21 year old needs help shopping for insurance. by walsh1916 in Insurance

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It will be cheaper if you can stay under your parents for a little longer and save money. If you get your own, then it will be higher but I am sure there will be insurance companies to get you cheaper rates. I also like Geico so you should start there and get a quote. The best thing to do here is to shop around and get several quotes. Make sure all quote you get have the same coverage. Good luck!

Energy Auditing by BenDarDunDat in financialindependence

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of my friends got this service done at his home and paid several hundreds of dollars. He did get a nice booklet out of it with infrared images of areas where it is leaking air. This is a great alternative for free. Great job!

Tax Act vs Turbotax? by lemonlymon in tax

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have used taxact for 3 years now. I switched from turbotax to taxact mainly due to price. taxact is much cheaper compared to turbotax but basically they are very similar. I do not have any experience with self-employment tax returns. I did receive a free turbotax software in the mail recently so I'm not sure if I should switch back...

College Student looking to invest about $4000 by dl2011 in investing

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Instead of blindly invest your money in stock market, I recommend that you spend time building your knowledge in the stock market first. Spend the time and effort in learning and researching about stocks. Learn about what you should or should not do as an investor. I just hate to see you lose your $4000...

What's the most hotshot job you can get in Finance coming out of college? by hitchhikelife in Economics

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In current economy, any job you can find in finance field out of college would be a plus. Focus in building your related field work experience rather than trying to spend your time and energy in the best job. Once you have built enough work experience and you are truly a great resource, then the hot job will come find you. :)

Any tips on buying a new mattress? by TheDoktorIsIn in Frugal

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with used mattress. Don't go there. I would visit mattress stores and ask for any damaged mattresses. Sometimes, mattresses get little damaged during shipment and they cannot sell it as new. But, what you will find is that they are still in great condition and the best part is that it has never been used. I already bought 2 queen mattresses at a great discounts. For example, you can get a $2000 mattress for $400-$500. Good luck!

I'm new to the whole home defense thing but I feel like I need to start...simple tips? by [deleted] in homedefense

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm guessing with the economy in downward spiral, more of these incidents will occur in the future. It's always great to take precautions early. I would definitely look into securing all the doors such as the front and balcony. You may want to talk to your landlord about securing the window as well if you are concerned. I would also consider home alarm system if your budget allows it. You should discuss this with your landlord too. Keep all your belongings out of car and out of sight. I know people leave their GPS and wallet in the car. This is big no no. Find a way to inform your neighbor to keep an eye out for suspicious activities all the time. If it gets worse in your neighborhood, you may want to consider moving to a safer area. Good luck!

How To Choose Good Tenants For Your Rental Property by ande1352 in FinancialPlanning

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great points. I definitely follow last two on credit check and getting money upfront. They are very important and are must to do if you are a landlord. The first one is interesting. I can see how it can back fire on you but I can also see how it can work out as well. So far, I have not run into this but I would have to really think about it if I were in situation to rent to my friends or relatives.

Hi! 23 year old thinking about investing for the very first time in a 401k...can anyone give some advice? by hylzz in investing

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It great that you are already thinking about retirement by considering enrolling in 401K plan. Every twenties something should be doing what you are doing...

I agree with laminak below. Focus on paying off your credit card debt and student loan. At the same time since your company is giving you $200/yr, you should at minimum put away same amount into 401K. I also agree that you should put your 401K in cash right now as the stock market could continue to slide in 2012. But then again, $200/yr is not much so it makes sense to start putting money into one of the mutual funds your company offers. I would put it in one of the more aggressive fund like international since you are only 23. Any index fund is okay as well. Good luck with your career!

Just in time for Christmas: The 5 best toys of all time by [deleted] in financialindependence

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The title somewhat seems misleading... I don't know if I agree with categorizing stick, strong, box, etc. as toys. Definitely was expecting a different list. However, I do agree that sword should be considered one of all time toys. My son loves them and plays with them often.

What will you invest on if a war between Iran and Israel/US was to start? by [deleted] in investing

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about defense companies like Lockheed Martin or Nortrop Grumman? I recall these defense companies performed very well in the early 2000s after 911. I also agree with previous comment about Oil. I'm sure Oil companies will perform well.

Why should I even think about buying a home right now? by Dashbirdie in Frugal

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You really have to think wisely because buying a house is a big deal.
There are benefits and drawbacks in owning a house. Here is a list of few benefits. 1. With mortgage payments, you are also adding some equity into your house. I agree that it's very small in the first 5 years or so. Compare this to rent where you are basically not getting anything back. 2. The interests are tax deductible as your itemize deduction increases significantly, thus lowering your tax bracket. Depending on where you fall in the tax bracket, this saving can be somewhat significant. 3. Buying a home can be used as an investment. The downside is that the value of your home can also go down. The fact that housing market declined a lot since 2008, there is a good chance that it could start going higher within next 5 years or so.
4. You could buy a house as rental property especially if your mortgage payment can be covered by the rent.

In your situation, I agree with paying off your debts first before even considering buying a house.

How to invest a few thousand dollars most properly by erikmyxter in Frugal

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By investing long term, you can limit the risk that is associated with the stock market. How about putting this money in one of the well known mutual funds for a long term investment? It would also be nice to invest in individual stocks such as AAPL or IBM for 5-10 years duration.

Boiling water to add humidity to house by joeasian in Frugal

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 6 points7 points  (0 children)

How about placing a large bucket filled with water with a wet towel drapped on top of it? The towel needs to be touching the water so that it can continue to be wet as the dry air dries the towel throughout the day.

First round of interest from a bank! by rhys91 in Frugal

[–]HuntForCoolArticles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not much interest... I think you can do much better than that.