOT in high-risk areas.

Flood insurance policies start at $129 per year, but the national average for a policy is $600 a year, according to FEMA. Paying hundreds more a year on insurance may not seem practical, but if you weigh the costs against the average flood claim of $48,000, you may think twice. Paying for a flood

Read More »from Got Flood Insurance? What You Need to Know about Your Coverage (or Lack Thereof)

By: Juliana Weiss-Roessler

Refinance Your Mortgage?Every four years. That's how often the average American homeowner refinances their home loan.

Why so often? Sometimes it's because interest rates go down and they want to take advantage of them. Or their income has increased and they want to move to a shorter loan term. Or their credit has improved enough to garner a better rate. Or it could simply be that the current monthly payments are too high and they need to extend the length of the loan to lower them.

Whatever the reason, refinancing can mean big savings for you… or it might not be worth it, depending on your personal situation.

Are interest rates at least one point lower then your current loan?

Experts use that as the cut off point where you might want to start looking into refinancing to see if it's worth it. Anything less than a one point difference typically doesn't make financial sense. If current interest rates are two or more points lower than your current loan, definitely look into

Read More »from Should You Refinance Your Home Loan?

How to Save BIG MONEYBy: Benjamin Gran

In part 1 of this series, we looked at ways to save big money by re-evaluating some of life's biggest expenses - housing. Today, we'll look at ideas to save big money on cars and education.

Cars: Buy Used, Drive Forever

That "new car smell" might be great, but in many ways, buying a new car is the worst financial decision you can make. The reason? A new car loses a huge percentage of its value the moment you drive it off the lot. A $35,000 new car might only sell for $15,000 two years later - that means you've lost $10,000 a year in the depreciation of the car's value - in addition to your monthly payments.

Instead of buying a new car, you can save a bundle of money by buying used. This way, you've effectively allowed the car's prior owner to take the loss that comes from the depreciation of the vehicle. Isn't that worth missing out on the "new car smell?"

Just like you should consider buying one house and staying in it for the long-term, "thinking big" about

Read More »from Want to Save Money? Think Big! (Part 2 of 2)

The New Savings Rule of ThumbBy: John D. Buerger, CFP®

How much of your income should you be saving?

A common rule of thumb answer used to be that 10 percent of income should go into savings.

"But 10 percent of income is a lot!" is a common response. Saving that kind of money seems so daunting that most people don't even try, which is why the national savings rate ended up actually being negative in the mid-2000's. Today, consumers are spending less and saving more, but the national savings rate is still in the low single digits - well below the 8 to 10 percent rate in the 50's and 60's.

10 Percent Is Not Enough

Here's the real kicker: based on recently published research, the average savings rate really should be 16 to 20 percent of household income... not 10 percent.

Sixteen to 20 percent?! Ouch!

If 10 percent was so difficult that most Americans didn't even try, how likely is it that you will take a shot at 20 percent savings? It's almost too depressing to think about.

Mission Impossible

Hang with me for

Read More »from I Should Be Saving How Much?!

How to Travel for CheapBy: Teena Celis

Everyone loves to travel to exotic places and create memories that will last a lifetime. It's our poor groaning wallets and the look on our financial adviser's face that keep us from giving in to our wishes. So what gives? Wouldn't you love to travel more often without going bankrupt? What if I told you that you can actually plan two trips instead of one on the same budget?

Here are 40 great tips on how you can travel and save money at the same time:

TIPS FOR BUDGET TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Use the following tips to plan your budget travel:

1. Airline Tickets: Always plan your trip in advance, visit discount websites for good deals and search for combination flights to save money.

2. Connecting Flights: Opt for more connecting flights with stopovers to save money. It might be a bother to have more stopovers and connect to multiple flights but the savings are great if you can wing it.

3. Pack Light: You'll have to pay for additional luggage, so stick to the luggageRead More »from 40 Tips for Budget Travelers

Save Money with Coupons without the Time CommitmentBy: Kate Parham

For the last few weeks, we've learned about the best places to find coupons, secrets from TLC's Extreme Couponers and even the best couponing books to read. But, I'm sure many of you are still bemoaning, "I just don't have the time to coupon!"

It's a valid argument. Scanning weekly ads takes time. Finding coupons takes time. Actually using coupons at the store takes time. And time is a rare commodity these days. So, how can you take advantage of coupons without spending hours every week? Fortunately, many coupon enthusiasts have done the work for you. Check it out:

Comparison Shopping Made Easy

It can be incredibly time consuming to go through the store circulars each week and compare those deals to the coupons you've already collected. Instead, let someone else do the work for you.

Blogs like Deal Seeking Mom and The Krazy Coupon Lady compile lists each week for dozens of stores, providing the sale price of the item, then matching that with applicable coupons and

Read More »from 3 Ways to Save Money With Coupons While Someone Else Does the Work

Give Your Kids the Gift of Financial Independence

By: Tammy Kraig, CFP®

With Father's Day upon us, children are anticipating presenting that special gift to their dad and visualizing the great happiness it will bring. Of course, any present a child gives us brings great delight. But what about parents? Is there a special gift we can give our children that will make them truly happy - throughout their lives?

In thinking about this question of gifts, I reread The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Although the bestseller is fifteen years old, the traits of millionaires are even more valuable now given the effects of the recent financial crisis and recession.

As the authors discovered, "Financially independent people are happier than those in their same income/age cohort who are not financially secure."

Is there a gift we can give our children to help them become financially independent?

Don't confuse a large income with being financially secure. People with a high income and flashy lifestyle who Read More »from The Best Gift a Father Can Give His Children

By: Juliana Weiss-Roessler

All babies are different. Some cry all the time, while others sleep silently for most of the day and night. They can be outgoing or standoffish, curious or uninterested, picky or accepting of everything.

But all babies do share at least one thing in common: they're expensive. Diapers, formula, clothes, toys - you name it, and we can guarantee you'll be buying three times as much of it as you thought you would. Thankfully, companies want your business, and savvy moms and dads can find lots of freebies out there for junior if they're will to do just a bit of looking around.

Free diapers

There are numerous ways to get free or cheap diapers. First off, several major manufacturers offer rewards programs where you get free diapers after you've earned enough points. Beyond that, you can register with all of the big companies to get free diapers and coupons - they want your business that much!

Calling your doctor's office and local hospitals is another great way

Read More »from How to Get Free Stuff for Your New Baby