Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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13 answers

Is there a price point beyond which it no longer makes sense to buy an apartment or house?

I am in a very frustrating situation right now. I have accumulated a decent amount of value in cash and stocks. My wife and I however are still living in a rented small flat in our town in Austria where we are paying quite a high rent (600 EUR per…
Orsinus
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Why do governments borrow money instead of printing it?

This question is raised in the movie Money as Debt (at time index 29:00). The answer that immediately pops to my head is "because printing money causes inflation". However, according to this movie, money is created not only by printing it but rather…
ripper234
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How do car leases work?

I have seen many questions asking about leasing vs buying. I have always bought used cars with cash and have never looked into leasing a vehicle. I have no idea how they work. Can someone explain how it works and why most users on this site seem to…
Mr. Spock
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I found stock certificates for Disney and Sony that were given to me in 2011

I hope someone can help me with this question. I recently found two stock certificates, one share of Sony under my husband's name and the other one is Disney under my daughter's name (I'm the custodian). These shares where bought when the company…
Ivie
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Why would someone get a credit card with an annual fee?

I currently just have a Visa credit card. A place I shop at doesn't accept them. I'm looking at getting a second credit card such as Mastercard. I am surprised by how many highly recommended cards there are with annual fees. Why would someone ever…
titchseason
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Is $20/day and $603/month (USD) a lot, average or little for one person's "food and related" costs?

I've calculated that I eat for $603/month or $20/day (assuming 30 days in an average month). I do not live in the USA, but "basically the same" ("the West"). I've been trying, but failing, to get a nice list of current average amounts per-country,…
Karnell A.
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How close is the fate of Berkshire Hathaway tied to Warren Buffett?

We all are humans. Humans are mortal, and so is Warren Buffett. Given that he is an elderly man close to 90, it is quite likely that he will pass away in the next few years. Sad events like these often cause the value of a connected share to…
glglgl
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Is the company asking me to commit fraud by asking me to apply for reimbursement of half of trip expenses paid entirely by my colleague?

Recently, I traveled on company business with a colleague. To save money, we agreed to share a hotel room. My colleague booked and paid for the accommodation in its entirety. I paid nothing for the room, or the rental car that they also booked. Now…
Acton Bell
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Why not invest in precious metals?

I have been considering a mix of precious metals in my portfolio; mostly gold, but also some silver, platinum, and palladium. I'd like to hear some arguments why this would be a bad idea given present conditions and outlook in the long run.
user123124
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What stops management from just "compensating" themselves by taking all the stock in a company?

One of the odd things about a lot of modern companies is that the management, meaning the senior officers (CEO, CFO, CTO, etc) can pay themselves in stock. For example, Square's Jack Dorsey pays himself 500,000 shares of stock or something like that…
Five Bagger
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Are bank customers allowed to provide username & password to sites like Mint.com?

This question is not about whether Mint.com is secure, or not. That is beside the point. (Refer to this question on the subject of trusting Mint.com and similar services.) Rather: Are bank customers permitted, under whatever account agreement…
Chris W. Rea
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Would compound interest work better if all my accounts were combined into one?

My wife and I currently have three retirement accounts from different jobs. The only one currently getting paid into is my TSP account. Would we realize better gains if we combined the other two accounts into the TSP? Say they are all earning 10%…
IEnjoyEatingVegetables
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Why would the bidding on a foreclosed property start at the outstanding amount of the loan?

I've read from several reliable-looking sources that if a foreclosed house goes up for auction, the bidding usually starts at the outstanding amount of the loan (plus fees, etc.): Example Money Talks, Consumer Affairs, Biggerpockets. My question…
Bennett
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Why does Warren Buffett consider real estate as productive asset?

In the Berkshire Hathaway 2011 letter, Buffett said: My own preference – and you knew this was coming – is our third category: investment in productive assets, whether businesses, farms, or real estate. I fail to see how real estate produce…
PatrixCR
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Do I have to explain the source of *all* income on my taxes?

I live in the US. A complete stranger knocked on my door, gave me a pallet of $20 bills (which in total amount to several hundred thousand dollars), and left without saying a word. As far as I can tell, this money is legally mine. What do I do…
Ken - Enough about Monica
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