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1500 questions
22
votes
9 answers
First time home buyer. How to negotiate price?
I am a first time home buyer and am getting ready to make an offer on a house. The house is listed at $88,500 and has been on the market for 3-6 months. When I asked my realtor for his advice on what my initial offer should be he said:
If you want…
MickB
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22
votes
2 answers
Is it legal for a landlord to report a large payment to a tenant using Form 1099?
I recently signed a Mutual Termination of Lease agreement with a landlord who purchased the complex I was living in (CA,USA). Part of the termination of lease agreement specified a large payment for relocation assistance. The agreement has been…
octagonC
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22
votes
7 answers
Why do some online stores not ask for the 3-digit code on the back of my credit card?
How is it that some e-commerce stores are able to process credit card transactions without getting the 3 (or 4-) -digit security code from the back of my credit card?
What value does this code add if it's optional in the end?
matt b
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22
votes
10 answers
Student loan payments and opportunity costs
I'm about to graduate college and enter a very well-paid job in an inexpensive area. I am confident that I could repay my student loans much sooner than ten years, but I am wondering whether this is the right approach because there are a number of…
ILikeFood
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22
votes
2 answers
Mutual fund value went down, shares went up, no action taken by me
I have no prior experience with stocks so please forgive me if this is a dumb question but I don't even know what to try googling. Two days ago I signed up with scottrade. I put $1000 into ICENX mutual fund. It got me ~56 shares. Today I log in and…
sirdank
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22
votes
7 answers
Is a Home Warranty worth the money?
I'm a first-time homebuyer, and one of the stipulations of the down payment assistance program I have is that I have to buy a home warranty (which covers appliances, plumbing, roof, etc in case of failure due to normal wear and tear or accidental…
Matthew Jones
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22
votes
3 answers
Wash Sales and Day Trading
Let's say a Day Trader buys and sells a stock on the same day and makes a loss of $1,000. Then she buys and sells the same stock the next day and makes a profit of $500. On the third day she files her taxes.
As I understand the Wash Sales rule, she…
thanks_in_advance
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22
votes
5 answers
When is it better to rent and when is better buy in a certain property market?
I've been told the average rent for a house should be the house price, minus 3 zero's and that should be how much it should be a week, which I think works out to be about 5% of the house price per year.
Is that an accurate way to measure whether it…
Joe.E
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22
votes
3 answers
Are precious metals/collectibles a viable emergency fund?
My friend received a gift from a family member in the form of silverware. The exact value is unknown but it is enough to cover 6+ months worth of expenses. I estimate it is a significant portion of their net worth. They don't have any sentimental…
stonk-overflow
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22
votes
5 answers
How long should I keep my bills?
Until now I've kept all my bills, but it's too much paper.
Gas, Water, Electricity, telephone, etc. Why is it a good idea to keep them? For how long should I keep them?
d-_-b
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22
votes
1 answer
What is fuel surcharge in India?
In Bangalore (INDIA), when you purchase fuel with cash, you never have to pay for a 'fuel surcharge'. When you pay for it using your credit or debit card, a fuel surcharge is added on later? What and why do they do this?
letterhead
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22
votes
5 answers
How can I tell if buying a cheaper car will end up costing me more?
Cars can be very expensive, so it seems like a good place to save money. However, I worry that getting a car that is too cheap, especially if buying used, may end up costing me more in maintenance, gas, etc.
What should I be looking out for in order…
Larry Wang
- 1,128
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22
votes
5 answers
How does one effectively negotiate rent?
I'm going to rent an apartment in a major urban area in the next few months. When I drive around the area where I want to rent I see numerous "For Rent" signs. Also when I look online there are numerous listings. Given the abundance of properties…
MrDatabase
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22
votes
8 answers
22
votes
4 answers
What headaches will I have switching from Quicken to GnuCash?
I'm interested in switching to an open source checkbook program. I currently use Quicken and I'm interested in switching to GnuCash but I have usability concerns.
Does GnuCash have all the features I'm used to in Quicken? Any noticeable…
Alex B
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